ELIMINATORS WIN AT HALF-WAY POINT, BUT LOSE BELTRE

ELIMINATORS WIN AT HALF-WAY POINT, BUT LOSE BELTRE

Texas---Grady Sizemore hit a tie-breaking home run leading off the top of the 12th, and Grant Balfour (4-1, 1.75) worked three scoreless frames in extra innings for a well-deserved win, as the Eliminators improved to 45-31, tops in the Eastern Division, at the season’s half-way point---but, adding to their injury woes, lost 3B Adrian Beltre for at least two weeks with a leg problem.

Early on, Tornadoes rookie Rick Porcello had his best start yet, going eight innings and allowing only two earned runs on three hits. But, with a 3-2 lead and Joba Chamberlain out of the game, Joe Mauer hit a game-tying double off Porcello, setting up a battle of the bullpens.

Beltre, meanwhile, committed an error that led to one of Texas’s run in the first and seemed to be ginger in the field while going 0-for-4 at the plate, and was lifted for pinch-hitter Brad Hawpe in the 10th. After the game, MRI confirmed that Beltre had a torn ligament and would be placed on the 15-day DL, a serious loss. But the club has candidates to play third, among them little-used fifth OF Billy Hall, DH Jorge Cantu, or perhaps rehabbing IF Nomar Garciaparra.

MURLOCS: ADDING MORE 'MADMEN'

Madtown---Murlocs GM Jeff 'Chops' Braga has announced that the former Las Vegas franchise has exercised some of their deferred picks from this spring's draft. Seven of ten selections have been confirmed by the Commissioner's Office:

1B Freedie Freeman
LHP Martin Perez
LHP Christian Friedrich
LHP Mike Minor
OF/1B Dustin Ackley
OF Jared Mitchell
RHP Matt Latos


In other BARB action:

DARWIN 5, YUMA 2

WP: Zack Grienke (9-3, 3.11)
LP: Matt Cain (6-6, 4.59)

Matt Cain took a no-hitter into the seventh, but a bloop and a stolen base by Ryan Freel seemed to shake his concentration, and Jeff Francouer hit his first pitch with the bases loaded out of the ball park to help the Finches snap a scoreless tie. The unlikely bomb was Francouer’s first of the season and one of only three hits mustered by the Unnatural Selections against Yuma pitching.

This continues a weird trend between the two clubs this year, with the Firebirds ringing up 27-17 and 14-2 pastings, while the Finches eke out 2-0 or 3-1 wins. So far, in this series, Yuma has scored 87 runs to Darwin’s 59 . . . yet the Finches have won 7 of 13!

POTTSYLVANIA 4, FROSTBITE FALLS 3

WP: Randy Flores (1-0, 8.27)
LP: John Grabow (1-2, 3.39)
SV: Fuentes (3)

Little-used Randy Flores ‘vultured’ a win on Game Day 74 when Evan Longoria’s hesitation on a ball batted by Ludwick loaded the bases with one out and Aubrey Huff singled in a pair of runs, and the Creepers picked up a half-game in the Central standings on idle Casselton at the half-way point.

BLACK MESA 6, MADTOWN 4

WP: Takashi Saito (9-1, 2.31)
LP: A.J. Burnett (4-6, 4.46)
SV: Papelbon (20)

Jonathan Papelbon became the first BARB closer to reach 20 saves, and Takashi Saito became the first reliever to nine wins by again being the beneficiary of late-inning Anomalies muscle, as a streaky Adam Dunn punched his fifth home run in his last seven games, the latest a two-run shot in the sixth off A.J. Burnett.

As this game went to press, sources within the Commissioner’s Office hinted that the Anomalies were close to exercising their picks from this spring’s draft as aggressive new GM Jeff Braga continues to work the BARB phone lines.

BROOKLYN 6, LOS ANGELES 2

WP: Roy Oswalt (6-4, 3.71)
LP: Aaron Harang (3-5, 5.61)

Chase Utley drove in four runs with a pair of home runs (#17 and #18), and Roy Oswalt allowed no earned runs over seven-plus innings to help the Moabs improve to 40-36, pulling into a tie for second in the competitive East with defending world champ Frostbite Falls.

Both clubs are still five games back of the division-leading Eliminators, however, and it remains to be seen if Brooklyn will do anything to bolster its pitching or depth for the second half. Insiders suggest that the Moabs have grown weary of negotiating with other clubs.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

If the season were to end today: Darwin (47-29), Worcester (45-31) and Casselton (43-32) would be the West, East and Central champs, respectively. Yuma, at 42-32, would earn the wild-card spot and both Brooklyn and Frostbite Falls would miss the playoffs!