Crunch with Punch KOs Jennings

Wow, anyone catch that football game in Newark last night? The Sugar Bears pounded the crap out of Carolina, especially starter Jason Jennings. Jennings got into trouble right off the bat and in fact, the Sugar Bears batted around once before Jennings retired a batter. Jennings walked leadoff hitter Bobby Abreu, in a sign of things to come, and proceeded to walk 11 more batters in the inning! Wow. Jennings also gave up 10 hits in the first. The Sugar Bears were already up 8-0 when Jim Edmonds smashed a grand slam over the head of Rocco Baldelli. Later in the inning, Nick Johnson hit a triple to run the score to 19-0, setting a new record for most runs in an inning. The Sugar Bears batted around twice in the inning. In the second, Jennings only surrendered a solo homer to Gregg Zaun, setting a new record for most earned runs allowed by one pitcher in a game with 20. Jennings ended up with the following atrocious stat line: 2 IP, 12 hits, 20 earned runs, 11 walks and 3 strikeouts. I bet those three feel like chumps.

And on the complete opposite end of the spectrum... D.C.'s Kelvim Escobar and Philly's Erik Bedard and their bullpens battled through a 0-0 game into extra innings until Reed Johnson finally broke the tie in the bottom of the tenth with a walk-off double that scored Scott Rolen. Escobar pitched six innings and allowed only two hits and four walks, while Bedard pitched seven and allowed only five hits and one walk. Both struck out five hitters each.

Vancouver's David Ortiz continues his home run tear, swatting two off Hillsborough starter Jeremy Bonderman. Ortiz now has 11 on the year to lead the league.

If you didn't catch it, there's a new Zane Smith article up on the site.