HAMILTON EXPLODES, FINCHES KNOCK VEGAS OUT OF FIRST!

Sin City----Darwin rookie Josh Hamilton homered three times and came within a half-step of adding a fourth game in a wild contest on the road in Vegas, a 14-8 Finches win that dropped the slumping Luchadores out of first place in the Central Division!

Hamilton hit a solo shot with two down in the first off Jered Weaver (8-8, 4.44), but really did damage in the second, smashing a two-run shot with two out to cap a five-run uprising versus the Vegas starter, which would be all the runs that Oliver Perez (10-3, 3.14) would need through his six-plus innings of work.

The admitted drug addict would come back to add a three-run shot off reliever Dan Wheeler in the fifth, giving him 3 HR and 6 RBI in his first four at-bats, and while Vegas scored some unearned runs in the seventh off Darwin’s pen, as the game wound down the only drama would be whether or not Hamilton would set league history by mashing a fourth homer in the contest.

Hamilton fanned against Eric Gagne in the seventh, but with two down in the ninth got his sixth at-bat of the game, and promptly DRILLED a ball over the head of Hunter Pence in CF. With the ball caroming away from Pence as Hamilton rounded second, the electrified crowd roared as Darwin’s rookie barreled down the basepaths. Pence picked up the ball as Hamilton approached third, then launched it at Jimmy Rollins in shallow center field. With no stop sign, Hamilton rounded third. Rollins caught the ball, turned and threw a rocket to Michael Barrett, who, big leg in front of the plate, caught the ball knee-high and tagged Hamilton a half-step before he touched the plate.

PANDEMONIUM! Hamilton was out, and though the Luchadores trailed 14-8 going into the bottom of the inning, there was wild (perhaps sarcastic) cheering for the rookie’s outstanding day: 3 HR, a triple, 6 RBI! Vegas went quietly enough in their innings, however, and it was a somber dugout: the Luchadores had lost three straight and eight of ten contests, and this latest loss (coupled with Oakeyland’s recent hot streak) was enough to push them a half-game behind the Ballers. It was the first time that any team other than the defending Central champs had been in first since April 28th . . .

In other BARB action:
WORCESTER 6, POTTSYLVANIA 5

WP: Scott Downs (4-1, 2.68)
LP: Brad Thompson (2-3, 7.12)

Carl Crawford had three hits, including his eighth homer of the season, and Mark Teixeira and Garret Atkins also went deep as the Elims overcame a so-so outing by Jeremy Guthrie (5 ER) to improve to 59-44, their fifth straight win. With Frostbite Falls equally hot (9 of their last 10), however, Matt Caskey’s troops remain three games out of first in the wild card hunt.

BLACK MESA 2, LEXINGTON 0

WP: Jarrod Washburn (5-12, 5.99)
LP: Rich Harden (6-5, 2.36)

Rich Harden actually lowered his ERA with seven solid innings, but nevertheless took the loss as oft-battered Jarrod Washburn tantalized the Rebels, going all the way to twirl a four-hit shutout against West-leading Lexington. The visiting Rebs (60-46) maintained a two-and-a-half game lead in the West.