Frostbite Falls---Sure, they have the best record (81-54) in all of BARB. Sure, they lead the league in runs scored and are fourth in ERA. And, yes, they have healthy pitching staff. But none of that mattered on Game Day 142, as Brad Hawpe came off the bench in the bottom of the ninth to hit a three-run bomb off J.J. Putz (2-3, 2.91), a pinch-hit, walkoff job that absolutely crushed the Unnatural Selections.
“Hawpe has our number,” conceded Darwin skipper PZ Myers. “I guarantee you we are never going to give him anything to hit again. This has to be about the seventh time this year he had a clutch hit against us, and I know for a fact that last year he homered against us four times. I wish they’d trade him to a Central Division club, because he does more damage against us than anyone in their lineup after Albert (Pujols).”
Hawpe’s heroics made a winner out of Carlos Marmol (5-2, 2.76), who was caddying for hard-luck case Cole Hamels, who is just 5-9 despite a fine 3.71 ERA and nearly a strikeout an inning. Oliver Perez, who had his worst start in a Darwin ‘uni’ last week (1 IP, 6 BB), was better than Hamels this time, fanning eight over seven-plus frames and leaving with a 3-2 lead. But the Squirrels’ ninth-inning rally erased that bad luck, and if the clubhouse was any indicator, the Eastern Division leaders were feeling the heat.
Darwin, if it cinches a playoff spot, will limp into the postseason with a few bad wheels.
OF Rick Ankiel has not started for over a week and may need surgery for a sports hernia. IF Carlos Guillen has a pinched nerve in his back and has not been able to swing a bat in over a week. Both players are unlikely to play the rest of the year, and will likely miss the post-season.
Meanwhile, 3B Chipper Jones (who has played through many nagging injuries this season) has had a flareup of shoulder tendinitis that has not responded to off-the-counter steroids, and can no longer play the field. For now, the Finches will give Jones some days off and only use him in the lineup as a DH…which puts David Ortiz on the bench. In all likelihood, Darwin will call up IF Mark Loretta to fill Ankiel’s spot and then wait and see about Guillen and Jones. Loretta could see time around the infield, as could utility man Chone Figgins. The Finches could also call up Jeff Clement from AAA and use the productive bat of Ryan Doumit around the infield, or even in the outfield. So they have options. It’s just not going to be the dominant lineup of much of the summer.
In other BARB action:
YUMA 6, LAS VEGAS 3
WP: Edinson Volquez (5-8, 3.35)
LP: Francisco Liriano (0-1, 9.00)
Rookie Edinson Volquez allowed Prince Fielder’s 41st homer in the first, then settled down, finishing with a four-hitter and a complete game in outlasting highly-touted but erratic lefty Francisco Liriano, just called up from AAA. Vladimir Guerrero and Ryan Zimmerman both went yard for the Firebirds, but the big blow was Ryan Braun’s team-leading 29th boundary belt, a three-run blast to chase Liriano in the fifth. With the win, Yuma (79-60) pulled a half-game ahead of idle Lexington with just 13 games left in the season….!
BROOKLYN 7, WORCESTER 6
WP: Rafael Betancourt (8-4, 2.76)
LP: Pedro Feliciano (3-3, 2.85)
PITCHER Micah Owings hit a game-tying pinch-home run leading off the eighth against reliever Heath Bell, and Pedro Feliciano failed to record an out in the bottom of the ninth as the Moabs, led by SS Troy Tulowitzki, rallied to beat the visiting Eliminators. With the loss, Worcester fell three behind East-leading Darwin at 78-57, but they are only one game behind Frostbite Falls in the wild card spot…with just 17 games left to play!
2 comments:
Told you SPOILER!!!
I am going to predict that the wild card winner will be from the West. If the records that were mentioned (Yuma 79-60, Worcester 78-57) are true, then Yuma and Lexington will beat up on other West or Central teams (unless they play each other) and the East will beat up on itself.
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