The bottom of the 5th innings saw Matt Hall get hit by a pitch just as the rain started pouring down. I am not kidding when I say pouring either. The rain I saw on the way to the ball park did not compare to this down pour. At 8:11 with 2 outs in the home half of the 5th inning the rain delay began. Both teams have left to their clubhouses and the bulk of the crowd is gone.
The ones left, who are shielded by an awning are cheering the grounds crew as they struggled with the tarp in the rain and wind.
It took about 15 minutes, but the field is covered and the rain has slowed down a hair. I don't think we are playing any more baseball in Port Charlotte tonight. If the game is called we have just enough ball played to make this a Crabs win!
Give Frank De Los Santos his first win as a Stone Crab and give Matt Sweeney the game winning RBI. My MVP for the game is De Los Santos with a nod to Kang for his double. Really though the 22 year old lefthander De Los Santos was the story. He will get credit for a complete (4 inning) game if this is called and he will earn his first win of the season. He allowed 3 hits (but picked off 2 of them) and no runs.
De Los Santos had the perfect pace, his good stuff and decent defense behind him. Mainly it was his economy of pitches that makes him my game MVP. 5 innings, 50 pitches and 37 strikes. Nice. As the rain has not slowed over the 25 minutes I am making the call myself. This game is over, my computer is closing. Stone Crabs win!!!
Starter Frank De Los Santos allowed one infield hit, but promptly picked the runner off 1-3. In the home half of the first, the Crabs went hitless. They didn't go completley without a whimper though. Lead-off batter Isaias Velasquez worked Hammerheads starter Graham Johnson inside and out, fouling off pitches left and right. He finally lined out to deep center field on the 11th pitch of the at-bat. Tim Beckham struck out swinging before Kyeong Kang grounded out to end the inning. Onto inning #2... Score tied up at ZERO.
