The first frosty mug at Alice’s Tall Texan went down so smooth that I was ready for another. Ice cold malty Bock with friends, talking baseball and making new friends. Easter Sunday, time for another redemption that we really never dared to plan.
It was great seeing everyone at Spanish Flowers. Bags of chips and untold bowls of salsa were scarfed down amid the squeals of infants, wearing their Easter outfits while trapped in high chairs. From there the group moved on to the Flying Saucer for more cameraderie and then on to the ballpark.
Surprisingly, the day was clear and no clouds obscured our view of the field. The Sherpas didn’t think to leave us with bottles of oxygen, so we and the other 20-odd thousand in the upper reaches were left to our own devices. Following an outstanding rendition of the national anthem by Lyle Lovett, new #1 pitcher Bud Norris got the American League Houston Astros era under way with a strike.
Bud fought his command through much of the night but managed to make pitch after pitch when it counted. Jose Altuve smacked the first pitch he saw for the first AL hit, a single. Outstanding plays in the field were a nice surprise, but in many ways this night belonged to Justin Maxwell. Two triples, two runs scored, two RBI, one great catch against the wall and one great ‘catch’ of a soft liner were the bedrock that the Astros’ 4-0 lead was built on.
In the sixth, Norris was tiring and the Rangers reached him for two runs before Bedard was brought in to relieve. Unconventional, but the move was effective and after the theatrics of Rick Ankiel’s two-out, 3-2 pinch three-run jack deep into the right field stands, this one was over.
Deflated, the jackal fans from Dallas headed for the exits after Ankiel’s shot and Astro fans were left to stand and cheer the home team’s first Opening Day win since 2006. It was a great night and a great celebration for all of us.