OPENING WEEK 2012: A BARB FIRST

Johnson threw a gem

BARB’s 10^th Opening Day featured many good games, with aces getting the nod for each team. Two shutouts were thrown and another game went 11 innings. But none of those stood up to the feat of a day-two starter who accomplished something that had never been done before in the annals of the Bullard Alternative Reality Baseball league.

Opening Day in Riverside saw the newly-renamed Rum Runners shut out the always-formidable Yuma Firebirds, 4-0. Both Josh Hamilton and Yadier Molina hit home runs off David Price as Clayton Kershaw carried a two-hitter into the ninth inning before Hisanori Takahashi got one out to earn the save.

That close game was nothing compared to the next day. The visiting Firebirds handed Mat Latos the ball to face big Josh Johnson. Johnson set the Yuma hitters down in order on 10 pitches in the first, and in the bottom half of the inning the Rum Runners put two on but couldn’t score.

Joey Votto was the first Firebird to reach base as he walked leading off the second. Newly-signed Alex Rodriguez grounded one deep into the hole between Riverside first baseman James Loney and second baseman Howie Kendrick. Kendrick went into a slide, popped up and just nipped A-Rod as Votto moved to second base. Johnson lost the plate, however, and issued free passes to Ryan Zimmerman and Ben Zobrist to load the bases for Buster Posey. Posey hit a high, deep fly to center field for a sacrifice and Votto crossed the plate for Yuma’s first run of the young season.

Both pitchers were on their game after the first few frames. Latos allowed a harmless single with two out in the bottom of the third, a walk and hit-by-pitch in the fifth and a walk in the sixth, but time and again he escaped unscathed. Johnson set down 18 straight Firebirds after Posey’s sacrifice fly. Yunel Escobar broke the streak with a full-count, two-out walk in the eighth.

By that time, the crowd at Angel Stadium was abuzz. The hometown hurler had yet to allow a Firebird safety—though his offense had given no support on two hits and three walks.

Latos was pulled after seven innings and 100 pitches, and Tyler Clippard came out to start the eighth inning. His second pitch to Michael Cuddyer was in on the hands and broke the bat, but the ball slowly rolled up the first base line and Cuddyer beat out the throw. Kendrick put down a sacrifice bunt. If there was ever a time for the middle of the order to produce, it was now. Hamilton was the first to hit with the runner at second and one away, but he whiffed at three straight Clippard offerings. David Ortiz came up next and drew his second walk of the game, but David Freese hit a soft grounder that was easily handled by Votto.

On to the ninth!

Johnson, with 113 pitches, trotted out of the dugout to a roar from the crowd. Here’s how the frame went:

Pitch one: called strike to Nick Markakis.

Pitch two: can of corn to right field.

Pitch three: swinging strike by Ryan Braun

Pitch four: line drive into the 5-6 hole—CAUGHT by a well-positioned Maicer Izturis!

Pitch five: Votto grounds to second base.

The crowd started to cheer…but then realized the game wasn’t over. Josh Johnson had thrown a nine-inning no hitter, but Riverside was three offensive outs away from being saddled with a loss! Johnson walked back to the dugout hoping his gem wouldn’t be wasted.

Alas, it was for naught. Loney struck out against new Yuma closer Sergio Santos. Izturis lined a single, but Molina K’d for out number two. Mark Trumbo pinch-hit for Peter Bourjos and took a swing on the 1-2 pitch that would send the crowd home either way—but when the dust settled, the ball was in Posey’s mitt.

A NO-HITTER FOR JOSH JOHNSON, BUT THE VICTORY WENT TO YUMA!

Johnson had become the first BARB pitcher to lose a game in which he threw a no-hitter. He walked four batters, struck out six and set the side down in order in seven different innings. But all he received were a few congratulatory handshakes and apologies from his hitters.

In the clubhouse, various players recalled owner Alex Coffman’s pre-season quote, “What’s the point of trying if (we’re) going to finish second-to-last?”

“He didn’t have any confidence in us even before the season started,” Big Papi said. “Maybe if we got some support we could have won the game.”

In other BARB action from the first two days:

BROOKLYN 7, POTTSYLVANIA 1

WP: Justin Verlander (1-0, 0.00)

LP:  C.C. Sabathia (0-1, 27.00)

Troy Tulowitzki’s third-inning grand slam sent new Creepers ace C.C. Sabathia to an early shower on the road in Brooklyn. Justin Verlander announced his candidacy for BARB Cy Young with 14 strikeouts in seven shutout innings. Cameron Maybin also homered for the Moabs.

FROSTBITE FALLS 2, ARIZONA 0

WP: Cole Hamels (1-0, 0.00)

LP: Jake Peavy (0-1, 1.50)

Cole Hamels, in his first Opening Day start, hurled a seven-hit shutout with eight strikeouts to out-duel newly-signed Jake Peavy. Jayson Werth’s 3-for-3 day included a triple and both RBI as the defending champions got off to a good start at home.

WORCESTER 6, LOS ANGELES 5

WP: Johnny Cueto (1-0, 2.35)

LP: Jordan Zimmerman (0-1, 7.50)

SV: Jansen (1)

Los Angeles’ Giancarlo Stanton and Worcester’s Billy Butler both had two big flies as Worcester held on for their first win. The Isotopes, trailing 5-1 entering the eighth inning, used Stanton’s second homer (eighth inning) and Starlin Castro’s two-run single (ninth inning) to scare the home fans, but Russell Martin’s solo shot in the eighth provided just enough cushion for Kenley Jansen to come on and close it out with strikeouts of Kevin Youkilis and Stanton in the ninth.