Baseball Review // Middetown Mets, 6 Record-Journal Expos, 5 at Ceppa Field, Meriden CT May 30th, 2024 (GHTBL)

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Official box score :::  https://ghtbl.org/event/mets-at-expos

Additional photos can be found here :::

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This was certainly an interesting game, back and forth with no one really pulling too far ahead of the other, and what's most interesting perhaps is that both teams put up the same number of runs in this game as they did in their first game of the season, which was against the Bristol Greeners and both games the Greeners only scored three runs.  Just a little fun with numbers.  

In the first inning, Expos leadoff batter Sebby Grignano was walked and then managed to go from first base all the way home on wild pitches.   The game would remain 1-0 through the first two innings, but the Mets had a bit of an offensive explosion in the third inning which sealed the fate of the game.  

A throw past the Expos' first baseman would allow the first run to score for the Mets.   A deep shot to right field by Sean Jefferson would plate two more batters, making it 3-1.  Another run was singled in and then in what was thus far the craziest play of this season (I know, I know, we're only two games in) a grounder bounced off of third base and allowed the fifth run of the inning to score.   

I kept waiting for someone to hit the ball and have it spontaneously combust, with the umpires declaring it an infinite homerun and the game was over.   But, even though that didn't happen, this was one of those games where if you told someone "Yeah, that ball bounced right off third base" they might not believe you.   But I was there.  I saw it happen.

In the bottom of the third inning, Javon Malone singled with one out.  This brought up Kyle Hartenstein who hit a deep shot to center field for a homerun.   The game now became 5-3 and it felt like the Expos were right back in it.   In the fourth inning, with bases loaded, Javon Malone took a walk to bring the score up to 5-4.    In the top of the fifth though, the Mets would answer back as Wes Ulbrich did the sac fly thing to bring in a run, making it 6-4.

It all came down to the bottom of the seventh inning.   Jon Remillard hit a one out double then advanced to third base on a wild pitch.    Luke DiMauro drew a walk and both runners advanced on another wild pitch, making the game 6-5.   The Expos tried but just couldn't make the come back and this was the final score.

Some may say that the five run inning the Middletown Mets had set the pace for this game, but the Expos got those five runs back.   I really think the play of the game was Wes Ulbrich hitting that sac fly to bring in the sixth run.  Had he not done that, the game might have ended differently and I just think it's an important lesson that, yes, that was an out but it also earned a run which was perhaps more important.  

The Expos have a week ahead of them with two home games- Tuesday and Thursday- and both are against the East Hartford Jets.  The Jets, who took home the trophy last season, are having a rough start.   Their loss to M&T Bank on Sunday night has them sitting at 0-3, which gives them the worst record in the league right now.  Certainly the Jets are going to be looking for that first win and not wanting to be 0-5 where as the Expos would rather go up to 3-1 than go anywhere between .500 and under.  

      It certainly feels like there is a lot at stake, even in this second week of the season, for these two Expos-Jets games this week.