The Rays Walk Off Win

We interrupt the re-telling of the Lake District trip for baseball....

I love baseball, it is my favourite sport and I enjoy going to games when I am in the USA. Baseball is the thing I miss most about not living in the US. This game is so American, everyone knows how to play it, we play it as kids in empty places, in organized leagues, at family picnics or just in the backyard tossing a ball back and forth; it is the game of summer- it is my re-connection to my homeland and the American culture. So, while holiday in Florida with Jeff this week I dragged him off to a Tampa Bay Rays game against the Baltimore Orioles. (formerly known at the Devil Rays- which I like better. They were fish, now they are sunlight? What is Devil Rays too many syllables?)I know it was hard for him to spend an afternoon in a domed stadium out of the sun. Thanks, Jeff! Thanks to a major credit card (good seats are not cheap!) and Ticketmaster we bought two wonderful seats in the second row behind the visitor’s dugout! We had a great view of left hand batters in the box!
I don’t know the Rays and don’t keep up with them but it was fun. They were ahead early in the game and the game became tied up in the middle innings. The Rays beat the Orioles 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th with their last at bat.
The interesting thing about this game is that it was one of seven games in Major league Baseball on Sunday that ended with a walk-off home run. That hasn’t happened in a number of years. Seven walk off wins is also the record. For those of you who don’t know (according to Wikipedia): In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game — either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning. It is called a "walk-off" home run because the teams walk off the field immediately afterward.

And so it was for the Rays. The win gave the Rays first place in the American League East. They are 30-20 on the season and are 10 games over .500 for the first time ever. I guess now that we have a house in Venice, the Rays are our local team and I just might have to keep an eye on them too. The Mets will always be first in my loyalties though…………………