Like living a movie...
I went to Nationals Ballpark tonight to see the last home game of the 2009 season. Pittsburgh won earlier today, which means that my team is now, for the second straight year, officially the worst in baseball. *sigh, pout, transformed to shining smile* But none of that mattered tonight, because what happened was better than any screenwriter could have written...
The game started off hopeful -- neither team scored in the first inning -- but our best pitcher (John Lannan) had some trouble in the second inning, allowing the Mets to score 2 runs. It took us quite a while to fight back and score 1 in the 5th, but in the 6th, we made two really bad errors and the Mets scored AGAIN, making it 3-1.
*sigh, frown* Our defense was shaky and our offense just wasn't producing -- what was going on?!? "No wonder so many fans were leaving," I thought sadly as I watched them stream out of the stadium.
In the 8th inning, with the game fast coming to a close, we brought in a new pitcher, who did an admirable job of keeping the Mets from scoring. *wicked grin* But the Mets pitcher wasn't so successful with us -- our star third baseman (and face of the team), Ryan Zimmerman, CRACKED a ball to deep centerfield for a solo home run! HUZZAH! The crowd got on its feet and cheered, but tension remained because we were still losing 3-2, with only one inning left to play.
Not only did we have to keep the Mets from scoring in the top of the ninth, but to win the game, we had to score another two runs... *sigh* But I shouldn't have pout the horse before the cart. The 9th inning didn't go as planned -- we allowed 3 hits and made ANOTHER error, and the Mets scored to make it 4-2.
Argh -- now we were in a deeper hole than before, and the Mets closer was stalking his way to the mound, ready to shut us down in quick succession as he had done to so many others.
But the flame of hope stayed lit as the first batter singled... *stunned smile* ... then the second batter singled too... *smile widens* ... the third bunted, moving our guys to 2nd and 3rd with one out... and the 4th guy walked, loading the bases!!!!
*grin* And that's when Ryan Zimmerman, the man who hit a home run last inning, stepped to the plate to loud cheers from the few fans left in the stands. I looked towards the exits and saw that fans had stopped leaving, and were standing and watching instead -- they felt the energy in the air -- they hoped something great was going to happen... *sigh pout* But it didn't. Ryan struck out. The air went out of us for a minute. We had only one out left before the game was over and we lost.
But then the speakers proclaimed that our HUGE power hitter was next, and the crowd roared! Surely HE would get a hit... *sigh, pout* But he didn't. He walked, which drove in a run, sure, but we were still losing 4-3, and still had only one out left... and who was THIS coming to the plate? Some new kid was replacing one of our good hitters!
*groan* "Oh dear," I thought -- our hopes are hanging on this 25 year old who's only played 50 games this year?!? *worried face* I didn't know what to expect... and that's why I was shouting "no..no.. NO!" in disbelief, as I watched him hit the ball over the left field wall for his very first walk-off grand slam home run!!!!
The crowd was jumping up and down, and I was grinning and screaming at the top of my lungs, still totally in shock that, in the bottom of the ninth, for the last home game of the season, the worst team in baseball wrote a story that movie makers only dream of.
:-D I'm *still* grinning.
~Apple
(who wonders if she's going to come down from this high any time soon)
The game started off hopeful -- neither team scored in the first inning -- but our best pitcher (John Lannan) had some trouble in the second inning, allowing the Mets to score 2 runs. It took us quite a while to fight back and score 1 in the 5th, but in the 6th, we made two really bad errors and the Mets scored AGAIN, making it 3-1.
*sigh, frown* Our defense was shaky and our offense just wasn't producing -- what was going on?!? "No wonder so many fans were leaving," I thought sadly as I watched them stream out of the stadium.
In the 8th inning, with the game fast coming to a close, we brought in a new pitcher, who did an admirable job of keeping the Mets from scoring. *wicked grin* But the Mets pitcher wasn't so successful with us -- our star third baseman (and face of the team), Ryan Zimmerman, CRACKED a ball to deep centerfield for a solo home run! HUZZAH! The crowd got on its feet and cheered, but tension remained because we were still losing 3-2, with only one inning left to play.
Not only did we have to keep the Mets from scoring in the top of the ninth, but to win the game, we had to score another two runs... *sigh* But I shouldn't have pout the horse before the cart. The 9th inning didn't go as planned -- we allowed 3 hits and made ANOTHER error, and the Mets scored to make it 4-2.
Argh -- now we were in a deeper hole than before, and the Mets closer was stalking his way to the mound, ready to shut us down in quick succession as he had done to so many others.
But the flame of hope stayed lit as the first batter singled... *stunned smile* ... then the second batter singled too... *smile widens* ... the third bunted, moving our guys to 2nd and 3rd with one out... and the 4th guy walked, loading the bases!!!!
*grin* And that's when Ryan Zimmerman, the man who hit a home run last inning, stepped to the plate to loud cheers from the few fans left in the stands. I looked towards the exits and saw that fans had stopped leaving, and were standing and watching instead -- they felt the energy in the air -- they hoped something great was going to happen... *sigh pout* But it didn't. Ryan struck out. The air went out of us for a minute. We had only one out left before the game was over and we lost.
But then the speakers proclaimed that our HUGE power hitter was next, and the crowd roared! Surely HE would get a hit... *sigh, pout* But he didn't. He walked, which drove in a run, sure, but we were still losing 4-3, and still had only one out left... and who was THIS coming to the plate? Some new kid was replacing one of our good hitters!
*groan* "Oh dear," I thought -- our hopes are hanging on this 25 year old who's only played 50 games this year?!? *worried face* I didn't know what to expect... and that's why I was shouting "no..no.. NO!" in disbelief, as I watched him hit the ball over the left field wall for his very first walk-off grand slam home run!!!!
The crowd was jumping up and down, and I was grinning and screaming at the top of my lungs, still totally in shock that, in the bottom of the ninth, for the last home game of the season, the worst team in baseball wrote a story that movie makers only dream of.
:-D I'm *still* grinning.
~Apple
(who wonders if she's going to come down from this high any time soon)