Friday – We headed out for our third road trip of the season. During the drive we listened to the game on the radio. The strength of our relievers didn’t pull through, and we didn’t have much insurance from the offense. I really hate those early lead losses…ouch! Poor Matt Chico had another no decision after pitching a great game.
Saturday – We were able to walk to the park from our hotel. It was pretty cool to walk across the bridge, see the stadium, and the river. PNC Park is beautiful I think I like it better than Camden Yards for sure. It was also cool to see the huge bonze statues of baseball greats outside the stadium, was a great dedication to the men who made sure baseball remained America’s pastime.
The girls and I got to watch the Nationals take batting practice for the first time this season. We were able to stand behind the visitor’s dugout and watch the routine. Let me tell you Dmitri does some interesting jumping jacks…hehe. We had great seats behind home plate; it was cool to see the pitches come right at us. Unfortunately, Bergman seemed a little off; he pitched 4 innings and gave up 6 runs on 8 hits. We just couldn’t seem to end the second inning.
Perhaps more disappointing than our 7-2 loss was the flop of a protest by Pirates fans. In response to 15 losing seasons, Pittsburgh fans scheduled a walk out during the 3rd inning. However, during the 3rd (with the Pirates holding a clear lead) those few fans walking out in protest simply looked like they were going to get a hot dog. I was disappointed that fans seemed to be attending the game only for a protest but decided to stay and cheer on the team once they had a lead. What happened to sticking with your team through wins AND loses? Regardless of your record, your team should be your team, support them! It was a hard loss but it was great to see a game at PNC and we stayed positive for a possible win the next day.
Sunday- Another beautiful day. The Nats made all of those Pirates fans put away the actual brooms they had brought to the stadium with a 3-2 win. That afternoon we relaxed in the first row of left field, right under the scoreboard. Robert Fick played most of the game right in front of us. I picked two very bad moments to leave my seat. The first came early in the game when the Pirates offense hit a ball deep to leftfield. It hit the warning track just over Fick’s head. I was watching the TV standing in line, saw the ball hit and said, “Hey that’s my seat.” Then I saw the girls in the stands watching the action right in front of them and said, “Hey those are my friends on TV!” It was pretty funny. The next time I left my seat that game Jesus Flores (one of my favorites) hit his first home run for the Nationals scoring 2! Incredible, I couldn’t believe I missed it. Flores had a great day, giving the Nats an offensive push and calling a great game defensively. The win on Sunday sure made the long drive home a little easier.
All and all and amazing trip!
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