Game day

… So I got my first managerial win today. Woo hoo!

With our leader Tom out again today, I was left managing the team for the second consecutive game … We held on for a 5-4 win, which brings our season record to 3-4 and my all-time managerial record to something like 1-3 …

I had a pretty good day at the plate too … For my first at-bat, I stepped to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the second, no runners on and no score. I got down on a 1-2 count and then got a decent pitch and hooked it down the right field line. It dropped just fair and I turned it into a double … The next batter singled and moved me over to third base, and the batter after that singled to drive me in to score. When the inning ended, we had taken a 2-0 lead … And I was getting pats on the back for starting the two-out, two-run rally …

When I stepped to the plate again in the fourth, I had two runners on and one out; the score was still 2-0 … The first pitch I got was a little bit inside, but right in my wheelhouse. I turned on it and launched it down the left field line -- foul! … I missed the next pitch and fell behind 0-2, but the third pitch was in the dirt. It got past the catcher and one of the runners came in to score, putting us up 3-0. Then, I gave the fourth pitch a ride to left field for a sacrifice fly and got the fourth run in … So you could say I helped us get another pair of runs …

I drew walks each my last two times up and we got one more run to take a 5-0 lead …

In the meantime, we had our ace start on the mound and he led us off by striking out the side in the top of the first. But in the bottom of the inning, batting fourth, he grounded out and stumbled over first base as he tried to beat the throw, in turn hurting his knee. He was done for the day, and the only other pitcher we had available was Garre, who was still recovering from his work in Wednesday’s game …

God bless him, he pitched the bulk of the game and we held the other team scoreless for most of the game. But Garre eventually did tire, and the other team put up a four-run inning …

We held on though, and had no other choice in the final inning than to pitch J.D., who’s thrown nothing more than batting practice. Still, I knew he could throw strikes, and I had confidence in him finishing out the game …

And he did. We got a one-two-three inning and the win to finish the game.