HarbourCats put on a clinic at STD

There are good ways to start a game, and there are great ways to start a game. The HarbourCats opted for the latter tonight, blowing open the game in the first inning when Alex Degoti and Gabe Clark both smacked 2-run home runs, 2 batters apart. Just over 1700 fans erupted from their seats while the 'Cats batted around in the inning, erasing an early lead surrendered by starter Logan Lombada.

Alex Degoti is congratulated after a 1st inning HR, while Gabe Clark (2nd from left) says "Oh yeah? Watch this"...

The true clinic was yet to come though. In the bottom of the 4th inning, the HarbourCats sent 13 men to the plate, scoring 7 times on 4 hits, 4 straight walks, an error, and a second monster 3-run shot by Gabe Clark.

Not done yet, Clark led off the 5th inning with his third home run of the game, and Victoria scored 2 more in the inning to hit 14 on the night.

Lombana had a decent start, going 5 complete innings giving up only four hits and one earned run. He also walked four batters, making it seem like he was pitching out of jams all night, except for the last of his innings which went 1-2-3. He was aided by a timely double-play in the first, and a Kelly Norris-Jones caught-stealing in the 4th to get him out of a couple potential run situations.

Yes you heard correct - a KNJ sighting! Kelly is now the official starter of all bobble-head games, and he had a pretty fair night. Besides throwing out a runner, he was 2-4 at the plate with a walk. He seemed to sustain an injury warming up in the top of the ninth and had to leave the game unexpectedly, causing Jake Lesinski to hurriedly stretch and get into the game.

And speaking of the ninth... Let's just forget it happened. Mark Marinch came in to mop up the 14-2 lead, and did his best to get the game to extra innings, throwing 22 pitches - only 2 of them strikes, walking 4 and letting 4 runs cross the plate. Andrew Nelson quickly got ready in the pen, and closed out the game after giving up a hit, throwing away a ball into center field on an error, and getting the final three much-needed outs.

Game temperature started at about 15, but dropped to (seemingly) just above freezing by the time the game mercifully ended, 3 hours and 33 minutes after it started. There were not many who stuck around to the end of this one...

My rant for the night comes from the on-field entertainment between innings. The 6th inning's dizzy bat race was taken over by the crew from 107.3 Kool FM, and featured Danny the Intern against morning host Paul Allen in some bet to be each other's slave for a day. After both men had difficulties reaching the finish line, DTI righted himself and threw a full-speed football tackle into an unsuspecting Harvey the HarbourCat, knocking him to the ground in a heap. While Danny paraded around pretending to don a wrestlers trophy belt, Harvey had to be helped off the field and did not return to the game.

To me, this was an absolute disgrace bordering on assault (remember the Marty Marmot incident last year). It's one thing when it's a drunken fan losing control - but this guy is supposed to be a media professional. I don't care what kind of contest you're trying to win - what possesses someone to show that much disregard for a person's health and safety that they would be that stupid. And DTI isn't a petite girl hugging Harvey and knocking him over (which has happened this year a couple times) - he's a big freakin dude, and that was a mean hit. Kool should be ashamed of what was done, and there should be a formal apology to everyone involved - including "Harvey" and his handlers, the team, and the many fans who saw it happen and watched Harvey being tended to in the third base area. I have since heard there was no serious damage done and that "Harvey" is fine. It could have been significantly worse.

HarbourCatNip

• Nice to see Danny Collier make an appearance in the game as a late-inning substitute. Collier went 1-2, and made a great running grab in left.
• Norris-Jones' 2 hits raised his average up to .130, and gave him his first 2 RBI of the season. Lets hope the injury he sustained is not significant and he can continue to contribute. He has probably the best defensive arm behind the plate...
• Noah Cummings got the start at third and had a great game, snagging two hot shots just off the ground that could have easily been hits. One started a double play back at first where the Klamath runner was hung out to dry.
• Gabe "The Babe" Clark, with his three home runs is now tied for the league lead with 6. Clark went 3-4 on the night, and the one out was another mammoth shot that was actually pulled back from over the fence at the absolute deepest part of the park in center field. Five feet either way and he would have had a fourth dinger. 
• Clark's home runs are the first time a HarbourCat has ever hit three in a single game. Both Schuknecht Brothers (John and David) hit two in a game last year. Clark is also tied now with Alex Real and John Schuknecht for the most home runs in a season by a HarbourCat at 6. Me thinks he may hold that record on his own pretty soon.
• The 13 men to the plate and 7 runs in an inning are new HarbourCat records.
• Alex Degoti's dinger in the first inning was his 4th of the year, surpassing his last year total of 3. His 3 RBI tonight moved him into tenth place in the league with 22, also surpassing last year's total.