Here’s the first ever installment of And That Happened. It’s from April 2008. At the time I said I may not keep the feature going because I was worried I might get bored with it quickly.
Let’s begin year 10:
Rays 7, Yankees 3: I didn’t watch this game because, as a rule, the first game of Opening Day shouldn’t take place in a dome. So, yes, the game counts, but without grass and sunshine, it didn’t really happen. According to the box score, Masahiro Tanaka only lasted two and two-thirds and got shelled for seven runs. The Yankees lost on opening day for the sixth consecutive year. I’m guessing they themselves wish this one didn’t count.
Diamondbacks 6, Giants 5: It takes everyone a bit of time to get into midseason form. Even the wise-asses on Twitter. Like this joker, who was agitated at Zack Greinke for pitching around Madison Bumgarner in the top of the second, committing the venial sin of walking the opposing pitcher:
I know the broadcasters talk up Bumgarner's hitting, but does Greinke know he's a career .183/.231/.311 hitter?
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) April 2, 2017
Then the dude hit two big homers. Never analyze anything, people. Never have an opinion. Just let the world wash all over you and observe it. It’s much safer. And this even holds true for those who are hardcore experts about the teams in question:
On pace for 162 blown saves this season.
— Grant Brisbee (@GrantBrisbee) April 2, 2017
Grant wrote that after Derek Law blew the save for Bumgarner in the eighth. Mark Melancon blew a save himself in the ninth as the Dbacks won in walkoff fashion, which means that they’re actually on pace for 324 blown saves this year. Again: never analyze.
Wait, what’s this?
Dbacks are bad you guys
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) April 2, 2017
I really mean it.
Cardinals 4, Cubs 3: Two out of three Opening Day games were walkoffs. Not too shabby. Here it was Randal Grichuk singling in Jose Martinez to end things. Earlier he hit a two-run homer. That spoiled Willson Contreras’ heroism in the top of the ninth -- dude hit a three-run homer to tie things up -- but to be fair, that homer had already spoiled the heroism of Carlos Martinez, who had tossed seven and a third innings of shutout ball with ten strikeouts before that.
Today we get 1pm baseball, outside, under the sun, kicking off around 12 straight hours of action. No offense to the six team in these three games, but I’m gonna consider this Opening Day too.
