Howard, Vazquez take awards

It was a good week for Hillsborough batters this week. Ben Zobrist hit .426 with a .517 OBP and .660 slugging, scoring 11 runs, while teammate Casey McGehee hit 3 homers and scored 10 with a .999 OPS. Sin-Shoo Choo had an even better 1.065 OPS with 5 doubles and 10 runs and 8 RBIs. But the JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week award goes to Ryan Howard, who hit an astounding .441 with a .512 OBP and 1.059 slugging. Howard hit 4 homers and 2 triples (!) and 5 doubles with 11 runs scored and 11 RBIs. Enjoy your complimentary box of Gurkhas, Ryan!

Other non-Hillsborough top hitters: Bridgewater's Brian McCann (.366/.409/.683, 3 HR, 9 RBI) and Derrek Lee (8 HR, 12 RBIs), and Amityville's Brandon Phillips (.397/.426/.569, 3 HR, 14 R, 10 RBIs).

This week's BP Spills Coffee Pitcher of the Week Award was a tough one with lots of deserving candidates. There were a bunch of "comeback" candidates - pitchers who started the season poorly but had good weeks like Arkansas' Jorge de la Rosa (1-0, 1.20, 1.00 WHIP, 16 K) and Cliff Lee (2-1, 1.74, 1.02, CG), Hillsborough's Felix Hernandez (3-0, 2.45, 0.95) and Vancouver's Jake Peavy (2-0, 2.45, 1.09). Then there were the outstanding relievers like Bridgewater's Andrew Bailey (6 SV, 0.25 WHIP in 8 IP, 14 K) and Carolina's Burke Badenhop (2-0, 2.29, 1.12 in 19.2 IP). But the prize this week goes to Newark's Javy Vazquez who was 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Vazquez also struck out 24 batters in 22 IP.

Other contenders: Vegas' Brett Anderson (1-1, 2.25, 0.88), Amityville's Doug Fister (1-1, 1.26 who was released and claimed by Newark), Newark's Brad Bergesen (1-0, 1.06), Blue Ridge's Gavin Floyd (2-0, 1.83, 18K), Vancouver's Mat Latos (1-0, 2.08, 0.92) and Kevin Millwood (1-0, 2.02, 0.82) and Sardine City's John Lackey (1-0, 2.05, 0.95, 18K).

Bad day for pitchers

Two teams were crushed yesterday at home. Honolulu routed the Golden Falcons 18-5. Brian McCann had two homers and five RBIs and Jeff Francis improved to 7-1 on the season. Falcons starter Ervin Santana lasted just 2 innings and gave up six runs, but the real damage was done by reliever Brad Lidge, who surrendered eight earned runs, in addition to allowing both of his inherited runners to score. Lidge and Santana combined to walk eight batters and surrendered eight hits and 14 earned runs in 3.1 innings.

Meanwhile in Vancouver, the Sugar Bears pounded the Iron Fist to a 17-5 tune. Nick Johnson was 4-6 with 6 RBIs and three homers and Manny Ramirez was 4-5 with one homer. Starter Ben Sheets was ripped apart - 1.2 IP, 6 ER, 6 hits. Vancouver also allowed six unearned runs in the contest. Javier Vazquez was the beneficiary of the run support and improved to 4-2 by limiting the Fist to three hits over six innings, though he did issue five walks.

New Jersey's recent acquisition Matt Guerrier pitched in his first game for Team Buddah and was impressive in 5.1 innings, surrendering no runs and four hits, while striking out three. It wasn't enough because starter Brad Penny was shelled (6 runs, eight hits in 1.2 innings).

Want more starter shellings? How about D.C.'s John Maine who gave up six runs and eight hits in two innings against Hoboken? At least Maine didn't get a loss as the Bushslappers came back to win the game.

How about Sardine City's Tom Glavine who gave up five runs and five hits in two innings in a loss to Hillsborough? The Straphangers ended up using eight pitchers in the game, including Brandon Claussen who was the team's emergency starter earlier in the year.

So did anyone pitch well yesterday? Las Vegas' Chris Young pitched seven scoreless innings against South Boston in picking up the win to improve to 4-4. Young struck out 10 Gangsters. Speaking of Las Vegas, Brett Myers will try to break the hex over him tonight as he tries to win his first game of the season. Myers is currently 0-9 on the year with a 10.38 ERA. "If he doesn't turn things around, I may send him to the pen next year" said team owner Eric Wickstrom.

Win some, lose some

Well two winless teams picked up their first victories yesterday and two undefeated teams suffered their first loss.

No, the Sugar Bears are still undefeated and back up to their old tricks. The Bears continued pounding away at the league, trouncing South Boston, 12-2. Javy Vazquez earned the victory, holding the Gang to only three hits over 6.1 innings - revenge factor?

D.C. and Hoboken each won their first games of the season. Both won by one run with D.C. going to extra innings to break their losing streak. Hoboken handed Hillsborough their first loss of the year. Meanwhile, Vancouver dropped their first in a close match with Marietta. There are three winless and three undefeated teams remaining and both new expansion teams are still in the hunt for their first win of the year.

Carolina's Juan Rivera gets the batting line of the night award. Rivera was 3-3 with 5 RBIs and 2 homers on the night, leading the Cats to a 12-3 pounding of the Rat Pack.

Marietta rookie Jeremy Sowers had the top pitching performance last night, holding the Iron Fist in check for eight innings, striking out seven and allowing only two runs on five hits.