Batter and Pitcher of the Week

With Zane Smith missing in action, we've been charged with awarding the weekly prizes. Since the Olympics have just ended we'll do this in an Olympic fashion...

Batter of the Week

Bronze Medal - Akinori Iwamura, Tampa Bay - The Plunkers have been red hot this week, winning nine in a row before dropping two yesterday. Iwamura has been just as hot over that stretch. He was tied for second in the league with 10 RBIs over the past week and batted .385/.500/.692 with 7 runs scored.

Silver Medal - Troy Tulowitzki, Carolina - Carolina had given Tulo up for dead after he couldn't cross the Mendoza line for much of the season. After the roster purges just before the deadline, he got another chance to get some at-bats and has been much better. This week, Tulo batted .391/.423/.870 with 3 homers and 7 RBIs and brought his average up over the .200 mark to .205.

Gold Medal - Magglio Ordonez, Philadelphia - Magglio has made a strong case as MVP of the Endzone Animals, leading the team in RBIs, runs, average, OBP, slugging, and doubles. This week was no exception as he hit .500/.541/.781 to claim the JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week prize. We'll be sending a box of Flor de Baloneys to the dugout in time for tonight's game!

Pitcher of the Week

Bronze Medal - Francisco Rodriguez, Blue Ridge - K-Rod has been money since coming over to the Bombers (1.19 ERA, 32 K in 22.2 IP, 0.93 WHIP). This week, he was exceptional, striking out 11 in 8 innings of work in 7 games (he's gotta be tired). All that and he even got a W for his efforts.

Silver Medal - Mariano Rivera, Marietta - The Master still has a small edge over K-Rod. Rivera saved 2 games this week in 6 games (7 IP), striking out 7 with an 0.57 WHIP.

Gold Medal - C.C. Sabathia, Hillsborough - the pitching has been a big reason why Hillsborough has been winning lately (9 in a row as of Sunday!) and there's no bigger pitcher on the staff than C.C. Hmmm I think that may have come out wrong... Anyway, Sabathia was 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA this week, including 15 K in 15 innings and an 0.93 WHIP. He gets to enjoy this week's Baracky II Pitcher of the Week Award!

Vegas takes difficult series against Newark

Vegas took game three against the Sugar Bears, winning two of three in the series in Newark. It is only the second home series the Sugar Bears have lost all year. The Rats won a 9-7 decision in 11 innings, scoring 3 runs in the top of the 11th and holding off the Crunch with Punch in the bottom half of the inning. The Rats move to within 2 games of first place in the Hanover Division. The Rats also lost reliever Pat Neshek in the game for the next two weeks. The Rats hold steady at 4 disabled players, though shortstop Jeff Keppinger is due back shortly.

Tampa Bay paid Hoboken their 7th straight loss by an 8-5 score. Akinori Iwamura was 2-4 with 4 RBIs and Jeff Francis pitched 7 solid innings to pick up the W. Ian Kinsler was 4-4 with 2 homers in defeat for the Cutters.

New Jersey pounded D.C. to an 8-1 tune and moved up ahead of Hoboken in the standings. Brad Penny gave up only an unearend run on 4 hits in 7 innings to pick up the win. Ivan Rodriguez (3-4, HR, 3 R) starred on offense for Team Buddah.

In the final game of the day, Carolina and Arkansas battled for 13 innings. Carolina held a 3-1 lead for most of the game, but the Falcons scored a run in each of the final two innings to knot the game at 3. Back-to-back RBI doubles by David Wright and Justin Morneau gave the Falcons a 2-run lead, but Dustin Pedroia's 2-run double in the bottom tied the game again at 5. Finally in the 13th, Aramis Ramirez hit a 3-run walkoff home run to win the game for the Cats.