April 4, 2006 > Spreading the good word of baseball

by Michael J. Titera

The Padres and Angels met for the first time this season. As the rain started to fall, some were sure that this game would not be played. But those Doubting Thomases were wrong. The sun soon began to shine through the heavenly skies. Baseball was in the air.

For the first two innings the hitters had trouble making contact with the ball because of the speed of the pitches being thrown by the pitching machine. However, as the batters learned to adjust to the increased speed, the hits started coming. The Padres made the first adjustments, took the lead, and then managed to increase their lead with the help of some excellent defensive plays. In the bottom of the 5th, the score was 11 to 1 when the Angels' hitters came alive and loaded the bases. But with one out, first baseman Jack Alexander performed an unassisted double play when he caught a hard hit line-drive and tagged first base before the runner on first could make it back to the bag. With a 10-run rule in effect after five innings, his incredible play ended the game and gave the Padres the victory.

Despite the cold weather, both teams came out and played hard. The Padres and Angels play each other again in a week. It is sure to be another exciting game!