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Besides us, the Phillies had the worst offense in the SALL. The worst OBP in the league. We were the only team with fewer runs than the Phillies.
Not a good offense.
And it was my turn to pitch.
Hopefully, the home crowd had forgotten my home debut against the Blue Jays.
And, hopefully, I would do better than I had in my one bad game in Miami when I had faced a bad offense and gotten shellacked!
Jason Porter was behind the plate for me tonight.
Five pitches and the top of the first was over with.
In the second, it took eleven pitches to get the leadoff hitter to ground out but I got them down in order again when all was said and done.
The third inning went by in five pitches again.
I had to be this perfect because our bats were nonexistent. In fact, a Spartanburg error in the second was the only thing keeping zeros from completely covering the scoreboard through three innings.
I gave up a two out walk in the top of the fourth but that was it.
In the bottom of the fourth, Thomas Brassil got a scratch single for our first hit of the game.
They got an infield single to lead off the top of the fifth. And then an RBI single and we were down 1-0.
Three up three down in the sixth.
Through six innings, I had given up just a pair of singles and yet we were losing 1-0.
As our offense had gotten a whopping total of one hit through six.
It was easy to see how Grady had an ERA below 3.0. And a losing record.
Then, in the bottom of the seventh, we got a single and a double to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Shortstop Bill Wrona, who had made a lot of defensive plays this night, also got an RBI single and we were tied!
Jason Porter came to bat.
And walked on four pitches.
Bases loaded.
Nobody out.
1-1 in the bottom of the seventh.
Jeffrey Hughes was up and he flew out to center and there was no tag up. A flyball out that did not score the run.
Oh you have got to be kidding me.
Steven Johnson was next.
Three pitches in and he was up 3-0 in the count.
A fastball way high!
Ball four!
And we had the lead!
Steven Wolff came up and grounded to short and the runner was forced out at home.
Two down.
Come on, get an insurance run!
Vic Hithe was next and he worked the count full.
A fastball on the outside waist high.
Base hit! One run scored. Another run scored!
4-1!
The bats had come through in the seventh! Now, I just needed to hold a three run lead for two innings.
And I was just at 79 pitches.
The leadoff batter worked the count full but I struck him out with an inside fastball.
Five more to go!
A 2-0 curveball in the middle of the plate was flown to deep center. And caught.
Two away.
The next batter swung at the first pitch and grounded it to third.
The top of the eighth went in order!
I was at 90 pitches. I had plenty of gas left for the ninth.
The leadoff hitter chased a 1-2 slider away and grounded it to first. I hustled to cover and Brassil tossed me the ball and there was one down.
The next batter worked the count full but grounded it to Wrona. Wrona was becoming my best friend real fast.
Two down!
The next hitter was down 0-2 but hit a single into left.
But that was it as I struck out the next batter on three pitches to get the complete game victory!
1 run on 4 hits, 1 walk and 5 strikeouts!
The #3 performance of the day in the SALL!
And we had our second win in a row!
I could feel things starting to click for me.
My first two games here had just been a hiccup. An adjustment to the new team.
It was time to get to that form I had when I was in Miami.
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