VEGAS: WILL WHAT HAPPENED THERE, STAY THERE?

VEGAS: WILL WHAT HAPPENED THERE, STAY THERE?

Office of the League Commissioner----BARB Commissioner Scott Hatfield confirmed that the moribund Las Vegas franchise, winner of back-to-back Central titles but bereft of stable ownership since the off-season began, may be finding a new ownership group. “This group,” said Hatfield, “is headed by Jeff ‘Chops’ Braga of Fresno. Jeff was intrigued by the opportunity, despite the club’s many woes, including the suspension of Manny Ramirez. Recommended by Frostbite Falls GM Andrew Haynes, we hope that Mr. Braga will be able to put this franchise on a more sturdy foundation.”

Reporters peppered Hatfield with questions regarding the franchise’s future: “Will it remain in Vegas, or be relocated?” “Will Ramirez, or one of the other big bats in the club’s lineup become available in trade?” “When will the club exercise its draft picks?” “Will it sign any free agents?” “Will Alfonso Soriano really swing at anything?”

To which the Sage Czar of Baseball replied: “I dunno. Anything’s possible. Sometime soon. You’ll have to wait and see. And, no, only the pitches he thinks he can hit out of the park.”

As it so happened, the (at-present) Luchadores had a microcosm of what’s good and bad about their club on Game Day 63 (June 4th in ‘reality’), as they got bombs from Soriano and Hunter Pence, but also gave up a pair of unearned runs in an 8-6 loss, committing three errors and in general unable to get it going when it counted. Las Vegas fell to 21-38, last in the West, despite scoring four runs in the eighth off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (4-3, 4.76), who nevertheless turned in his third straight effective outing since joining the rotation. Darwin (36-21) got four hits from red-hot SS Cristian Guzman, which raised the veteran’s batting average to a league-leading .371 in 41 starts. Guzman has eclipsed former starter Khalil Greene, who has been dealing with a social anxiety disorder and may be moved to 3B when he is able to play.

In other BARB action:

WORCESTER 8, BROOKLYN 6

WP: Scott Downs (3-1, 3.57)
LP: Jeremy Affeldt (1-4, 3.94)
SV: Balfour (4)

The Eliminators, down 5-0 after three innings, came all the way back with a three-run eighth keyed by 2B Derek Jeter’s RBI single off Matt Lindstrom, improving to 38-23 and keeping their lead in the East to seven games over both Brooklyn and Frostbite Falls.

POTTSYLVANIA 3, LOS ANGELES 2

WP: Chris Carpenter (2-0. 1.70)
LP: Joe Blanton (5-2, 3.87)
SV: Thompson (3)


Chris Carpenter took a shutout into the seventh, and Ryan Theriot and Rick Ankiel drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded from Joe Blanton to give him the cushion he needed in the sixth inning. Scott Shields worked out of that bases-loaded jam to keep the game close, but the Creepers were able to hold on, winning their third straight to reach the .500 mark again (26-26).

FRESNO 6, FROSTBITE FALLS 3

WP: Danny Haren (6-4, 4.13)
LP: Tim Lincecum (4-5, 3.34)

The Regulators scored all their runs in the first to K.O. Tim Lincecum, and given a big cushion, Danny Haren went all the way for his fourth complete game of the season. Carlos Lee homered to start the scoring, and Lincecum was touched for back-to-back doubles at the bottom of Fresno’s order (Marco Scutaro and Benji Molina) in his quickest exit of the season. Despite the win, the Regulators (28-33) are already ten wins off the pace in the East.


YUMA 15, BLACK MESA 7

WP: Matt Cain (5-4, 3.95)
LP: Homer Bailey (0-3, 16.29)

Vladimir Guerrero drove in five runs with a pair of boundary belts, and the Freebirds rode an early 7-0 lead into the sunset, getting six workmanlike (4 ER) frames from Matt Cain and in general punishing the Anomalies staff, which simply doesn’t have enough starting pitching at present to support their impressive batting lineup. It was the fourth straight win for Yuma (34-25), and keeps them within three games of division-leading Darwin.

CASSELTON 3, ST. FRANCIS 2

WP: Johann Santana (6-3, 3.12)
LP: Edwin Jackson (4-5, 4.33)
SV: Jenks (11)

Edwin Jackson had a 2-0 lead after five innings, but couldn’t outlast the great Johann Santana, who hung around long enough (eight innings) to see Torri Hunter club a pair of circuit shots off Jackson, including a go-ahead shot in the seventh, as the Horned Toads (32-21) won their fifth straight to maintain a five-game lead in the Central.