Clyde welcomed Brian with open paws shortly after 4:30 as the Speakers took the short trip to visit the AB’s last evening.  Ballpark eats for the evening would include pizza from Italian Delight, a craft beer from Pottsville and Hershey and a  couple of Black Buttes from Oregon.

Game 1
Archer v Karns (making his AB’s debut).  The teams remain scoreless until the bottom of the 5th when a 1-out single by Ginger Jesus plates Trout and a 2-out single by Parra plates Agone for a 2-0 AB’s lead.  Kris Bryant would hit a 2nd column solo HR in the top of the 7th and a 2-out single by Betts would chase Karns.  Cedeno would come in to face Kolten as BDUB put his Wong away and sent Chris Young to the dish who greeted Cedeno with a ringing double to score Betts and tie the game at 2-2.  The game would remain that way until the bottom of the 14th (as neither team even cared to get a key hit with a runner in scoring position) when Russell Martin (inserted into the game due to the ‘new ED Rule’ when he was SLATED to START game 2 anyway!!!) rolled a lead off 66-1 that was not pulled back by Mi Familia (+22) for a 3-2 back-to-back games walk-off win for the AB’s.  Brach got the win going one inning, as he was the last man out of the AB’s pen (3rd time this season in 17 games the AB’s used their entire pen….7th extra inning game in 17).

Game 2
Severino v Scherzer.  Both pitchers would go the distance in this game.  Severino would only give up a solo HR to Big Papi in the 2nd (it would be the AB’s LAST HR of the series)…but in the top of the shutdown 3rd, Rizzo would hit a 2-out 2-run HR to put the Speakers up for good 2-1.  Odor hit a 2nd column solo HR in the 5th and Cespedes added an RBI single plating Machado in the 6th.  Mookie Betts lead off the 9th with yet another 2nd column HR to finish the scoring for a 5-1 Speakers victory.  Severino struck out 8 while walking 3.

Italian Delight – Sicilian with half sautéed onions and half pepperoni was served up for both managers to enjoy.  Clyde tried to have some but was unable to break the rules this time…

Game 3
Miller squares off against Harvey.  Both pitchers mow through the first 3 innings, but with 2 outs and Trout on 1st base in the 4th, Ginger Jesus comes through with a 2-out hit-and-run double to plate Trout for a 1-0 AB’s lead.  In the bottom of the 4th Posey leads off the shutdown inning with a single and one out later Cargo jacks a potential HR for a 2-1 Speakers lead….but Miller (+32) turns it back to a double.  Rajai Davis hits a shallow pop to CF and Schwarber K’d to end the Speakers threat.  Melancon would come on in the 7th with runners on 1st and 3rd, but Simmons would ground into a DP.  The Speakers also got a runner to 2nd with no outs in the 8th, but Rizzo didn’t move from 2nd.  Davis came on in the 9th to preserve the 1-0 shutout and win for Miller as Harvey took the tough luck loss going the distance.

Game 4
Salazar faced his former team v Martinez.  Again the game was scoreless until the 3rd when a single by Agone plated Trout for a 1-0 lead.  The game remained 1-0 until the Speakers (I just couldn’t get them out of the house fast enough) opened up in the 5th.  Let’s just say BDUB got his Wong out!!!  Two BB’s started the mess in the 5th and they advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a comebacker to the box.  Salazar then threw the Wong pitch as Wong lined a 2-RBI single to give the Speakers a 2-1 lead scoring Cargo and Moooookie.  After another single by Simmons, Rizzo belted yet another 2nd column 3-run HR for a 5 spot.  The AB’s did show life in the top of the 6th as walks to Longoria and Papi, followed by an RBI double by Swihart, made it 5-2…. Speaking of 5-2, that was score of the next play as Pillar grounded to 3rd, but Machado threw Papi out at home (totally unrealistic on multiple levels)…. But Forsythe followed with a ringing double to score Swihart and Pillar and cut the lead to 5-4.  In the bottom of the 6th with two outs, Betts hit a solo HR (I believe it was yet ANOTHER 2nd column HR – honestly I stopped keeping track…) to make it 6-4.  The AB’s would seal their fate in the game in the 7th and bring in Cody Allen. In hindsight, it was the first Wong managerial move that came back to possibly bite us through the first 20 games.  Allen once again threw the Wong pitch as Wong led off with a double, Simmons singled him to 3rd, and Rizzo singled in Wong.  Allen got the next two Speakers, but then surrendered a 2-out double to Cespedes and then an RBI single to Cargo, which upped the lead to 10-4.  Forsythe did get an RBI single in the top of the 8th after two BB’s by Martinez, but Jeffress came in to get the final out.  Allen then BB’d the bases loaded in the Speakers 8th and with 2 outs, Posey singled in Wong and Rizzo for a 12-5 lead and Speakers win to garner the series split.  Martinez won it and Salazar took the loss.

Notes
I have the Speakers going 7 for 28 w/ RISP (7 for 10 in game 4….head scratcher).
AB’s went 8 for 25 w/ RISP for the series.
Speakers are now 7-5; AB’s are 12-8.
Hitting .198 as team.
I don’t have much more to add…just happy I’m 12-8 in the most bizarre 20 game start I’ve had since I’ve been rolling in this league.