Hoboken's Travis Buck came up a homer shy of hitting for the cycle in the Cutters' 7-5 win over Carolina. Buck hit the triple in the first inning, but grounded out and flied out in the next two at bats, before deciding to make things interesting. The Cutters staged a nice comeback, scoring 6 runs in the final three innings to rebound from a 5-1 deficit. The Cats lost their 5th straight as the Cutters leapfrogged them to move into 10th place overall.
Meanwhile, Vancouver pounded the snot out of Team Buddah, 19-2. Moises Alou was 2-3 with 5 RBIs, and Maicer Izturis(!) was 4-6 with 4 RBIs. The game was a reasonable 6-1 until the Fist exploded for 13 runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Zack Greinke (14-1) was extremely thankful for the run support.
Philadelphia won a tight 6-5 victory over Las Vegas. A 6-run 4th inning put the Animals in charge for the rest of the game. In fact, all 6 runs in that inning scored off home runs, two solo shots and two 2-run homers. It was a rare one-run loss for the Rat Pack, who is 24-7 on the season in one-run games.
Tampa Bay pulled to within a 1/2 game of idle Hillsborough with their 6th straight win. Pat Burrell and Jack Wilson were both 2-4 with 2 RBIs each to lead the Plunkers to a 9-7 win over the Bombers. Lee Gardner picked up his league-leading 24th save.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Hillsborough loses ground on shaky playoff spot
Philadelphia broke their recent hex and came out on top of Las Vegas yesterday with a 12-10 win. The Animals jumped out to an early 7-2 lead but the Rat Pack came back and led 10-7 by the end of the 6th. Albert Pujols tied up the game at 10 in the 8th inning with a 2-run homer, then Jorge Posada hit a 2-run homer in the following inning to give the Animals the win. The Animals desparately needed the win after dropping into double-digit games behind Morris Division-leading Vancouver.
Newark extended their winning streak to 11 games after a 5-3 defeat of the Hitmen. The Hitmen made a noble effort to come back in the later stages of the game, but fell short. Jack Cust hit his 40th homer of the season for Newark and Chien Ming Wang improved to 12-5 on the season. Hillsborough lost ground in the playoff race as both Sardine City and Tampa Bay won their respective games. The Plunkers are now only one game behind Hillsborough, while Sardine City trails by 3 games.
Arkansas and Carolina keep falling deeper and deeper into irrelevance, as far as the playoff race is concerned. The Falcons dropped their 6th straight game, a 5-3 loss to the aforementioned Straphangers. Meanwhile Carolina lost to the Cutters 5-3 making it 4 in a row for the Mudcats.
Two DL moves were made yesterday. Las Vegas once again turns to Jason Hirsh to patch up their rotation. Tim Lincecum, who replaced injured Erik Bedard in the rotation, was placed on the DL to make room. Hirsh was 0-2 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 4 starts during his last tour of duty with the team. Meanwhile, Sardine City picked up journeyman catcher Yorvit Torrealba to fill in while Miguel Olivo recuperates. Torrealba had previously played for Arkansas where he briefly replaced Olivo as well.
Newark extended their winning streak to 11 games after a 5-3 defeat of the Hitmen. The Hitmen made a noble effort to come back in the later stages of the game, but fell short. Jack Cust hit his 40th homer of the season for Newark and Chien Ming Wang improved to 12-5 on the season. Hillsborough lost ground in the playoff race as both Sardine City and Tampa Bay won their respective games. The Plunkers are now only one game behind Hillsborough, while Sardine City trails by 3 games.
Arkansas and Carolina keep falling deeper and deeper into irrelevance, as far as the playoff race is concerned. The Falcons dropped their 6th straight game, a 5-3 loss to the aforementioned Straphangers. Meanwhile Carolina lost to the Cutters 5-3 making it 4 in a row for the Mudcats.
Two DL moves were made yesterday. Las Vegas once again turns to Jason Hirsh to patch up their rotation. Tim Lincecum, who replaced injured Erik Bedard in the rotation, was placed on the DL to make room. Hirsh was 0-2 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in 4 starts during his last tour of duty with the team. Meanwhile, Sardine City picked up journeyman catcher Yorvit Torrealba to fill in while Miguel Olivo recuperates. Torrealba had previously played for Arkansas where he briefly replaced Olivo as well.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Plunkers make their move
The Plunkers have been making a playoff push lately, winning four in a row and 7 of their last 9. Yesterday they defeated Blue Ridge 7-2, gaining a game on Hillsborough to close the gap to 2 games. Torii Hunter was 4-4 with 3 RBIs and Brian Roberts was 4-5 with a triple. Roy Oswalt held the Bombers to one run on 6 hits in 8 innings and struck out 7. The Plunkers totalled 18 hits in the match.
Meanwhile Philadelphia has officially sounded the alarms after dropping their fourth straight and 9th of 10. The Animals now sit 12 1/2 games behind first-place Vancouver - their dreams of defending their division title seemingly destroyed. Yesterday they dropped a 13-2 decision to the Las Vegas Rat Pack. The Rats are going the other direction, but despite a stretch in which they have gone 13-4 have actually lost ground to first-place Newark. That's because the Sugar Bears have run off 10 straight wins.
Marietta seems to have forgotten that they're a last place team. After winning an 8-6 contest against D.C. yesterday, the Mighty Men have now won 3 straight and are in mild danger of losing the cellar to New Jersey. "I am going to start fining my players for good play if this keeps up" says team owner David Landsman, who is hoping for a top draft position in 2009.
Meanwhile Philadelphia has officially sounded the alarms after dropping their fourth straight and 9th of 10. The Animals now sit 12 1/2 games behind first-place Vancouver - their dreams of defending their division title seemingly destroyed. Yesterday they dropped a 13-2 decision to the Las Vegas Rat Pack. The Rats are going the other direction, but despite a stretch in which they have gone 13-4 have actually lost ground to first-place Newark. That's because the Sugar Bears have run off 10 straight wins.
Marietta seems to have forgotten that they're a last place team. After winning an 8-6 contest against D.C. yesterday, the Mighty Men have now won 3 straight and are in mild danger of losing the cellar to New Jersey. "I am going to start fining my players for good play if this keeps up" says team owner David Landsman, who is hoping for a top draft position in 2009.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Banny Log - 7/27
Start No. 23: Vs. Arkansas Golden Falcons
Innings: 7
Hits: 7
Earned runs allowed: 3.
Strikeouts: 3
Walks: 2
Homers: 3
Extra base hits: 3.
Decision: W (8-5)
Number of pitches: 99
Number of strikes: 68
BABIP: .267 (4 for 15)
***
So, a new change of scenery seems to have done Banny some good. After being hassled by Carolina pitching coach Sid Fernandez to "just pitch", Newark's counterpart Mike Grace seems to have taken a more laissez-faire approach to Banny. And the results were positive so far. With Unit and James Shields on the shelf, Banny will have at least one or two more chances with the Sugar Bears. Banny told me on the phone last night that he was tinkering less with his pitches and just let his fielders do the work for him.
Banny was cruising along, shutting out the mighty Falcons for five innings before giving up the first of the three solo homers he would eventually surrender. But it was no problem, Newark had already scored 12 runs* giving Banny a nice comfortable lead before there were any signs of a problem.
*Newark really laid a beatdown on the Falcons in this series. In game one, the score was 13-4, followed up by a 14-5 pounding in the second game. The third game was the worst of them all - a 16-3 final. The Falcons bullpen has been declared a National Disaster Area* after this weekend's debacle.
* The Falcons had to use 8 relievers in yesterday's first game, and 7 in game two. They used 7 in game one on Saturday. It got so bad that starters Curt Schilling, Ian Snell, and Andy Sonnanstine* had to be called into action.
* Sorry, last Pozterisk for now. Andy Sonnanstine was drafted by the Falcons as a starter and he projects in the rotation, but the Falcons can't send him to the minors and they don't dare start him in their rotation, so for the most part, he's been sitting on the bench watching the team play, maybe reading a certain book about the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. But the Falcons pitching staff has been quite a disaster, and the "starter" has been called into 13 games in a relief role so far this season, including twice this weekend. The results haven't been all that great, but Andy has won 2 games (and lost twice), and picked up some valuable DMBL experience.
Banny's next scheduled start is Friday at Vancouver against Ben McDonald candidate Jake Peavy*. It'd be interesting to see if he can find success against a tougher matchup - Vancouver is the second best offense in the league.
*It would have been more fun to watch Javier Vazquez take on Jake Peavy, since both are at the top of the wins column and Vazquez doesn't ever seem to lose (18-1). Call it the case of an irresistable force vs. an irresistable force. If only...
If this makes no sense to you, I refer you to http://joeposnanski.com/JoeBlog/
Friday, July 25, 2008
D.C. plunks Tampa, Sardines make up ground
The Mighty Men made it two straight against Vancouver, as Gil Meche, the former prized prospect of the Fist, pitched a gem (6.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 4 K) against his former team. Vancouver has now dropped 4 out of their last 5 against the bottom two teams. "We're just saving up our good stats for the teams that matter" said utility man Maicer Izturis. The comment sparked a firestorm in the Marietta locker room, where manager Graig Nettles predicted a sweep after tomorrow's game. "We're gonna take the brooms out and shove it up where the sun don't shine" said Nettles after placing Izturis' photo on the dartboard in the team's locker room.
Meanwhile D.C. made their case for the playoffs with a 12-0 shellacking of Tampa Bay. Ryan Freel, Jeff Kent, and Jose Reyes each had 3 hits and Shawn Hill pitched 6 innings of 3-hit ball. After splitting the first two games, today's game three takes on some importance for the Plunkers. "We were drained after yesterday's emotional game" said catcher Jason Varitek, "but we'll be ready for tomorrow's game." Because Hillsborough lost, the Plunkers still remain 2 games behind the final playoff spot.
However, Sardine City managed to pick up a game on the Hitmen with a 7-6 nailbiter over slumping Philadelphia. The Sardines exploded for four runs in the seventh inning to take the lead and just barely held on in the bottom of the ninth to take the narrow victory. The Straphangers now sit 2 1/2 games behind Hillsborough.
Meanwhile D.C. made their case for the playoffs with a 12-0 shellacking of Tampa Bay. Ryan Freel, Jeff Kent, and Jose Reyes each had 3 hits and Shawn Hill pitched 6 innings of 3-hit ball. After splitting the first two games, today's game three takes on some importance for the Plunkers. "We were drained after yesterday's emotional game" said catcher Jason Varitek, "but we'll be ready for tomorrow's game." Because Hillsborough lost, the Plunkers still remain 2 games behind the final playoff spot.
However, Sardine City managed to pick up a game on the Hitmen with a 7-6 nailbiter over slumping Philadelphia. The Sardines exploded for four runs in the seventh inning to take the lead and just barely held on in the bottom of the ninth to take the narrow victory. The Straphangers now sit 2 1/2 games behind Hillsborough.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Vegas, Newark, lose aces
Erik Bedard pitched a gem for the Rat Pack (7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 11 K, 1 BB), but felt some discomfort in his arm after the game. Pitching coach Sam "Mayday" Malone said that Bedard had probably injured it the previous night when he was playing Guitar Hero til 3:00 AM. Bedard will be lost for about a month, or until he beats the game at "expert" level.
Meanwhile, the Rats' rivals lost pitcher James Shields again, shortly after returning from the disabled list. Shields only managed to get through four painful innings before giving way to the bullpen and will probably miss 2-3 starts. In a postgame interview, Shields admits that he may retire. "If Garretson goes, I don't wanna play either" said Shields. "He's my inspiration. I named my son after him." The team psychiatrist is trying to work Shields through the problem, though a restraining order has been filed with Newark's courts.
Marietta shocked Vancouver with a 6-3 victory, despite the Fist's ace Jake Peavy starting the game. Peavy was roughed up for 5 runs in 7 innings as Josh Hamilton smacked 2 homers in the game. The loss snapped Vancouver's 5-game winning streak.
Tampa Bay celebrated the return of their owner with a 5-1 victory over D.C. Andy Pettitte won his 10th of the season and James Loney was 2-3 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Plunker owner Bill Levesque, who had been M.I.A. for the better part of the month and assumed dead, made a triumphant return after being held captive. Levesque, half of his face mysteriously burned off, had a mad look in his eye as he stepped into the team's dugout prior to the game to give a motivational speech.
Meanwhile, the Rats' rivals lost pitcher James Shields again, shortly after returning from the disabled list. Shields only managed to get through four painful innings before giving way to the bullpen and will probably miss 2-3 starts. In a postgame interview, Shields admits that he may retire. "If Garretson goes, I don't wanna play either" said Shields. "He's my inspiration. I named my son after him." The team psychiatrist is trying to work Shields through the problem, though a restraining order has been filed with Newark's courts.
Marietta shocked Vancouver with a 6-3 victory, despite the Fist's ace Jake Peavy starting the game. Peavy was roughed up for 5 runs in 7 innings as Josh Hamilton smacked 2 homers in the game. The loss snapped Vancouver's 5-game winning streak.
Tampa Bay celebrated the return of their owner with a 5-1 victory over D.C. Andy Pettitte won his 10th of the season and James Loney was 2-3 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Plunker owner Bill Levesque, who had been M.I.A. for the better part of the month and assumed dead, made a triumphant return after being held captive. Levesque, half of his face mysteriously burned off, had a mad look in his eye as he stepped into the team's dugout prior to the game to give a motivational speech.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Fist, Sugar Bears sweep rivals
Vancouver and Newark both completed the sweep of the other's prime contenders. Javier Vazquez improved to 17-1 as the Sugar Bears took a 9-6 decision in Philadelphia. Matt Stairs drove in 5 runs in the contest as the Sugar Bears opened up a 4-game lead on the Rats. Meanwhile, the Iron Fist bested the Rat Pack 7-4 as Curtis Granderson and Maicer Izturis each had 3 RBIs. Granderson hit his 22nd triple of the season, coming within 2 of Jose Reyes' DMBL-era record. Vancouver now leads Philly by 9 games.
Hoboken won their 9th game out of their past 11, defeating the Golden Falcons 6-1. Matt Garza gave the Cutters 8 innings of 1-run ball, scattering 6 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 7. The Cutters, despite sitting in 12th place overall, are now only 7 games behind Hillsborough for the final playoff spot.
Jered Weaver held the Mudcats to 4 hits in 7 innings to give the Plunkers a 3-1 win yesterday. The win was only Weaver's 4th of the season. The game was tied at one until the eight inning when the Plunkers led off the inning with a single and a double. Johnny Estrada was momentarily distracted by a busty fan in the front row and let a pitch get by him, scoring Akinori Iwamura from third. A sacrifice fly by Brian Roberts brought home the final run. The damage could have been worse as the Mudcats proceeded to load the bases, but Adrian Gonzalez popped out to end the inning. The story has a happy ending for Cats fans, as Estrada was able to get the fan's phone number after the game.
D.C. has asserted their position in 5th place after weathering a rough period. The club has now won 4 in a row and has a 5-game lead on 6th place Hillsborough. Yesterday the Slappers took care of Sardine City 7-2. Carlos Beltran was 2-2 with a home run and 4 RBIs to lead the D.C. offense, while Kelvim Escobar took care of the Sardine offense (7.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 K) to earn his 13th win of the season.
Hoboken won their 9th game out of their past 11, defeating the Golden Falcons 6-1. Matt Garza gave the Cutters 8 innings of 1-run ball, scattering 6 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 7. The Cutters, despite sitting in 12th place overall, are now only 7 games behind Hillsborough for the final playoff spot.
Jered Weaver held the Mudcats to 4 hits in 7 innings to give the Plunkers a 3-1 win yesterday. The win was only Weaver's 4th of the season. The game was tied at one until the eight inning when the Plunkers led off the inning with a single and a double. Johnny Estrada was momentarily distracted by a busty fan in the front row and let a pitch get by him, scoring Akinori Iwamura from third. A sacrifice fly by Brian Roberts brought home the final run. The damage could have been worse as the Mudcats proceeded to load the bases, but Adrian Gonzalez popped out to end the inning. The story has a happy ending for Cats fans, as Estrada was able to get the fan's phone number after the game.
D.C. has asserted their position in 5th place after weathering a rough period. The club has now won 4 in a row and has a 5-game lead on 6th place Hillsborough. Yesterday the Slappers took care of Sardine City 7-2. Carlos Beltran was 2-2 with a home run and 4 RBIs to lead the D.C. offense, while Kelvim Escobar took care of the Sardine offense (7.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 K) to earn his 13th win of the season.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Showdown of the Big Four
The big series of the day is the Las Vegas-Vancouver set and so far the Fist have taken the first two. Yesterday Vancouver turned the tables on the Rats, taking a rare 1-run victory against the Pack (Vegas is now 23-6 in one-run games). The Rats jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, but Vancouver crawled back and established a 7-5 lead after 7 innings. Vegas scored three runs in the top of the 8th to take the lead back, but Moises Alou hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Fist the victory.
Meanwhile, the other two top teams were facing off and Newark has taken the first two games as well against the Endzone Animals. Carlos Guillen hit a 3-run homer in the 7th to give the Sugar Bears an 8-4 lead. Newark would hold on to win it 8-6 and extend their lead over Vegas to three games. Meanwhile, Philly fell 8 games back of first place.
D.C. and Hillsborough have both started to win again. D.C. edged Sardine City yesterday 3-2 to extend their three-game winning streak. Jeff Kent and Matt Kemp hit homers in the 6th inning to give the Slappers the lead. Dustin McGowan, making his first start for Sardine City, took the loss despite a solid performance (7IP 7 H, 3 ER, 7 K). Hillsborough took care of Marietta 5-4 on a Yunel Escobar solo home run. The Hitmen hold a 2 1/2 game over 7th place Tampa Bay.
Meanwhile, the other two top teams were facing off and Newark has taken the first two games as well against the Endzone Animals. Carlos Guillen hit a 3-run homer in the 7th to give the Sugar Bears an 8-4 lead. Newark would hold on to win it 8-6 and extend their lead over Vegas to three games. Meanwhile, Philly fell 8 games back of first place.
D.C. and Hillsborough have both started to win again. D.C. edged Sardine City yesterday 3-2 to extend their three-game winning streak. Jeff Kent and Matt Kemp hit homers in the 6th inning to give the Slappers the lead. Dustin McGowan, making his first start for Sardine City, took the loss despite a solid performance (7IP 7 H, 3 ER, 7 K). Hillsborough took care of Marietta 5-4 on a Yunel Escobar solo home run. The Hitmen hold a 2 1/2 game over 7th place Tampa Bay.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Trade deadline recap
It's all done. The Trading Deadline has passed and we can now focus on the playoff race. But first, let's take a look at how the rosters shook up over the past week.
Newark was pretty quiet, opting to stay the course. Only prospect Daric Barton was sent packing to make room for James Shields' return from the DL.
Atop the other division, Vancouver didn't do much more. The Fist only acquired reliever Akinori Otsuka from Sardine City to bolster the bullpen. The Fist were in the market for some starter help too, but none of their deals materialed.
The two second-place teams were probably the biggest upgraders. Las Vegas added All-Star slugger Vlad Guerrero and failed DMBL "ace" Josh Beckett. The Rats certainly have positioned themselves well to make a huge run for it this year, but they have also sacrificed a lot of thier future. The Rat Pack owes 9 draft picks to other teams, while only having one back. The Endzone Animals also added a little bit of punch by grabbing Adam Dunn from Arkansas and bolstering their staff with Blue Ridge's Aaron Harang. The Animals have also sacrificed 9 picks for this playoff run, but they at least have three coming back to them.
Stuck somewhere in between contention and the basement, some teams opted for different strategies. It was difficult to determine what D.C. was planning, as they chose to part with Carl Crawford and Francisco Rodriguez. Yet they acquired some pieces for next year in Dan Uggla and a couple of quality draft picks. D.C. still seems to be going for it as they turned down a rumored deal for Kelvim Escobar in order to stay in contention. Meanwhile Sardine City has been quietly making a creeping toward the playoffs, but they didn't make any huge moves one way or another. Acquiring starter Dustin McGowan will help with their pitching staff, but mostly the moves were made with the future in mind.
Three other teams in limbo decided that a playoff run wasn't in the cards though. Arkansas sold off Adam Dunn for promising pitcher Jonathan Sanchez and a pick. Carolina didn't make any deals but cut lots of players, including Marlon Byrd and Brian Bannister to bolster their keeper list for next year. But it was Blue Ridge who was making headlines all week, completely gutting their team. Altogether, the Bombers added 13 players or picks via trade and 1 via waiver wire.
The cellar dwellers were also busy...well some of them anyway. Marietta made two separate deals, acquiring players to bolster their keeper list. Hoboken sold off a couple of their players for draft picks, including Brian Giles. As many recall, Hoboken cried himself to sleep many a night recalling the first time he dealt Giles to the Mighty Men. Will this trade cut (pun intended) as deeply?
And I have to note that the Sugar Bears happily indulged DMBL fans everywhere in sending David Bush to face the Bushslappers. We can now gleefully report that "Bush was slapped by D.C." to the tune of 6 ER in 3 IP. Note: I'm not saying I am gleeful that the Sugar Bears were pounded, but that I am gleeful that I could finally use that long-awaited pun.
Newark was pretty quiet, opting to stay the course. Only prospect Daric Barton was sent packing to make room for James Shields' return from the DL.
Atop the other division, Vancouver didn't do much more. The Fist only acquired reliever Akinori Otsuka from Sardine City to bolster the bullpen. The Fist were in the market for some starter help too, but none of their deals materialed.
The two second-place teams were probably the biggest upgraders. Las Vegas added All-Star slugger Vlad Guerrero and failed DMBL "ace" Josh Beckett. The Rats certainly have positioned themselves well to make a huge run for it this year, but they have also sacrificed a lot of thier future. The Rat Pack owes 9 draft picks to other teams, while only having one back. The Endzone Animals also added a little bit of punch by grabbing Adam Dunn from Arkansas and bolstering their staff with Blue Ridge's Aaron Harang. The Animals have also sacrificed 9 picks for this playoff run, but they at least have three coming back to them.
Stuck somewhere in between contention and the basement, some teams opted for different strategies. It was difficult to determine what D.C. was planning, as they chose to part with Carl Crawford and Francisco Rodriguez. Yet they acquired some pieces for next year in Dan Uggla and a couple of quality draft picks. D.C. still seems to be going for it as they turned down a rumored deal for Kelvim Escobar in order to stay in contention. Meanwhile Sardine City has been quietly making a creeping toward the playoffs, but they didn't make any huge moves one way or another. Acquiring starter Dustin McGowan will help with their pitching staff, but mostly the moves were made with the future in mind.
Three other teams in limbo decided that a playoff run wasn't in the cards though. Arkansas sold off Adam Dunn for promising pitcher Jonathan Sanchez and a pick. Carolina didn't make any deals but cut lots of players, including Marlon Byrd and Brian Bannister to bolster their keeper list for next year. But it was Blue Ridge who was making headlines all week, completely gutting their team. Altogether, the Bombers added 13 players or picks via trade and 1 via waiver wire.
The cellar dwellers were also busy...well some of them anyway. Marietta made two separate deals, acquiring players to bolster their keeper list. Hoboken sold off a couple of their players for draft picks, including Brian Giles. As many recall, Hoboken cried himself to sleep many a night recalling the first time he dealt Giles to the Mighty Men. Will this trade cut (pun intended) as deeply?
And I have to note that the Sugar Bears happily indulged DMBL fans everywhere in sending David Bush to face the Bushslappers. We can now gleefully report that "Bush was slapped by D.C." to the tune of 6 ER in 3 IP. Note: I'm not saying I am gleeful that the Sugar Bears were pounded, but that I am gleeful that I could finally use that long-awaited pun.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Garretson rumored to retire
Blue Ridge is at it again, making their third trade of the week, dealing Dustin McGowan and a draft pick to Sardine City for catcher Chris Ianetta and infielder Freddy Sanchez. The rumor mill says that Blue Ridge is far from done yet with several offers in the works.
Not all rumors are trade rumors though. The word on the street is that Newark Sugar Bears owner Butch Garretson may retire after this season. Word is that Garretson has lost the joy of running a championship franchise after more than 10 years. While the resignation letter is not in the mail yet, it's looking like Garretson is serious about stepping down. However, like his hero Brett Favre, can he really stay retired for long or will the thrill of competition and shutting down naysayers lure him back?
Things have gotten very tight in the middle of the pack where 7 games separates 5th and 10th place. The Falcons have gotten very hot, winning four straight and working back onto the fringe of contention. The Sardine City Straphangers have also been winning, sweeping Hillsborough and crawling to within 2 games of the 6th place Hitmen. Hillsborough has lost 6 straight. D.C. and Tampa have both lost three straight and look somewhat lost recently.
Not all rumors are trade rumors though. The word on the street is that Newark Sugar Bears owner Butch Garretson may retire after this season. Word is that Garretson has lost the joy of running a championship franchise after more than 10 years. While the resignation letter is not in the mail yet, it's looking like Garretson is serious about stepping down. However, like his hero Brett Favre, can he really stay retired for long or will the thrill of competition and shutting down naysayers lure him back?
Things have gotten very tight in the middle of the pack where 7 games separates 5th and 10th place. The Falcons have gotten very hot, winning four straight and working back onto the fringe of contention. The Sardine City Straphangers have also been winning, sweeping Hillsborough and crawling to within 2 games of the 6th place Hitmen. Hillsborough has lost 6 straight. D.C. and Tampa have both lost three straight and look somewhat lost recently.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Vegas gambles on Beckett
A Las Vegas Rat Pack fan who had gone on vacation for a couple weeks may be surprised to find that he doesn't recognize the team when he gets back. The Rat Pack completed yet another trade, this time acquiring Josh Beckett from Blue Ridge for Clay Buchholz and a 4th round draft pick. Beckett, who was the pet project of former owner Paul Barbosa, never realized his potential in the DMBL. This is probably his best season in the DMBL and he is 6-11 with a 5.45 ERA. For his career, Beckett is 32-71 with a 6.13 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Beckett will replace rookie Tim Lincecum (10-6, 5.97 ERA) in the rotation. Owner Eric Wickstrom has high hopes for Beckett, despite his failed prospect label. "I just can't help myself!" he said in an interview. Meanwhile, Blue Ridge owner Tom Zagenczyk thinks that Buchholz may have a high ceiling. "He could be the next Beckett!" he said. "He's got a 5.70 ERA already (at AAA East Newark), so he's got that going for him."
The D.C.-Blue Ridge deal will execute Saturday morning as the players involved will go through a physical. "Carl Crawford is already on the freakin' DL for crying out loud" said Zagenczyk. "I want to make sure Landsman isn't trying to pull a fast one." Crawford is eligible to come off the DL, but D.C. will hold him there so that they can retain the roster spot until the trade is executed.
Hillsborough took another hit yesterday, losing a 5-0 game to Sardine City. The game was held up by an unexpected rain delay in the second inning. Both starters were forced to leave the game - Hillsborough starter John Lackey caught a cold because he was slipping and sliding on the tarp during the rain and Sardine starter Dice-K Matsuzaka wouldn't go back out because he had just bought new cleats and didn't want to "mess them up". The Hitmen would end up getting blanked by the Sardine pen and losing their fifth in a row. The loss narrows their lead on the final playoff spot to only 2 games over Tampa Bay and 4 over Sardine City. Carolina, Arkansas, and Blue Ridge are not too far behind and, with a nice winning streak, work their way back into contention. Add in the fact that D.C. seems to be in "sell mode" and we could be seeing a good battle for the final two playoff spots.
The D.C.-Blue Ridge deal will execute Saturday morning as the players involved will go through a physical. "Carl Crawford is already on the freakin' DL for crying out loud" said Zagenczyk. "I want to make sure Landsman isn't trying to pull a fast one." Crawford is eligible to come off the DL, but D.C. will hold him there so that they can retain the roster spot until the trade is executed.
Hillsborough took another hit yesterday, losing a 5-0 game to Sardine City. The game was held up by an unexpected rain delay in the second inning. Both starters were forced to leave the game - Hillsborough starter John Lackey caught a cold because he was slipping and sliding on the tarp during the rain and Sardine starter Dice-K Matsuzaka wouldn't go back out because he had just bought new cleats and didn't want to "mess them up". The Hitmen would end up getting blanked by the Sardine pen and losing their fifth in a row. The loss narrows their lead on the final playoff spot to only 2 games over Tampa Bay and 4 over Sardine City. Carolina, Arkansas, and Blue Ridge are not too far behind and, with a nice winning streak, work their way back into contention. Add in the fact that D.C. seems to be in "sell mode" and we could be seeing a good battle for the final two playoff spots.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Tradewinds are blowing
Now that the Guerrero deal has broken the proverbial cherry, it seems like a flood of trades are being unleashed. With the deadline less than a week away, teams are scrambling.
Today D.C. agreed to trade away Carl Crawford, Ray Durham, Francisco Rodriguez, and a 1st round pick to Blue Ridge for Dan Uggla and their first two draft picks next year. Blue Ridge, who has been relatively quiet all year, has awoken with a vengeance. Unfortunately for both teams, the Damian Miller rule prevents the trade from being consummated until Saturday at the earliest. This is because D.C. is trading away two players who were acquired less than a week ago. Francisco Rodriguez was acquired by D.C. from Las Vegas Saturday and Ray Durham, signed on Friday by D.C. are the two players in question. The league is still waiting on a response to see if the deal will fall apart or continue as planned.
A second, smaller deal saw Arkansas trade Adam Dunn to the Endzone Animals in exchange for reliever Jonathan Sanchez and a 3rd round pick.
Curt Schilling pitched a solid game to win his 9th of the season and 201st of the year. Yes, we forgot to point out that Schilling had picked up his milestone 200th win in his previous start but we'll try to stay on the ball going forward. Schilling also moved ahead of Pedro Martinez for fifth overall in games started (388). Schilling's teammate Roger Clemens will also tie up Pedro for 3rd on the wins list with his next victory.
Today D.C. agreed to trade away Carl Crawford, Ray Durham, Francisco Rodriguez, and a 1st round pick to Blue Ridge for Dan Uggla and their first two draft picks next year. Blue Ridge, who has been relatively quiet all year, has awoken with a vengeance. Unfortunately for both teams, the Damian Miller rule prevents the trade from being consummated until Saturday at the earliest. This is because D.C. is trading away two players who were acquired less than a week ago. Francisco Rodriguez was acquired by D.C. from Las Vegas Saturday and Ray Durham, signed on Friday by D.C. are the two players in question. The league is still waiting on a response to see if the deal will fall apart or continue as planned.
A second, smaller deal saw Arkansas trade Adam Dunn to the Endzone Animals in exchange for reliever Jonathan Sanchez and a 3rd round pick.
Curt Schilling pitched a solid game to win his 9th of the season and 201st of the year. Yes, we forgot to point out that Schilling had picked up his milestone 200th win in his previous start but we'll try to stay on the ball going forward. Schilling also moved ahead of Pedro Martinez for fifth overall in games started (388). Schilling's teammate Roger Clemens will also tie up Pedro for 3rd on the wins list with his next victory.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Vegas makes power play
Wow, after a nice 11-game winning streak, Vancouver dropped two of three to 13th place New Jersey. Both losses were extra-inning affairs. Yesterday the Fist sent Jake Peavy out to try to expand on his DMBL wins lead, but he ended up with a no-decision despite only giving up 2 runs. Once again, Fist manager Darren Daulton left a reliever in too long, this time Hideki Okajima was in his fourth(!) inning of relief and gave up a solo home run to Josh Fields. Vancouver heads over to Newark today to start a three-game set with the Hanover Division leaders.
It looked like Newark suffered a big hit after they lost two of their rotation members - first James Shields, and now Randy Johnson. Joe Saunders has done an admirable job so far (2-1, 2.91 in 3 starts), but no one expected much out of Johnson's replacement, David Bush. Bush had been a full-time member of the Sugar Bears before last year where he only made one disastrous start. But the Sugar Bears are nothing if not loyal, even to their scrubs. And Bush repaid that loyalty in spades with a complete-game, 4-hit shutout of the Hitmen. Bush struck out 10 batters in only his second career complete game (and first since 2005). Bush's next turn in the rotation would be Sunday against D.C., however Shields is expected to return from the disabled list that day. Will Butch Garretson tempt fate and start Bush against the Bushslappers?
Vegas pulled off the blockbuster trade of the season so far, acquiring slugger Vladimir Guerrero from Blue Ridge for Hunter Pence, Jeremy Hermida, Gavin Floyd and a draft pick. Guerrero had spent his entire 10-year career for the same franchise, through 3 different owners and 5 different name changes. Guerrero has continued to put up big numbers this season (.329/.371/.534, 19 HR, 71 RBI) and was a backup on this year's All-Star team. Hunter Pence was only briefly a member of the Rat Pack - he was acquired June 23 from the Hoboken Cutters, but was useless for the Rat Pack (.208/.240/.333). Hermida was a solid player for the Rats and Floyd was in AAA.
It looked like Newark suffered a big hit after they lost two of their rotation members - first James Shields, and now Randy Johnson. Joe Saunders has done an admirable job so far (2-1, 2.91 in 3 starts), but no one expected much out of Johnson's replacement, David Bush. Bush had been a full-time member of the Sugar Bears before last year where he only made one disastrous start. But the Sugar Bears are nothing if not loyal, even to their scrubs. And Bush repaid that loyalty in spades with a complete-game, 4-hit shutout of the Hitmen. Bush struck out 10 batters in only his second career complete game (and first since 2005). Bush's next turn in the rotation would be Sunday against D.C., however Shields is expected to return from the disabled list that day. Will Butch Garretson tempt fate and start Bush against the Bushslappers?
Vegas pulled off the blockbuster trade of the season so far, acquiring slugger Vladimir Guerrero from Blue Ridge for Hunter Pence, Jeremy Hermida, Gavin Floyd and a draft pick. Guerrero had spent his entire 10-year career for the same franchise, through 3 different owners and 5 different name changes. Guerrero has continued to put up big numbers this season (.329/.371/.534, 19 HR, 71 RBI) and was a backup on this year's All-Star team. Hunter Pence was only briefly a member of the Rat Pack - he was acquired June 23 from the Hoboken Cutters, but was useless for the Rat Pack (.208/.240/.333). Hermida was a solid player for the Rats and Floyd was in AAA.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Tampa, D.C. find their way
Vancouver's 11-game winning streak came to an end after a 4-2 extra inning defeat at the hands of Team Buddah. Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets dueled it out before giving way to the bullpen. Troy Percival, perhaps left in an inning too long, gave up two solo home runs to Adam LaRoche and Jhonny Peralta. Vancouver threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but struck out twice with the bases loaded. Vancouver opened up a 7-game lead on second-place Philadelphia and has moved into second place overall - percentage points ahead of Las Vegas.
Tampa Bay seems to have righted their ship and won five in a row before being blanked by Blue Ridge in the second half of yesterday's doubleheader. Tampa Bay had lost 7 straight before the recent streak and have a lot of ground to make up before they threaten Hillsborough again.
Another team that has seemingly found their way back on track is D.C. After a recent slump that saw them lose 7 of 8, D.C. rebounded with a four game winning streak, including two beatdowns of fraternal rival Marietta yesterday. D.C., who had found themselves tied with Hillsborough for 5th place, have now gained back some ground, holding a 2-game lead on the Hitmen.
Don't forget that the trading deadline is this Sunday, July 20th! There are many rumors floating around and many teams have players up on the block. Will there be a blockbuster? Stay tuned...
Tampa Bay seems to have righted their ship and won five in a row before being blanked by Blue Ridge in the second half of yesterday's doubleheader. Tampa Bay had lost 7 straight before the recent streak and have a lot of ground to make up before they threaten Hillsborough again.
Another team that has seemingly found their way back on track is D.C. After a recent slump that saw them lose 7 of 8, D.C. rebounded with a four game winning streak, including two beatdowns of fraternal rival Marietta yesterday. D.C., who had found themselves tied with Hillsborough for 5th place, have now gained back some ground, holding a 2-game lead on the Hitmen.
Don't forget that the trading deadline is this Sunday, July 20th! There are many rumors floating around and many teams have players up on the block. Will there be a blockbuster? Stay tuned...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Kendrick finds home with Animals
Philadelphia may have unearthed a hidden gem in acquiring Kyle Kendrick from Vancouver a few weeks ago. Kendrick, starting his second game for the Animals, pitched 7.1 solid innings in a 7-3 victory against the Straphangers to improve to 2-0 in two starts for the Animals. Kendrick had spent all season on the Iron Fist's farm team in Tacoma. With Rich Hill also on the farm team, Vancouver sought to trade one of the two and Philadelphia inquired about Kendrick. Kendrick was later dealt for former Vancouver lefthander Scott Olsen. Philadelphia was hesitant to start Kendrick, initially letting the 23-year old get familiar with the club's philosophy down in AAA Trenton. Kendrick started his first game a week later against Hillsborough and held the Hitmen to 2 runs over 8 innings. Philadelphia opted to skip his next start against the Sugar Bears, hoping to preserve his confidence, and signed lefthander Kason Gabbard to take his spot. But Kendrick was back yesterday, and once again pitched well (7.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 2 K). Kendrick's next scheduled start is Tuesday, once again against the Straphangers.
Poor Scott Kazmir can't catch a break. The lefthander entered yesterday's game with a 4-14 record and 6.91 ERA. It's been a very disappointing year for the highly-touted Kazmir, but things may be looking up. In his last start against Arkansas, Kazmir pitched 6.2 innings of 4-hit ball, surrendering only one run. Yesterday, Kazmir pitched a brilliant game against Hillsborough - 7 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 11 K, but the Cutters offense could not score a single run for him. It wasn't until the bottom of the 8th inning until the Cutters scored 3 runs and won the game, but Kazmir had already been pulled in favor of reliever Casey Janssen.
Roger Clemens has undergone quite a revival since returning home to the Falcons. Less than a week after being jettisoned by Newark June 12th after posting a horrific 10.13 ERA in 3 appearances, the Falcons re-signed their favorite son. Since then Clemens has responded with a 3-2 record and 3.09 ERA in 7 appearances, including 35 K in 35 innings. With Clemens and Schilling in the rotation can Pedro be far behind? Although his rehab has had ups and downs, it looks like Pedro won't rejoin the rotation until next season. Clemens has told the press that he may retire after the season and does not intend for "that slacker" to finish his comeback.
Poor Scott Kazmir can't catch a break. The lefthander entered yesterday's game with a 4-14 record and 6.91 ERA. It's been a very disappointing year for the highly-touted Kazmir, but things may be looking up. In his last start against Arkansas, Kazmir pitched 6.2 innings of 4-hit ball, surrendering only one run. Yesterday, Kazmir pitched a brilliant game against Hillsborough - 7 IP, 3 hits, 0 runs, 11 K, but the Cutters offense could not score a single run for him. It wasn't until the bottom of the 8th inning until the Cutters scored 3 runs and won the game, but Kazmir had already been pulled in favor of reliever Casey Janssen.
Roger Clemens has undergone quite a revival since returning home to the Falcons. Less than a week after being jettisoned by Newark June 12th after posting a horrific 10.13 ERA in 3 appearances, the Falcons re-signed their favorite son. Since then Clemens has responded with a 3-2 record and 3.09 ERA in 7 appearances, including 35 K in 35 innings. With Clemens and Schilling in the rotation can Pedro be far behind? Although his rehab has had ups and downs, it looks like Pedro won't rejoin the rotation until next season. Clemens has told the press that he may retire after the season and does not intend for "that slacker" to finish his comeback.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Plunkers end slump, Peavy deals
Tampa Bay broke their 7-game slide with a 5-4 extra-inning defeat of the Bushslappers. D.C. jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, but the Plunkers crept back and tied it with a 3-run 6th inning. Finally, Kenji Johjima broke the tie in the 10th with an RBI single, his second RBI of the night. The loss put D.C. into a 5th place tie with Hillsborough. The Hitmen won their 5th straight - an 8-1 rout of the Hoboken Cutters. Dan Haren evened his record at 8-8 with a 7 inning performance, giving up only one run on 3 hits.
Vancouver's Jake Peavy led the Fist to their 9th straight victory and shut out the Mighty Men on only one hit. Josh Bard's single in the 5th was the only hit that the Mites could muster. Peavy struck out 13 en route to his league-leading 16th win. Peavy also leads the league with 4 shutouts on the season.
Fausto Carmona has quietly put together an excellent season for the Sardine City Straphangers. Yesterday he improved to 11-5 on the season as the Straphangers beat the Endzone Animals 6-3. Carmona now ranks 7th in the league in ERA (3.66). The Straphangers still sit on the cusp of playoff contention - 7 games behind D.C. and Hillsborough.
Vancouver's Jake Peavy led the Fist to their 9th straight victory and shut out the Mighty Men on only one hit. Josh Bard's single in the 5th was the only hit that the Mites could muster. Peavy struck out 13 en route to his league-leading 16th win. Peavy also leads the league with 4 shutouts on the season.
Fausto Carmona has quietly put together an excellent season for the Sardine City Straphangers. Yesterday he improved to 11-5 on the season as the Straphangers beat the Endzone Animals 6-3. Carmona now ranks 7th in the league in ERA (3.66). The Straphangers still sit on the cusp of playoff contention - 7 games behind D.C. and Hillsborough.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Hitmen get even
Hillsborough evened up their record with an 8-4 victory over the Cutters. Justin Verlander won his 10th on the season and Ryan Howard drove in 4 runs. The Hitmen have now won 4 in a row after breaking their 6-game losing streak and sit comfortably in the final playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Vancouver won their 8th straight, crushing Marietta 10-5. Victor Martinez and David Ortiz had 3 RBIs each. Ortiz has now homered in four straight games, including two games in which Ortiz hit two homers - a total of 6 home runs in 4 games. Ortiz now leads the DMBL with 37 home runs.
Team Buddah scored four runs in the eighth to defeat the Falcons 8-4. David DeJesus hit a triple and drove in 3 runs, and Josh Fields homered and also drove in 3 to lead the Buddah offense.
Newark shellacked Blue Ridge behind Jack Cust (2-3, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR) and Matt Stairs (2-4, 4 RBI). John Smoltz pitched a solid game after being recalled from his exile in AAA. Smoltz surrendered one run in 7 innings and struck out 6.
Meanwhile, Vancouver won their 8th straight, crushing Marietta 10-5. Victor Martinez and David Ortiz had 3 RBIs each. Ortiz has now homered in four straight games, including two games in which Ortiz hit two homers - a total of 6 home runs in 4 games. Ortiz now leads the DMBL with 37 home runs.
Team Buddah scored four runs in the eighth to defeat the Falcons 8-4. David DeJesus hit a triple and drove in 3 runs, and Josh Fields homered and also drove in 3 to lead the Buddah offense.
Newark shellacked Blue Ridge behind Jack Cust (2-3, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR) and Matt Stairs (2-4, 4 RBI). John Smoltz pitched a solid game after being recalled from his exile in AAA. Smoltz surrendered one run in 7 innings and struck out 6.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Fist's fireworks too much for Rats
Vancouver had a great Independence Day weekend, sweeping the Rat Pack in their 3-game series. The Fist only surrendered 5 total runs in the series, while scoring 20. Vancouver is in the midst of a 7-game winning streak. The Rats, who were tied for first place before the series, only lost one game in the standings because the Sugar Bears dropped two of three to the visiting Endzone Animals. The Animals would have swept the series if they didn't give up 5 runs in the final frame to hand the Sugar Bears the win in game one. Fortunately, the bullpen held their own in the next two games and the Animals were able to win 7-5 and 10-5 respectively. The losses gave the Sugar Bears their 9th and 10th losses at home.
Carolina swept the Tampa Bay Plunkers over the weekend, hurting the fledgling franchise's playoff aspirations. The Plunkers fell to 10 games under .500 and lost their 7th in a row. Although they are only 4 1/2 games and in 7th place overall (tied with Blue Ridge), the Plunkers look like a team on the way down. To add injury to insult, shortstop Jack Wilson will be lost for the better part of the next month.
Only a few weeks until the trade deadline! Sunday July 20th is the last chance to make deals or to pick up players who will be eligible for protection in 2009.
Carolina swept the Tampa Bay Plunkers over the weekend, hurting the fledgling franchise's playoff aspirations. The Plunkers fell to 10 games under .500 and lost their 7th in a row. Although they are only 4 1/2 games and in 7th place overall (tied with Blue Ridge), the Plunkers look like a team on the way down. To add injury to insult, shortstop Jack Wilson will be lost for the better part of the next month.
Only a few weeks until the trade deadline! Sunday July 20th is the last chance to make deals or to pick up players who will be eligible for protection in 2009.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Rat Pack reprise late-inning heroics
The Rat Pack has done it again. After winning in the late innings against Newark Tuesday, the Rats scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th to upend the Hired Hitmen yesterday and win 10-7. Prior to this game, the Hitmen have won all seven games against the Rat Pack this year. Jim Thome and Carlos Pena both hit solo home runs to give the Rats the lead and a third run scored on an error by Brad Hawpe. The Rats have now won 12 of their last 13 and 20 of their last 24.
Hoboken appears to be out of their prolonged slump after winning three of their last four. Yesterday the Cutters shut down the Bombers 7-1 behind a superb outing from Jon Garland (8 IP, 1 unearned run, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K). The Cutters hit four home run to outslug the so-called Bombers.
There'll be no blog entry tomorrow. Have a good weekend!
Hoboken appears to be out of their prolonged slump after winning three of their last four. Yesterday the Cutters shut down the Bombers 7-1 behind a superb outing from Jon Garland (8 IP, 1 unearned run, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K). The Cutters hit four home run to outslug the so-called Bombers.
There'll be no blog entry tomorrow. Have a good weekend!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
One-run Rat Pack ties up Sugar Bears
The Rat Pack is up to their old tricks again! The Rats took the key series against division rival Newark by winning two of three in Vegas. Both wins were by one-run margins. Remember earlier in the year when the Rats were dominant in one-run games? They also happened to start off to a great start and open a nice lead in the standings. Will it start again? The Sugar Bears seemed to have yesterday's game in the bag, taking an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Even when the Rats scored two more runs in the eighth, the Sugar Bears still sat on a comfortable 5-run lead...or so it seemed. The Rats led off the inning with four straight singles. After a fielder's choice, the Rats hit four more singles, scoring 6 runs and winning the game 9-8. Vegas is now 19-4 in one-run games. Newark now has the second most losses (6) after leading after 7 innings. They have a long way to go to catch the leader (Carolina with 12), but it seems like an odd number for a team that is now tied for the league's best record. Vegas, on the other hand, leads in comebacks after a 7-inning deficit, with 8 wins.
Arkansas jettisoned their catchers yesterday, blaming them for their horrific hitting, horrific handling of the pitching staff, poor defense, the Iraq War, the Large Hadron Collider, and the flooding of the Mississippi River. "It's not my fault" said Miguel Olivo. "I voted for Nader." Arkansas picked up Javier Valentin, who had played with the Falcons in 2005-2006, and Jose Molina, who played with the club in 2005. Apparently the club did not have room to add Brad Ausmus (3 stints with the team), Jason Kendall (1997), and Damian Miller (2000). "I am patiently waiting by the phone" said Ausmus through his agent.
Arkansas jettisoned their catchers yesterday, blaming them for their horrific hitting, horrific handling of the pitching staff, poor defense, the Iraq War, the Large Hadron Collider, and the flooding of the Mississippi River. "It's not my fault" said Miguel Olivo. "I voted for Nader." Arkansas picked up Javier Valentin, who had played with the Falcons in 2005-2006, and Jose Molina, who played with the club in 2005. Apparently the club did not have room to add Brad Ausmus (3 stints with the team), Jason Kendall (1997), and Damian Miller (2000). "I am patiently waiting by the phone" said Ausmus through his agent.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Philly's "Secret Weapon" offs Hitmen
Philadelphia unveiled their "secret weapon", newly-acquired Kyle Kendrick, who stifled the Hitmen amidst a 16-2 beatdown. Kendrick had spent the entire season in AAA, mostly with Vancouver's affiliate in Tacoma, but finally got a chance to prove himself when Philly sent down youngster Yovani Gallardo. Chris Young drove in 4 runs and Magglio Ordonez and Mike Lamb each drove in 3 to power the Animals' offense.
Newark's 9-game winning streak came to the end as the Rat Pack evened their series with a 3-2 win yesterday. Tim Lincecum outdueled James Shields to pick up the W. Jim Thome was 3-4 against his former team and Chone Figgins, in his first game off the DL hit a 2-run homer. The Sugar Bear's lead fell back to one game.
Vancouver was crushed by former teammate Prince Fielder, who smashed two home runs and was 3-3 with 4 RBIs. Blue Ridge cruised to an easy 9-2 win.
Hoboken gave Joel Pineiro his final release yesterday - at least until the next injury occurs. Aaron Cook was activated from the disabled list and Pineiro was seen crying as he left the team clubhouse. "I really thought this time they'd change their minds" said a sobbing Pineiro. "They'll be sorry though. They'll call me back!"
Newark's 9-game winning streak came to the end as the Rat Pack evened their series with a 3-2 win yesterday. Tim Lincecum outdueled James Shields to pick up the W. Jim Thome was 3-4 against his former team and Chone Figgins, in his first game off the DL hit a 2-run homer. The Sugar Bear's lead fell back to one game.
Vancouver was crushed by former teammate Prince Fielder, who smashed two home runs and was 3-3 with 4 RBIs. Blue Ridge cruised to an easy 9-2 win.
Hoboken gave Joel Pineiro his final release yesterday - at least until the next injury occurs. Aaron Cook was activated from the disabled list and Pineiro was seen crying as he left the team clubhouse. "I really thought this time they'd change their minds" said a sobbing Pineiro. "They'll be sorry though. They'll call me back!"
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