The Sugar Bears took over first place as Team Buddah pulled off a miraculous sweep of the Rat Pack. The Buddahs capped off the series with a 3-0 3-hit shutout by Oliver Perez. Perez, as you may remember, struggled in the Rat Pack rotation all last season before being shipped off to the Buddahs in the offseason, where he's currently struggling. Perez struck out 8 Rats and walked 4. Newark only played one game, an 8-7 extra inning victory over Sardine City. The Sardines held a 7-5 lead until the Sugar Bears' Bobby Abreu tied it up with a 2-run homer in the ninth. Jack Cust won the game with a walk-off solo shot in the 11th.
Yesterday was an ugly day for many DMBL squads, but a good day for their medical staffs. Four players were lost with various injuries. Blue Ridge lost second bagger Jose Vidro for around 2 weeks. Dan Uggla, who had platooned with Vidro this season, will take over full time. Uggla took full advantage of the extra playing time by swatting a 3-run home run in yesterday's loss to Philly. Uggla then hit another home run and drove in 3 runs in game two yesterday, an 8-3 win.
D.C. lost Carl Crawford for six days in yesterday's 9-2 win over Arkansas. Replacing Crawford will be Coco Crisp. New Jersey lost a third outfielder, Shane Victorino, for 12 days. Team Buddah picked up the recently released Juan Pierre to fill in.
The Hoboken Cutters lost outfielder Travis Buck a week or so ago, but his replacement will now hit the DL. Ryan Freel left yesterday's game (and will probably leave the Cutters roster as well). The Cutters picked up hometown favorite Brian Giles, who was a mainstay with the team from 2001-2004. Giles had been playing with the independent New Jersey Jackals to stay in shape and Hoboken scouts liked what they had seen. "It's good to be back in Cutters brown" said Giles at a team press conference.
See you again in a week!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Deja vu for Vegas, Buddah
Don't forget that tomorrow there will be a morning doubleheader and then we're off for about a week, resuming games, hopefully, on June 1. Take advantage of the time off to vote for the All-Star Game!
New Jersey and Las Vegas experienced a weird case of deja vu yesterday as both lost two key players to injuries, just as the two have recently returned from DL trips.
Team Buddah lost outfielder Alfonso Soriano in his third game back from injury. Soriano only had 9 at bats before succumbing to another injury. Hey, at least Team Buddah won the game 9-2 as his replacement at DH, Yuniesky Betancourt, went 2-3 with 2 RBIs.
Meanwhile Las Vegas just activated shortstop Jeff Keppinger on May 18th, but he only lasted three games as well. Keppinger went 3-4 in his final game and was replaced by outfielder Ryan Church at shortstop. "I never played shortstop, man!" said a terrified Church "Whose idea was this???" Church's anguish only lasted two innings, but he was still seen shaking in the clubhouse after the game.
Sardine City's Phil Hughes outdueled Vancouver's Chad Billingsley in a 1-0 match. Hughes struck out 11 in seven innings of work, while only giving up three hits. Billingsley, who struck out 9 in 6 innings, lost his first decision of the year. Billingsley got in trouble in the sixth when he gave up a leadoff single to B.J. Upton. After striking out the next batter, Billingsley loaded the bases on two walks. Billingsley struck out the next batter, but Willy Taveras lined a base hit up the middle that scored the games only run. Billingsley then struck out his third batter of the inning, but the damage was done.
Justin Verlander was impressive in a complete game 6-3 victory over the Mudcats yesterday (7 H, 10 K, 1 ER). Nevertheless, the Hired Hitmen have announced that they will be offering many of their players up for trade, including Robinson Cano, Ryan Howrd, Brad Hawpe, C.C. Sabathia, and Verlander. "Some people say it might be a little early to write off this season" said Hitmen owner Brent Campbell, "but the we want to get a head start on next season. The early bird gets the worm."
New Jersey and Las Vegas experienced a weird case of deja vu yesterday as both lost two key players to injuries, just as the two have recently returned from DL trips.
Team Buddah lost outfielder Alfonso Soriano in his third game back from injury. Soriano only had 9 at bats before succumbing to another injury. Hey, at least Team Buddah won the game 9-2 as his replacement at DH, Yuniesky Betancourt, went 2-3 with 2 RBIs.
Meanwhile Las Vegas just activated shortstop Jeff Keppinger on May 18th, but he only lasted three games as well. Keppinger went 3-4 in his final game and was replaced by outfielder Ryan Church at shortstop. "I never played shortstop, man!" said a terrified Church "Whose idea was this???" Church's anguish only lasted two innings, but he was still seen shaking in the clubhouse after the game.
Sardine City's Phil Hughes outdueled Vancouver's Chad Billingsley in a 1-0 match. Hughes struck out 11 in seven innings of work, while only giving up three hits. Billingsley, who struck out 9 in 6 innings, lost his first decision of the year. Billingsley got in trouble in the sixth when he gave up a leadoff single to B.J. Upton. After striking out the next batter, Billingsley loaded the bases on two walks. Billingsley struck out the next batter, but Willy Taveras lined a base hit up the middle that scored the games only run. Billingsley then struck out his third batter of the inning, but the damage was done.
Justin Verlander was impressive in a complete game 6-3 victory over the Mudcats yesterday (7 H, 10 K, 1 ER). Nevertheless, the Hired Hitmen have announced that they will be offering many of their players up for trade, including Robinson Cano, Ryan Howrd, Brad Hawpe, C.C. Sabathia, and Verlander. "Some people say it might be a little early to write off this season" said Hitmen owner Brent Campbell, "but the we want to get a head start on next season. The early bird gets the worm."
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Peavy schools Sardines
Jake Peavy put on a pitching clinic yesterday against the Straphangers. Peavy held the Hangmen to only 3 hits in pitching a complete game shutout, while striking out 14. Peavy becomes the first in the DMBL to 9 wins. Peavy's opponent, Cole Hamels, didn't do too shabby either in the contest. Hamels pitched 8 innings of 4-hit ball and struck out 8, but he gave up two runs, one of which was earned, and ended up on the losing end. It's now eight straight starts by Hamels in which he's given up two earned runs or less.
Tampa Bay pummeled the Newark Sugar Bears 10-3 behind Adrian Gonzalez's 4 RBI and 2 homers. Mark Buehrle held the Sugar Bears to 3 hits and one run in 7 innings. James Loney was 3-4 and Brian Roberts had 3 RBIs for the Plunkers.
Arkansas stunned the Endzone Animals yesterday with an 11-6 victory at the Eagle's Nest. Barry Bonds, Ryan Ludwick, and Adam Dunn each had 3 RBIs and at least one homer (Bonds had two).
Randy Wolf won his final start (7IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 6 K) for the Mighty Men, after getting repeatedly pounded in all his other starts. Unfortunately for Wolf, he still found a pink slip in his locker after the game. The Mighty Men activated starter Micah Owings from the disabled list and needed to make room. Wolf was last seen by the Mighty Men's headquarters throwing eggs with Brett Tomko driving the getaway car.
Tampa Bay pummeled the Newark Sugar Bears 10-3 behind Adrian Gonzalez's 4 RBI and 2 homers. Mark Buehrle held the Sugar Bears to 3 hits and one run in 7 innings. James Loney was 3-4 and Brian Roberts had 3 RBIs for the Plunkers.
Arkansas stunned the Endzone Animals yesterday with an 11-6 victory at the Eagle's Nest. Barry Bonds, Ryan Ludwick, and Adam Dunn each had 3 RBIs and at least one homer (Bonds had two).
Randy Wolf won his final start (7IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 6 K) for the Mighty Men, after getting repeatedly pounded in all his other starts. Unfortunately for Wolf, he still found a pink slip in his locker after the game. The Mighty Men activated starter Micah Owings from the disabled list and needed to make room. Wolf was last seen by the Mighty Men's headquarters throwing eggs with Brett Tomko driving the getaway car.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Division leads shrink as top cats fall
Hoboken stunned the Rat Pack yesterday 5-1 behind Matt Garza's 7 inning effort. Aaron Rowand was 3-5 and Hunter Pence had 2 RBIs to help the Cutters pull off the upset. The Rat Pack saw their lead drop to 1/2 a game as the Sugar Bears bested Tampa Bay 7-1. Jack Cust had a homer and 3 RBIs and James Shields pitched 8 innings for the W. The loss knocks the Plunkers back down to .500.
Meanwhile, Vancouver's lead in the Morris Division shrank to 1 1/2 games as the Fist dropped a 5-3 decision to the Sardine City Straphangers. Fausto Carmona pitched a complete game and improved to 5-3 on the season. Kurt Suzuki hit two homers in the win. The Sardines have now won 9 of their last 12. The slumping Endzone Animals were able to capitalize on the loss by taking a 6-3 win over the Falcons. Yovani Gallardo won his 8th of the season by holding the Falcons to 3 hits and 3 runs over 6 innings. Albert Pujols was 3-4 with 3 RBIs in the contest.
Meanwhile, Vancouver's lead in the Morris Division shrank to 1 1/2 games as the Fist dropped a 5-3 decision to the Sardine City Straphangers. Fausto Carmona pitched a complete game and improved to 5-3 on the season. Kurt Suzuki hit two homers in the win. The Sardines have now won 9 of their last 12. The slumping Endzone Animals were able to capitalize on the loss by taking a 6-3 win over the Falcons. Yovani Gallardo won his 8th of the season by holding the Falcons to 3 hits and 3 runs over 6 innings. Albert Pujols was 3-4 with 3 RBIs in the contest.
Monday, May 19, 2008
D.C. stuns Philly at home to move into second
D.C. scored a big upset over the weekend, taking two of three against the Endzone Animals. Shawn Hill pitched 7.2 shutout innings and struck out 11 to help the Slappers win game one 5-0. Philly evened it up (and then some) with a 14-0 drubbing in game two. Brandon Webb pitched a 6-hit complete game and Mark Teixeira hit 2 homers and drove in 5 runs to lead the Animals. Game three was a close match. With a 6-5 lead going into the seventh, D.C. rallied for three runs to take the lead for good. Ryan Zimmerman had two triples and scored three runs to lead the Slapper offense. D.C. ends the series in a tie for second place with Philadelphia, 2 1/2 games behind Vancouver.
As hot as D.C. is, that's how cold Hillsborough has become. The Hitmen broke their five-game losing streak with a 10-9 win over first-place Vancouver. Ryan Howard was 2-4 with 4 RBIs and five other Hitmen had three hits each in the game. The Hitmen now sit in fourth, one game under .500 (29-30).
Tampa Bay is back on the radar after taking two of three from Sardine City. Tampa Bay is now one game over .500 and in sixth overall. Tampa was down 3-0 entering the ninth inning, but a pair of walks left reliever C.J. Wilson with a bases loaded jam. Casey Blake, pinch hitting for Kenny Lofton, hit a grand slam to give the Plunkers the 4-3 win. Lee Gardner retired the side in order for his 10th save.
As hot as D.C. is, that's how cold Hillsborough has become. The Hitmen broke their five-game losing streak with a 10-9 win over first-place Vancouver. Ryan Howard was 2-4 with 4 RBIs and five other Hitmen had three hits each in the game. The Hitmen now sit in fourth, one game under .500 (29-30).
Tampa Bay is back on the radar after taking two of three from Sardine City. Tampa Bay is now one game over .500 and in sixth overall. Tampa was down 3-0 entering the ninth inning, but a pair of walks left reliever C.J. Wilson with a bases loaded jam. Casey Blake, pinch hitting for Kenny Lofton, hit a grand slam to give the Plunkers the 4-3 win. Lee Gardner retired the side in order for his 10th save.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Vancouver earns tough win against Sugar Bears
The 2008 All-Star Ballot has just been posted. The All-Star Game is about a month away, but feel free to vote early or wait a few more weeks...
Vancouver pulled off a huge win against Newark at the Cereal Bowl. The loss is only the second loss on the season at home for the Sugar Bears. The game was a ping pong match of high scoring. Newark started it off with a 3-run second inning. Vancouver got the lead back in the fifth, scoring four runs to take a 5-3 lead, highlighted by a David Ortiz two-run bomb. Nick Swisher and Jack Cust hit back to back home runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead, 6-5. But Vancouver scored two runs in each of the next two innings to claim a 9-6 lead, then extended it to 12-6 with a 3-run eighth. But Newark wasn't done. Nick Swisher hit his second home run of the night, a three-run shot to bring the Sugar Bears to within three. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit yet another two-run dinger in the ninth to bring Newark to within one, but Mike Fontenot hit a towering pop up that catcher Victor Martinez hauled in for the final out.
Sardine City kept their hot streak alive with a 5-2 win over Hillsborough. Kurt Suzuki hit a key two-run single in the eighth that broke the game wide open for the Straphangers. Fausto Carmona pitched a brilliant 6.1 innings, allowing only one earned run on three hits, but did not factor into the decision. The Sardines have now won six of their last seven games.
Mike Redmond extended his hitting streak to 16 in Carolina's 10-9 loss to New Jersey. Redmond was 2-4 and is now one game shy of B.J. Upton for the season's longest streak. New Jersey's Garrett Anderson was 3-5 with three runs scored. Anderson has been filling in for the injured Alfonso Soriano and Melky Cabrera and doing an admirable job there. Anderson is hitting .326 with a .775 OPS in 11 games so far. Soriano is expected to return Sunday, though Anderson may continue to replace Cabrera in the lineup.
Kelvim Escobar tallied 13 strikeouts against his former team and outduelled Matt Garza to pick up a 2-1 win for the Bushslappers in Hoboken. Adrian Beltre doubled in the winning run in the seventh to give D.C. their third straight win.
Jason Hirsh pitched a solid game in place of the injured Orlando Hernandez against Blue Ridge yesterday. Hirsh did not get the win as the Rat Pack waited until the eighth inning to rally, but the effort boosted manager Eric Wickstrom's confidence in the youngster.
Vancouver pulled off a huge win against Newark at the Cereal Bowl. The loss is only the second loss on the season at home for the Sugar Bears. The game was a ping pong match of high scoring. Newark started it off with a 3-run second inning. Vancouver got the lead back in the fifth, scoring four runs to take a 5-3 lead, highlighted by a David Ortiz two-run bomb. Nick Swisher and Jack Cust hit back to back home runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead, 6-5. But Vancouver scored two runs in each of the next two innings to claim a 9-6 lead, then extended it to 12-6 with a 3-run eighth. But Newark wasn't done. Nick Swisher hit his second home run of the night, a three-run shot to bring the Sugar Bears to within three. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit yet another two-run dinger in the ninth to bring Newark to within one, but Mike Fontenot hit a towering pop up that catcher Victor Martinez hauled in for the final out.
Sardine City kept their hot streak alive with a 5-2 win over Hillsborough. Kurt Suzuki hit a key two-run single in the eighth that broke the game wide open for the Straphangers. Fausto Carmona pitched a brilliant 6.1 innings, allowing only one earned run on three hits, but did not factor into the decision. The Sardines have now won six of their last seven games.
Mike Redmond extended his hitting streak to 16 in Carolina's 10-9 loss to New Jersey. Redmond was 2-4 and is now one game shy of B.J. Upton for the season's longest streak. New Jersey's Garrett Anderson was 3-5 with three runs scored. Anderson has been filling in for the injured Alfonso Soriano and Melky Cabrera and doing an admirable job there. Anderson is hitting .326 with a .775 OPS in 11 games so far. Soriano is expected to return Sunday, though Anderson may continue to replace Cabrera in the lineup.
Kelvim Escobar tallied 13 strikeouts against his former team and outduelled Matt Garza to pick up a 2-1 win for the Bushslappers in Hoboken. Adrian Beltre doubled in the winning run in the seventh to give D.C. their third straight win.
Jason Hirsh pitched a solid game in place of the injured Orlando Hernandez against Blue Ridge yesterday. Hirsh did not get the win as the Rat Pack waited until the eighth inning to rally, but the effort boosted manager Eric Wickstrom's confidence in the youngster.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Newark improves on ludicrous home record
Newark extended their lopsided home record by edging the Iron Fist yesterday 6-5. Vancouver threw lefthander Rich Hill against the powerful Sugar Bear lineup, and although he limited them to 2 hits, Hill surrendered 6 walks in only 3.2 innings, and ended up saddled with the loss. Newark is now 25-1 at home.
Shawn Marcum pitched a 4-hit shutout yesterday against the Hoboken Cutters. Marcum struck out 8 and improved to 2-4 on the season.
Wild guess who has the longest current hitting streak in the DMBL right now? Upton? nope...Cabrera? one more guess... Ichiro? Forget it, it's Carolina's Mike Redmond. Redmond extended his streak to 15 games with a 1-3 effort in a 6-2 loss to Team Buddah yesterday. He's now two games shy of B.J. Upton's season-long 17 game streak.
One of the hottest teams in the league is Sardine City. After yesterday's 6-3 win over Hillsborough, the Straphangers have brought their record up to .400. Yeah they have a ways to go, but with Phil Hughes rejoining the rotation and an upbeat morale in the clubhouse, maybe the Sardines can close that 6-game gap behind the final playoff spot. Still got lots of season to go...
Shawn Marcum pitched a 4-hit shutout yesterday against the Hoboken Cutters. Marcum struck out 8 and improved to 2-4 on the season.
Wild guess who has the longest current hitting streak in the DMBL right now? Upton? nope...Cabrera? one more guess... Ichiro? Forget it, it's Carolina's Mike Redmond. Redmond extended his streak to 15 games with a 1-3 effort in a 6-2 loss to Team Buddah yesterday. He's now two games shy of B.J. Upton's season-long 17 game streak.
One of the hottest teams in the league is Sardine City. After yesterday's 6-3 win over Hillsborough, the Straphangers have brought their record up to .400. Yeah they have a ways to go, but with Phil Hughes rejoining the rotation and an upbeat morale in the clubhouse, maybe the Sardines can close that 6-game gap behind the final playoff spot. Still got lots of season to go...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Vegas wins "Close Sweep"
Las Vegas hosted Philadelphia the past three days and swept the former Morris Division leaders. All three games were decided by one run. Can you get any closer than that without winning? Alas, none of the games went to extra innings, but you get the point. The Animals actually rallied in the eighth to come up one run short in the final game. A.J. Burnett improved to 7-0 with a 6.2 inning, 10 strikeout effort.
Amazingly enough five of yesterday's seven games were decided by one run. Dice-K and the Sardine City Straphangers took a narrow 2-1 decision from the Falcons. Javier Vazquez let up four unearned runs, but escaped with a 5-4 win over the Hillsborough Hired Hitmen. Vlad Guerrero (3-5) led Blue Ridge to a 6-5 win over their first year counterpart Tampa Bay. Finally David Ortiz (3-5, 3 RBI) led Vancouver to an 8-7 win over New Jersey. The win gave the Fist sole control of first place in the Morris Division for the first time since Opening Week.
D.C. sent Marietta fill-in Boof Bonser packing to AAA after erupting for an 11-run third inning in yesterday's 14-4 pounding. Bonser was responsible for 7 of the runs and saw his ERA erupt to 8.16. "After learning that he was destined to go to AAA no matter what happened" said team owner David Landsman, "Boof just didn't have his heart in it for this game." The Mighty Men activated John Danks to take his spot next time around.
Amazingly enough five of yesterday's seven games were decided by one run. Dice-K and the Sardine City Straphangers took a narrow 2-1 decision from the Falcons. Javier Vazquez let up four unearned runs, but escaped with a 5-4 win over the Hillsborough Hired Hitmen. Vlad Guerrero (3-5) led Blue Ridge to a 6-5 win over their first year counterpart Tampa Bay. Finally David Ortiz (3-5, 3 RBI) led Vancouver to an 8-7 win over New Jersey. The win gave the Fist sole control of first place in the Morris Division for the first time since Opening Week.
D.C. sent Marietta fill-in Boof Bonser packing to AAA after erupting for an 11-run third inning in yesterday's 14-4 pounding. Bonser was responsible for 7 of the runs and saw his ERA erupt to 8.16. "After learning that he was destined to go to AAA no matter what happened" said team owner David Landsman, "Boof just didn't have his heart in it for this game." The Mighty Men activated John Danks to take his spot next time around.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Big losses for Hitmen, Rats
Philadelphia and Vancouver are now in a virtual tie for first place in the Morris Division, with Philly only percentage points ahead of the Fist. Vancouver's first-round pick Zack Greinke pitched a 3-hit complete game shutout of New Jersey to improve to 5-0 on the season. Meanwhile Philly dropped an 8-7 loss to Las Vegas (yes another one-run game for those of you keeping track at home). Philly was leading by one with two outs in the ninth, but they must have forgotten about the supernatural powers of the Rat Pack. Closer J.J. Putz walked Jim Thome and then promptly gave up the game-winning homer to Joe Mauer.
Hillsborough battled Newark for 13 innings, but ended up pulling out a 4-3 win. The Sugar Bears tied the game up at 3 in the top of the ninth on a 2-run Matt Stairs homer. Nick Markakis won the game in the 13th with a bases-loaded single. Although Hillsborough managed to win the game, they lost the services of their young pitcher Felix Hernandez for a month. After watching the movie Iron Man, Felix had tried to build himself a suit that would help him pitch, but the boot jets sent him flying into a nearby wall. He will not recover nearly as quickly as the movie had led him to believe...
Also lost for a month is Las Vegas' scrappy shortstop David Eckstein. The gutty sparkplug infielder was a replacement for starter Jeff Keppinger who went down with his own injury recently. The tough-as-nails Eckstein met his demise when he tried to carry the team on his back, going 3-3 with a home run. The pesky veteran took the phrase too literally after celebrating his night, and several of his teammates jumped on his back, crushing the gritty player's back. "He's so scrappy" said the Rats' team doctor "that sometimes he thinks he can do anything." It's still not clear how the Rats will replace this loss of scrappiness, but a look to the scrap heap might help.
Hillsborough battled Newark for 13 innings, but ended up pulling out a 4-3 win. The Sugar Bears tied the game up at 3 in the top of the ninth on a 2-run Matt Stairs homer. Nick Markakis won the game in the 13th with a bases-loaded single. Although Hillsborough managed to win the game, they lost the services of their young pitcher Felix Hernandez for a month. After watching the movie Iron Man, Felix had tried to build himself a suit that would help him pitch, but the boot jets sent him flying into a nearby wall. He will not recover nearly as quickly as the movie had led him to believe...
Also lost for a month is Las Vegas' scrappy shortstop David Eckstein. The gutty sparkplug infielder was a replacement for starter Jeff Keppinger who went down with his own injury recently. The tough-as-nails Eckstein met his demise when he tried to carry the team on his back, going 3-3 with a home run. The pesky veteran took the phrase too literally after celebrating his night, and several of his teammates jumped on his back, crushing the gritty player's back. "He's so scrappy" said the Rats' team doctor "that sometimes he thinks he can do anything." It's still not clear how the Rats will replace this loss of scrappiness, but a look to the scrap heap might help.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Post-Weekend State of the League
The Golden Falcons fell into last place in the Morris Division after a tough series with Newark over the weekend. The Falcons picked a bad time to get hit with various injuries, Alex Rodriguez, being the most notable absentee. After the sweep, the demoralized Falcons were shutout 8-0 by the Sardine City Straphangers. Cole Hamels finally got some run support and improved to 3-5 with 7.1 shutout innings. Hamels struck out 10. The Sardines have now won three in a row.
Some recent difficulty has left both division leaders hanging by a thread to their leads. The Rat Pack dropped two of three to the Bushslappers, including a one-run loss early Sunday, and is now clinging to a 1/2 game lead over the Sugar Bears. The Rats opened up a new series against the Morris-leading Endzone Animals by winning a close 4-3 (another one-run victory!) game. The Endzone Animals hold a one-game lead against the league's hottest team, the Vancouver Iron Fist, winners of 13 of their last 15 games.
Meanwhile the playoff picture begins to take shape as only six teams currently sport a winning record. The Tampa Bay Plunkers have been slumping lately and now trail sixth-place Hillsborough by a game and a half, while Carolina has fallen four games under .500 (3 games out of 6th). Hoboken, Blue Ridge, and Arkansas remain on the fringes of playoff consideration, but a hot streak could put either of these teams right back in the mix.
The Mighty Men have taken over the last place slot, while New Jersey and Sardine City keep it close to the bottom. The three teams have taken turns at the bottom.
Look for the All-Star Game ballot later this week. We'll be rolling out the Get Out the Vote buses in your neighborhood soon.
Some recent difficulty has left both division leaders hanging by a thread to their leads. The Rat Pack dropped two of three to the Bushslappers, including a one-run loss early Sunday, and is now clinging to a 1/2 game lead over the Sugar Bears. The Rats opened up a new series against the Morris-leading Endzone Animals by winning a close 4-3 (another one-run victory!) game. The Endzone Animals hold a one-game lead against the league's hottest team, the Vancouver Iron Fist, winners of 13 of their last 15 games.
Meanwhile the playoff picture begins to take shape as only six teams currently sport a winning record. The Tampa Bay Plunkers have been slumping lately and now trail sixth-place Hillsborough by a game and a half, while Carolina has fallen four games under .500 (3 games out of 6th). Hoboken, Blue Ridge, and Arkansas remain on the fringes of playoff consideration, but a hot streak could put either of these teams right back in the mix.
The Mighty Men have taken over the last place slot, while New Jersey and Sardine City keep it close to the bottom. The three teams have taken turns at the bottom.
Look for the All-Star Game ballot later this week. We'll be rolling out the Get Out the Vote buses in your neighborhood soon.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Ortiz helps Fist annihilate Mighty Men
Las Vegas took Carolina into extra innings and ended up pulling off another 1-run victory. The Mudcats rallied in the eighth to tie the game up at six. Randy Winn hit a two-run homer to even the score. Then in the top of the 13th, Joe Mauer his a solo home run to give the Rats the lead back. Francisco Rodriguez (last year's Eckersley Award winner) saved his first game of the season by striking out the side in the bottom half of the inning. The Rats are now an unbelievable 11-1 in one-run games.
Hoboken's Jeremy Guthrie pitched a complete game 4-hitter in the Cutters' 3-1 win over Hillsborough. His counterpart, Felix Hernandez fell to 0-6 on the season, despite a solid outing.
Dan Uggla's three-run homer and Aaron Harang's ace pitching suffocated the Sugar Bears and the Bombers went on to a 4-1 victory. Chien-Ming Wang has now lost three straight decisions and has only received 7 runs in support of his last three starts (5 of which came in one game).
Vancouver just finished a three-game sweep of Marietta that saw them score 33 runs to the Mighty Men's 10. Vancouver's David Ortiz is responsible for almost half of those runs, driving in 13 runs in the past two games (19 RBIs in total just against Marietta this year). Ortiz has had a great start to his season and now has a very comfortable lead in RBIs with 63 (Newark's Nick Swisher is second with 48). Ortiz also currently leads the league in batting average (.353), on base percentage (.481), slugging (.776), and doubles (21) and is tied for the league lead in home runs (17). Vancouver simply has the Mighty Men's number this year, going 7-0 so far and scoring a ridiculous 84 runs in those seven games (an average of 12 a game!).
Hoboken's Jeremy Guthrie pitched a complete game 4-hitter in the Cutters' 3-1 win over Hillsborough. His counterpart, Felix Hernandez fell to 0-6 on the season, despite a solid outing.
Dan Uggla's three-run homer and Aaron Harang's ace pitching suffocated the Sugar Bears and the Bombers went on to a 4-1 victory. Chien-Ming Wang has now lost three straight decisions and has only received 7 runs in support of his last three starts (5 of which came in one game).
Vancouver just finished a three-game sweep of Marietta that saw them score 33 runs to the Mighty Men's 10. Vancouver's David Ortiz is responsible for almost half of those runs, driving in 13 runs in the past two games (19 RBIs in total just against Marietta this year). Ortiz has had a great start to his season and now has a very comfortable lead in RBIs with 63 (Newark's Nick Swisher is second with 48). Ortiz also currently leads the league in batting average (.353), on base percentage (.481), slugging (.776), and doubles (21) and is tied for the league lead in home runs (17). Vancouver simply has the Mighty Men's number this year, going 7-0 so far and scoring a ridiculous 84 runs in those seven games (an average of 12 a game!).
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Arkansas, Carolina heat up
Arkansas once again unleashed their offensive might on Team Buddah. After pounding on them Tuesday 12-1, the Falcons scored another dozen in a 12-3 final. Adam Dunn, returning to the lineup after a weeklong injury, hit two homers and drove in four runs. Newcomers Ryan Ludwick (2-4) and Yorvit Torrealba (2-4, 3 RBI) also factored into the scoring. The Falcons scored early in the game, tallying 7 runs in the first inning.
Lefty Barry Zito has been struggling to get wins despite pitching fairly well this year, but that changed yesterday. Zito held the first-place Rat Pack to three hits in 7.2 innings, giving up only one run, to improve his record to 2-3. Travis Hafner started the scoring in the first inning with a 3-run dinger. The Cats have now won 4 of their last 5 and are only one game under .500.
D.C.'s John Maine outduelled Mark Buehrle in a 2-1 nailbiter against Tampa Bay. Maine held the Plunkers to one hit in 6.2 innings and struck out 8. The Bushslapper scored all their runs in the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Carlos Beltran and Paul Lo Duca.
Poor Cole Hamels had his fifth straight start in which he gave up 2 runs or less and yet his team could not provide enough run support. Hamels pitched six innings and struck out 10, giving up only two runs on four hits and four walks. But the Sardines could only muster three runs in support and ended up losing 4-3 after the Endzone Animals rallied to score two runs in the ninth. In his last three games, the Straphangers have scored seven runs combined for Hamels.
Randy Johnson's win over the Bombers yesterday put him in a tie with Pedro Martinez for second overall at 206. He's got a ways to go to catch all-time leader Greg Maddux at 221.
David Ortiz's 6 RBIs powered Vancouver to a 15-3 thrashing of Marietta. Chad Billingsley improved to 4-0 with a 6 inning, 3-hit performance, in which he surrendered 2 runs and struck out 6. Vancouver has now won 7 straight and nine of their last ten.
Lefty Barry Zito has been struggling to get wins despite pitching fairly well this year, but that changed yesterday. Zito held the first-place Rat Pack to three hits in 7.2 innings, giving up only one run, to improve his record to 2-3. Travis Hafner started the scoring in the first inning with a 3-run dinger. The Cats have now won 4 of their last 5 and are only one game under .500.
D.C.'s John Maine outduelled Mark Buehrle in a 2-1 nailbiter against Tampa Bay. Maine held the Plunkers to one hit in 6.2 innings and struck out 8. The Bushslapper scored all their runs in the first inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Carlos Beltran and Paul Lo Duca.
Poor Cole Hamels had his fifth straight start in which he gave up 2 runs or less and yet his team could not provide enough run support. Hamels pitched six innings and struck out 10, giving up only two runs on four hits and four walks. But the Sardines could only muster three runs in support and ended up losing 4-3 after the Endzone Animals rallied to score two runs in the ninth. In his last three games, the Straphangers have scored seven runs combined for Hamels.
Randy Johnson's win over the Bombers yesterday put him in a tie with Pedro Martinez for second overall at 206. He's got a ways to go to catch all-time leader Greg Maddux at 221.
David Ortiz's 6 RBIs powered Vancouver to a 15-3 thrashing of Marietta. Chad Billingsley improved to 4-0 with a 6 inning, 3-hit performance, in which he surrendered 2 runs and struck out 6. Vancouver has now won 7 straight and nine of their last ten.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Pack win ends slide
Well the Rat Pack finally ended their losing streak, winning in true Vegas fashion with a 7-6 trimming of the Mudcats. It was the Rats 10th win by a one-run margin (they are now a league best 10-1). The Pack was actually losing 5-4 going into the ninth, but Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer to give the Rats the lead. The Cats narrowed the lead with a Grady Sizemore solo shot, but that was all.
Arkansas' Curt Schilling pitched a 3-hit shutout of Team Buddah yesterday to improve to 4-3 on the season. Schilling's shutout snapped a tie with Brad Radke (17) for all-time shutouts and is now alone in the fourth overall spot.
The Sardine City Straphangers upset the Endzone Animals yesterday 9-7. Mike Jacobs, subbing in for the injured Kevin Youkilis, was 4-6 and Ryan Braun had 3 RBIs to lead the Sardine offense. B.J. Upton also had 2 doubles and 2 stolen bases, while hitting 3-5 on the night.
Vancouver extended their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 win over Marietta. Jake Peavy (8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3K) became the league's first 7-game winner.
Jason Isringhausen made his 500th DMBL appearance yesterday, saving a 3-2 Cutter win over Hillsborough. The save puts Izzy one behind Trevor Hoffman for fourth all-time.
Arkansas' Curt Schilling pitched a 3-hit shutout of Team Buddah yesterday to improve to 4-3 on the season. Schilling's shutout snapped a tie with Brad Radke (17) for all-time shutouts and is now alone in the fourth overall spot.
The Sardine City Straphangers upset the Endzone Animals yesterday 9-7. Mike Jacobs, subbing in for the injured Kevin Youkilis, was 4-6 and Ryan Braun had 3 RBIs to lead the Sardine offense. B.J. Upton also had 2 doubles and 2 stolen bases, while hitting 3-5 on the night.
Vancouver extended their winning streak to six games with a 4-2 win over Marietta. Jake Peavy (8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3K) became the league's first 7-game winner.
Jason Isringhausen made his 500th DMBL appearance yesterday, saving a 3-2 Cutter win over Hillsborough. The save puts Izzy one behind Trevor Hoffman for fourth all-time.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Vegas reeling after 12-3 rout
Las Vegas dropped their sixth straight yesterday - a 12-3 shellacking by Vancouver. Greg Maddux moved into a first-place tie with Tom Glavine for most career starts. Maddux, who has had a bit of a rejuvenation this year, won his 5th game and lowered his ERA to 3.46 after a six-inning, one-run effort. David Ortiz was 3-3 with 3 doubles and Chase Utley drove in 3 runs to power the Fist's offense.
Doug Davis, spot starting for the injured Adam Wainwright, held New Jersey to two hits and one unearned run over six innings yesterday. It was Davis' first win in two starts this year. Prince Fielder had two homers and 5 RBIs and Garrett Atkins also had two homers and drove in 4.
D.C. and Sardine City battled for 14 innings before D.C. pulled out with a 6-2 win. D.C. led the game 2-1 early on, but the Sardines tied it up in the eighth. Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Nathan shut down the Straphangers for the next five innings and Akinori Otsuka and Matt Capps did their best to keep up from the other side. But in the 14th, things quickly got out of hand for the Straphangers. Edgar Gonzalez gave up a leadoff single and then walked the next two batters. C.J. Wilson then came into the game and gave up a grand slam to Jeff Kent.
Marietta's Daniel Cabrera (8 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K) outduelled Hillsborough's C.C. Sabathia (CG, 7 H, 1 ER, BB, 7 K) to give the Mighty Men a 2-1 victory. Derek Jeter's RBI double in the seventh gave the Mighty Men the lead and Mariano Rivera shut down the Hitmen for his 7th save. The loss drops the Hitmen into a fifth place (overall) tie with D.C.
Doug Davis, spot starting for the injured Adam Wainwright, held New Jersey to two hits and one unearned run over six innings yesterday. It was Davis' first win in two starts this year. Prince Fielder had two homers and 5 RBIs and Garrett Atkins also had two homers and drove in 4.
D.C. and Sardine City battled for 14 innings before D.C. pulled out with a 6-2 win. D.C. led the game 2-1 early on, but the Sardines tied it up in the eighth. Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Nathan shut down the Straphangers for the next five innings and Akinori Otsuka and Matt Capps did their best to keep up from the other side. But in the 14th, things quickly got out of hand for the Straphangers. Edgar Gonzalez gave up a leadoff single and then walked the next two batters. C.J. Wilson then came into the game and gave up a grand slam to Jeff Kent.
Marietta's Daniel Cabrera (8 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 9 K) outduelled Hillsborough's C.C. Sabathia (CG, 7 H, 1 ER, BB, 7 K) to give the Mighty Men a 2-1 victory. Derek Jeter's RBI double in the seventh gave the Mighty Men the lead and Mariano Rivera shut down the Hitmen for his 7th save. The loss drops the Hitmen into a fifth place (overall) tie with D.C.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Bonds breaks decade-old mark
Lots of interesting things happened over the weekend.
Arkansas' Barry Bonds had a big day in Friday's 18-3 drubbing of Marietta. Bonds was 4-5 with 3 runs and 3 home runs, and - ready for this? - a new DMBL record 11 RBIs! Yeah, remember when Adam Dunn tied that record earlier this year? Well too bad, Adam, try again. The master broke the record that was held by three men, only one of which did it in the DMB Era. Rick Wilkins of Cheyenne was the first to set the record way back in 1994. The record was tied two years later by Jerusalem's Mickey Tettleton. No one else could approach the record until this year when Dunn did it in April and now when Bonds broke the mark. Bonds is already the all-time leader in career RBIs with 1967. It's looking likely that Bonds will become the first to reach the 2000 mark.
Philadelphia put the smackdown on Newark in game one of their series yesterday. It marked the first loss for the Sugar Bears at home in 20 tries. Lefthander Johan Santana pitched a brilliant six innings, holding the Crunch with Punch to two runs on eight hits and striking out 10. Jimmy Rollins hit two homers and a triple, and drove in five runs to lead the Philly offense. Newark got their revenge in game two with a 9-0 blanking. Javier Vazquez pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 9 to earn the win.
Las Vegas is in the middle of their longest losing streak of the season - now at five games - after dropping two to Vancouver yesterday. Game two saw the Rats lose a close 4-3 game in extra innings - the first one-run game that the Rats lost all season in 10 tries. Curtis Granderson hit a 2-run single in the top of the 11th to give the Fist a 2-run lead. The Rats, perhaps not realizing their obscure record was on the line, tried to rally in the bottom of the inning, but left the bases loaded. More on the Rats interesting record and other teams' first quarter reports can be found in today's Number Crunch article.
Arkansas' Barry Bonds had a big day in Friday's 18-3 drubbing of Marietta. Bonds was 4-5 with 3 runs and 3 home runs, and - ready for this? - a new DMBL record 11 RBIs! Yeah, remember when Adam Dunn tied that record earlier this year? Well too bad, Adam, try again. The master broke the record that was held by three men, only one of which did it in the DMB Era. Rick Wilkins of Cheyenne was the first to set the record way back in 1994. The record was tied two years later by Jerusalem's Mickey Tettleton. No one else could approach the record until this year when Dunn did it in April and now when Bonds broke the mark. Bonds is already the all-time leader in career RBIs with 1967. It's looking likely that Bonds will become the first to reach the 2000 mark.
Philadelphia put the smackdown on Newark in game one of their series yesterday. It marked the first loss for the Sugar Bears at home in 20 tries. Lefthander Johan Santana pitched a brilliant six innings, holding the Crunch with Punch to two runs on eight hits and striking out 10. Jimmy Rollins hit two homers and a triple, and drove in five runs to lead the Philly offense. Newark got their revenge in game two with a 9-0 blanking. Javier Vazquez pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 9 to earn the win.
Las Vegas is in the middle of their longest losing streak of the season - now at five games - after dropping two to Vancouver yesterday. Game two saw the Rats lose a close 4-3 game in extra innings - the first one-run game that the Rats lost all season in 10 tries. Curtis Granderson hit a 2-run single in the top of the 11th to give the Fist a 2-run lead. The Rats, perhaps not realizing their obscure record was on the line, tried to rally in the bottom of the inning, but left the bases loaded. More on the Rats interesting record and other teams' first quarter reports can be found in today's Number Crunch article.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Braun powers Sardines to third straight
Today is Double Header Day! There will be no games tomorrow, then we have another Double Header on Sunday.
Ryan Braun just missed the cycle yesterday, ending up a double short in a 6-3, extra inning game. Braun hit a bases-loaded triple in the tenth to give the Straphangers the lead and eventually their third straight win.
Newark and D.C. also took their match to extra innings. D.C. tied the game up at six in the bottom of the eighth. Both bullpens battled it out for the next four innings. D.C.'s Jonathan Papelbon had held the Sugar Bears hitless through 3+ innings, but in the 13th, Marco Scutaro, of all people, crushed one to give Newark the lead. Joaquin Benoit closed out the bottom of the inning to preserve the win.
Hillsborough continues their domination over the Rat Pack with a 3-0 blanking. C.C. Sabathia went the distance, giving up eight hits and one walk for his fourth win of the year. Since starting out his first three games with a 14.54 ERA, Sabathia has righted the ship (3-2, 2.83 ERA, 29 K in 35 IP). Brad Hawpe provided all the offense in the game with a 3-run blast in the sixth.
Blog Bits
Andy Pettitte won his 108th career game, snapping a tie with Kevin Appier and moving within one victory of David Cone at No. 10 all-time. He's also one start away (it will be his 300th) from Appier for 12th all-time.
Greg Maddux's next start will match Tom Glavine's record of 455 games started.
With his HR Thursday night, Chipper Jones finished the day at 351 HRs, tied with Gary Sheffield and Vlad Guerrero for 12th on the all-time HR list.
Ryan Braun just missed the cycle yesterday, ending up a double short in a 6-3, extra inning game. Braun hit a bases-loaded triple in the tenth to give the Straphangers the lead and eventually their third straight win.
Newark and D.C. also took their match to extra innings. D.C. tied the game up at six in the bottom of the eighth. Both bullpens battled it out for the next four innings. D.C.'s Jonathan Papelbon had held the Sugar Bears hitless through 3+ innings, but in the 13th, Marco Scutaro, of all people, crushed one to give Newark the lead. Joaquin Benoit closed out the bottom of the inning to preserve the win.
Hillsborough continues their domination over the Rat Pack with a 3-0 blanking. C.C. Sabathia went the distance, giving up eight hits and one walk for his fourth win of the year. Since starting out his first three games with a 14.54 ERA, Sabathia has righted the ship (3-2, 2.83 ERA, 29 K in 35 IP). Brad Hawpe provided all the offense in the game with a 3-run blast in the sixth.
Blog Bits
Andy Pettitte won his 108th career game, snapping a tie with Kevin Appier and moving within one victory of David Cone at No. 10 all-time. He's also one start away (it will be his 300th) from Appier for 12th all-time.
Greg Maddux's next start will match Tom Glavine's record of 455 games started.
With his HR Thursday night, Chipper Jones finished the day at 351 HRs, tied with Gary Sheffield and Vlad Guerrero for 12th on the all-time HR list.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Burnett no-hits Sugar Bears
You read that right. The mighty Sugar Bears offense, which set all sorts of crazy records last year, were no-hit by Las Vegas' A.J. Burnett. Burnett gave up his first baserunner of the game right in the first inning, walking Jack Cust with two outs, but quickly retired the next four batters. In the third, Jarrod Saltalamacchia drew a leadoff walk but was left stranded at third base - and that's as close as the Sugar Bears got to scoring. Burnett would go on to strike out 11 Sugar Bears. It was the first no-hitter in the DMBL since July of 2004 when Curt Schilling combined with three Falcon relievers to no-hit the Westwood Deductions and the first solo no-hitter since John Lackey of Phoenix shut down the Hillsborough Destroyers in 2003. Carlos Pena provided the offense for the Rats, going 3-3 with a home run and 4 RBIs. Newark now stands at 19-0 at home, but a paltry 6-12 on the road.
Vancouver's Ben Sheets won his first game of the year by shutting down the Blue Ridge Bombers. Sheets held them to one run on five hits in eight innings, while striking out 10.
Hillsborough rallied from a 4-1 deficit to upend the Endzone Animals. The Hitmen scored a couple of runs in the seventh to come within one then tied the game in the next inning with a Carlos Lee single that scored Mike Cameron. Howie Kendrick then tripled in the next at bat, scoring Lee. Russell Martin brought Kendrick home with a sharp single over Aaron Hill's head. Takashi Saito pitched a perfect ninth for his 8th save.
Roy Halladay won his 99th career DMBL game with a solid eight inning outing yesterday against the Falcons. Chuck James held the Mudcats to only 2 hits, but an Orlando Cabrera error led to 2 unearned runs and saddled James with a no-decision. The Mudcats took the lead when Troy Tulowitzki laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in the eighth that scored Johnny Estrada. Tulo had three RBIs on the night.
Vancouver's Ben Sheets won his first game of the year by shutting down the Blue Ridge Bombers. Sheets held them to one run on five hits in eight innings, while striking out 10.
Hillsborough rallied from a 4-1 deficit to upend the Endzone Animals. The Hitmen scored a couple of runs in the seventh to come within one then tied the game in the next inning with a Carlos Lee single that scored Mike Cameron. Howie Kendrick then tripled in the next at bat, scoring Lee. Russell Martin brought Kendrick home with a sharp single over Aaron Hill's head. Takashi Saito pitched a perfect ninth for his 8th save.
Roy Halladay won his 99th career DMBL game with a solid eight inning outing yesterday against the Falcons. Chuck James held the Mudcats to only 2 hits, but an Orlando Cabrera error led to 2 unearned runs and saddled James with a no-decision. The Mudcats took the lead when Troy Tulowitzki laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in the eighth that scored Johnny Estrada. Tulo had three RBIs on the night.
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