After a number of rain outs and game cancellations, Gilbert and I were finally scheduled to pitch again after a 10-day hiatus. The pitching rotation continued to be pushed back due to inclement weather and unforeseen obstacles that postponed multiple games.
During one potential game day, we traveled three hours across the island in an attempt to play The Toritos de Cayey. When we arrived to Cayey, the stadium looked very modern and was one of the biggest we had seen. After walking down the tunnel to the field, we were told that The Toritos had scheduled a game with another team in their league. Much to our dismay, we were forced to travel the three hours back to Rincon without playing the much anticipated game.
The next day, Gilbert and I were as excited as ever to pitch because of the extended time off. The game was scheduled to be played at our home field against The Fundadores de Anasco. I was set to pitch first out of the bullpen after our starter was supposed to go the initial two innings.
When I took the mound in the third inning, the game was tied at 0. From the very first pitch, I could tell that I did not have my stuff that day, and I was going to need to work extra hard to concentrate and get outs. My lack of precision coupled with some errors and defensive mishaps turned into an ugly outing. I allowed three runs in the third and four in the fourth. While only five of the seven runs I gave up were earned, I was fuming over my putrid performance. No one on our team had a good day, and we ended up losing the game 15-5.
While it was a tough loss for everyone, the communication and support from my teammates helped ease the sting of my poor performance. After the game, we rallied together to remain optimistic and wash this game completely out of our memory banks. Without the unending help from my teammates, I would not have been able to flush this game away forever. The age-old adage of having a short memory and looking towards the next game was readily apparent after this loss, and I thank everyone who provided me with this emotional support. It was after this game that I realized I was forging friendships that would be bonded for life.