Gallery

Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres' phenom, debuted

in his own BMW commercial Tues., Aug. 11,

during FSSD's broadcast of the Padres'

second win in a row at Dodger Stadium.

(Photos by Ed Piper from TV monitor)

By Ed Piper

Lacking high school sports to cover in light of COVID since March 12, I have kept (part of) my sanity by actually taking photos of the TV screen while I watch Major League Baseball games on my living room couch.

If you had told me before the pandemic arrived that I would become desperate enough to do so, I would have told you that you had not recovered your own sanity.

I was thinking the other day (though for a week my mind was super cloudy as I took antibiotics to prevent infection in two healing blisters on my right foot (incurred during my granddaughter Violet's seventh birthday pool party July 21)) (I have never used double parentheses in my published writing before, incorrect as it is--should change it to brackets around parentheses, or reverse)--I have not missed five months of work since my retirement October 1, 2015-April 1, 2016. Before that, never. I struggled to find summer work during 17 years I substitute-taught in the 1980's, but the summer break only lasted 2 1/2 months.

These are remarkable times.

Included below are selected photos from games (including Padres, Dodgers, and everything else, including some Lakers and other NBA teams).

Don't take offense--like I said, I'm using this for therapy.

Tim Anderson of the White Sox (number 7, left)

tore up the Tigers in the early MLB TV game

Wed., Aug. 12. The defending AL batting champ

led off the game with a home run, then proceeded

to add another hit and scored multiple times--

all in his first game back from the Injured List (IL).

I never thought much of A.J. Pollock after the

Dodgers got him a year ago. But he has been

hitting and playing the outfield well so far

in this young (shortened) season.

Justin Turner's three-run HR off the Padres'

Craig Stammen (L) launched L.A. to a 6-2

win over SD Wed., Aug. 12. My brother-in-law,

though, reminded me of San Diego's wins

in the first two games of this week's

4-game series at Dodger Stadium, though.