Cubs rally to defeat the Phillies after a torrential downpour, 4-3

I was in Philly for work so I had to head to Citizens Bank Park for the Chicago Cubs v Philadelphia Phillies game last night.  I was sitting 18 rows behind the Cubs' dugout and it was about 100-degrees.  Jimmy Rollins hit a home run and the Phillies led the game 3-0.

Around the 3rd or 4th inning the wind started to pick up and my "Bambi" reflexes kicked in.  For some reason I decided to get up and head towards the concourse.  Sure enough, the wind REALLY started swirling and the field was covered.  A group of girls had a sign, "The wind isn't the only thing that blows in Chicago."  The clouds overhead looked ominous and then the rain came down in HARD.  I'd never seen rain like that before and I was happy I hadn't been caught in it.

After the rain delay, I caught up with a long-time, family friend, Gaya and her co-workers. 

Highlight of the game: A foul ball almost caught me in the face.  The man who tried to catch it (i.e. he was sitting a few rows in front of me) missed and it deflected towards my neighbor.  I saw it coming and dodged the ball.

I left the game in the 8th because I wanted to listen to the Miami Heat v Dallas Mavericks game.  It's a good thing I didn't wait for the baseball game to end, because it went into extra innings.  It took 11 innings, but the Cubs rallied in the 9th to defeat the Phillies 4-3.  To be honest, I'm not sure what's going on with the Phillies ~ but every time I watch them, they lose.

More on the basketball in the next post.


THE WIRK

Giants v Phillies for the NLCS ~ Lincecum v Halladay, Game 1

Well, the NLCS match-up is set, and I can't wait to see the San Francisco Giants play the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park!  Game 1 has Tim Lincecum going up against Roy Halladay, and it should be an amazing battle... 

I guess it's time for me to hunt down some tickets and try to rearrange my schedule, since I really don't want to miss this match-up...  If you can help a girl out with access to tickets, please contact me via email at thewirk@gmail.com. 

If the Giants are more your "flavor", then I recommend you buy the Pablo (i.e. Sandoval) Panda hat like my friend, Mandy.

Panda hats, not your style?!?!  Well, for those of you that cheer for the Phillies, how about a Halladay jersey?!?!

****  The Giants victory today, was the last note of Bobby Cox's 29-year song as Manager of the Braves.  Thank you, Bobby, for all you've done for the Atlanta Braves and Braves' fans everywhere.  Enjoy your retirement!


THE WIRK

Tiger Woods at AT&T National and the Phillies ~ 4th of July, Philadelphia

Tiger Woods announced that he's adding the AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club · Newton Square, PA (i.e. Congresssional is being renovated for the 2011 US Open) in to his schedule.  The tournament is Thursday, July 1 – Sunday, July 4, 2010, and Tiger Woods is the defending champion.

I've actually had to go to Newtown Square, PA for work and it's a relatively easy drive from the DC/VA/MD area and close to Philadelphia.  For those of you that live in the DC/VA/MD area you may find the following information of interest.  When I looked at the tournament ticketing information, I noticed the following text on the tournament's website.  I copied and pasted it here for your convenience.
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Thank you for your support of the 2009 AT&T National!

To express our gratitude to the local Washington, D.C. community, we are offering all Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. residents free admission to the 2010 AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club! Simply present a valid Maryland, Virginia or D.C. driver's license at the gate to receive your Daily Gallery Pass for FREE!

To reserve your complimentary 2010 AT&T National tickets, click here.

For more information about tickets please contact our ticketing team at ticketing@tigerwoodsfoundation.org.

****  When you click the link and complete the form it says it's for a free Gallery ticket for one day only.  The ticket will be held at Will Call.  Of course there are other ticketing options for the golf tournament, but I found that offer to be the most interesting.

Daily Gallery Pass prices are as follow:
• Tuesday (6/29) or Wednesday (6/30) - $20
• Thursday (7/1) or Friday (7/2) - $40
• Saturday (7/3) or Sunday (7/4) - $45

Additional ticketing information can be found here:  http://www.attnational.org/custompage/default.sps?itype=14121
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Coincidentally, the defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies are playing the San Diego Padres at home, on the same dates of the tournament.  Have you seen the Phillies play at home, yet?  If not, you should go and check out Citizens Bank Park.  It's a great fan friendly, ballpark! 

Outside Citizens Bank Park, June 2009

Plaque inside the park

Inside the ballpark, June 2009

So, if you have no plans for the 4th of July, why not consider Philadelphia?  It'd be very easy to make a fun sports weekend, holiday trip out of it all.


THE WIRK