PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #8

      Bethesda Bandicoots @ Long Beach Dirt Bags

Series Summary

Long Beach takes 4 of 7 from Bethesda. The Bandicoots took the first 3 and the Dirt Bags won the last 4.

Sacramento  Capitals @  Columbus  Explorers

Series Preview

Sacramento (13-33, last place NL West) vs. Columbus (15-30, last place NL Central) as the two teams battle for supremacy of the NL basement – loser wins! Both teams lack pitching this year and have their eyes on the future but this week they are playing to NOT be the worst!

Game #1:

Sacramento takes the 1st big step to not being the worst by smacking 3 HRs in an 8-3 victory. Springer (6), Flowers (4) and Pujols (4) lead the way, Puljols gets 3 rbis on 4 hits in the game. Nelson gets his 1st win of the season with 5.1 5 hit pitching.

SAC 8-13-0 WP Nelson (1-5)

COL 3-6-0 LP Milone (2-4)

Game #2:

Sacramento continues to use the long ball – 3 more homers – to eeck out the 4-3 victory in 11 innings. Heroics included a 9th inning game tying blast by Olt (5) with 1 out and a 1 out winning shot by Springer (7) in the 11th. Marisnick added the other HR (1) among his 4 hits in the game.

SAC 4-14-2 WP Tazawa (1-2)

COL 3-9-0 LP Perez (1-3)

Col HR – Carpenter (5)

Game #3:

Capitals continue to roll – only 1 long ball in this one – but it was a 2 run shot by Dickerson (4 for 4 with 2 rbis) and Dan Haren goes 6.1
innings (6 hits, 1 run, 6 Ks) to bring them a 4-2 win. Baker pitches well for 7 innings, 6 hits, 3 ER, 10 Ks, but no support seals his fate.

SAC 4-8-0 WP Haren (6-4) S Marshall (1)

COL 2-10-2 LP Baker (3-3)

Another 11 inning game as both Nelson (6.2 ip, 6 hits, 2 runs, 6 ks) and Milone (9 ip, 3 hits, 2 runs, 12 ks) are tough on the hill. For Milone you couldn’t ask for much more but the bad luck part was him giving up a 2 run HR to Dickerson (8) IN THE 9th that tied the game! – OUCH!

Dickerson then added to the Explorer misery when he singled home the go ahead run in the 11th – Dickerson came in the game late and went 2 for 2 with a run and all 3 Capital rbis. Marshall got the win in relief – pitched 3 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk and 4 ks.

SAC 3-6-1 WP Marshall (1-1)

COL 2-8-0 LP Varvaro (2-3)

For the home team it was a dismal series (especially after the previous week when they won a series). For Sacremento, it lifted them out of the bottom of the entire NL by taking 5 of 6 (they now have a 2 game advantage on the Explorers in that category). Or – the Explorers can now be considered the best – the best of the worst!

Columbus is all set for its trip to Long Beach – probably another tough week, but hey, its baseball and that’s good.

        Selkirk  Steelers @ Triple Creek  Patriots

Series Preview

The Steelers roll in to Patriot territory already 16.5 games back in the standings. Triple Creek still managing to stay above .500 ball, will
they be able to make up some ground?

Game #1:

Gibson picks up his 5th win as the Steelers more than double their opponent in the hit column.

SEL 6 TCP 1

Game #2:

Masterson pitches 6 solid innings but McCarthy is just too good today.  Adams and Miller both are 3-5 and drive in all the runs.

SEL 5 TCP 0

Game #3:

The home town crowd is excited as the Patriots are leading 1-0 heading into the 6th. Selkirk scores 1 run in each of the last 4 innings and the Pariots lay an egg.

SEL 4 TCP 1

Game #4:

The home cooking is pretty rank as the Patriots have been outscored 15-2 so far. Triple Creek outhits the Steelers for the 1st time in the series but the visitors push 2 across in the 10th to start the series 4-0.

SEL 3 TCP 1

Game #5:

Collmenter throws a 3 hit shutout as the Patriots continue their win-less ways and now have been outscored 22-3.

SEL 4 TCP 0

Game #6:

Buchholz and company combine to allow just 4 hits as the Patriots finally tally a W.

SEL 1 TCP 4

Game #7:

Home squad wins again behind Masterson’s 8 shutout innings and Feliz’s perfect in the 9th.

SEL 0 TCP 6

Series Summary

            Manhattan  Project @ Virginia  Sluggers

Game #1:

MAN 13-4 Simon gets the win, everybody on MAN hits.

Game #2:

MAN 3-1 Jennings drives in all 3 runs with 2 hits to back Darvish.

Game #3:

MAN 4-1 Duffy allows 1-hit and Jennings leaves the yard.

Game #4:

MAN 10-9 Bullpen almost blows it, but 15 hits including Freeman’s homer and 4 RBI is just enough.

Game #5:

VIR 6-5 Finally win in the 11th on Bourn’s RBI single.

Game #6:

MAN 6-4 MAN completes the rout on Holliday’s 2-run jack in the 12th.

Series Summary

Manhattan is good and Virginia is bad.  GM about to toss in the towel,…close to dismantling team.  Stay tuned.

Hollywood  Werewolves @  Coconut Creek  Crushers

Series Preview

Preparing for a beat down.

Game #1:

Fiers only gives up one, but the bullpen gets beat up in a 6-1 HOL win.

Game #2:

HOL puts up 5 in the 1st. Price cruises to a 13-1 HOL win.

Game #3:

Kershaw goes 8 scoreless and runs his season record to 10-0. HOL wins
3-0.

Game #4:

Cueto throws a complete game 3-hitter. But….one of the hits is a 3-run bomb by Napoli as CCC steals a 4-1 win.

Fat boy Colon keeps the HOL offense in check.

Game #5:

Jered Weaver in control as HOL cruises 8-1.

Game #6:

All Buchanan as HOL cruises 6-0.

Game #7:

David Price dominant again in a HOL 11-0 win.

Series Summary

Take away Napoli’s 3-run HR in Game-4 and CCC never would have scored more than one run in any game.

       Clovis  Wheat Kings @ New York  Outlaws

Series Preview

First Place Outlaws face off against the mighty Wheat Kings.

Series Summary

Outlaws are crushed in this series going 1-5 and a possible loss of the first place berth.

       Yonge Street  Stalkers @ Traverse City  Crusaders

Series Preview

A match-up between two losing franchises.

Game #1:

CRUSADERS 11, STALKERS 5

The Crusaders put down the hammer, led by rookie Danny Santana who went 3-for-5, hitting his 4th HR of the season, plus 5 RBI. Brett Gardner added two hits with an RBI & steal.

Trevor Bauer puts up crooked numbers, but hangs on for his 6th win of the season, Esmil Rogers was credited for the loss. Hank Conger hit his 1st HR of the season for the Stalkers.

Game #2:

STALKERS 2, CRUSADERS 1 (10 Innings)

Travis Wood only allows 4 hits & a run in 8 innings of work for T.C., striking out 7 Stalkers; Joe Kelly for Yonge Street hanged tough, pitching 8.2 innings, allowing 6 hits & a run, with 3 K’s.  Martin Prado hits go-ahead HR in top of 10th off of Cesar Ramos.

Game #3:

STALKERS 5, CRUSADERS 4 (13 Innings)

Both teams scored 4 runs each inside the first two innings, then they were scoreless the next 10 innings.

Drew Stubbs hit a three-run HR in a losing cause for the Crusaders, while Kelvin Herrera was credited with the win.

Jonathan Papelbon records save #11.

Game #4:

CRUSADERS 4, STALKERS 3

Back-to-back HR’s by Danny Santana & Todd Frazier locked down the 4-3 victory for T.C. Kelvin Herrera blows the save & is credited with the loss for Yonge Street, while Dale Thayer gets the win for T.C.

Luke Gregerson gets save #11 for Traverse.

Game #5:

STALKERS 3, CRUSADERS 2

Will Venable’s three-run HR off Yovani Gallardo was the tale of the tape in this one. Ryan Raburn hits solo HR in losing effort.

Save #12 for Jonathan Papelbon of the Stalkers.

Game #6:

CRUSADERS 5, STALKERS 2 (12 Innings)

The 3rd extra-innings game of the series. The hero was Brett Gardner who hit a walk-off HR off of Fernando Abad in the bottom of the 12th. Gardner also had 2 stolen bases, bringing his total to 12 for the season.

Tommy Kahnle gets his 2nd win in relief for T.C.

Series Summary

Series split, 3-3. Three games went to extras, four games were decided by a single run.

Almost a 1/3 into the season & Traverse City almost has half of their win total from last season, so there has been definite signs of improvement. Team is really happy with young Devon Travis for the Majors’ Blue Jays — who is showing that he’s going to be a nice contributor to the Crusaders’ future.

       Iron City  Yinzers @ Tempe  Tempers

Series Preview

Iron City is currently in last place in the NL East, but they seem to always play their best when visiting Tempe.

Series Summary

Iron City takes the first two games behind dominating pitching but Tempe scratches out the final four games to win the series. Paul Maholm was the pitcher of the series with a complete game 3 hitter and another six inning no decision.

       Fremont  Cannons @ Southbend Lynx

Game #1:

Game #2:

Game #3:

Game #4:

Game #5:

Game #6:

Game #7:

Series Summary

Southbend continues to play over its head and takes the series 5-2.  Smoke and mirrors. Its gonna end when I start playing the big boys.