Rockie Mountains Not So High

Sometimes, when you go to a baseball game, you want it soaked in drama, a hard-fought contest that comes down to the bitter end. Other days, you just want your team to casually stroll past the other team like they weren't even there. Today, I was all about the casual stroll, so I'll end the suspense right now by telling you the Giants dominated the Colorado Rockies 6-1, and it wasn't even that close.

A sunny day next to the water, sails scudding by. Vaughn and I met at Justin Herman Plaza, walked along the waterfront to the ballpark. Matt Cain was on the mound, and oh, did he ably deal with the Rockies today. First inning was easy, second inning he survived walks to the first two batters to end the threat.





SECOND BEST PHOTO I'VE EVER TAKEN (MATT CAIN PITCHING)

Vaughn and I had good seats, closer to home plate along the left field line than we usually sit. I experimented with my camera's zoom feature, pushing it way past the red line to where the image seemed to shake and judder. But it provided the best pictures I've ever taken at a game:



THIS WAS ACTUALLY A FOUL BALL, BUT DOESN'T IT LOOK AWESOME?

AND THEN THERE WAS THIS ONE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SECOND (JUAN URIBE HOME RUN):



3-0 after the home run; by the end of the inning it was 4-0 after a sacrifice fly by John Bowker. After three innings it was 5-0 after a Bengie Molina home run.

It was also a game of firsts: the first Splash Hit I've seen live--Aubrey Huff hit a home run over the right field wall into McCovey Cove; and the first player ejection I've ever seen (Colorado's third baseman Ian Stewart arguing a called third strike). Nothing like a little bad sportsmanship on the part of the other team to help you savor a victory just a little bit more, especially against a division rival, no matter how nice the shade of purple in their uniforms.

We're guaranteed to finish this home stand no worse than 6-3 against three of the best teams in the National League. That's a pretty nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

It was also a demonstration of the two extremes of sports fans' vocabulary and intelligence:

Case 1) A bearded fan behind us, after a Rockies batter fouled off two straight pitches on a 1-2 count, desperately trying to avoid an inning-ending strike out: "He's just delaying the inevitable!"

Case 2) A drunk fan, red-faced with beer rage in response to another fan's initiation of the Wave: "Giants fans watch baseball, they don't do the Wave!!!"

But damn, the stand where I bought a pretzel only offered Miller Light, Bud Lite, or Coors. No Anchor Steam, nothing good like that. That's pretty lame, so I stuck with lemonade.

Also, damn, if you are going to be counselors bringing a flock of teenagers to a baseball game, please tell them not to constantly change seats and go in and out of the aisle, especially not in the middle of an inning. And don't bring a girl who in the second inning whines, "This is the longest game EVER." It's just more compelling evidence why teenagers should not be allowed out in public.