Baseball Review // Vernon Orioles, 2 Record-Journal Expos, 3 at Ceppa Field, Meriden CT June 20th, 2024 (GHTBL)

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Official box score ::: https://ghtbl.org/event/orioles-expos-3

Additional photos can be found here ::: 

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When I was at Palmer Field on Monday I didn't feel the heat as badly as it was felt on this night.  I think that Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday stretch was the worst of the heat wave and by the weekend the rain is coming through to break it.  Still, this was that type of weather where you can sweat just sitting in the shade.  I went behind home plate to take photos for a little bit and that was a sweaty mistake.  I don't know how the players play in this but my hat is off to all of them, throughout the league.

This game was a rematch of sorts from when the Expos went to Vernon earlier this season.  I couldn't tell any of the numbers of the Orioles during warm ups, so I was surprised when I saw Jason Ray take the mound during the bottom of the first inning.   Jason Ray was a key part in the Orioles beating the Expos in their first meeting this season, back in Vernon, but the Orioles not only have a record of losing at Ceppa Field but they also have a record of losing to the Expos starting pitcher on this day: Charlie Hesseltine.

A few new faces (to me) were on the Orioles for this game and they were putting in the work.  Leo Vanags (in his rookie season) doubled in Carson Morgan (also in his GHTBL rookie season) with a deep shot to right-center field to make it 1-0 in the top of the second inning.    In the top of the fifth, Leo Vanags would be sac-flied in to make it 2-0 Orioles, but that is where their offense would end.

In the bottom of the third inning there was a hit by Expos' Sebby Grignano that went into the stands on the first base side but was also caught by the Orioles' first baseman.   This was ruled as an out by the umpire but it was technically out of play and should have been called as such.  At the end of the day, at the end of the game, this call didn't really matter, but the umpires really need to do better.  

The thing about Ceppa Field is there are lines to determine what is out of play.  Some times, like on the third base side, if you were really, really fast you could run and catch a ball that is out of play without running into anything.  However, since this Orioles player smashed his shins into the metal stands, that's kind of the tell-tale sign this ball was out of play.   Those lines are some times drawn for your safety and even the Orioles coaches kept asking him if he was okay.

Moving on from what should have been such a simple call that was missed by the umpires, the bottom of the fifth saw the Expos get those two runs back and tie the game.  Jon Remillard doubled while "Superstar" Luke DiMauro was walked on (They were scared to pitch to him)  A sac fly by AJ Hendrickson scored Jon Remillard to make it a 2-1 ball game.   Luis Delgado, who has been such a huge addition to the Expos and is shining this season, singled out to left field to bring in Luke DiMauro and tie the game.

As exciting as this game was, to see these two teams so close in the standings battle it out was going to be a thing of beauty going into it, but the pitching of both Charlie Hesseltine and Jason Ray was really what kept the offense where it was for so much of the time.  This was really that playoffs level type of pitching and it was great to see it at Ceppa Field on a Thursday night when there was a large crowd and most of us should've been inside with air conditioning on.

The Expos have to be leading the league in walk offs (I say as I know little of what other teams have been doing this season) and this game was no exception.   Luke DiMauro singled onto base on the bottom of the seventh and then went to second on a wild pitch.  AJ Hendrickson came up to the plate and hit one of those deep shots that dropped and you just knew the throw was never going to be in time as "Superstar" Luke DiMauro scored that winning run and the game was over.

This game, coupled with the M&T Bank game also happening, made for an interesting night in the standings.   M&T Bank moved into sole possession of first place with a 7-1 record.  The Orioles move to second place at 6-2 and the Expos are in third place with 5-3.  Everyone is so close it just makes the season feel more exciting when any of the Top 4 (The Rainbow Graphics are 5-4 and in fourth place) are playing each other.

The Record-Journal Expos play on Sunday night (weather permitting) against those first place Bankers and it should be a hell of a game.  It's also at somewhere called Kingswood Oxford, which I have no idea what that means other than it being in West Hartford, but I 100% like going to new places within CT to see baseball and this place just sounds fancy.