Rhys Hoskins stands in with a 3-1 count. Pedro Baez fixes himself and readies what could be a decisive pitch for him, for Hoskins, for the Dodgers, the Phillies and, 200 miles away from Citizens Bank Park, my sanity.
“My heart’s really pumping …” I say with a tinge of surprise while holding my tablet. My wife chuckles.
A strike taken. I exhale. My heart continues to throb.
It’s September 19. The Phillies are in baseball’s basement, currently the second-worst team in the game, and they’re playing a team with 96 wins, the best in baseball.