The second game of the Johnson City series was close, very close. Both teams were battling and both sides pitchers were doing a very good job keeping the offenses at a standstill. Johnson City did not make many mistakes with the exception of a leadoff Homerun to Daniel Arcilla.
Our starter pitched really well. He did his job, keeping us in the game with a quality start before handing the game over to the bullpen. Our offense did a really good job chipping away at Johnson City's pitching staff. Runs were hard to come by this game and our offense had to chip away to produce runs.
Arik Sikula pitched a clean 8th inning. The score was tired going into the bottom of the 8th at 3. Our first two batters were retired before a 2 out walk. For those of you out there that know baseball, but not specific details, 2 out walks usually ALWAYS come back to bite you in the you know what...this is was a perfect example. With a guy on first and 2 outs, the pitcher threw a wild pitch allowing the runner to advance to second. The following hitter singled through the right side of the infield moving the runner to third. We now had runners at first and third with 2 outs. The runner on first stole second without a throw from the catcher (the reason why teams do this is to take the force out away, making the infielders throw the ball across the diamond to first). Chris Hawkins was the third batter. He was pinch hitting for our catcher.
Chris Hawkins is one of if not the nicest guy I have ever met. He is only 19 years old, but just talking to him you can tell he is much more wise beyond his years. He gets it...meaning he works hard, he is a team player, he doesn't do anything stupid, and he sells out to the process (a saying he and I have developed with each other about how we go about our business). Selling out to the process can mean a variety of different things. To me it means that you work harder than anybody else and the possibility of being outworked is not even a thought. It means that you are willing do better yourself for the team and play for the team rather than be a selfish player. It also means that nothing will get in your way of that dream. In this case, that dream is making it to the Major Leagues. Selling out to the Process is a saying that Steve Springer preaches. He is our mental thinking coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. He goes around and talks to everybody in the organization. Selling out to the Process is a saying that I go by and a saying that I truly believe in.
Back to the game....so Chris Hawkins pinch hit. He managed to bit a ground ball up the middle scoring the guy from third! This gave us a 4-3 lead with 2 outs! I told you 2 out walks always come back to bite you in the...
I was in the bullpen just playing toss and they called down to the bullpen to tell me that I was in! I was to close the game in the ninth inning. After the third out in the bottom of the 8th was retired, I threw my last warm up pitch in the bullpen and jogged out to the game mound. I took my warmup pitches, I only take 5 even though I am allowed 8. Its just a routine I have. I go fastball, fastball, change-up, slider, fastball. I then gathered my thought and prepared to go to work.
The first batter the of the inning I got ahead 0 balls and 2 strikes. I threw a change-up that the hitter was out in front of rolling over to the shortstop. The shortstop fielded it and threw it to first....but he threw it over the first baseman's head. The runner was allowed to advance to second on the throw because the throw went out of play. The following hitter laid down a perfect bunt advancing the runner to third base.
Our infield came in to play on the edge of the grass because if there was a ground ball they would be able to throw the ball to the catcher in time to tag the runner out at home. The following hitter swung at the first pitch and broke his bat. It was a weak ground ball to the third baseman. The runner on third went home and our third baseman was going to throw it home....but he could not get a grip on the ball and bobbled it allowing the runner to score. His only option was to go to first for the second out. The next hitter flew out to shallow left field and the inning was over. The score was tied going into the bottom of the ninth.
Although I did not convert the save, the things that happened in that inning were out of my control. It is like Randy Clifford always tells me, I can't worry about things that are out of my control. The bottom of the ninth was uneventful so we were to play extra innings. The top of the tenth was a quick one. I retired the side in order via strikeout. We threatened in the bottom of the tenth, but were unable to plate that winning run. In the top of the 11th inning, I was still pitching. The first guy reached base. The second guy bunted him over to second. I fielded the bunt and looked to throw it to second, but thought it would be too close of a play and went with the sure out at first.
There was a guy on second with one out. The following hitter was out in front of a change-up and hit a little flare into center field. The runner on second tagged and advanced to third. There was a runner on third with 2 outs now! I got ahead of the next hitter 0-2. I threw a first pitch fastball that he fouled off. He then swung through a slider for strike 2. I think Johnson City noticed that my slider was my out pitch because I heard them saying sit on the slider when I would get hitter 0-2. My catcher put down the slider, but I shook it off. He then put down the change-up and I shook it off. I stepped off the mound and told the catcher to go through the signs again. He knew exactly what I wanted now and gave me the sign for a fastball. By this time, the hitter had NO CLUE what was coming and swung right through the fastball for strike 3, ending the inning.
In the bottom of the 11th inning, we managed to get a baserunner on first. They then retired the next 2 hitters, bringing up Daniel Arcilla. Remember he hit a homerun to start the game way back in the first....I was standing against the railing with another pitcher, Aaron Sanchez. The first pitch Arcilla swung right through. The second pitch was a ball outside evening the count to 1-1. I turned to Sanchez and said, "They are going to throw a fastball in and Arcilla is going to hit a walk-off Homerun."
I would like to think that I can call a pretty damn good baseball game as far as pitches go and when to throw what pitches. I can also predict what other pitchers are going to throw pretty well. This was a PERFECT example because the next pitch was a fastball inside and Arcilla turned on it. He hit a walk-off homerun over the right field wall, EXACTLY like I had said literally right before the pitch!
The bench went wild and ran to meet him at home plate to celebrate. The fans went nuts and everybody was so excited that we won in walk-off fashion AGAIN and I just so happened to be the pitcher of record AGAIN! It was like Dejavu all over again...
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