It was the first game for the Columbus Clippers after being swept in a three-game series at Louisville before pausing for the All-Star break. They also held the worst record in the International League West. However, that didn't stop 9,000+ fans from coming out and supporting their team. Sitting amongst the fans was Mark Shapiro, the general manager for the Cleveland Indians. Shapiro was in town to watch the starting pitcher, Fausto Carmona, as well as other prospects of interest, including Matt LaPorta and Andy Marte.
With their GM watching, the Clippers wanted to ensure that they made no mistakes and dominated the Syracuse Chiefs. Columbus did just this, as Trevor Crowe hit for his 18th straight game in the first. Tony Graffanino then hit his fourth home run, bringing Crowe home. Although that was the only scoring in the first inning, the Clippers continued to drive in runs for the rest of the night. The next inning Marte hit a home run, and in the sixth the Clippers teamed up to score four more times. This was the end of the scoring for the Clippers, as they had done all that they needed to do.
Though the scoreboard doesn't show this, the Chiefs put up a good fight. They held the Clippers to several innings with zero or one hits. They also were hitting quite well, though they often ended up leaving a man stranded on base. However, without a power hitter, the Chiefs were unable to convert on many of their opportunities. Save for the home run by Brad Eldred in the seventh, Syracuse had nothing going for them.
Though there was some excitement on the field, more of it was beyond the right field wall. During the fifth inning break, a young man and his girlfriend stood, waiting for the dice-rolling competition to start. Instead of rolling the dice, the man got on one knee, asked his girlfriend for her hand in marriage, and they were promptly engaged. While the crowd applauded this, I was left to wonder: I do not understand why people do that sort of thing in public. Every time I see a public proposal, I seriously think that it is more for attention than for love.
Article comments