TEXAS WINS WILD ONE

TEXAS WINS WILD ONE

Texas–The Tornadoes blew a 5-1 lead in the seventh, but came all the way back to win at the end thanks to the second of a pair of three-run bombs by RF Jeremy Hermida, who had a career day at the plate to lift his team over the visiting Fresno Regulators just days after a tangled group of trades involving both clubs had been put on hold by league officials.

Alex Rodriguez had put Texas up 2-1 in the fifth with his 14th blast of the season, a no-doubt shot off the normally homer-shy Derek Lowe. Lowe would lose his concentration, and his sinker to Hermida two batters later didn’t sink at all, the result being pulled out of the park for Hermida’s 7th bomb of the season and a 5-1 Texas lead.

But Fresno didn’t give in, scratching out a pair of runs in the seventh. In the eighth, with the score 6-3, rookie Andrew Bailey made his BARB debut out of Texas’s bullpen, and it was a disastrous first outing: Bobby Abreu worked the count deep, then singled to open the frame. Brandon Philips doubled to put runners at the corners, and after Fukodome popped up to second, Carlos Lee pulled a ball to the gap in left-center deep enough to score Abreu. With two out and a 6-4 lead, Bailey couldn’t stand prosperity, walking Fresno 3B David Wright. Regulators 1B Adrian Gonzalez then hit a BOMB, ‘Gonzo’s’ second of the contest and 17th of the season, a three-run shot, and just like THAT, Fresno led, 7-6.

Bailey departed, and Mike Gonzalez restored order, but could the Tornadoes come back against the Regulators pen? Former Yuma closer Matt Capps would get his first shot at saving one for his new club...and like Bailey, he was thumped. Capps walked Andre Ethier to open the bottom of the ninth in relief after working a scoreless eighth. ‘A-Rod’ popped to second, but James Loney singled to put runners at the corners. Soriano then popped up, putting everything on Hermida, who . . . DRILLED a 2-1 pitch, a long line drive into the corner in right and....

GONE!

Down to their last batter, the Tornadoes had pulled out a win with a walkoff homer. It was not a well-played or well-pitched affair, but with the multiple lead changes and seven boundary belts between the two squads it was one of the more entertaining in this 2009 season. Texas (37-52) has now moved ahead of Los Angeles in the mediocre Central, while (despite the loss) Fresno is just four games out of the wildcard spot in the playoffs, and (at 50-45) five back in the ever-tightening East race.


CREEPERS HALT MOABS STREAK

POTTSYLVANIA 4, BROOKLYN 3

WP: Yovanni Gallardo (8-6, 3.90)
LP: James Shields (7-5, 3.96)
SV: Fuentes (7)

Erick Aybar, Ryan Theriot and Ryan Ludwick all doubled in a four-run fifth to knock out James Shields, and Brian Fuentes bailed out Jonathan Broxton in the eighth after the latter had given up a two-run triple to Jermaine Dye to preserve the win for the Creepers, who became the first team to beat the red-hot Brooklyn Moabs in over two weeks of play. Brooklyn (54-41) lost for the first time in 11 contests to stay one game back in the East, while host Pottsylvania (49-43) stayed close to Central-leading Casselton.

DARWIN 6, MADTOWN 3 (1st game of DH)

WP: Kevin Gregg (4-1, 4.02)
LP: Aaron Heilman (1-4, 8.61)

DARWIN 10, MADTOWN 1 (2nd game of DH)

WP: Zack Grienke (12-3, 3.02)
LP: Zach Duke (3-10, 6.45)

In the first-ever meeting of two ‘Zacks’, Finches ace Zack Grienke joined teammate Josh Johnson as the league’s first twelve-game winners as the Unnatural Selections swept a one-sided doubleheader over the visiting Murlocs. Chipper Jones homered twice in that game, which saw the Finches collect 18 safeties. In the opener, Erwin Santana pitched well with an achey shoulder for Madtown, taking a 3-3 tie into the eighth, but Milton Bradley came off the bench in the bottom of the ninth to end the affair with a three-run homer off Aaron Heilman. With the sweep, Darwin (53-36) kept pace in the West with hard-charging Yuma.

BLACK MESA 3, YUMA 1

WP: Glenn Perkins (2-7, 7.85)
LP: Matt Cain (7-7, 3.99)

Ivan Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off hard-luck starter Matt Cain, who went eight innings and allowed just six hits but was handed a loss when the host Anomalies (43-46) got a rare gem from journeyman Glen Perkins, who allowed only five hits and one run (unearned) himself, walking none and getting Yunel Escobar to line into a double play.

WORCESTER 9, CASSELTON 5

WP: Jair Jurrjens (4-3, 5.56)
LP: Joe Saunders (4-8, 4.15)
SV: Howell (3)

Jason Bay hit his team-leading 28th circuit shot and Mark Teixeira added a pair of taters as well to back rookie Jair Jurrjens as the Eliminators won their BARB-leading 55th game of the year to maintain a slim lead in the ultra-competitive East. Robinson Cano had three hits in a rare start, with Derek Jeter playing short to give Hanley Ramirez a breather in the marathon season.

TEXAS WINS WILD ONE