Game 13: Philadelphia Phillies

We left New York with a trip to find Old Ebbet’s Field (site of the Brooklyn Dodger’s).  All that remains today is a small plaque commemorating the classic field.  It took us about 2 hours to find.  But after much frustration we were finally off to Philadelphia.  Because the game was at night, we had a chance to travel into the city before heading to the game.  Of course, we had Philly Cheese steaks from Pat’s.  It sits right across the street from Gino’s and the two always have lines out the door.  They were absolutely delicious and a much-needed treat after a long day of searching for Ebbet’s field and driving.  Before heading to the stadium, we traveled over to the Liberty Bell where a large museum was dedicated to its history and symbolism.

Ryro with the sign at Ebbet's (there was a small plaque around the corner too)

Cheese Steaks!

Brad with the cracked Liberty Bell  and Independence Hall in the background

We were able to get the game early enough to see batting practice.  Since the Cincinatti game where we were forced to get there early, we have had a lot of fun going early for batting practice and trying to catch home run balls.  As we stood in left field, Brad and I got lucky, with both of us catching long balls.  

Brad and Me with the balls we caught during batting practice

The Phillies stadium was another great one reminiscent of both Detroit and Pittsburg.  The Philly skyline was painted across the night sky as we looked on from our seats right above home plate in the 3^rd deck.  Though we had just had cheese steaks a few hours earlier, the Phillies stadium is known for its food and we were excited to try.  While Brad opted for a massive plate of chicken nachos, Ryro and I tried the Schmitter (an awesome steak and salami combination.  See: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPhPnRMYseDXFIF9tZXc7M-tE_kE2BKpeT0YEMh787WJ1THNI9q1DTONRbA-f8VOVOm1cDQLbT8iWF6EKy9f26Dh3DgeG6XRsqUKZ9PMYbJ2gGI_G6f2IpE-lC3H7VBcp4L0pIeks1vk-/s1600/C:%5Cfakepath%5CschBP1.gif).  Needless to say, the three of us were all in a food coma for the remainder of the game.

We saw the Philly Phanatic in action.  It has been an icon for the ball club since 1978 and its crazy antics (as Brad tells me, very much like the San Diego chicken) are what make it so loved by its fans.  During pregame, he pretended to throw baseball grenades into the dugout of the Rockies.

The view from right field

The game itself was a good one.  Though we do not normally root for the Phillies, we were all for the home team on this day.  Cole Hamel's threw another gem after giving up an early run.  He was one strikeout away from recording his 100th (we almost saw Gio throw his 100th of the year in Washington too!).  Regardless, the Phillies took and early lead and never looked back or showed any signs of giving the game away.  It was nice to see the home team win for the second day in a row.

Final Score: Colorado Rockies 2, Philadelphia Phillies 7