Pitchers Welcome Back Old Friends

After a few years' absence from the Empty Pitchers' schedule, the retooled Remainders gave the Pitchers nearly all they could handle in Week 5, even if the final result - 2 wins for the Pitchers - remained the same.

The Pitchers got off to their usual slow start in a 9-3 Game 1 win, hitting into a variety of fly outs in the early innings and finding themselves up by only a run heading into the 5th. A single by Sam, followed by the 1-2 punch of Greg and a resurgent Katie set the stage for a clutch 2-out, 2 RBI double from Brian in his much-delayed 2012 debut. A third run would later cross on a single from Brooke.

After giving up a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, the Pitchers got back to work quickly in the 6th, scoring another 4 runs, with the final two coming on a 2-run, inside-the-park home run from Greg that killed any hope of a Remainders' comeback.

Game 2 was a 3-2 nail biter, that saw a reprise of the Pitchers' ice-cold offense and the return of David to the mound following his player loan to a team in Japan. Thankfully, he picked up some tips on throwing the Gyroball while in the Far East, and was able to bookend the Remainders, giving up only a run in the first, and a run in the seventh, and luring the their lineup into posting goose eggs in the frames in between.

The Pitchers eked out just enough offense to get the win, with Sam (walk) and David (single), coming home in the first on a double from Greg. Julie would score what turned out to be the winning run for the Pitchers in the 6th, using her patented combination of guile and determination - getting on base with a walk and crossing the plate following back-to-back singles from Greg and Stacey, and a sacrifice out from Brian.

Post-game happenings: Speaking of being strangers in a strange land, following last month's foray into an all-they-could drink brunch, the team changed it up again, enjoying a tentative first round of drinks at Keg 229 while waiting out the close of college football at Jeremy's.

While the Tater Tots and Kona bucket both get a strong thumbs up, this reviewer will hold off on issuing an official grade - the temperature of both food and drink was surprisingly unregulated by a Styrofoam vessel, the on-tap Narragansett Light was $6.50 a draft (confusing to this native RIer, who is only familiar with 2-for-$5 Tall Boy offerings of the beer), and pricing info from the barkeep on the pour-your-own table taps was much, much too vague in response to myriad lines of questioning from a clearly-salivating Murph.