Skid's 2015 Dream Season

OCTOBER 2nd 3rd - HOME GAME #79 vs Washington Nationals (81-78)

Noah Syndergaard (9-7) tunes up for the playoffs against Gio Gonzales (11-8). Friday's game was rained out and rescheduled for Saturday afternoon as part of a day - night doubleheader.

89-71

Lets Go Mets! Noah Syndergaard and Gio Gonzalez hooked up in a great pitcher's duel on a cold, wet and windy afternoon at Citi in the first game of a day-night double header. Gio went 6 innings, gave up 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7. Noah went 7 innings, only allowing 2 hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts. One of those two hits was a home run by Clint Robinson to give the Nats a 1-0 lead in the 7th. The Mets tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a 2 out single by Juan Largares to score Lucas Duda. But the big blow was by Bryce Harper, a 2 run shot off of Addison Reed in the eighth to give the Nationals the lead for good.

Ticket Cost: $108
Time of game: 2:44
Attendance: 39,465

Game #79 view

I had nice Delta club seats where I got to chat with all my guest services friends before the game. I'm sad that it is the last 3 games of the season. But I'm excited that the Mets have clinched the Division title and are moving on to the postseason. While I thought that this would be the point of goodbyes and packing up the car and heading back home, I don't know how long my stay will be extended. Two weeks or five weeks. I hope it is until the first week of November.

My first foul ball of the year!

Seventy-nine games at Citi Field (88 total) and I got my first foul ball! I was thrown a ball from the Mets dugout in Atlanta and a Citi Field supervisor brought me a ball during BP a couple weeks ago after he had heard my story. But I had not gotten one during a game. I wondered what the odds would be of me capturing one of these hallowed souvenirs during the season. After this far into the season I did not think I would get one.

Foul balls were landing around my section all day including above me in the Hyundai Club and the suites behind them. A couple were tall pop-ups that landed a section away on the right and on the left of my seat. I was texting my Dodger friend Jeff around the 7th inning when I looked up at a foul off the bat of an unidentified Nationals batter. OK, I think I can judge fly balls fairly well, and the arch is pretty much spot on to where I'm sitting here texting. So I rise up from my seat while shoving my phone into my back pocket. My whole row is empty of fans. So is the row behind me. The ball lands two empty seats to my right and just stops, wedged between the upright seat and the padded chair back. The crowd gasped as there was no expected bounce or rebound or highlight catch to cheer. I walked calmly over two steps to my right and while yelling "I GOT IT!" I reach down and grab it from it's trapped location in the seat.

The fans in front of me couldn't reach over the taller cushy chairs in the Delta Club before I snagged it. One of them laughs and says "Tell everyone you caught it on the fly" to which I responded "Hey, it never hit the ground!". I put in in my cup holder then in my little bag I've been carrying to the last few games. A neat item to have but not worth a broken hand or knocking around other fans to obtain a $10 orb.

Very cold afternoon game

It was so friggin' cold this game, misty rain most of the game. Not enough to get you wet but if accumulated it started to soak my Levi's and hat. Luckily I had brought a hoodie to keep my ears warm. The announced attendance was 39,465 but many fans did not show up as you can see from the photos. I went inside the Delta Club a couple times just to get out of the wetness and warm up a bit. It was a great pitching duel but since the game did not mean anything in the standings I certainly was not riveted to my seat. Only two more games and the season will be over.

Bryce Harper bats against Noah Syndergaard

I do not like Bryce Harper for so many reasons that I will not go into here. When he hit what proved to be the game winning home run in the eighth inning I was glad to be in the men's room. Piss on him.

Still cold and Mets not winning

After the game everyone had to exit the stadium so they could reset/restock/clean everything for the regular scheduled 7 pm start. I always go into the ballpark early but now 10,000 fans were waiting in the parking lot to get back in. Every entrance had long lines and it took me almost 30 minutes to get into the ballpark.