2 Different Ball Games – Interesting Parallels
Both games started at the exact time on separate fields at the same park, and both games stayed close – for a while.
Let’s start with the A’s/Yankees game. The game stayed close with the Yankees giving the A’s (6-1) a good run, and then the third inning came. This is where Ryan Behnke made his mark. He had one homerun that widened his team’s lead, but he wasn’t done. Not by a long shot. As the inning continued, Behnke would have another at-bat, but this time bases were loaded.
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| Left to right: A’s pitcher Ryan Behnke and Mariners player Joey Schnell each had two home runs apiece Tuesday night as they played other teams on opposite fields. Behnke’s second home run was a grand slam. Schnell’s first was three-run homer. |
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| A’s catcher Dante Humble looks for the umpire’s call. |
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| The Yankees had a late-game rally against the A’s. |
The score was 8-3 A’s and by the sound of Behnke’s bat, you knew it was going over the fence. And that’s just what it did – with the ball hitting the street. A GRANDSLAM! The fans were euphoric as Behnke sent his teammates home and had his modest run between the bases. The look on his was face was priceless. Behnke’s hitting prowess gave the A’s a 12-3 lead.”This feels really good,” said Behnke, modest about his success. “It’s all fun.”
Just earlier, on the other field, the Reds and Mariners were battling it out when Mariners hitter Joey Schnell sent one over the fence with two runners on base – in the first inning. He opened up a 3-0 lead over the Reds. As that game continued, Schnell would do it again and hit another over-the-fence home run. By the fourth inning, the Mariners would have a 13-4 lead. Victory was in sight. Or was it?
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| Joey Schnell picks up his bat after rounding the bases following his first three-run home run. |
The A’s had it in the bag. Or did they? Their fifth inning wasn’t looking so great. The Yankees found some momentum, found their bats and capitalized on A’s errors, running up a six-run rally and closing the gap to 12-9 A’s. Parents and supporters on both sides were anxious and excited. You have to be a baseball fan to understand this.
A’s pitcher Carson Williams closed while two Yankees runners were on base, with two outs on the board. A Yankees tie was in sight, but not likely. Williams finished the game holding onto their 12-9 advantage.
Meanwhile, on the east field, the Mariners saw their lead evaporate in the fifth inning. Their 13-4 lead evaporated into a three-run differential as the Reds found their bats and capitalized on Mariners errors. Sound familiar?
Half of the fans from the Yankees/A’s game walked over to see what was happening with the Mariners/Reds game.
The Mariners (5-1) found themselves in a parallel predicament as pitcher Josh Mansur took the mound to stop the bleeding and shut the Reds down. The Mariners, still on a high from their weekend string of victories, got it together and closed the deal, winning 13-4.
To summarize, both the A’s and Mariners each had one player hit two home runs (one grandslam) in the same game. Both saw their leads evaporate late in the game. Both teams have only lost one game. And both ended winning by three runs.
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| Jordan Geigenmiller steals 2B early in the game. |
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