Washington (CNN) The Congressional Baseball Game is an age-old Washington tradition, dating back to 1909 -- and one of the city's most peculiar customs.

Not unlike Capitol Hill, Republican lawmakers compete against Democrats.Their staffers cheer in separate sections. And the playing field is paid for mostly by lobbyists, which in years past have included the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, Pfizer, the Koch brothers and Buffalo Wild Wings. (The only true bipartisan area of the stadium is the bar section in centerfield, where the blues and the reds drink away their misgivings about bipartisan mingling.) All proceeds from the game go to charity.

It has been a tough few years for the Republican team. Before Thursday's game, the GOP had lost six straight years, suffering absolute slaughters of 22-0 two years ago and 15-6 last year.

The Democrats' not-so-secret weapon is their pitcher, Louisiana Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond, a young lawmaker who played college ball and has been known to hurl 80-mile-an-hour heat from the mound.

This year, Richmond's pitches were slower due to a recent surgery, but Republicans fared no better. Democrats racked up their seventh straight victory, winning 5-2.

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