Baseball Review // Vernon Orioles, 2 Record-Journal Expos, 6 June 17th, 2022 Ceppa Field, Meriden, CT GHTBL

Official box score here :::

https://www.ghtbl.org/event/orioles-expos-2/

Additional photos here ::: 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=raisedbycassettes&set=a.7668167039891470

After meeting each other this past Sunday in Vernon, the Expos and Orioles were ready to do battle once again only this time on the Expos' home turf.    The Orioles won the game on Sunday but the Expos were coming off of a win over Rainbow Graphics, who are (were?) having a good season start.  The Expos went into this game with a 4-2 record while the Orioles were 6-1.  

This game had a lot of implications, such as if the Orioles lost they would have two losses- like the Expos- and the Jets would become the only team with only one loss.  As the Orioles did lose, this put them at 6-2 and the Expos at 5-2 which seems to put them closer together in the rankings.  Had this game gone differently the Expos would've seemed to dropped down.

This game started off with both teams getting runners on in scoring position but nothing coming of it.  The first two innings saw nothing happen on offense and only behind the pitching of Charlie Hesseltine did the Orioles seem to not be able to even get a hit off.   The first two innings alone saw four strikeouts for Hesseltine who was just on his game in the best possible way this evening.  

In the bottom of the third the Expos got the bases loaded and then on a wild pitch a run would score- the first run of the game.   It would take all the way until the top of the fifth inning for a single to score a run for the Orioles and it was all tied at 1-1.  This would not last very long as the Expos needed some insurance runs going into the last two innings for the Orioles and they were going to get them in grand fashion.

AJ Hendrickson brought in the go ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  This would keep the bases loaded and another run would walk in.   Jonny Walter would hit a huge single to drive in two runs.  Justin Marks would also RBI in another run, the fifth and final run of the inning.  This would put the Expos up 6-1 and it felt like the Orioles were all but through.  This burst of offense really just broke the game wide open and it was so great to see.

This is the part of the game that I don't like but it feels like it's necessary to tell.  During the sixth inning, there was a checked swing call on the Expos and it was confirmed by both umpires that the swing was in fact checked.  This had the Orioles coach onto the field, yelling and swearing about how bad he thought that call was.   He got into the face of both umpires and when you're running out of chances, down five runs, I can understand being angry but he just takes this to a new level.

Being all too familiar with being thrown out of games himself, I found it somewhat odd that just this past Tuesday I saw a Cardinals player ejected from a game for swearing at an umpire- to which the umpire would later tell me "There are grandmas and kids here".  How is this any different?  I'm surprised the coach didn't get thrown out but I'm also more surprised how any player would play for his team or any fan would support them.   While the game should be taken seriously, there also is that certain level of fun it is supposed to be.

With this win, the Expos continue their battle for second place as they face the first place Jets on Monday in East Hartford.   The Orioles are off to face the Greeners in a doubleheader on Tuesday and even though the odds seem to be in favor of the Orioles, with doubleheaders you just never know who might win.  Next week definitely seems like it could reshape the standings depending upon who wins and who loses.