PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #17

           Fremont Cannons @ Pittsburgh Lumber Company

Series Summary

Pittsburgh and Fremont split.

       Coconut Creek Crushers @ Detroit Crime

Game #1:

CCC wins this one 6-3; 2 HRs Holliday

Game #2:

DET holds on for a 5-2 win

Game #3:

CCC blows out DET 10-1; 2 HRs Cuddyer

Game #4:

Three DET pitchers combine on a 2-0 , 3 hit shutout

Game #5:

DET gets another combined shutout, 4-0; 4 pitchers 8 hitter

Game #6:

Last game of the 6 game series; DET scores early and 4 RP hold on for a 6-5 win

Series Summary

DET wins series 4-2

Tempe Tempers @ Jersey Nor’easters

Series Preview

The bad news is the juggernaut called Tempe is coming to town. Tempe, the team with an All-Star at every position with an All-Star backing up every position. Tempe, the team still making trades to obtain All-Stars for their farm roster. Yes, that Tempe.

The good news is that the Nor’easters will almost certainly improve their 2015 draft position.

Series Summary

…..and I was right. Tempe sweeps the series 6-0 holding the Nor’easters to only 29 hits in 6 games. Some of the games were close but
Tempe always found a way to win. Tempe’s Iwakuma raised his record to 19-3 with 2 wins in the series and the season is barely half done. Not much more to say.

Long Beach Dirt Bags @ Columbus Explorers

Series Preview

Long Beach Dirt Bags at Columbus Explorers – both teams looking at the losing end of things, Explorers in the midst of an 11 game losing streak (just need 4 starters – not greedy – hah). [Short report this week]

Game #1:

Explorers break losing streak – Oberholtzer pitches gem (what was hoped for all year -3 hit complete game shutout, 8 Ks). COL 8 LBT 0.

Top it off – Oberholtzer hits HR (1). Bad news, after the game his arm went dead and he’ll be gone for the rest of the year.

Game #2:

Losing streak now at 1 as Explorer rally to tie game in 9th fails to produce win and Dirt Bags plate 2 in 11th for 7-5 victory. Ramirez and
Parra each get 4 hits, Martinez gets 2. Hughes gets the win in relief (1-1). Victorino (11) and D.Solano (6) homer for home team.

Game #3:

Long Beach extends Explorers new losing streak to 2 with an 8-7 victory scoring the winning run in the top of the 9th to break the 7-7 tie. Explorers scored 5 in 3rd and 1 in 4th to build a 6-1 lead, but Happ lost control, walked in some, then let the bullpen do the same as Long Beach belts 13 hits PLUS 9 walks along the way. BAD NEWS – Recker takes a pitch on the body and will be out 33 days.

WP Stutes (1-1) S Kintzler (11)

Game #4:

New losing streak reaches 3 as Miley (W 4-10) pitches complete game 6 hitter enroute to 8-3 Dirt Bag win. Ramirez (6) and Konerko (9) homer back to back in the 4 run second. Axelrod serves up the fodder (3-5).

Game #5:

New Losing Streak ENDS as Explorers take game 5 5-3 behind Tommy Milone (W 8-3) and Bruce Chen (S 4). Milone does the Oberholtzer thing (HR- 1 not the injury) along the way along wth Carpenter (10 and Desmond (14) for the home team. Middlebrooks belts #15 for Long Beach. Arroyo takes the loss (6-8).

Game #6:

In the finale the Explorers earn a split with a 9-6 victory that where all 9 runs came from the 6th inning on. Score was 6-0 Dirt Bags when
Columbus came to bat in the 6th. 2 runs in the 6th, 2 in the 7th and 5 in the 8th. And all this on 9 hits (and 4 walks). D.Solano hits 3 run HR (7), Carpenter bets #11 and Blackmon pokes #5. Middlebrooks hit a 2 run shot (16) and Konerko #10. Varvaro gets the win (2-3), Belisario the save (3). Kintzler gets a BS (5) and loss (2-4).

Series Summary

Lots of action, occasional pitching – excitement from two teams destined to watch the playoffs on TV.

Selkirk Steelers @ Sacramento Capitals

Series Preview

Two last place teams face off in a meaningless series.

Series Summary

Selkirk takes the series 5 games to 1, outscoring Sacramento 27-17.

       Virginia Sluggers @ Elyria Indians

Series Preview

Two top of the Division clubs go at it

Game #1:

VIR 5-0

Scherzer just too strong with 9 K’s in 8 inns. Rizzo with the long ball.

Game #2:

VIR 8-2

Lyles steps up, scatters 8 hits, allows 2 runs. Rizzo (GS) and Markakis go deep.

Game #3:

ELY 1-0

J.Zimmerman is lights out with a CG 2-hitter, 11 K’s. B.Lawrie gets the SF RBI.

Game #4:

ELY 1-0

This time it’s J.Parker going 8 allowing 0 runs on 6 hits. A.Craig gets the RBI single in top of 9th.

Game #5:

VIR 5-3

Rizzo hits another GS but it’s Segura’s RBI single in the 7th that is the difference.

Game #6:

ELY 11-9

29 hits between the two teams. with a 9-4 lead in the 6th, ELY watches as VIR claws back. But 4 RBI each from Ellsbury and McCann was too much to surmount.

Series Summary

The teams split due to two 1-0 games that ELY was able to squeak out.

        Hollywood Werewolves @ Yonge Street Stalkers

Series Summary

Hollywood takes 5 of 6 over YSS. It would have been a sweep had Hank Conger hit a 2-run walk off in game 5.

        Tijuana Bottle Rockets @ Dallas Cougars

Game #1:

After Dallas broke a 1-1 tie by scoring twice in the 6th Dallas starter Guthrie promptly gave up the lead in the top of the 7th when
Encarnancion mashed a three-run jimmy jack. The Cougars came right back in the bottom of the 7th on a one out single by Guzman and a two out triple by Pollock.

FINAL SCORE: COUGARS 5, BOTTLE ROCKETS 4

Game #2:

Corbin pitches a complete game shutout for Dallas allowing only 1 hit striking out 11. Meanwhile the Cougars offense hit 3 home runs.

FINAL SCORE: COUGARS 4, BOTTLE ROCKETS 0

Game #3:

Tijuana bat’s woke up from their game two slumber for 12 hits – 6 of them for extra bases while Ogando and Withrow allowed only 4 hits for Dallas.

FINAL SCORE: BOTTLE ROCKETS 8, COUGARS 1

Game #4:

Bailey pitches a complete game shutout for the Bottle Rockets allowing only 4 hits – 3 of them by Pollock and Butler and Encarnancion provided the scoring with a couple home runs.

FINAL SCORE: BOTTLE ROCKETS 3, COUGARS 0

Game #5:

Tijuana hit back to back homers in the top of first off Lackey with two outs and then scored three more times in the 2nd to grab an early 5-0 lead. After Pollock’s 6th triple of the season brought Dallas to within 5-2 in the 5th the Bottle Rockets right fielder, Choo doubled home two runs in the 6th to put the game out of reach.

FINAL SCORE: BOTTLE ROCKETS 7. COUGARS 3

Game #6:

Guthrie didn’t pitch badly in the finale, but his defense let him down with a couple of errors leading to two unearned runs. The Cougars
batters never seemed to square up against Bottle Rocket starter, Kennedy except for a solo home run by Overbay as Tijuana closes out the series with 4 straight wins.

FINAL SCORE: BOTTLE ROCKETS 5. COUGARS 1

Series Summary

Dallas wins the first two games, but Tijuana wins the series 4 games to 2.

        Manhattan Project @ Valdosta Snappers

Series Preview

Manhattan visits hot and steamy south Georgia.

Series Summary

Snappers won the first 3 games but drop the next 3 and end up with a split with the Project.

Traverse City Crusaders @ Southbend Lynx

Series Preview

A battle of the celler dwellers as Traverse City visits the home town
Southbend Lynx.

Game #1:

Southbend’s J. Niese comes off the DL and has a strong outing as he goes 8 giving up only 1 run while fanning 8. Putz picks up his 11th save.  Southbend gets run in the 1st on a Lowrie rbi-2b and 2 more in the 2nd on a Crisp 2-run HR. Collabello adds a solo-HR in the 8th. TCC lone run comes on a solo-HR in the 8th.

SBL 4, TCC 1

Game #2:

All TCC as they pelt Stults for 8 runs in 5.2 IP. Fife is solid for TCC going 5.1 giving up only 2 runs. Pressly gets the save going 3.2 IP.
Raburn is the hitting star with a Grandslam in 5th to put the game away.  Dozier is 4-5 w/3 rbi, a 2b, and a HR.

TCC 11, SBL 3

Game #3:

TCC puts the bats to SBL again, aiding by some shoddy SBL defense.  Corporan is the big star as he goes 3-4 w/ 6 rbi, a 2b, and a HR. Smith gets the win going 6 IP giving up 2 runs as he spread out 9 hits. TCC was ahead 10-0 by the 5th and coasted home. Trumbo hits his 19th HR in the losing cause.

TCC 10, SBL 2

Game #4:

TCC makes it 3 in a row behind Gallardo’s gutsy performance. Gallardo gave up 9 hits and walked 5 but seemd to always get the big out when he needed it and the SBL could ever break through. TCC Murphy’s ac fly in the 7th and Corporan’s sac fly in the 8th put the game away for TCC.

TCC 5, SBL 2

Game #5:

The game was close through 7 tied 2-2. But SBL finally put some hits together and came up with 5 runs in the 8th on a Morse rbi-1b,
Collabello rbi-bb with the bases jammed, Forsythe rbi-1b, and then two runs scored on a Kawasaki error. Brach picks up the win with 2 innings of scoreless relief.

SBL 7, TCC 2

Game #6:

SBL J.Niese comes up with his second gem of the series as he tosses a 4 hit CG Shutout. Niese also walked 5 but was able to get Y’Gomes to hit into 3 DPs during the game. SBL Ludwick’s rbi-groundout in the 6th and a Trumbo rbi-1b in the 8th are all the runs in the game.

SBL 2, TCC 0

Series Summary

Niese has the big series here as he goes 2-0, with a CG Shoutout, 17 IP, 1 run, while fanning 11.

As it should be the series ends as a 3-3 split.

Motor City Muscle @ Camarillo Quest

Series Preview

Last place Motor City versus second place Camarillo.

Series Summary

Camarillo drops the first one, but then takes the final 5 to improve their record to 69-39. Scott Hairston hits a couple more out – so 15
home runs and 32 rbis in 31 games.

Chicago Mobsters @ Bethesda Bandicoots

Series Preview

Chicago heads into the great white north!

Series Summary

Chicago takes 4 of 6 from Bethesda.