Livingston's Bride hits for the cycle

Jonah Bride joined the likes of Yangervis Solarte and Scooter Gennett in the annals of DMBL history, becoming at least the 13th player to hit for the cycle.

Devers delivers the cycle

Rafael Devers of Arkansas went 5-for-5 and hit for the cycle on Friday night, the 2nd time in franchise history and the first in the DMBL since 2017.

Hamilton cycles in defeat to Newark

The battle between Newark and Marietta hasn't gone the Mighty Men's way, losing the first two, including yesterday's 10-9, extra inning loss. But they have one thing up on the Sugar Bears - most cycles. Yesterday, Josh Hamilton managed a rare feat, hitting for the cycle. Overall he was 4-6 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs. Hamilton started his day by hitting a leadoff double in the 2nd inning, then followed that up with a single in the 3rd. The two easiest components of the cycle were out of the way. In the 5th inning, Hamilton hit a two-run homer that gave the Mighty Men a temporary 6-5 lead. Lest you think that the extra innings gave Hamilton some extra opportunities, he hit his triple in the 7th inning, again breaking a tie and giving the Mighty Men an 8-7 lead. After that, he was done, though the game wasn't... Hamilton would bat two more times, striking out in the 8th and flying out in the 10th. For the curious folks, the last cycle was hit by Vladimir Guerrero last year, then with Blue Ridge against Las Vegas on June 17.

In another extra inning affair, Carolina topped Arkansas 4-3. The Falcons took an early 3-0 lead in the 1st inning on a 3-run David Wright homer. Carolina finally tied the game up in the 8th with a 3-run inning. It seemed like no one would score until the 14th inning, when Arkansas got into trouble giving up back to back singles with one out. After intentionally walking the bases loaded, Aramis Ramirez came through with the game winning single. Amazing that the game was so close considering that the Mudcats outhit the Falcons 18-7 in the game, leaving 19 baserunners stranded throughout the game.

Justin Verlander held the O-Bombers to only 2 hits in 8 innings, earning his 9th win in a 12-2 blowout. Freddy Sanchez hit two home runs and drove in 4 runs in the game and Russell Martin was 2-3 with 3 RBIs. The Hitmen maintain a 4-game lead over the red hot Mudcats.

Josh Johnson pitched a complete game, holding the Cutters to 2 runs on 6 hits in a 7-2 Sardine City win. Johnson had struggled this season before an injury sidelined him for a month, then struggled in his first two starts. But he turned things around in his next start against Arkansas and now pitched this gem against Hoboken. Johnson's record was 3-13 before going on the DL and he is now 5-15.

Guerrero cycles past Philly

You've probably already noticed that Vlad Guerrero hit for the cycle in Blue Ridge's 8-1 victory over Philly yesterday. Guerrero got the hardest one out of the way immediately, with a triple in the first inning that gave the Bombers a 1-0 lead. Guerrero led off the 4th with a double, scoring when the next batter, Prince Fielder, drove him in. Things looked bad when Guerrero grounded out in the 6th, but bounced back big time in the 8th with a two-run homer. With the hardest ones out of the way, Guerrero hoped for one more chance in the ninth. Thanks to the Bombers offense coming alive, Vlad got his at bat in the ninth and lined the needed single to right field. Guerrero is the first player to hit for the cycle since Philly's Albert Pujols and Vancouver's Eric Chavez achieved the feat in back to back days in 2006.

Roy Oswalt and Justin Verlander dueled it out to a double-complete game 1-0 final. The score was 0-0 right up til the 9th inning when Brad Hawpe led off the bottom half of the inning with a fly ball that just cleared the fence. Verlander gave up only three hits and three walks in his nine, while striking out 6. Verlander, who got an awful start to the season, has been excellent lately, giving up one run or less in four of his last five starts. Oswalt was also very effective, giving up one run on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9.

Arkansas and D.C. slugged it out for 13 innings yesterday, with the Falcons emerging on top of an 8-7 decision. After D.C. established a 7-4 lead, the Falcons had to rally in the 6th and 7th to tie up the game. It would remain tied for another five innings until Brandon Phillips hit a nubbler to the left side of the infield that Jose Reyes was unable to get to in time. David Wright, breaking with the pitch, scored easily from third.

John Smoltz, who was demoted for three days to AAA Dublin, came back in full force by shutting out the Straphangers 4-0. Smoltz held the Hangmen to only five hits and struck out 12. B.J. Upton and Kurt Suzuki had four of the five hits. The Sugar Bears were held to only 6 hits in the game, but Phil Hughes and the Sardine City pen gave up 8 walks.

The first deal during the 2008 regular season was just completed today. The Philadelphia Endzone Animals exchanged farmhand pitchers with division rival Vancouver. Vancouver re-acquired lefty Scott Olsen, who had struggled with the club last season. Philadelphia received Kyle Kendrick in return. Kendrick was drafted to give the Fist some rotation depth, but with the strength of the rotation and Rich Hill available to spot start, Kendrick was expendable. Philly will send Kendrick to AAA Trenton for the time being, but he may be called up if Yovani Gallardo or Jason Bergmann continue to struggle.

Mathews' cycle

Although the league doesn't officially track cycles, it is a rare feat. Sardine City's Gary Matthews became the first player since 2005 to hit for the cycle in yesterday's 11-1 pounding of the Mudcats. Matthews hit a single in his first at bat, getting the easy one out of the way. Matthews struck out in his second at bat (getting the 0-base hit?). In the fourth innings, Matthews hit a double that scored two runs. At this point the fans still didn't sense that anything special was going on... In the sixth inning, Matthews hit a two-run shot to left field to give the Sardines a 7-1 lead. But the hardest component of the cycle was still needed. Luckily for Matthews, Justin Speier threw a meatball down the plate that Matthews lined past center fielder Grady Sizemore that scored Freddy Sanchez. It looked like an easy double but Sizemore had trouble playing the carom off the wall and Matthews went for it and made it easily. Matthews ended the day 4-5 with 5 RBIs. Tom Glavine earned his 9th win of the season and his 169th career, moving him into a tie for sixth all-time with Kevin Brown.

The last player to hit for the cycle was Eric Chavez, then with Vancouver, in August of 2005. Chavez achieved the feat a few days after Albert Pujols did the same. There were actually three players to hit for the cycle that year - Las Vegas' Carl Crawford did it early in the season. The first player to hit for the cycle was Todd Hundley of Toledo in 1998.

Meanwhile in the playoff race, Hoboken won their fifth straight and moved into fourth place overall, while D.C. continued their slide and moved into a fifth-place tie with Honolulu. Hillsborough and Vancouver both suffered ill-timed losses. Hillsborough falls into seventh with the loss and Vancouver is now sitting 2 1/2 games out of the final wild card spot. Honolulu has now won seven of eight games against Vancouver this season.

Day of Almost Cycles

The Hoboken Cutters won twice in extra innings yesterday. This despite the defensive deficiency of Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez had one error in the first game and another two in the second, giving him nine errors on the pre-season. The Cutters plan on playing a few games of "pepper" before game time today, hopefully giving Ramirez a chance to improve. Teammate and longtime Cutter Geoff Jenkins said it might be the result of a practical joke gone wrong. "It's part of our rookie hazing" said Jenkins. "We put some sulfuric acid on the glove the first game and he burned his hand a little. I think he's a little afraid of his glove now...the big pussy."

Sardine City's Raul Ibanez was one single away from hitting for the cycle against Hillsborough. Ibanez hit a double in the second inning, flied out in the fourth, hit a triple in the sixth and homered in the eighth. "If I had known that, I wouldn't have flied out in my second atbat" said Ibanez. Meanwhile, Carolina's Rocco Baldelli also almost hit the cycle, but needed a slighly harder to achieve home run. However, Baldelli did go 4-4 in the game. Baldelli has been trying to return from injuries that kept him out all last year.

Marietta's Jim Thome hit two homers in his game against Philly. Thome is also trying to return from a season lost to injury last year.

Vancouver's Fernando Nieve turned in another impressive start yesterday against Newark. Nieve pitched eight innings and allowed only three hits and one unearned run. "If he keeps this up, we might have to find a place for him in the rotation" said manager Darren Daulton. Nieve is considered a longshot to make the final roster.

Hillsborough's Juan Pierre swiped three bases against Vancouver catcher Victor Martinez to take over the league lead in stolen bases with five. Pierre and several other Hitmen have been given the green light to run as often as they can.

Another impressive Marietta Mighty Man rookie pitcher: Jeremy Sowers turned in a complete game win against Las Vegas, surrendering only one run and seven hits, but no strikeouts.

A Jaret Wright vs. Josh Beckett pitchers' duel? Must be spring training.