I saw a grand slam

[A] HOME RUN of the walk-off variety happened tonight, and it brought back memories.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, who originally opted not to play this season because of coronavirus, hit a solo shot to right in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 Braves win against Toronto.

The Blue Jays have also been affected by the virus, and will play home games in Buffalo because the Canadian government won’t allow them to cross the border.

The policy is understandable, but has added another wrinkle into a weird year when cardboard cutouts have replaced fans in stadium seats.

Last year, I was a fan in the stadium seats, and I watched the Braves beat the Dodgers in dramatic fashion.

It was a steamy afternoon in Atlanta.

We sat in right-center, where there’s no shade, and sweltered.

We were almost melted by the sixth inning, when Rafael Ortega belted a line-drive grand slam into Atlanta’s bullpen and helped the Braves to a 5-3 win.

Yours truly and family happened to be seated just above and to the left of the bullpen, if you were to look from home plate.

Our proximity to the bullpen when the ball landed in it all but assured our celebrations would be broadcast to the masses.

They’d be sure to see my new hat I’d bought from a ballpark vendor before the game.

I’ve never worn it again because it sits way too high on my head, but it brings back memories of the day I saw a grand slam.

I’ve almost managed to block out another memory from the game, when I was blocked from a celebratory TV appearance by my cousin’s armpit.

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This post is a response to Sue’s prompt, which is, “memories.”