With memories of Game One still fresh in their minds, the Needham Blue Sox and the Needham Rockets gathered at Memorial Field well before first pitch to begin their warm up. Game One was a classic battle of pitching and clutch hitting that resulted in a 4-4 tie back on June 28. As the players warmed up for Game Two, it was clear that both teams wanted the win badly. They threw a little harder, the squeezed their gloves a little tighter, snapped the bat around a little quicker in their warm-up reps. There is a lot at stake in this three-game series (I'm predicting a third, post-season meeting). There are many close friends on both sides of this cross-town rivalry, and a great deal of trash talk has already been exchanged. Tonight, that trash talk would be put to the test.
Rockets starting pitcher Patrick B came out pounding the zone in the top of the first. He helped his own cause by putting his glove on a shot up the middle by the Sox leadoff man. He fired to Jonah at first for out number one. He got another to line to short, where Patrick W hauled it in for the second out. The next batter, the Sox cleanup hitter, sent one to deep center field, but Steven was there to make the grab and end the inning. A combination of excellent pitching by Patrick and the Rockets flashing the leather behind him kept the Blue Sox off the board in the first.
The Rockets were not able to get anything going against some very tough pitching by the Sox starter in the bottom half of the inning, and we were scoreless through one.
Patrick B returned for the top of the second and picked up right where he left off. He got one to fly to third, where Matt M made a nice catch ranging back into shallow left field, struck out another, and then got the third to ground to second, where Jonah scooped it and threw to Tom at first to put another scoreless inning in the books.
Jonah led off the bottom of the second for the Rockets and worked a full count. He put a quick bat on the payoff pitch and sent a screamer to second. The Sox second baseman was there but lost the handle for a split second--just enough to give Jonah an extra step. It was all the speedster needed to beat the throw and hustle out an infield single. An excellent effort for Jonah with both bat and wheels. Once on board, Jonah wasted no time and advanced to second on the next pitch, a passed ball, and the Rockets had a man in scoring position with nobody out. Ryan stepped in next and sent a 2-2 fastball into left field that scored Jonah. An RBI single for Ryan that put the Rockets on top early 1-0.
Jonah got the job done with his bat and his legs in the bottom of the second. Now it was time to get it done with his arm in the top of the third. He struck out the first batter he faced and got another to fly to shallow left field, where third baseman Roman made a highlight reel grab ranging back. Look for this gem in the Sports Center Top Ten. The Blue Sox lineup is explosive, though, and wasn't going to stay quiet for long. Their number three hitter singled in a run and their clean-up guy tripled, scoring two more. But Jonah kept his poise. These guys are very good hitters, and we all knew they were going to hit eventually. Jonah was not phased. He put everything else out of his mind and stayed focused on the next pitch. He threw a beauty, a fastball over the outside corner. Then another. Then a big swing at a fastball low in the zone, a three-pitch K to close out the inning. Pitching isn't about perfection. It's about keeping the game close, and Jonah certainly did his job to keep the game within reach.
The Rockets went quietly in order in the bottom of the third, and after three, it was Rockets 1, Blue Sox 3.
Matt G took the hill in the top of the fourth. He had good command of his fastball and struck out three of five batters faced. A shut-out inning for Matt and the Rockets remained down by only two.
The Blue Sox sent their hard-throwing closer to the mound for the last three innings. This kid was throwing bullets, but Patrick W was not at all intimidated. He connected with the 0-2 pitch and ripped it up the third base line for a single. He stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball to put himself 60 feet away with nobody out. The Blue Sox pitcher found his groove after that, though, and retired the next three. Still 3-1, Blue Sox, after four.
Matt G returned for the top of the fifth. He got the leadoff man to ground to first, where Matt M dug it and took it to the bag himself. Matt G would strike out two to end the inning, but the Sox were able to pick up three more runs. Like Jonah, Matt showed excellent poise on the mound and was able to focus on each pitch and forget about the score and baserunners. He was consistently throwing strikes--exactly what he should be doing. Unfortunately, the Blue Sox were able to get their bats on a couple of good pitches.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Timmy made some noise knocking an 0-2 fastball up the middle, but the pitcher was able to get his glove on it. Timmy ran hard up the line and almost beat the throw. A great hustle. Timmy also showed great hustle behind the plate for the first three innings, stopping nearly every pitch and getting to passed balls quickly. This kid is developing into a very solid catcher for the Rockets.
After five, the Blue Sox were up 6-1.
Patrick W came in to pitch the top of the sixth and he was lights-out. He retired two on Ks. The second out of the inning came on a ground ball hit very sharply up the middle. The ball was hit hard, and it flew across the turf. Second baseman Matt G got a great jump on it, though, got to it quickly and put a glove on it. He fired on to Patrick B at first, who made a long stretch for the out. Excellent infield play.
Last chance for the Rockets. Noah worked a leadoff walk to get things going. Harry moved Noah to second with a rip up the first base line. Unfortunately, the Sox first baseman was able to get to it and step on the bag for the out. But the Rockets had a runner in scoring position with one out. Matt M got all of a fastball and sent it to deep left field for a long single--one of the hardest hit balls of the evening for the Rockets. The Sox did well to get the ball in to prevent the run. The tough Blue Sox pitcher then put an end to the Rockets' rally with two straight Ks to close out the game and hand the Rockets their first loss of the season.
A good team effort for the Rockets despite the loss. Six innings of solid pitching, consistent execution in the infield, but the Rockets ran up against some of the best pitching we will see in this league. Not to worry, though. The Blue Sox pitchers were good, but we were able to get the bat around and make some solid contact. Straighten out a couple we ripped foul, put a couple more guys on base, and it's a different ball game. We'll get 'em in Game Three.
Tonight's game ball went to Jonah, who burned up the line for an infield single that he converted to a run to give the Rockets an early lead. Jonah also contributed an effective inning on the mound and excellent defensive support at first base and second base. The Hustle Award went to Matt M, who battled at the plate every at-bat, and won the battle in the bottom of the sixth with a single that fueled the Rockets' late rally.
With our first and only loss of the season, the Rockets remain in good shape for the playoffs. We will need to continue to play our best baseball when we face Natick on Sunday at Memorial. See you there!
