CONTENDERS: INJURIES, MOVES

CONTENDERS: INJURIES, MOVES



BROOKLYN:

The Moabs have to be concerned with the health of their starting rotation. After Jon Lester (who is clearly now one of the best hurlers in the league), there are questions about Roy Oswalt and Scott Baker being available to pitchi in the post-season. Much will depend on rookies Chris Volstad and Ubaldo Jiminez, not a good sign. On the flip side, other than IF reserve Jed Lowrie and backup C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the Moabs seem the picture of health in their regular lineup, and they are scoring runs. Will it be enough, though, to catch both Frostbite Falls and Worcester?

CASSELTON:

In a major blow, the Casselton Horned Toads have learned they will be without the leadership of ace LHP Johann Santana. Santana was not only tied with young John Danks for the team lead in wins (14), but had compiled a 3.39 ERA in 24 starts, eight of them complete games, to help keep the heat off a young pitching staff.

Veterans John Lackey and Joe Saunders will join just-activated RHP Carlos Zambrano in filling the void left by Santana's injury, but there can be no doubt this is a serious blow to the Horned Toads and their quest for a Central title: this has been a team that has gotten most of its mileage out of its pitching, rather than an average offense.

DARWIN:

The Finches have all but given up hope for OF Josh Hamilton having any impact this season, and switch-hitters Milton Bradley (clubhouse issues) and Chipper Jones (age, nagging injuries) don't inspire as much confidence now. Darwin, frankly, is having a hard time scoring runs and their bullpen has been a mess, wasting the team's best strength, starting pitching depth. And they have some tough decisions to make, with so many major-league eligibles getting healthy in the final two months: to play, bench, trade, release the mercurial Bradley, the troubled Khalil Greene, the aging Tim Wakefield and John Smoltz, the versatile but unproductive Mark Loretta?

Now, wading into this mess comes a trade with the Texas Tornadoes, and perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel for the Finches: for the price of two premium prospects (Steve Strasberg and Justin Smoak), Darwin has plucked closer Fernando Rodney, 1B James Loney and reliever Jose Valverde.

As usual, Texas GM Ronald Melkonian has his own take: "Texas has again boasted a young, upcoming pitching staff by adding Strasburg, who is being labeled as the best pitching prospect to ever to arrive through the draft. If Strasburg defies history, he will join a budding rotation which features: Javier Vazquez, Tommy Hanson, Mat Latos, and Derek Holland... With even young LHP Martin Perez waiting in the wings...in acquiring Smoak as well, he joins the rare, featured ranks of C Matt Wieters, SS Elvis Andrus, and OF Travis Snider in Texas, whose core of young, premium talent should carry this team to many championships down the road."

Certainly Valverde (3-0, 2.12 ERA in 15 G) and Rodney (9 saves in 28 G) are a bit of an upgrade for Darwin, and Loney is a nice player. But, again, three guys who have to be on a big-league roster, and not enough spots to go around. There are some players who are going to go by the waysides in the next few days, it seems . . .

FROSTBITE FALLS:

The Squirrels lost erratic LHP B.J. Ryan for the rest of the season, and are crossing their fingers on the health of IF Michael Young (knees). At the same time, they have been looking to dump 3B Edwin Encarnacion, OF Corey Hart and LHP Dennys Reyes. To plug the hole vacatated by Ryan's troubles, GM Andrew Haynes has called up relievers Chris Perez and Eric O'Flaherty, as well as OF David DeJesus. The Squirrels have also mulled taking Paul Maholm out of the rotation and going with four starters down the stretch, but so far have not made that move.

YUMA:

Concerned about the health of Jake Peavy and (especially) Kevin Slowey, The Yuma Firebirds dealt Slowey to Los Angeles along with RHP Jason Motte, LHP Cole Rohrbaugh, and prospect 1B Eric Hosmer. In exchange, the Birds picked up RHP Joe Blanton and LHP Leo Nunez.

"I'm tired of these god-forsaken injuries. We just can't shake this damn bug," said frustrated GM Billy Beane. Even though insiders have speculated that owner Chris Melkonian was never a huge Blanton fan, the team felt it was necessary to pick up the burly righty, who will pitch in the fourth spot behind Cain, bumping rookie Clay Buchholz out of the rotation. Nunez will be sent to AAA and with righty Chad Qualls having knee discomfort, Nunez might not be too far away from the show.

After an excellent spring, Motte pitched his way out of the organization, and with the acquisition of Votto and Butler's, Hosmer became expendable. Slowey's injury coupled with the rise of several top prospects (Matusz, Crow, Davis) made him expendable. The team will really miss the lefty Rohrbaugh though, "We liked him a lot. He's had problems with injuries and throwing strikes, but he's young with great stuff. We felt like he will be a dominant reliever in the near future," said Beane.

As for the Flyers, they feel that a healthy Slowey will be more than equal to the task of replacing Blanton in their rotation once his rehab is completed, and that Motte's high-90's gas could step right into their pen. According to GM Brian Chae, "the team sees him as a potential closer of the future, but he will serve as the primary right-handed set up man" for the time being. The Flyers were also high on Rohrbaugh, who has battled injuries, and on Hosmer, who was a 'can't miss' prospect in high school.

In other BARB action:

BROOKLYN 7, FROSTBITE FALLS 5 (1st game of DH)

WP: Matt Lindstrom (7-2, 4.04)
LP: Cole Hamels (11-8, 3.55)
SV: Rodriguez (26)

BROOKLYN 8, FROSTBITE FALLS 5 (2nd game of DH)

WP: Chris Volstad (8-11, 4.74)
LP: Felix Hernandez (8-9, 3.93)
SV: Rodriguez (27)

Miguel Cabrera went 6-for-8 with two doubles, a HR and 5 RBI in a twin bill on the road in Frostbite Falls, and Francisco Rodriguez worked an inning in consecutive ballgames for his BARB-leading 27th save, as the visiting Moabs swept host Frostbite Falls to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.

DARWIN 8, LOS ANGELES 2

WP: Gil Meche (9-8, 4.06)
LP: Trevor Cahill (1-10, 7.63)

Josh Hamilton hit an RBI single and a two-run HR in his first two at-bats off the disabled list to lead the offense-starved Finches to eight runs in the first four frames, more than enough to seal the deal against the Flyers. One shadow on the silver cloud, though, was the fact that Gil Meche had to leave after just five innings with a strain, and may need to be placed on the DL.

WORCESTER 8, FRESNO 5

WP: Grant Balfour (8-1, 1.74)
LP: Andy Pettite (5-7, 5.48)
SV: Bell (10)

Joe Mauer, hitting .342, singled in the go-ahead run as part of a five-run eighth against Huston Street and the Regulators pen, and Mark Teixeira added his 30th bomb of the year to cap a rousing comeback against the visiting Regulators. Worcester (75-54) has now pulled back into sole command of the East race.

MADTOWN 5, POTTSYLVANIA 4

WP: Kerry Wood (6-4, 3.12)
LP: Jonathan Broxton (2-3, 3.29)
SV: Rivera (24)

Pinch-hitter Jason Kubel hit a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the eighth off a shocked Jonathan Broxton and the legendary Mariano Rivera made it stand up with a 1-2-3 ninth to best the Central-leading Creepers. Rivera is an incredible 24-for-24 in save situations this season, without a single blown save: how many more could he have tallied for another ball club?

BLACK MESA 8, CASSELTON 4

WP: Ted Lilly (6-6, 5.01)
LP: Ricky Nolasco (3-5, 5.43)
SV: Papelbon (25)

Justin Morneau homered twice, Vernon Wells added three hits and hard-luck pitcher Ted Lilly overcame a pair of errors by his teammates to help the Anomalies finish off a three-game sweep of the Horned Toads.