Headed back to AT&T Park for the game between the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants.

There was a lot of excitement at the start of the game with defending 2011 U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy present to throw out the first pitch.

With the Open taking place this week at Olympic Club in San Francisco, it's almost like fleet week... but with golfers instead of servicemen.

The excitement didn't stop there as Giants were able to hold down a 6-3 win over the Astros.

Madison Bumgardner had an impressive game to say the least. Not only did he strike out a season high 12 batters... he hit a home run!

Poor Justin Maxwell who fell to Bumgardner's pitch in three straight at bats... a hat trick... but not the kind you want if you're a batter.

One of my favorite things about going to a baseball game is chatting with the other photographers. I enjoy being "one of the guys" and always learn a lot about shooting and life.

Example tonight, after I missed the shot of Pablo Sandoval diving for the play and only came up with this shot.

I felt like this (well actually this is the look of pain of hitting the ball off your leg... but similar expression)

Thearon Henderson of Getty Images mentioned his trick to slow the game down. Keep your lens on where you want the shot, listen to the sound of the ball coming off the bat, and if it's not going to where you are focused, find where the play is happening, and no shame in trusting your camera to autofocus, but the biggest thing is to relax and slow the game down just like the players would slow the game down. Metaphorically, I think this can apply to life too... now I just gotta pick up the ball =)