Baseball Review // M&T Bank, 2 Record-Journal Expos, 0 @ Ceppa Field, Meriden CT June 27th 2024 (GHTBL)

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Official Box Score ::: https://ghtbl.org/event/mt-bank-expos-2

Additional photos can be found here ::: 

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This was my second time this week seeing M&T Bank and them starting a pitcher I had not seen before.  To show you what a true testament this game was to pitching, with Joey Zawisza on the mound for the Bankers and JD Tyler pitching for the Expos, this game went on for six innings before there was any score.  

However, after the third inning there was action as M&T third baseman Parker Bennett attempted to fight Luis Delgado, who was a base coach.  I heard something like "Meet me in the dugout after the game" and I thought it was innocent, as if they were going to discuss something friendly.  I'm not sure why, but because it's baseball I was thinking it was about online betting.  And then the Expos bench cleared.

As everyone did their best to break it up, they seemed to diffuse the situation and perhaps the best part of it was me watching the M&T manager, Tom Abruzzi, speaking with the umpire and I can't help but imagine him throwing down back in his day.  

Both teams had runners in scoring position during the first five innings, but no one was able to score.  This really felt like a staring contest and it was just a matter of who would blink first.  It was getting tense and at times I felt like we would go into twelve innings, but overall this game only went for about an hour and a half so I was okay with being out longer.

In the top of the sixth inning, Zach Nakonechny hit a deep shot to right field which was caught, but it was enough to bring Cooper Johnson home for the first run of the game.  In the seventh, Justin Miller would single in AJ Desarro for the second and final run of the game.

The Expos would have bases loaded, and be within reach of their two run deficit, but the Bankers got out of it.  As far as baseball goes, this was the opposite of a blowout and I liked it because each team was really doing the most to keep it 0-0 on defense but also try and score to win it.   This game was so evenly matched it could've gone either way, so you have to tip your cap to the Bankers on this win.

Coming up on Tuesday night the Record-Journal Expos return to action at Ceppa Field against the Rainbow Graphics, who they are meeting for the first time this season.   The Graphics have been on a tear, with a 9-5 record and win last night over the Middletown Mets.  This will certainly be an interesting game because the Graphics tend to have the Expos number and they're also coming at them with some new players this season.  

With the Expos pitching options and new offense additions as well, it should make for quite the game.   While there aren't that many games this week with the holiday coming up, this is still easily going to be the Game of the Week right here.