WORCESTER BATS BUST OUT

Ramirez stroked five hits in the big victory

The 2010 BARB champions suffered from injuries and ineffectiveness in 2011, but the Worcester Eliminators’ fifth game of 2012 served notice they were ready to contend again.

Hosting the Arizona Rattlesnakes, Matt Caskey’s Elims got off to a hot start against Ricky Nolasco in the bottom of the first. Leadoff man Hanley Ramirez hit an infield single and stole second before scoring on Billy Butler’s single to center. Robinson Cano lined a two-bagger that put Butler at third, but Mark Teixeira was erased after smashing a liner on which Nolasco could only rely on his instincts. Youngster Paul Goldschmidt came through with a two-run single, though, and Worcester held a 3-0 lead.

That advantage became four when Ramirez doubled and Butler switched places with him in the second.

Nolasco’s day ended after four batters in the third frame. Goldschmidt doubled, Nick Swisher walked on four pitches and Delmon Young flew out, but after Jason Kubel was passed without a strike thrown the Arizona management decided Max Scherzer would pitch more effectively.

Alas, it was not to be. Russell Martin hit a sacrifice fly, Swisher scored on a wild pitch and Ramirez continued his hot day with a three-run bomb to left-center to give the Eliminators an 8-0 lead.

The Rattlesnakes scratched back against Colby Lewis, who had faced one batter over the minimum (on a walk) through three innings. Three straight hits and an error plated three runs and knocked Lewis out, but Brandon Morrow came on and was hit for two more runs before Alberto Callaspo was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Worcester’s lead was 8-5, but their bats didn’t cool down. A single and double led off the bottom of the fourth, and with two out Young knocked both in with a double.

Apparently 10-5 wasn’t sufficient. Three more scored in both the fifth and sixth innings. Ramirez was finally put out on a grounder in the sixth after four straight hits, but he still drove in a run with the out. Chad Billingsley and Bud Norris combined to put the first goose egg in the Eliminator scoring column in the seventh, but Norris was lit up in the eighth for five more, including a Young homer.

The final tally was 21-5 in favor of Worcester. Ramirez finished 5-for-6 with five runs scored and fell just a triple short of the cycle while driving in three. Cano had three hits, three RBI and four runs. Goldschmidt and Young both drove in four. Truly a team performance, as was Arizona’s pitching (or lack thereof). Every single Worcester run was earned, as Nolasco gave up seven in two-plus innings, Scherzer in six in two, Billingsley three in one and two-thirds and Norris five in two innings.

Needless to say, the Eliminators are now tied for the Eastern Division lead and have easily scored the most runs in the league.

In other BARB action:

POTTSYLVANIA 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 4

WP: Phil Coke (1-0, 6.00)

LP:  Ubaldo Jimenez (0-1, 8.31)

SV: Marmol (2)

Paul Konerko’s home run and two RBI, in addition to three scoreless innings from the bullpen led the Creepers as defending champion Frostbite Falls suffered their first loss of the young 2012 season.

YUMA 12, CENTRAL CA 4

WP: Clay Buchholz (1-0, 4.50)

LP: Rick Porcello (0-1, 27.00)

Two home runs and five RBI off the bat of Ryan Braun gave the Firebirds an easy win over the .45s in Arizona. Shane Victorino drove in four for the Firebirds, who were tied for the lead in the West.