Frostbite Falls---Needing a win to avoid a twelfth straight loss and a sweep at the hand of their divisional rivals, the injury-plagued Squirrels dug deep: trailing 3-1 in the sixth, they scored three times against luckless (1-5, 4.70) Tim Hudson, who gave up run-scoring hits to both Luke Scott and Mike Napoli after getting two strikes on both hitters, players who (it is safe to say) might not even be on Frostbite’s roster if it weren’t for a string of injuries to key bats.
It all meant that previously-winless (and twice-traded) Dustin McGowan finally got on the board with a positive decision, improving to 1-6 with a 5.74 ERA. Not that it was a great start, by any means: McGowan was touched early on for three runs thanks to good swings by Derek Jeter and Grady Sizemore. But today, at least, it allowed Frostbite to pull back into second place (by percentage points) over Brooklyn (which has lost four straight) and sent the Eliminators (34-29) a half-game behind the Moabs. Still, with only 6 and ½ games separating the four contenders, the East remains wide open.
In other BARB action:
YUMA 12, POTTSYLVANIA 1
WP: Jake Peavy (4-5, 3.22)
LP: Braden Looper (2-9, 5.79)
Vladimir Guerrero hit a first-inning home run with two men aboard, Jake Peavy had a six-run lead after two frames, and the Firebirds never looked back, popping out of their offensive funk in a big way against the visiting Creepers. Yuma (37-34) had lost eight of their previous eleven and scored less than three runs per game during that stretch, but were able to let Peavy go all the way for his second complete game of the season, and first long outing since coming off the DL.
S-MART 7, BLACK MESA 4
WP: Alan Embree (3-2, 3.38)
LP: Jarrod Washburn (2-9, 7.18)
SV: Wilson (1)
Alan Embree worked four-plus innings of one-hit relief and emerging reliever Brian Wilson collected his first-ever BARB save as the Boom Sticks (29-37) pulled within six games of Central-leading Las Vegas, sending the slumping Anomalies to their sixth straight loss. Jarrod Washburn gave up a pair of HR to 2B Dan Uggla, who now has 15 on the season. With the latest punishment, Washburn has the worst ERA of any BARB hurler with 10 or more starts this season and could be released after the All-Star Break.
CASSELTON 10, LAS VEGAS 8
WP: Brad Hennessey (1-2, 3.38)
LP: Ian Snell (3-8, 6.62)
SV: Jenks (18)
The Horned Toads, with HR from Jermaine Dye and Adrian Beltre, scored all their runs in the first three frames, but an ineffective Kevin Correia was unable to qualify for the win after coughing up Prince Fielder’s BARB-leading 22nd boundary belt of the season. Little-used Brad Hennessey absorbed enough innings to gain the ‘W’, but the Toads would need Bobby Jenks to come on for the 29th time this season in relief and earn his BARB-leading 18th save of the season.
LEXINGTON 5, OAKEYLAND 1
WP: Rich Harden (3-2, 1.73)
LP: Justin Duscherrer (0-1, 2.70)
Rich Harden allowed only one run (unearned) through seven, doubled and scored in the second and laid down an effective sacrifice as part of a three-run fourth to lead the Rebels over visiting Oakeyland. Lexington (34-32) used Brandon Lyon for two frames to close out the ball game in a non-save situation, then informed Lyon after the game that he had been dealt for a minor-league infielder. Owch!
DARWIN 6, BROOKLYN 2
WP: Scott Kazmir (5-3, 3.35)
LP: Manny Parra (1-1, 4.70)
SV: Gregg (5)
The Moabs loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth against Jonathan Sanchez, but Kevin Gregg struck out Ryan Howard to end the threat and send the Finches to their fourth win in a row and their BARB-leading 41st overall. Aaron Rowand had a pair of run-scoring doubles for the Finches, and DH Milton Bradley added his 10th homer of the year to lead the Darwinian attack.
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