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.

Week 5: Empty Pitchers vs. Remainders

Game 10 Box Score
10/20/2012
TEAM  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  FINAL
EP    0  0  0  1  3  4  1  9
R     0  0  0  0  2  0  1  3

PLAYER    AB  R  H  RBI  BB  AVG 'On the Day'
Sam SS     3  1  2   0   1  .710 (3-5, walk)
Nicole EH  3  0  0   0   0  .167 (0-3)
David P    3  1  1   0   0  .500 (3-7)
Julie C    3  1  0   0   2  .273 (0-1, 2 walks)
Greg RCF   3  0  3   2   0  .786 (5-7)
Stacey 1B  3  0  2   0   0  .364 (2-5)
Brian LF   3  0  0   1   1  .400 (2-5, sac)
Brooke RF  3  0  0   0   0  .222 (1-4, walk)
Damian CF  2  0  0   0   0  .583 (3-6)
Tara 2B    2  0  1   0   0  .286 (1-4)
Alex 3B    2  0  1   0   0  .750 (3-4)
  Alicia   -  -  -   -   -  .300 (1-2)
  Katie    -  -  -   -   -  .316 (2-4)
  Lisa     -  -  -   -   -  .250 (0-1,2w,sac)
2B - Greg (5)

Game 9 Box Score
10/20/2012
TEAM  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  FINAL
R     1  0  0  0  0  0  1  2
EP    2  0  0  0  0  1  X  3

PLAYER    AB  R  H  RBI  BB 
David CF   4  1  2   1  0 
Katie 2B   4  2  2   1  0 
Greg P     4  2  2   3  0 
Alicia RF  2  0  1   0  0 
  Tara     2  0  0   0  0 
Brian  LF  4  0  2   2  0 
Stacey 1B  2  0  0   0  0 
Brooke 1B  2  1  1   0  1 
Damian CF  4  1  3   0  0 
Lisa C     4  0  0   1  2w,sac 
Alex 3B    4  0  2   1  0 
Sam SS     3  2  1   0  0 
2B - Brian (1), Damian (3); 3B - David (1);
HR - Greg (1); OTF - David (1)

Pitchers Mostly Business in Early Rounds

The Pitchers are through the opening rounds of the playoffs and looking ahead to a third-round matchup against Ruben's Angels, and, a potential championship matchup against the winner of Sub & Heroes versus the Dragons.

A well-balanced offensive attack from the Pitchers in Round 1 resulted in an easy 7-2 win over the Remainders. Much to the consternation of their opponent's tight-jeans bedecked, hipster pitcher, the Pitchers showed incredible discipline at the plate, refusing to chase any garbage he tossed their way.

From top-to-bottom of the lineup, every Pitcher reached base and the run scoring was scattered throughout the order. After banking two runs in the first, the Pitchers broke the game open with a four-run second, featuring hits from Sam, Lisa, Matt, John, Alicia and Greg. In fact, two-out hits were the source of all the Pitchers' run production over the course of Game 1.

Greg pitched outstanding in his second career start, walking none, going above and beyond in taking the ball through the early innings of Round 2, proving himself as clutch a big-game Pitcher as ever.

Round 2 saw the Pitchers take a 4-1 win from Fontana's Bar. Late-arrival/malcontent David took the mound in the third inning of the game -- promptly messing with management's head by walking the first batter he faced (a girl! who would go on to score Fontana's only run!) -- but soon put aside any discord over last weekend's post-game spread to focus on extending his personal-best unbeaten pitching streak. Luckily, David Being David resulted in another W for the Pitchers.

In spite of all the pre-game scouting on the part of Fontana's, the bar team didn't have any answer to perfect offensive AND defensive games from the left side of the infield: John (4-4, run scored) and Alex (3-for-3, RBI). The Pitchers scored all of their runs in the third -- on hits from John, Alicia, Greg, Alex and Stacey -- and held on tight defensively to secure the win.



Next game: Be at the field for 11:15 a.m. this Saturday. If we win, we've got a break and then play again in the 2:30 p.m. championship. Either way, plan on Jeremy's afterward...

Playoffs: Rounds 1 & 2

Round 2 Box Score - Fontana's Bar
11/6/2010

TEAM   1  2  3  4  5  6  7   FINAL
FB     0  1  0  0  0  0  0   1
EP     0  0  4  0  0  0  X   4

PLAYER    AB  R  H  RBI  BB  AVG* 'On the Day'
John SS    4  1  4   0   0  .857  (6-7)
Alicia 2B  4  1  2   0   0  .500  (3-6, walk) 
Greg P     3  1  2   1   0  .667  (4-6) 
  David    2  0  0   0   0  .000  (0-2)
Nicole RF  2  0  0   0   1  .000  (0-5, walk) 
  Lisa     1  0  0   0   0  .250  (1-4)
Alex 3B    3  1  3   1   0  .667  (4-6)
Stacey 1B  3  0  1   1   0  .333  (2-6)
Felix CF   2  0  0   0   0  .400  (2-5)
  Sam      1  0  0   0   0  .500  (2-4)
Rachel C   3  0  1   1   0  .600  (3-5, walk)
Matt RCF   2  0  0   0   0  .250  (1-4)
Brian LF   3  0  0   0   0  .200  (1-5)

2B - Greg (2,3)

Round 1 Box Score - Remainders
11/6/2010

TEAM   1  2  3  4  5  6  7   FINAL
RE     0  0  2  0  0  0  0   2
EP     2  4  1  0  0  0  X   7
PLAYER    AB  R  H  RBI  BB 
John SS    3  1  2   1   0
Alicia EH  3  1  1   1   1    
Greg P     3  0  2   1   0   
Nicole 2B  3  0  0   0   0   
Alex 3B    3  0  1   1   0
Stacey 1B  3  1  1   1   0 
Felix CF   3  1  2   0   1 
Rachel RF  3  0  2   1   0
Sam LF     3  1  2   0   0
Lisa C     3  0  1   0   1
Matt RCF   2  1  1   1   0
Brian EH   2  1  1   0   0   

2B - Felix (1), Greg (1), John (1), Sam (1)
* Playoff stats separate from regular season

Pitchers Primed for Playoff Run

The Empty Pitchers at last found the cure to their traditional hungover, Halloween-time losses -- a Sunday morning match up against the league's cellar-dwelling Remainders.

In a preview of their first-round playoff match up, the Pitchers took two from the Remainders, rolling by mercy rule in Game 1, 11-0, and by a final of 8-5 in Game 2. Both games ran only 4 innings, due in equal parts to the ump's and the Remainders' laissez-faire attitude in keeping track of the inning.

Back-to-back triples from David and Nicole to start the early game were a harbinger of doom for the Remainders, as the extra base hits helped the Pitchers jump out to a 3-0 lead. A slew of six straight singles from the middle of the order pushed another handful of runs across in the third, and the Remainders knew they were not long for this world.

With the colder weather here and much of the team breaking out the pants, the blowout did give the Pitchers a much-needed opportunity to practice their sliding. Horrendously ugly slides were in abundance at every base at the Oval on Sunday; thankfully, only minor injuries (the kind that can be walked off on the way to Jeremy's), were sustained.

In Game 2, as is the team's custom, the Pitchers' lineup suddenly had hot and cold pockets. Luckily, even in shorts, lead-off man John remained on fire at the plate and in the field. He went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored. Sam, Felix and Damian also had perfect games at the plate, while Alex shook off his Cabbage Night fun to contribute 4 RBIs.

The 2010 Team Photo