In an effort to write more than I have been, I decided to try at least putting together “Just One Thing” about each game I cover. It might be about a particular play, an at-bat, or a guy’s walk-up song. Whatever piques my interest that game. We’ll see how long this lasts.

Does “batting around” mean nine or 10 batters come to the plate?

It’s a question that has stumped the baseball intelligentsia about as much as “is a hot dog a sandwich?” has perplexed the rest of the general public.

Senators broadcaster Terry Byrom and I had a spirited conversation on press row tonight discussing that. For the record, he’s all in the camp of nine. Me? Honestly, I’m not sure where I fall on it, but I like to take the opposing viewpoint just to be difficult. (Note: that actually explains a lot about my life)

Anyway, assume Byrom is correct, and it only takes nine batters to bat around the order. How often does it happen? No hard numbers, but I’d say that before Thursday night’s game the Senators have done it about five to eight times total this year. That’s enough times that fireworks and confetti don’t shoot off when it occurs, but still rare enough out of 1000+ innings played so far this season to sit up and take notice.

So what the Senators did Thursday night was pretty remarkable.

In back-to-back innings (the second and third), the Senators batted around sending nine men to the plate in each frame. Both innings began with Ian Sagdal reaching base safely and ended with Michael Taylor striking out.

In those innings:

• David Masters had two doubles, drove in two runs, and scored two
• Pitcher Tyler Mapes had a pair of singles driving in two, and scored two
• Nick Banks also had a pair of singles, scored a pair, and drove in one
• Tres Barrera and Andrew Stevenson each scored twice
• And three different baserunners scored on wild pitches…and if it wasn’t for a fortuitous bounce, that number would have been four!!