April 19, 2007: Richmond Braves 3, Louisville Bats 2
This was a day game, starting at noon. I was slaving away in the salt mines, so I didn't get to listen to it or even follow it online live.
Just as well. It sounds like it was a heartbreaker. It went to extra innings, and the bats lost in the bottom of the 11th.
Bubba had some pretty good at-bats, but things just didn't go his way. It was sort of the same in the outfield, too.
1st: One out, none on. He fell behind, but battled back. Ball, called strike, ball, swinging strike, foul, foul, ball, ball. After eight pitches, Bubba works a walk. Votto lined out, then Bubba was caught stealing. (The Richmond catcher must be pretty good. The Bats were 0 for 3 in stolen bases.)
4th: Bubba led off. Another battle. Foul, called strike, ball, foul, ball, ball, ball. Another walk. Votto, up next, grounded into a force out, and Bubba was out at 2B.
6th: Two outs, none on. Foul, ball, ball, foul, swinging strike.
8th: Bubba swung at the first pitch, and was out on a popup behind the plate.
11th: One on, no outs. Ball, swinging strike, foul, foul, ball...GIDP.
Bubba's line for the night: 0 for 3 with 2 walks.
Bubba also had a rather controversial play in right field in the 8th. Bases loaded, one out, Kershner on the mound. Barbaro Canizares smacked one out to right. Bubba somehow managed to chase it down, making a circus catch on the warning track. Canizares was out, but two runs scored on a miscommunication in the outfield. Bubba threw it to Wise, but Wise wasn't expecting it.
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Still, Richmond trailed 2-0 in the eighth before loading the bases with one out. Barbaro Canizares drilled a ball to deep right-center that Louisville right fielder Bubba Crosby ran down and caught over his head.
Crosby crashed to the ground with his back to the infield. He flipped the ball to center fielder Dewayne Wise, but Wise was looking toward the infield trying to tell Crosby where the cutoff man was located.
The ball rolled past Wise. Martin Prado scored from third, and Escobar, who had alertly stayed near second instead of drifting down the base line, tagged up and scored without a throw to the plate.
"We had talked about if there was a big throw, I'd flip it to [Dewayne]," Crosby said. "My arm has been hurting because of all the cold.
"I was on my back. When I started to get to my feet, it looked like I was making the throw. I flipped it to him too late."
Richmond tried to argue that Bubba did not make the catch, and Louisville tried to argue that the runners did not tag up. The umpires ruled that Bubba did make the catch, and the runners did tag up.
The two runs tied the game and sent it to OT. Where the Bats lost in the bottom of the 11th. Just one of those nights, I guess. It was just as heartbreaking in Cincinnati, where the Reds had a seemingly safe 6-1 lead. But once again, they couldn't hold it. The Astros scored seven runs in the last three innings, including 5 runs in the 8th. Ugh.
The Yanks, meanwhile, were on the other end of the stick. They went into the bottom of the 9th inning yesterday down 2-6. The rally started with two outs, none on. They scored six runs, including a three-run walkoff homer by A-Rod. Unbelievable.
The Bats host the Norfolk Tides tonight. Bubba is not in the
lineup, (perhaps because of his sore arm?). But he's played in every game so far this season, so there's a good chance he'll be subbed in eventually.
