Queens, a boro of New York City I've never been to, played host to the 4th game I've seen in 5 days. It was a brutally cold and windy day for Sunday baseball when the Mets hosted the Brewers at Citi Field. Citi Field has been around for a decade now as the Metropolitans moved away from Shea Stadium in 2008. Today, I was joined by a childhood friend who I hadn't seen in a couple year that came up from Washington D.C.
To get the day started on the 43 degree day, we ate at Pop's Diner, a lovely little greasy spoon in Flushing, NY. We then took a leisurely walk around the Queens Garden and through Arthur Asche Park where the US Open is held. Afterwards, we headed into the game. We seeked shelter almost immediately once we got in to get out the elements. I had my customary local brew and hot dog as we took our seats. The beer today was Mermaid Pilsner from Coney Island Brewing and the toppings bar for the hot dog was top notch.
After settling in, the game began and it started with a flurry of K's as Mets ace Noah Syndergaard struck out 11 total and 8 straight at one point nearly tying Tom Seaver's Major League record of 10 straight. The game itself was pretty sloppy at times as no one could seem to catch the ball in the windy conditions or throw properly as there were quite a few errant throws.
Mets right fielder Brandon Nimmo had an amazing game as he was a double short of the hitting for the cycle. It was an impressive start for just returning off the DL. As the game went into the the bottom of the 9th tied at 2, both teams and the fans dreaded the prospect of free baseball. So when Wilmer Flores who has a pension for walk off hits came to the plate, the momentum swung in the Mets favor. On a 1-2 pitch, Flores drilled the ball over the left field wall. It was. His second home run of the year. The 3-2 victory pushed the Mets record to 12-2 while the Brewers fell to .500 at 8-8.
After I visit Yankee Stadium, I will release my incomplete rankings of the 19 of the 30 Major League ballparks I've visited so far.