Mike Trout became the latest member of the 400 HR club not long since its latest member, Giancarlo Stanton.
Showing posts with label amityville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label amityville. Show all posts
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Cruz clubs HR No. 400
Nelson Cruz clubbed his 400th career home run, becoming just the 13th player in DMBL history to reach that mark.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
In memoriam: Yordano Ventura, Andy Marte
The baseball world, and by extension the DMBL world, lost two players last month to tragic car accidents in the Dominican Republic: Yordano Ventura, who was just 25, and 33-year-old Andy Marte, who was drafted as a budding prospect in the mid-2000s but never made the DMBL.
Monday, February 6, 2017
End Of The Line: Tim Hudson
End Of The Line is an occasional offseason series that will take a
closer look at the career of DMBL players leaving the league after the
2016 season. Today, we look back at longtime Carolina Mudcat, Tim Hudson.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Second-half winners and losers
Powered by a 15-game win streak, and winning 20 of 21 games in the final quarter of the season, Blue Ridge had the biggest turnaround in the second half. The 13-game improvement pushed the Bombers to a 45-34 record but it wasn't enough to clinch a playoff berth. Despite an eight-game drop-off in the second half, it was Arkansas that held on to secure the sixth and final playoff spot. The Golden Falcons enjoyed a 43-39 first half but stumbled to a 35-45 mark in the second half.
The Fisk division had two of the top turnarounds in the second half. Livingston Lords of Swing finished 69-93 overall but nearly went .500 in the second half, going 40-41 -- 11 wins better than their 29-51 first half.
Had the playoffs been based on the second half standings, it would have been Blue Ridge that had the sixth-best record. The only other change to the final playoff setup -- had they been based on the second half standings -- was Hoboken and Vancouver changing places as the 3rd and 4th seeds, respectively, thanks to the Cutters' six-game improvement versus the Iron Fist's five-game decline.
Both the league's top two teams remained consistent, with Philly notching 58 wins in the second half, after a 59-win first half, staying one game better than Las Vegas, which went 57-23 in the second half after a 56-26 first half. Brick City had the worst record in the second half, going 26-54, four wins fewer than they had in the first half. The biggest drops in the second half were by Bridgewater, 14 fewer wins and Amityville, 11 fewer wins.
Kruk
Philly, 58-22 (+1)
Hopatcong, 47-34 (-3)
Bridgewater, 26-53 (-14)
Brick City, 26-54 (-4)
Drabek
Las Vegas, 57-23 (-1)
Arkansas, 35-45 (-8)
Hillsborough, 35-46 (-2)
Amityville, 32-46 (-11)
Van Slyke
Hoboken, 52-30 (+6)
Rowdy, 37-42 (-2)
Marietta, 33-47 (0)
Boston, 31-47 (+2)
Fisk
Vancouver, 50-32 (-5)
Blue Ridge, 45-34 (+13)
Livingston, 40-41 (+11)
Sardine City, 37-45 (+1)
Next up, we'll take a look at the best individual performances during the second half of the 2013 season.
The Fisk division had two of the top turnarounds in the second half. Livingston Lords of Swing finished 69-93 overall but nearly went .500 in the second half, going 40-41 -- 11 wins better than their 29-51 first half.
Both the league's top two teams remained consistent, with Philly notching 58 wins in the second half, after a 59-win first half, staying one game better than Las Vegas, which went 57-23 in the second half after a 56-26 first half. Brick City had the worst record in the second half, going 26-54, four wins fewer than they had in the first half. The biggest drops in the second half were by Bridgewater, 14 fewer wins and Amityville, 11 fewer wins.
Kruk
Philly, 58-22 (+1)
Hopatcong, 47-34 (-3)
Bridgewater, 26-53 (-14)
Brick City, 26-54 (-4)
Drabek
Las Vegas, 57-23 (-1)
Arkansas, 35-45 (-8)
Hillsborough, 35-46 (-2)
Amityville, 32-46 (-11)
Van Slyke
Hoboken, 52-30 (+6)
Rowdy, 37-42 (-2)
Marietta, 33-47 (0)
Boston, 31-47 (+2)
Fisk
Vancouver, 50-32 (-5)
Blue Ridge, 45-34 (+13)
Livingston, 40-41 (+11)
Sardine City, 37-45 (+1)
Next up, we'll take a look at the best individual performances during the second half of the 2013 season.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Blue Ridge keeps heat on Arkansas
The final 10 games (give or take) of the 2013 season are upon us and still the playoff race has yet to be resolved. Four teams are within four games of each other for the sixth and final playoff spot. Meanwhile, a battle is still on for the number-one seed as Philly has opened a 2 1/2-game lead on Las Vegas for home-field throughout the playoffs.
There's at least been some continuity as Arkansas has held on to the sixth spot for the past week but the view from behind has shifted as Blue Ridge continues to pile up the W's, passing Rowdy and Sardine City to pull within 1 1/2 games of the Golden Falcons. A week ago, the Bombers were 3 1/2 back of the Wild Card but have continued one of the great runs this season.
Whoever grabs the sixth seed likely will face No. 3 Vancouver in the first round of postseason while the others go into the draft lottery, a.k.a., the Yasiel Puig/Jose Fernandez sweepstakes. Two of the teams still in the hunt are assured of finishing below. 500, having suffered their 82nd loss.
Let's take a look at where they stand and what's on the horizon in the season's final 10 games:
Arkansas, 74-78, ----
Remaining schedule: .519 win percentage
v. Sardine City
2 @ Boston
2 v. Las Vegas
2 @ Philly
3 @ Sardine City
Arkansas just sort of treaded water last week, going 3-4, which was good enough, for now. The good news is that the Golden Falcons get Matt Harvey back from injury and should be able to squeeze two more starts out of him, including a likely start against Las Vegas while also avoiding Kris Medlen, who could return from the DL after their series. The bad news is their opponents' winning percentage is .521 thanks to a gauntlet of two-game sets against Vegas and Philly before their three-game season finale with Sardine City. Arkansas could bury the Straphangers with a win tonight (A.J. Griffin v. Brandon McCarthy) but they may have to start worrying about other teams at this point. The Golden Falcons have little room for error if they want to finish better than .500; they'll need a run of no worse than 8-2; no worse than 7-3 to finish an even .500.
Blue Ridge, 72-79, 1 1/2 GB
Remaining schedule: .463 win percentage
@ Hillsborough
2 v. Philly
3 v. Livingston
2 @ Boston
3 v. Hillsborough
Blue Ridge has put together one of the great runs of the 2013 season, and quite possibly one of the best ever, at least to finish a season. Their only loss in the past 2+ weeks was a 2-1 setback against Brick City, otherwise we're talking about a 21-game win streak. Still, they've won 20 of their last 21 games, which came after a three-game skid, including a new 5-game win streak after their 15-win streak ended. All this after selling at the trade deadline (dealing Gio Gonzalez and David Hernandez). Their toughest opponent will be Philly but it's only two games this week. While Arkansas is dealing with powerhouses Las Vegas and Philly later this week, the Bombers get to face off against Livingston and Boston. Of the remaining teams, only Arkansas and Blue Ridge have any shot (albeit long) of finishing better than .500; the Bombers can only loss two more if they have any hope of avoiding a losing record.
Rowdy, 72-81, 3 GB
Remaining schedule: .595 win percentage
@ Philly
2 v. Amityville
3 @ Hoboken
2 v. Sardine City
2 v. Philly
The Roddy Pipers are still hanging around after an up-and-down stretch, going 3-4 to gain no ground on Arkansas. They face the toughest schedule over the final 10 games, including six games against playoff-bound Hoboken and Philly, two more against possibly a third playoff team in Sardine City, as well as two versus Amityville, who's just barely hanging on to a flicker of hope.
Sardine City, 70-82, 4 GB
Remaining schedule: .497 win percentage
@ Arkansas
2 v. Brick City
2 @ Vancouver
2 @ Rowdy
3 v. Arkansas
As long as Sardine City can remain within 3 games or less of Arkansas, they'll be within striking distance, with that three-game season finale in their back pocket. But that's the problem, at present they stand 4 games back as they enter Monday night's critical matchup at Arkansas. The Straphangers have stumbled badly of late, with just one win sandwiched around three losses last week to go 1-6, on top of a six-game skid two weeks ago, making them just 3-12 over their last 15 games. They had won 8 of 9 before that ugly stretch.
Amityville, 69-82, 4 1/2 GB
Remaining schedule: .439 win percentage
v. Livingston
2 @ Rowdy
3 v. Hillsborough
2 @ Brick City
3 @ Livingston
Amityville continues to face the weakest competition, at least according to opponents' win percentage, but it hasn't helped. The Ant Slayers are running out of time but they do have an extra game to play and have won three straight after losing three in a row last week. Either way, they probably will need quite a bit of help from others to make a run of destiny.
There's at least been some continuity as Arkansas has held on to the sixth spot for the past week but the view from behind has shifted as Blue Ridge continues to pile up the W's, passing Rowdy and Sardine City to pull within 1 1/2 games of the Golden Falcons. A week ago, the Bombers were 3 1/2 back of the Wild Card but have continued one of the great runs this season.
Whoever grabs the sixth seed likely will face No. 3 Vancouver in the first round of postseason while the others go into the draft lottery, a.k.a., the Yasiel Puig/Jose Fernandez sweepstakes. Two of the teams still in the hunt are assured of finishing below. 500, having suffered their 82nd loss.
Let's take a look at where they stand and what's on the horizon in the season's final 10 games:
Arkansas, 74-78, ----
Remaining schedule: .519 win percentage
v. Sardine City
2 @ Boston
2 v. Las Vegas
2 @ Philly
3 @ Sardine City
Arkansas just sort of treaded water last week, going 3-4, which was good enough, for now. The good news is that the Golden Falcons get Matt Harvey back from injury and should be able to squeeze two more starts out of him, including a likely start against Las Vegas while also avoiding Kris Medlen, who could return from the DL after their series. The bad news is their opponents' winning percentage is .521 thanks to a gauntlet of two-game sets against Vegas and Philly before their three-game season finale with Sardine City. Arkansas could bury the Straphangers with a win tonight (A.J. Griffin v. Brandon McCarthy) but they may have to start worrying about other teams at this point. The Golden Falcons have little room for error if they want to finish better than .500; they'll need a run of no worse than 8-2; no worse than 7-3 to finish an even .500.
Blue Ridge, 72-79, 1 1/2 GB
Remaining schedule: .463 win percentage
@ Hillsborough
2 v. Philly
3 v. Livingston
2 @ Boston
3 v. Hillsborough
Blue Ridge has put together one of the great runs of the 2013 season, and quite possibly one of the best ever, at least to finish a season. Their only loss in the past 2+ weeks was a 2-1 setback against Brick City, otherwise we're talking about a 21-game win streak. Still, they've won 20 of their last 21 games, which came after a three-game skid, including a new 5-game win streak after their 15-win streak ended. All this after selling at the trade deadline (dealing Gio Gonzalez and David Hernandez). Their toughest opponent will be Philly but it's only two games this week. While Arkansas is dealing with powerhouses Las Vegas and Philly later this week, the Bombers get to face off against Livingston and Boston. Of the remaining teams, only Arkansas and Blue Ridge have any shot (albeit long) of finishing better than .500; the Bombers can only loss two more if they have any hope of avoiding a losing record.
Rowdy, 72-81, 3 GB
Remaining schedule: .595 win percentage
@ Philly
2 v. Amityville
3 @ Hoboken
2 v. Sardine City
2 v. Philly
The Roddy Pipers are still hanging around after an up-and-down stretch, going 3-4 to gain no ground on Arkansas. They face the toughest schedule over the final 10 games, including six games against playoff-bound Hoboken and Philly, two more against possibly a third playoff team in Sardine City, as well as two versus Amityville, who's just barely hanging on to a flicker of hope.
Sardine City, 70-82, 4 GB
Remaining schedule: .497 win percentage
@ Arkansas
2 v. Brick City
2 @ Vancouver
2 @ Rowdy
3 v. Arkansas
As long as Sardine City can remain within 3 games or less of Arkansas, they'll be within striking distance, with that three-game season finale in their back pocket. But that's the problem, at present they stand 4 games back as they enter Monday night's critical matchup at Arkansas. The Straphangers have stumbled badly of late, with just one win sandwiched around three losses last week to go 1-6, on top of a six-game skid two weeks ago, making them just 3-12 over their last 15 games. They had won 8 of 9 before that ugly stretch.
Amityville, 69-82, 4 1/2 GB
Remaining schedule: .439 win percentage
v. Livingston
2 @ Rowdy
3 v. Hillsborough
2 @ Brick City
3 @ Livingston
Amityville continues to face the weakest competition, at least according to opponents' win percentage, but it hasn't helped. The Ant Slayers are running out of time but they do have an extra game to play and have won three straight after losing three in a row last week. Either way, they probably will need quite a bit of help from others to make a run of destiny.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Wild Day Ends Regular Season
After 162 games, and a myriad potential tiebreakers heading into yesterday's finale, the 2012 playoff teams have been determined:
Hoboken beat Marietta, 5-2, eliminating Hillsborough and Bridgewater (despite their 8-6 extra-inning win over Philly). The Cutters clinched the playoffs outright when Rowdy's bullpen blew a lead and lost 5-2 to St. Louis. A Pipers' win would have forced a playoff. Hoboken jumped into the #5 seed when Newark lost to Hopatcong, 5-4, finishing with the same record but a 6-4 advantage over the Sugar Bears during the season.
Batting out of the five-hole, Rowdy's third baseman collected 2 hits in 3 at-bats, including an all-important walk in his final plate appearance. Young was on-deck when Carl Crawford ended the game on a flyout to center. He finished the season with a league-high 222 hits in 672 at-bats (.333333).
Batting cleanup for the Mallers, Martinez went 1 for 5 to finish the year with 161 hits in 485 hits, for a batting average of .331958.
#1 Marietta, 107-55Amityville will host Hoboken to open the playoffs on Wednesday while Newark will visit Hopatcong to open their best-of-five series on Thursday, a rematch of the three-game set this past weekend.
#2 Vancouver, 92-70
#3 Hopatcong, 90-72
#4 Amityville, 89-73
#5 Hoboken, 87-75
#6 Newark, 87-75
Hoboken beat Marietta, 5-2, eliminating Hillsborough and Bridgewater (despite their 8-6 extra-inning win over Philly). The Cutters clinched the playoffs outright when Rowdy's bullpen blew a lead and lost 5-2 to St. Louis. A Pipers' win would have forced a playoff. Hoboken jumped into the #5 seed when Newark lost to Hopatcong, 5-4, finishing with the same record but a 6-4 advantage over the Sugar Bears during the season.
Young Snatches Batting Title From V-Mart
Michael Young caught Victor Martinez on the final day of the season to win the batting title, .333 to .332.Batting out of the five-hole, Rowdy's third baseman collected 2 hits in 3 at-bats, including an all-important walk in his final plate appearance. Young was on-deck when Carl Crawford ended the game on a flyout to center. He finished the season with a league-high 222 hits in 672 at-bats (.333333).
Batting cleanup for the Mallers, Martinez went 1 for 5 to finish the year with 161 hits in 485 hits, for a batting average of .331958.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Season Finale Playoff Scenarios
The final playoff spots will be determined one way or another today, the last day of the 2012 season.
If the playoffs were to start today, the seeds would look like this:
#1 Marietta, 107-54
#2 Vancouver, 92-70
#3 Hopatcong, 89-72
#4 Amityville, 88-73
#5 Newark, 87-74
#6 Rowdy, 86-75
#6 Hoboken, 86-75
-----------------------------------
#8 Bridgewater, 85-76, 1 game back
#8 Hillsborough, 85-76, 1 game back
Marietta and Vancouver have locked up the top two seeds, meaning a first-round bye and hosting the second round of the playoffs. If the standings hold, there would be a one-game playoff between Hoboken and Rowdy for the 6th and final seed.
Other scenarios going into Saturday's season finale:
Hopatcong
The Floating Fish clinched their first-ever division title after Thursday's win over Newark and they control their own destiny when it comes to a 3rd seed.
* Win -- clinches #3 seed outright and would face the #6 seed in the first round.
* Lose -- clinches #3 seed if Amityville also loses; if Amityville wins, they go to tie-breakers to determine #3 seed.
Amityville
The Ant Slayers also clinched their first division title earlier this week so they can't do worse than a #4 seed, but they need Hopatcong to lose if they have any hopes to jump to #3.
* Win -- hope Hopatcong loses to Newark to finish in a tie at 89-73, forcing a tie-breaker for the third seed.
* Lose -- even if Hopatcong loses, Amityville finishes a game behind at 88-74, in the #4th seed, which would face the #5 seed in round one.
Newark
* Win -- clinches #5 seed. The Sugar Bears could finish with a better record than Amityville if the Ant Slayers lose, but as a division winner, Amityville would be the #4 seed.
* Lose -- clinches #5 seed if Rowdy and Hoboken lose but if either wins, they finish in a tie with them, so there's the potential for a three-way tie at 87 wins.
Rowdy
* Win -- clinches a minimum of a one-game playoff depending on Hoboken's outcome and eliminates Bridgewater and Hillsborough. The Pipers would secure #6 seed outright if they beat St. Louis and Hoboken loses to Marietta, and they would tie Newark for #5 seed if Sugar Bears lose.
* Lose -- hope Hoboken loses also, to force a tie; if Hoboken wins, Rowdy is out. If Bridgewater and Hillsborough both win, they tie Rowdy in this scenario.
Hoboken
* Win -- clinches at least another game to play and knocks out Hillsborough and Bridgewater. If Rowdy also wins, it sets up a one-game playoff for the #6 seed. If Newark also loses, the three teams finish in a tie for the two wild card seeds. A tie-breaker is avoided if Rowdy loses and the Cutters do no worse than the #6 seed.
* Lose -- root for Rowdy to lose to St. Louis, to set up that one-game playoff.
Bridgewater and Hillsborough
* Win -- The gentle neighbors to the west are in the same boat; they need losses by Rowdy and Hoboken to finish in at least a tie for the #6 seed. There's the potential for a four-way tie at 86-76. The Mallers phace Philly while the Hit Men take on Amityville.
* Lose -- See you in 2013.
If the playoffs were to start today, the seeds would look like this:
#1 Marietta, 107-54
#2 Vancouver, 92-70
#3 Hopatcong, 89-72
#4 Amityville, 88-73
#5 Newark, 87-74
#6 Rowdy, 86-75
#6 Hoboken, 86-75
-----------------------------------
#8 Bridgewater, 85-76, 1 game back
#8 Hillsborough, 85-76, 1 game back
Marietta and Vancouver have locked up the top two seeds, meaning a first-round bye and hosting the second round of the playoffs. If the standings hold, there would be a one-game playoff between Hoboken and Rowdy for the 6th and final seed.
Other scenarios going into Saturday's season finale:
Hopatcong
The Floating Fish clinched their first-ever division title after Thursday's win over Newark and they control their own destiny when it comes to a 3rd seed.
* Win -- clinches #3 seed outright and would face the #6 seed in the first round.
* Lose -- clinches #3 seed if Amityville also loses; if Amityville wins, they go to tie-breakers to determine #3 seed.
Amityville
The Ant Slayers also clinched their first division title earlier this week so they can't do worse than a #4 seed, but they need Hopatcong to lose if they have any hopes to jump to #3.
* Win -- hope Hopatcong loses to Newark to finish in a tie at 89-73, forcing a tie-breaker for the third seed.
* Lose -- even if Hopatcong loses, Amityville finishes a game behind at 88-74, in the #4th seed, which would face the #5 seed in round one.
Newark
* Win -- clinches #5 seed. The Sugar Bears could finish with a better record than Amityville if the Ant Slayers lose, but as a division winner, Amityville would be the #4 seed.
* Lose -- clinches #5 seed if Rowdy and Hoboken lose but if either wins, they finish in a tie with them, so there's the potential for a three-way tie at 87 wins.
Rowdy
* Win -- clinches a minimum of a one-game playoff depending on Hoboken's outcome and eliminates Bridgewater and Hillsborough. The Pipers would secure #6 seed outright if they beat St. Louis and Hoboken loses to Marietta, and they would tie Newark for #5 seed if Sugar Bears lose.
* Lose -- hope Hoboken loses also, to force a tie; if Hoboken wins, Rowdy is out. If Bridgewater and Hillsborough both win, they tie Rowdy in this scenario.
Hoboken
* Win -- clinches at least another game to play and knocks out Hillsborough and Bridgewater. If Rowdy also wins, it sets up a one-game playoff for the #6 seed. If Newark also loses, the three teams finish in a tie for the two wild card seeds. A tie-breaker is avoided if Rowdy loses and the Cutters do no worse than the #6 seed.
* Lose -- root for Rowdy to lose to St. Louis, to set up that one-game playoff.
Bridgewater and Hillsborough
* Win -- The gentle neighbors to the west are in the same boat; they need losses by Rowdy and Hoboken to finish in at least a tie for the #6 seed. There's the potential for a four-way tie at 86-76. The Mallers phace Philly while the Hit Men take on Amityville.
* Lose -- See you in 2013.
Friday, August 24, 2012
And Down The Stretch They Come!
Fewer than a dozen games remain in the 2012 DMBL season for most teams and while there's some uncertainty left as to seeding, the real drama looks like who will clinch the final few playoff spots.
The Marietta juggernaut (100-52) wrapped up its division last week and will secure the top seed. With their divisions safely in hand, Vancouver (87-66, with a magic number of 1) and Amityville (85-67/4) could battle for seeding in the final week. The difference between a No. 2 and No. 3 seed is a first-round bye.
The only division that seems to be left up for grabs is the Kruk, which also looks like it'll play a major role in determining the wild cards; it's conceivable that three of the four teams could be in the postseason. Newark, Hopatcong and Bridgewater have traded wins and losses for a few weeks, staying with a few games of one another.
Entering Thursday's action, the Sugar Bears held the division lead by just 1/2 game over the Floating Fish, who were only a 1/2 game ahead of the Mallers for the 6th and final playoff seed. After Thursday's games, it was Hopatcong (82-70) leading the division by a 1/2 game over Newark (82-71) and Bridgewater (82-71)!
Hopatcong will make the trip down 280 to Newark for a season-ending three-game series that potentially could crown the division champion -- or maybe the division's lone playoff representative. But before that, the Floating Fish have to go down 287 to Bridgewater this weekend in a three-game set that could provide some separation. Probable starters in the series line up like this:
The only division that seems to be left up for grabs is the Kruk, which also looks like it'll play a major role in determining the wild cards; it's conceivable that three of the four teams could be in the postseason. Newark, Hopatcong and Bridgewater have traded wins and losses for a few weeks, staying with a few games of one another.
Entering Thursday's action, the Sugar Bears held the division lead by just 1/2 game over the Floating Fish, who were only a 1/2 game ahead of the Mallers for the 6th and final playoff seed. After Thursday's games, it was Hopatcong (82-70) leading the division by a 1/2 game over Newark (82-71) and Bridgewater (82-71)!
Hopatcong will make the trip down 280 to Newark for a season-ending three-game series that potentially could crown the division champion -- or maybe the division's lone playoff representative. But before that, the Floating Fish have to go down 287 to Bridgewater this weekend in a three-game set that could provide some separation. Probable starters in the series line up like this:
HPG - Collmenter (12-12, 4.54) v. BRI - Beachy (16-5, 4.52)As for the wild cards, current Van Slyke runner-up Rowdy (83-70) enters Friday's games with a slim one-game lead on Newark and Bridgewater, with division rival Hoboken (81-72) just two games behind. That scenario sets up a playoff-like atmosphere at Rowdy this weekend where the Cutters come in for three games. The pitching matchups in Rowdy appear to be:
Stauffer (5-16, 6.15) v. Lincecum (6-1, 2.93 w/ BRI; 13-6, 3.28)
Cain (12-8, 3.53) v. Vazquez (1-6, 5.67 w/ BRI; 8-10, 3.43)
HBK - Jurrjens (14-13, 4.34) v. RWD - Gallardo (8-11, 5.65)Until this week, Hillsborough (78-74) and Sardine City (79-75) were still in the thick of the hunt and while there's been some separation in the past few days, these two just won't go away - both still stand within 3 1/2 games of the final seed after winning Thursday night with 10 and 9 games to go, respectively. Hillsborough faced among the most daunting final two weeks, with eight of its final 14 games against playoff contenders. Rowdy has nine of its final 13 against contending squads.
Kuroda (5-10, 5.67) v. Sabathia (13-10, 4.91)
Kershaw (13-5, 3.57) v. Wilson (12-8, 4.01)
Friday, May 20, 2011
Dunn da dun dun
Is this another sign that the world is about to end? Adam Dunn has been traded!
Eh... that's probably not a sign of the apocalypse, as Dunn has been swapped before and the world kept on turning. In fact, it's the fifth time Dunn has been traded! Interestingly enough, each time Dunn has been dealt, a pitcher has gone back the other way.
January 4, 2008: Hillsborough Hired Hitmen trade Dunn, Alex Rodriguez, Jeremy Bonderman, Ian Snell, and Jonathan Broxton to the Arkansas Golden Falcons for Dan Haren, Nick Markakis, a 7th round pick in 2008, 4th and 7th round picks in 2009, and their 5th round pick in 2010.
July 16, 2008: Arkansas Golden Falcons trade trade Dunn to the Philadelphia Endzone Animals for Jonathan Sanchez and their 3rd round pick in 2010.
November 4, 2008: Philadelphia Endzone Animals trade Dunn and their 9th round draft pick in 2009 and their 6th round pick in 2010 to the Hoboken Cutters for Scott Kazmir.
February 5, 2011: Hoboken Cutters trade Dunn and Hillsborough's 5th round pick in 2011 to the Amityville Ant Slayers for Matt Cain and their 6th round pick in 2012.
May 20, 2011: Amityville Ant Slayers trade Dunn and their 12th round pick in 2012 to the Blue Ridge Bombers for Cole Hamels and their 4th round pick in 2012.
Dunn was initially drafted way back in 2002 as an ineligible prospect, taken in the 4th Round (#50 overall) by the Phoenix Dragons. He had a miserable rookie year in '03 (.198/.316/.333) and the Dragons didn't protect him; he then went to Hillsborough in the '04 draft in the 2nd Round (#23 overall), but he struggled again, hitting just .170/.228/.377. But the Hitmen stuck with him and he finally broke out in '05, hitting .290/.377/.618 with 55 HRs and 150 RBIs. He's never been left off a protected list again.
The 31-year-old slugger began the 2010 season with a career .245 batting average (but .866 OPS). His 2011 season is pretty typical -- .259 BA, .860 OPS. However, Dunn's outlook for 2011 isn't promising at the moment -- he's hitting just .203 (.689 OPS), and at the moment only qualifies at DH. But there's still four and a half months left in the season, so he has plenty of time to turn it around... or be traded again!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Mallers get a little breathing room
Bridgewater gave themselves a little bit of a cushion in the Morris Division with an 8-5 win over Las Vegas. Chris Carpenter improved to 9-5 with a solid 7.2 inning effort giving up only 2 runs and striking out 6. Erick Aybar and Ben Molina each had 3 hits and Molina hit 2 homers and drove in 3 runs. Alex Rodriguez hit two home runs and drove in all 5 runs in defeat for the Rats. The Mallers opened up a 2-game lead on Vancouver, who lost 10-5 to Hoboken. Kosuke Fukudome was 5-5 and Miguel Cabrera and Adam Dunn each had 3 RBIs to lead the Cutters offense. The win broke Vancouver's 5-game winning streak.
Jorge Cantu also had a 5-for-5 day for Amityville in their 11-9 win over Arkansas. The Falcons dropped their 8th straight game. The Ant Slayers scored 6 runs in the 1st to take the early lead, but the Falcons clawed their way back and tied the game up in the 5th. A Miguel Tejada double gave the Slayers the lead back and Amityville extended their lead to 9-6. The Falcons kept trying to come back, but fell just short in the end.
And now for a game that featured almost zero offense...Hillsborough's Justin Verlander and New Jersey's Andy Pettitte were locked in a 0-0 game. The Hitmen finally broke through in the 9th, as Casey McGehee hit a walk-off single to give the Hitmen the victory. Verlander lasted 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and striking out 8, but didn't get a decision. Pettitte, who did get the loss, pitched 8.1 innings, giving up 6 hits and striking out 7.
Jorge Cantu also had a 5-for-5 day for Amityville in their 11-9 win over Arkansas. The Falcons dropped their 8th straight game. The Ant Slayers scored 6 runs in the 1st to take the early lead, but the Falcons clawed their way back and tied the game up in the 5th. A Miguel Tejada double gave the Slayers the lead back and Amityville extended their lead to 9-6. The Falcons kept trying to come back, but fell just short in the end.
And now for a game that featured almost zero offense...Hillsborough's Justin Verlander and New Jersey's Andy Pettitte were locked in a 0-0 game. The Hitmen finally broke through in the 9th, as Casey McGehee hit a walk-off single to give the Hitmen the victory. Verlander lasted 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and striking out 8, but didn't get a decision. Pettitte, who did get the loss, pitched 8.1 innings, giving up 6 hits and striking out 7.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday trade roundup
Two deals went through yesterday as Las Vegas and Vancouver both tried to upgrade their lineups for a playoff push.
After faltering and losing 6 straight and losing control of the Morris Division, Vancouver has actually turned things around and won 4 straight. Their anemic offense - ranked 13th in OPS (.723) - needed a punch. The Fist grabbed Jason Kubel from Amityville to help provide that punch. Kubel was only hitting .249/.312/.444 this season for the Ant Slayers, but Vancouver thinks he can help the team score some more runs. The Fist gave up pitcher Chad Billingsley, who has been lingering all year in the minors. Billingsley was 11-11 with a 5.12 ERA and 171 strikeouts last season for Vancouver. Billingsley is still young, however, and Amityville thinks that he will rebound. In addition to the players, the two teams exchanged draft picks - Amityville gets a second rounder, and Vancouver gets a 4th.
The bigger trade involved Las Vegas sending a boatload of draft picks to Hoboken in exchange for outfielder Brad Hawpe, reliever Nick Massett, and starter Edwin Jackson. Jackson may be best remembered for being dumped unceremoniously by Blue Ridge a few months back despite having solid numbers. But the Bombers were vindicated by Jackson's putrid record in Hoboken (2-5, 9.14 ERA in 8 starts). Massett was another player that was struggling (2-0, 5.27 in 40 appearances), but Vegas thinks both players could be assets. Outfielder Hawpe is a solid player who was hitting .274/.351/.510 for Hoboken with 12 homers and 32 RBIs. The Cutters received three picks in the 2011 draft (3rd,6th, and 10th) and 2 in 2012 (5th and 12th).
Not content to just make a trade, Las Vegas decided to clean house and parted with some interesting players. Rich Harden, a player that Vegas paid a lot to acquire several years ago from Vancouver, was jettisoned as owner Eric Wickstrom had grown increasingly frustrated by his lack of production. "It's the end of an error" said Wickstrom. Harden was joined on the way out by veterans Jose Contreras, Jeremy Guthrie, and Gary Sheffield. Another interesting castoff is young first baseman Chris Davis. Davis was a high draft selection in the 2009 draft (#2 overall), but his knack for striking out had put him in the Rat Pack's doghouse (or rathouse?). Also joining Davis on the curb is outfielder Scott Hairston. The purge left room for the Rat Pack to sign retreads Randy Wolf, Juan Pierre, and Gabe Kapler. "They may not sound spectacular" said Wickstrom, "but each one has a key role to play on this squad."
After faltering and losing 6 straight and losing control of the Morris Division, Vancouver has actually turned things around and won 4 straight. Their anemic offense - ranked 13th in OPS (.723) - needed a punch. The Fist grabbed Jason Kubel from Amityville to help provide that punch. Kubel was only hitting .249/.312/.444 this season for the Ant Slayers, but Vancouver thinks he can help the team score some more runs. The Fist gave up pitcher Chad Billingsley, who has been lingering all year in the minors. Billingsley was 11-11 with a 5.12 ERA and 171 strikeouts last season for Vancouver. Billingsley is still young, however, and Amityville thinks that he will rebound. In addition to the players, the two teams exchanged draft picks - Amityville gets a second rounder, and Vancouver gets a 4th.
The bigger trade involved Las Vegas sending a boatload of draft picks to Hoboken in exchange for outfielder Brad Hawpe, reliever Nick Massett, and starter Edwin Jackson. Jackson may be best remembered for being dumped unceremoniously by Blue Ridge a few months back despite having solid numbers. But the Bombers were vindicated by Jackson's putrid record in Hoboken (2-5, 9.14 ERA in 8 starts). Massett was another player that was struggling (2-0, 5.27 in 40 appearances), but Vegas thinks both players could be assets. Outfielder Hawpe is a solid player who was hitting .274/.351/.510 for Hoboken with 12 homers and 32 RBIs. The Cutters received three picks in the 2011 draft (3rd,6th, and 10th) and 2 in 2012 (5th and 12th).
Not content to just make a trade, Las Vegas decided to clean house and parted with some interesting players. Rich Harden, a player that Vegas paid a lot to acquire several years ago from Vancouver, was jettisoned as owner Eric Wickstrom had grown increasingly frustrated by his lack of production. "It's the end of an error" said Wickstrom. Harden was joined on the way out by veterans Jose Contreras, Jeremy Guthrie, and Gary Sheffield. Another interesting castoff is young first baseman Chris Davis. Davis was a high draft selection in the 2009 draft (#2 overall), but his knack for striking out had put him in the Rat Pack's doghouse (or rathouse?). Also joining Davis on the curb is outfielder Scott Hairston. The purge left room for the Rat Pack to sign retreads Randy Wolf, Juan Pierre, and Gabe Kapler. "They may not sound spectacular" said Wickstrom, "but each one has a key role to play on this squad."
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Slowey, Lester duel to 1-0 finish
Don't forget to get those votes in for the All-Star game! Less than two weeks away!
New Jersey and Amityville battled it out in a 1-0 pitchers duel. Seth Smith broke the tie in the 6th with a solo home run. Kevin Slowey went 8.1 innings for Team Buddah, holding the Ant Slayers to only 4 hits and striking out 5. John Lester was the hard luck loser for Amityville, pitching 7.1 innings and striking out 8.
Ichiro Suzuki kept up his hot hitting, going 4-6 with 3 RBIs and leading Marietta to a 15-9 victory over Hoboken. The "other Suzuki", Kurt, also contributed a 3-6, 3 RBI game including a home run. The Mighty Men scored in every inning except the 9th, when they just sent up random fans from the bleachers to bat in their place.
Hillsborough thoroughly dominated Arkansas in a 13-2 win yesterday. Not only did the Hitmen score 13 runs on 18 hits and saddle Falcons starter Ricky Nolasco with 10 earned runs, but they also held the Falcons to only 5 hits. Ryan Howard fell one double short of hitting for the cycle.
New Jersey and Amityville battled it out in a 1-0 pitchers duel. Seth Smith broke the tie in the 6th with a solo home run. Kevin Slowey went 8.1 innings for Team Buddah, holding the Ant Slayers to only 4 hits and striking out 5. John Lester was the hard luck loser for Amityville, pitching 7.1 innings and striking out 8.
Ichiro Suzuki kept up his hot hitting, going 4-6 with 3 RBIs and leading Marietta to a 15-9 victory over Hoboken. The "other Suzuki", Kurt, also contributed a 3-6, 3 RBI game including a home run. The Mighty Men scored in every inning except the 9th, when they just sent up random fans from the bleachers to bat in their place.
Hillsborough thoroughly dominated Arkansas in a 13-2 win yesterday. Not only did the Hitmen score 13 runs on 18 hits and saddle Falcons starter Ricky Nolasco with 10 earned runs, but they also held the Falcons to only 5 hits. Ryan Howard fell one double short of hitting for the cycle.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Comeback kids
Vancouver blew an 8-0 lead against the Falcons yesterday and ended up losing in extra innings 9-8. The Fist jumped all over starter Johan Santana early, but he settled in nicely after the 2nd, pitching 6 scoreless innings before departing. The Falcons' 4-run 8th inning tied the game up, then in the 10th Chris Coghlan hit a walkoff double, winning the series for the Falcons. Skip Schumaker ended the game 5-6 with 3 doubles.
Hoboken also came back against the Rat Pack, though a 2-0 lead is much more forgiveable. The Rats held the lead until the 9th inning. Adam Kennedy started it off with a one-out single and an error by Gary Sheffield. The next batter struck out and it looked like the Rats would be able to shut the door on the Cutters, but Denard Span hit a triple to score Kennedy. Dallas Braden was called in to take over - the Rats bullpen was exhausted with Rich Harden leaving the game early due to injury. Braden walked his first batter, then gave up the game tying single to Miguel Cabrera. Finally, Mike Napoli hit a 3-run homer to win the game for Hoboken.
Sardine City's Ubaldo Jimenez continued his breakout season. Jimenez limited the Mighty Men to just 4 hits in a complete game victory. He struck out 5 and walked 3 while allowing only 1 earned run, improving his record to 8-4.
Amityville and Philadelphia made a curious trade yesterday, giving themselves back their own draft picks and exchanging two players. Amityville sent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to Philadelphia along with their 9th round pick back. Meanwhile Philly gave up young pitcher Clayton Richard and gave Amityville back their 2nd round pick. Philadelphia also took the opportunity to do a little housecleaning, getting rid of Tony Gwynn and Kris Medlen and taking on George Sherrill and Jhonny Peralta.
Hoboken also came back against the Rat Pack, though a 2-0 lead is much more forgiveable. The Rats held the lead until the 9th inning. Adam Kennedy started it off with a one-out single and an error by Gary Sheffield. The next batter struck out and it looked like the Rats would be able to shut the door on the Cutters, but Denard Span hit a triple to score Kennedy. Dallas Braden was called in to take over - the Rats bullpen was exhausted with Rich Harden leaving the game early due to injury. Braden walked his first batter, then gave up the game tying single to Miguel Cabrera. Finally, Mike Napoli hit a 3-run homer to win the game for Hoboken.
Sardine City's Ubaldo Jimenez continued his breakout season. Jimenez limited the Mighty Men to just 4 hits in a complete game victory. He struck out 5 and walked 3 while allowing only 1 earned run, improving his record to 8-4.
Amityville and Philadelphia made a curious trade yesterday, giving themselves back their own draft picks and exchanging two players. Amityville sent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to Philadelphia along with their 9th round pick back. Meanwhile Philly gave up young pitcher Clayton Richard and gave Amityville back their 2nd round pick. Philadelphia also took the opportunity to do a little housecleaning, getting rid of Tony Gwynn and Kris Medlen and taking on George Sherrill and Jhonny Peralta.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Vancouver's two 5-run innings defeat Falcons
Vancouver and Arkansas battled it out yesterday to a 10-7 conclusion. The Falcons fell behind early - Vancouver scored 5 runs in the 4th to take a 5-1 lead, but the Falcons clawed back and eventually took the lead, 6-5 on a Chris Coghlan single. Vancouver tied it up the next inning when Marlon Byrd walked with the bases loaded, then the next batter, Garrett Jones, hit a pinch hit grand slam to give the Fist a 10-6 lead. The Falcons got another run, but that was it for them. Coghlan ended the game 4-5 with 2 RBIs and teammate Skip Schumaker was 5-6 for the Falcons in defeat.
In another tight game, Newark and Amityville fought a much lower scoring duel. Tied up early 1-1, Newark took a 2-1 lead in the 6th on a Nick Johnson solo homer. Amityville took the lead in the 8th, but the Sugar Bears tied it up in the top of the ninth. The Sugar Bears got into quick trouble in the bottom of the 9th, loading the bases with no outs. After retiring Matt Kemp on a shallow popup, Jason Kubel hit an easy double play ball to the third base side, but Chase Headley threw the ball into centerfield, allowing the winning run to score.
Don't forget to cast your votes for the 2010 All-Star Game. Last year there was a record number of votes cast, hopefully there'll be a good turnout this year as well.
In another tight game, Newark and Amityville fought a much lower scoring duel. Tied up early 1-1, Newark took a 2-1 lead in the 6th on a Nick Johnson solo homer. Amityville took the lead in the 8th, but the Sugar Bears tied it up in the top of the ninth. The Sugar Bears got into quick trouble in the bottom of the 9th, loading the bases with no outs. After retiring Matt Kemp on a shallow popup, Jason Kubel hit an easy double play ball to the third base side, but Chase Headley threw the ball into centerfield, allowing the winning run to score.
Don't forget to cast your votes for the 2010 All-Star Game. Last year there was a record number of votes cast, hopefully there'll be a good turnout this year as well.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Buddah streak ends at 6
New Jersey's winning streak finally came to an end at 6 games. Hillsborough defeated Team Buddah 7-3 behind the pitching of Dan Haren, who improved to 8-2 with an 8-inning effort in which he struck out 8 and gave up 2 runs. Justin Upton hit a 3-run homer in the 7th to give the Hitmen the offense they needed to end Buddah's run.
Meanwhile, Vancouver keeps winning and Hoboken keeps losing. The Cutters dropped their 7th straight, a 9-4 decision to the Fist. Ryan Ludwick was 4-5 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs to lead Vancouver to their 10th win in their last 12 games.
Ricky Nolasco and Hiroki Kuroda dueled in a 0-0 game for 6 innings, but Nolasco was pulled after hitting the 100-pitch mark. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Jeremy Affeldt allowed 2 runs to score on a Jacoby Ellsbury single and Jorge Cantu sac fly respectively. The Falcons couldn't get any runs across and the Ant Slayers won the game 2-0.
Jason Bartlett (4-4) and Andrew McCutchen (3-6, 4 RBI) led the Bombers to an 11-2 thrashing of Sardine City. McCutchen was a double away from hitting for the cycle. Rookie hurler J.A. Happ improved to 7-2 with a solid 7-inning effort. Blue Ridge currently sits in second place in the Morris Division, 3 1/2 games out of first.
Ichiro Suzuki was 5-6 with 4 RBIs as the Mighty Men unleased their firepower against the Mudcats to the tune of a 15-7 victory. Chone Figgins was 3-5 with 2 triples and Kurt Suzuki was 3-4 with 2 RBIs as Marietta avoids the sweep.
Meanwhile, Vancouver keeps winning and Hoboken keeps losing. The Cutters dropped their 7th straight, a 9-4 decision to the Fist. Ryan Ludwick was 4-5 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs to lead Vancouver to their 10th win in their last 12 games.
Ricky Nolasco and Hiroki Kuroda dueled in a 0-0 game for 6 innings, but Nolasco was pulled after hitting the 100-pitch mark. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Jeremy Affeldt allowed 2 runs to score on a Jacoby Ellsbury single and Jorge Cantu sac fly respectively. The Falcons couldn't get any runs across and the Ant Slayers won the game 2-0.
Jason Bartlett (4-4) and Andrew McCutchen (3-6, 4 RBI) led the Bombers to an 11-2 thrashing of Sardine City. McCutchen was a double away from hitting for the cycle. Rookie hurler J.A. Happ improved to 7-2 with a solid 7-inning effort. Blue Ridge currently sits in second place in the Morris Division, 3 1/2 games out of first.
Ichiro Suzuki was 5-6 with 4 RBIs as the Mighty Men unleased their firepower against the Mudcats to the tune of a 15-7 victory. Chone Figgins was 3-5 with 2 triples and Kurt Suzuki was 3-4 with 2 RBIs as Marietta avoids the sweep.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A-Rod gets shipped out again
There was a blockbuster trade announced this morning between the Las Vegas Rat Pack and the Amityville Ant Slayers. The Rat Pack has acquired slugging third baseman Alex Rodriguez and their 6th round pick in next year's draft for Matt Kemp, Jay Bruce, and Jorge Cantu. Rodriguez joins his 4th team in the past 3 years. Amityville acquired Rodriguez midseason last year from Philadelphia, who acquired A-Rod from Arkansas in the offseason that year for Johan Santana. Rodriguez is only batting .221 this season but has 6 homers, 20 runs, and 18 RBIs and a decent .781 OPS. Will A-Rod bounce back in the Vegas heat or will he continue to struggle?
First place Marietta has displayed some chinks in their armor, dropping their third straight yesterday - a 3-2 loss to Vancouver. Despite the losing skid, Marietta still holds a healthy 5-game lead in the Hanover Division.
First place Marietta has displayed some chinks in their armor, dropping their third straight yesterday - a 3-2 loss to Vancouver. Despite the losing skid, Marietta still holds a healthy 5-game lead in the Hanover Division.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sardines triumphant in 16 innings
Sardine City and New Jersey battled for a marathon-like 16 innings before the Straphangers took the lead. Both teams scored early - the Buddahs scored 2 in the 1st and the Sardines tied it up in the 3rd, then nothing. Josh Outman gave the Buddahs 7 innings, giving up only 7 hits and striking out 6, while his Straphangers counterpart, Jordan Zimmerman lasted 8 innings and holding New Jersey to only 3 hits. The bullpens held each other in check until the 16th, when Scott Eyre gave up a leadoff double to Marco Scutaro, then Ryan Braun homered to win the game.
Another shorter extra inning game was played between Vegas and Amityville. The Rats picked up a 3-0 lead but the Ants got on the board in the 5th, then tied the score up in the 6th on a Miguel Tejada double. But the Rats would have the last laugh in the 11th when pinch-hitter Travis Hafner hit a solo homer to win the game for the Pack. The Ant Slayers held the Rats to only 5 hits in the game (versus 11 for the Slayers), but two of the hits were home runs.
Clayton Kershaw finally had a decent outing against Newark, lowering his ERA to 10.13 with a 5.1 inning, 6 hit performance. Kershaw gave up one run and struck out 8, but didn't get a decision. That's because the Cutters scored all 7 runs in the final 3 innings to take a 7-1 win against Newark.
Another shorter extra inning game was played between Vegas and Amityville. The Rats picked up a 3-0 lead but the Ants got on the board in the 5th, then tied the score up in the 6th on a Miguel Tejada double. But the Rats would have the last laugh in the 11th when pinch-hitter Travis Hafner hit a solo homer to win the game for the Pack. The Ant Slayers held the Rats to only 5 hits in the game (versus 11 for the Slayers), but two of the hits were home runs.
Clayton Kershaw finally had a decent outing against Newark, lowering his ERA to 10.13 with a 5.1 inning, 6 hit performance. Kershaw gave up one run and struck out 8, but didn't get a decision. That's because the Cutters scored all 7 runs in the final 3 innings to take a 7-1 win against Newark.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Carolina stands alone on top
Amazingly almost every team has lost and won at least one game by now...well, except Carolina (now 3-0) and Sardine City (falling to 0-3). The Mudcats edged the Straphangers 4-3 to complete the sweep. Prince Fielder's 2-run homer in the 7th locked in the lead for Carolina and Mike Pelfrey started the season at 1-0 after pitching 6.2 solid innings.
Rookie Nelson Cruz went 2-3 with a homer and 4 RBIs in his first DMBL start for the Ant Slayers, leading the team to a 6-3 win over Hoboken. Hiroki Kuroda struck out 9 in 6 innings to earn the win while Hanley Ramirez went 4-5 for the losing team. Also in the game, catcher Jeff Mathis committed 3 errors. The first occurred in the 2nd inning when Mathis attempted to throw out Cruz as he was stealing second, but instead got the ball caught in his catcher's mask and ended up throwing it behind him. The in the same inning, Brandon Phillips also attempted to steal second base, but Mathis was distracted by an Amityville fan in the stands who lifted her shirt and threw the ball into the ground. Finally in the 5th inning, Adam LaRoche hit a ball just in front of the plate and Mathis, who had been eating Cheetos between innings and had orange dust all over his hands, lost control of the ball and missed pitcher Matt Garza's head by inches. "These sorts of things happen all the time" said Mathis after the game. "I just have to shake them off." Mathis then got up to leave the podium, but tripped over the chair and knocked over the microphones. No serious injuries occurred.
Newark evened their series against Vegas with a 1-0 blanking of the Rat Pack. Koji Uehara in his first ever DMBL start, went the distance, holding the Rats to 6 hits and striking out 8. Rich Harden was doing his best to keep up, holding the Sugar Bears to only 1 hit in 4.1 innings, but his 5 walks raised his pitch count too high and pitching coach Sam Malone recommended the brittle starter to be pulled. The Sugar Bears finally scored in the 8th on a Nick Swisher double, but only managed 6 hits over the course of the game.
Skip Schumaker was 5-6 as the Falcons outlasted the Bombers 9-7 and winning their first game of the season. The Falcons tallied 18 hits in the contest but Johan Santana's struggles from Spring Training continued. Santana pitched 6.2 innings, but allowed 6 runs on 11 hits and 3 walks.
Franklin Gutierrez and Seth Smith each hit a pair of homers as the Buddahs doubled up the Mighty Men 8-4. Kevin Slowey picked up the win, pitching 7 innings and giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, while striking out 5.
Rookie Nelson Cruz went 2-3 with a homer and 4 RBIs in his first DMBL start for the Ant Slayers, leading the team to a 6-3 win over Hoboken. Hiroki Kuroda struck out 9 in 6 innings to earn the win while Hanley Ramirez went 4-5 for the losing team. Also in the game, catcher Jeff Mathis committed 3 errors. The first occurred in the 2nd inning when Mathis attempted to throw out Cruz as he was stealing second, but instead got the ball caught in his catcher's mask and ended up throwing it behind him. The in the same inning, Brandon Phillips also attempted to steal second base, but Mathis was distracted by an Amityville fan in the stands who lifted her shirt and threw the ball into the ground. Finally in the 5th inning, Adam LaRoche hit a ball just in front of the plate and Mathis, who had been eating Cheetos between innings and had orange dust all over his hands, lost control of the ball and missed pitcher Matt Garza's head by inches. "These sorts of things happen all the time" said Mathis after the game. "I just have to shake them off." Mathis then got up to leave the podium, but tripped over the chair and knocked over the microphones. No serious injuries occurred.
Newark evened their series against Vegas with a 1-0 blanking of the Rat Pack. Koji Uehara in his first ever DMBL start, went the distance, holding the Rats to 6 hits and striking out 8. Rich Harden was doing his best to keep up, holding the Sugar Bears to only 1 hit in 4.1 innings, but his 5 walks raised his pitch count too high and pitching coach Sam Malone recommended the brittle starter to be pulled. The Sugar Bears finally scored in the 8th on a Nick Swisher double, but only managed 6 hits over the course of the game.
Skip Schumaker was 5-6 as the Falcons outlasted the Bombers 9-7 and winning their first game of the season. The Falcons tallied 18 hits in the contest but Johan Santana's struggles from Spring Training continued. Santana pitched 6.2 innings, but allowed 6 runs on 11 hits and 3 walks.
Franklin Gutierrez and Seth Smith each hit a pair of homers as the Buddahs doubled up the Mighty Men 8-4. Kevin Slowey picked up the win, pitching 7 innings and giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, while striking out 5.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Mudcats cruising toward first
The red hot Mudcats kept their streak alive by pounding the Straphangers 12-5. Dustin Pedroia was 3-5 with 3 RBIs and Magglio Ordonez was 3-5 with 2 RBIs for the Cats. Carolina scored 8 runs in the 7th inning to take the lead away from Sardine City, who was leading 5-4 at the time. It was Carolina's 5th straight victory, moving them to 2 games behind Morris Division frontrunner Hillsborough.
The Hitmen took a bit of a pounding themselves, 10-4 at the hands of the Endzone Animals. Albert Pujols and Josh Willingham each 4 RBIs as the Animals scored all their runs in the first 4 innings. To add injury to insult, Wandy Rodriguez, who was replacing C.C. Sabathia in the rotation, was lost for the next two weeks.
The Cutters had 4 errors in their game against Amityville and only managed 5 hits against the Ant Slayer pitchers, but somehow managed to win their game anyway. Starter Armando Galarraga had shut down the Cutters offense, allowing only 2 runs on 3 hits in 7 innings, and left with a 4-2 lead after 7. In the 9th inning, reliever J.J. Putz walked the first two batters, then gave way to John Grabow. After striking out the first batter, Grabow gave up a base hit to Ryan Church to bring the score to 4-3. The next batter, Hank Blalock, took Grabow deep, hitting a 3-run homer to win the game for the Cutters.
The Hitmen took a bit of a pounding themselves, 10-4 at the hands of the Endzone Animals. Albert Pujols and Josh Willingham each 4 RBIs as the Animals scored all their runs in the first 4 innings. To add injury to insult, Wandy Rodriguez, who was replacing C.C. Sabathia in the rotation, was lost for the next two weeks.
The Cutters had 4 errors in their game against Amityville and only managed 5 hits against the Ant Slayer pitchers, but somehow managed to win their game anyway. Starter Armando Galarraga had shut down the Cutters offense, allowing only 2 runs on 3 hits in 7 innings, and left with a 4-2 lead after 7. In the 9th inning, reliever J.J. Putz walked the first two batters, then gave way to John Grabow. After striking out the first batter, Grabow gave up a base hit to Ryan Church to bring the score to 4-3. The next batter, Hank Blalock, took Grabow deep, hitting a 3-run homer to win the game for the Cutters.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)