NEW ENGLAND SCORES 10...IN ONE INNING

Down, 5-1, after eight innings in Casselton, the New England Yankee Stompers executed one of the biggest comebacks in BARB history, exploding for double-digits in the top of the ninth to take two of three from the Horned Toads.

Casselton scored three in the first, including a two-run single by Casey McGehee, and one each on a “Pronk” double in the sixth and Mike Napoli moonshot in the seventh. The 5-0 lead seemed insurmountable as John Danks dominated through seven: three hits and four walks allowed, and three rally-killing double-plays induced.

In the eighth, the visitors got on the board when David Ross (?!) found Target Field’s 411-foot left-center field gap and slid in with a triple before scoring on Ryan Raburn’s groundout.

With just 93 pitches through eight, Danks was sent out to start the ninth inning. Dustin Pedroia, however, greeted him with a single, and after Justin Morneau launched a two-run shot, Casselton management turned to the ‘pen. First up was ousted closer Joe Nathan (1-3, 6.75), who got Miguel Cabrera to fly out. A three-two pitch to Corey Hart was slung just inside the foul pole, though, and all of a sudden it was a one-run game. Nathan was visibly upset and walked Aubrey Huff, but he recovered to induce what appeared to be a game-ending double play from Ross. McGehee, playing second, couldn’t come up with it! Instead of a save and confidence for Nathan, two were on with just one away and dangerous Adam Dunn stepping up as a pinch-hitter.

Dunn hit it hard, but he was the second out as McGehee corralled it before the ball hit the ground. But Nathan walked Torii Hunter to bring up Jed Lowrie, who smoked a ball to left field…

JUST OUT OF REACH of diving Carlos Gonzalez! When the dust cleared, Lowrie was standing on third base with three RBI and a 7-5 New England lead. Alexei Ogando was brought on to face Dustin Pedroia, who beat out a slow chopper to short as Lowrie scored. Morneau was walked intentionally (after Pedroia stole second and moved to third on a throwing error), and “Miggy” stepped up again. This time, he met the ball perfectly. A three-run blast to right-center, and the advantage was 11-5.

Casselton had a shot in the bottom of the ninth, when Clay Hensley allowed two runs, but Jonathon Papelbon earned his fifth save by striking out Travis Hafner on four pitches.

The beneficiary of the run support? Kerry Wood (1-0, 2.92), who pitched the sixth, seventh and eighth while allowing just one run. With the win, New England improved to 17-12 and second place in the surprisingly competitive Western Division. Defending Central champ Casselton, meanwhile, continued an early-season slump and fell to 9-14, 5.5 games out in their division.

In other BARB action:

CENTRAL CA 3, LOS ANGELES 1 (1^st game of DH)

WP: Hiroki Kuroda (2-1, 4.17)

LP: Edwin Jackson (0-5, 4.99)

SV: Wilson (7)

In a rare pitching duel, Hiroki Kuroda and hard-luck Edwin Jackson matched up with eight innings and three hits apiece. Alex Gordon got the scoring started with a first-inning home run off Jackson. Mike Stanton returned the favor in the seventh to tie it up, but the .45s broke through in the ninth. Jackson, left in while throwing a shutout after the first, allowed a first-pitch single to Matt Holliday and was immediately pulled for Derek Holland. An error, groundout and two singles, however, put the .45s on top for good. Brian Wilson finished it out with his seventh save and lowered his ERA to 0.69.

CENTRAL CA 8, LOS ANGELES 3 (2^nd game of DH)

WP: Anibal Sanchez (2-2, 4.91)

LP: Tom Gorzelanny (1-2, 4.15)

The .45s completed a three-game sweep and won their 10th game (with no losses) against Los Angeles (who lost their 11^th straight overall) in the young season. The Wolverines actually had an early lead, and the game was tied at two into the fifth, but Tom Gorzelanny (into the game after Aaron Harang’s fourth walk) allowed three runs on four singles and a walk. Los Angeles answered with one run in the bottom half, but Central CA closed it out with one in the seventh and two in the eighth for the final margin.

POTTSYLVANIA 3, AC/BC 1

WP: Jeremy Hellickson (2-3, 4.58)

LP: Clayton Kershaw (2-3, 1.91)

SV: Carlos Marmol (6)

Clayton Kershaw pitched well, allowing three earned runs on four hits over eight frames (with seven Ks), but Jeremy Hellickson won the duel of young stars with 8.2 IP, five hits and one run. In fact, Hellickson was two outs away from a shutout before Ryan Doumit homered to right on a 3-2 count. Carlos Marmol came in after an out and a walk from Hellickson and struck out Milton Bradley to end it. All three of the Creepers’ runs came on a Brad Hawpe laser over the left field fence in the seventh.

YUMA 4, ST. FRANCIS 3

WP: David Price (4-1, 2.90)

LP: Brett Myers (4-3, 4.62)

SV: Rafael Soriano (9)

The Firebirds, winners of eight of their last 10 and 21-8 overall, took two of the three games at St. Francis to push the Friars behind Philadelphia in the Central. St. Francis had the edge early on the back of Kevin Youkilis. The Greek God of Walks put his power to good use for solo shots in the fourth and sixth and a 2-0 lead. Joey Votto, however, answered with a two-run shot in the seventh to tie it, and four singles scored two runs in the top of the eighth to put Yuma ahead. Shin-Soo Choo did what he could to pull St. Francis closer in the ninth, with a double, a daring advance on a flyout to center, and a sprint home on a groundout, but Neil Walker hit a can of corn to earn Rafael Soriano his BARB-leading ninth save.