Forty-five minutes before game time the Beat began arriving for what had become the biggest showdown of the last two years; in fact, since the team's summer '05 division championship. The Beat entered the game 3-0 in sole possession of first place. In the other dugout, more nemesis than rival, Flor de Cana at 3-1, half a game out. The Beat had failed to win the first six meetings of these teams. It wasn't until May 12th of this year that the boys in grey finally shed this monkey, but not without Flor erasing a 12-run Beat lead falling just 2-runs short of keeping their domination alive.

A Beat win would all but seal a playoff berth for the team; the Beat would remain undefeated and every team except Monte Carlo would have two or more losses. A loss, however, would drop the Beat out of the #1 spot they'd held since July. This game was huge and the Beat took advantage of the early empty field to take infield practice before the game. Was that in some way a harbinger of what was to come in the next hour?

When the umps called for managers and lineup cards, Flor still scrambled in their dugout. Multiple warnings from the umpire finally got the team to take the field but by the time the first pitch was finally thrown, five minutes had already burned off the clock. It didn't seem important at the time.

Jacq Wilson (3-4, 3 runs, RBI) led off the game with a solid single of Flor pitcher Lopez. With one out, brother Jacque (3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI, double) doubled in the game's first run. Mondo Lopez (2-3, run, 3 RBI, SF) singled in Q and eventually scored but a pair of fielder's choices ended the top of the first with the Beat up 3-0.

The Beat has often held that five runs in the first was a critical milestone. Unfortunately, it would be Flor, with the help of the Beat defense, that would reach 5 runs first. Beat pitcher Kevin Austin (3-0 with a 5.89 era this summer) retired two of the first three batters faced on balls to the infield; but the defense soon went to the dark side. Two infield errors and a couple bobbles on singles in the outfield led to five unearned runs and what might have been a quick first turned into Flor batting around for a 5-3 lead. 

The Beat battled back in the second with singles by Pete Wenner (2-3), Gunnar Rosenquist (2-3, run, RBI), Jacq, and Q plated four runs and gave the lead back to the Beat before a double play quickly ended the rally. Flor answered back with a series of sharp grounders through the infield and bloops into short center. For the second consecutive inning Flor batted around scoring five and putting Flor back on top of this see-saw battle 10-7.

The Beat tried to keep pace in the third. Tim Smith (3-4, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR), Brian Greenblatt (1-3), and Kev (2-3, RBI) led the inning with consecutive singles, but three consecutive fielder's choices ended the threat with only one run across. For the third time in the game, Flor led their half of the inning with the top of the order. A single and infield error set the table for clean-up hitter Rigu who took a 1-1 knuckleball deep over Q's head in left for a 3-run jack. Austin, trying to shake the bomb, hung a couple flat backspins to Hooker and Thompson who teed off for a double and triple scoring another. Ulises and Ernie singled upping the score to 15-8 but Ulises got hung up trying to decide whether to stay at second or attempt third and was gunned down on a Q to D-Rey to Mondo relay. Pitcher Lopez popped out to end the inning.

The Beat, refusing to give up, turned it on in the fourth. G-man, Jacq, Mark St.Georges (1-4, 2 runs, RBI), and Q all singled scoring one and loading the bases. Mondo hit a sac fly scoring Jacq, then Tim crushed a 1-2 pitch to straight-away center for a 3-run dinger. Tim hit the ball so hard he was rounding third before the ball was touched by the outfielders. Two quick popups ended the inning but the Beat had pulled themselves back into the game; now trailing only 15-13.

Flor was set down in order in the bottom of the fourth. It looked like the momentum might move in the Beat's favor but the Beat fared little better managing only a single in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the 5th Flor noticeably turned up their game a notch hustling three consecutive hits into doubles and two runs with one barely getting in under MSG's tag at second. Thompson, a homer short of the cycle, was walked intentionally putting runners at first and second and the strategy paid off. The Flor bats were quieted and the next three batters retired in order on two short outfield flies and a fielder's choice. Flor was now up 17-13. The Beat managed one more run in the 6th when Jacque reached on a 2-out error at first. Mondo singled in Q and the Beat took the field down 17-14.

This had became an incredibly tight battle and with a glimmer of hope in the eyes of the boys when we took the field, we were informed that we had 90 seconds to get Flor out if we wanted to hit again. Remember that five minutes it took Flor to stroll onto the field in the first? Six and a half minutes may have been enough to do the trick, but 90 seconds wasn't and with one on and one out, time was called and the victory handed to Flor de Cana.

Keys to the game were quite obvious. While Flor's official scorer failed to count a single error against the Beat, we were able to reconstruct at least six errors leading to six unearned runs; a conservative estimate. The Beat defense that has been stellar through the first three games fell to earth today. Four tailor-made double play balls went unconverted by the Beat infield. Moreover, the sparkle displayed in multiple web gems in each game this summer seemed dulled today and for the first time all season there were no web gems on defense to speak of.

The other key factor was the inconsistency of the Beat offense. The top five in the Beat order went 12 for 19 (.632) with 11 runs and 10 RBI. The bottom six in the order were 7 for 18 (.389) with 3 runs and 2 RBI.

This is a game the Beat could have easily won with a couple key plays in the infield and some clutch hitting from the bottom of the order. As it was, the Beat only lost by three but the big loss was in the standings. The Beat is no longer in first, but with only one loss the team is still in control of it's destiny. Running the table in the second half, including a victory over Monte Carlo in the season finale, will return the Beat to the playoffs for the first time in two years. And what would be a more fitting end to the team's 20th anniversary season?

Up next... Old Clamhouse comes to town on September 8th at 11:15am on Jackson 1 after a week off for Labor Day. Four down...four to go. Give blood! Take no prisoners! GO BEAT!!!