FIREBIRDS TAKE TWO FROM DARWIN

YUMA 9, DARWIN 7 (1st game of doubleheader)

WP: Manny Corpas (7-6, 3.24)
LP: Scott Kazmir (12-5, 3.29)

YUMA 9, DARWIN 7 (2nd game of doubleheader)

WP: Rafael Perez (6-2, 1.33)
LP: Jonathan Broxton (5-4, 2.50)

In the second game of a double dip, Trevor Hoffman allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but with the go-ahead run at second got pinch-hitter Aaron Rowand to fly out to right as the visiting Firebirds won both halves of a doubleheader on the road in Darwin by pounding out nine runs in each contest. Starters Scott Kazmir and Zack Grienke were ineffective in their second go-rounds in Darwin’s rotation shuffle, raising concerns that the Finches (70-48, but still two games behind Frostbite Falls in the East) may not be able to hang with the other playoff clubs without getting more pitching.

The Firebirds, meanwhile, had to be thrilled at taking two on the road from the Finches and have moved back ahead in the West by a half-game over Lexington.

LEXINGTON 13, BROOKLYN 9

WP: Brandon Webb (13-7, 3.47)
LP: Roy Oswalt (6-8, 4.88)

The host Moabs scratched out six runs in the ninth to make things interesting, forcing the visiting Rebels to use Huston Street, but in the end Lexington simply had mounted too much of a lead for Brooklyn to overcome despite a pair of home runs from former Lexington backstop Jarrod Saltalamacchia. J.J. Hardy went deep for the winners, hitting his 12th circuit shot of the year, more than any other BARB shortstop this season not named Hanley Ramirez . . .

CASSELTON 7, FROSTBITE FALLS 6 (10 innings)

WP: Brad Hennessey (2-6, 4.34)
LP: Joakim Soria (3-5, 2.52)
SV: Correia (1)

Adrian Beltre drew a walk to open the top of the tenth, was sacrificed to second and came home on a single by journeyman Johnny Estrada, and erstwhile starter Kevin Correia made a rare appearance in relief to hold off the host Squirrels in the bottom of the frame, sending the Horned Toads to a rare road win against an Eastern Division club. Squirrels SS Edgar Renteria became the first BARB player to reach 100 runs scored on Michael Young’s first-inning single.

BLACK MESA 4, WORCESTER 1

WP: Jarrod Washburn (6-13, 5.79)
LP: Jeremy Guthrie (10-8, 3.21)

Jarrod Washburn, this year’s answer to ‘Jeckyl-and-Hyde’, flashed his good side again, taking a shutout into the eighth, and both Justin Morneau and Kevin Youkilis had three hits to lead the visiting Anomalies to a road win in Worcester. Washburn has reached the eighth inning in five of his last seven starts, and in those games he is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA. In all other games, the veteran southpaw is 2-13 with a 7.75 ERA. Talk about schizophrenic!

LAS VEGAS 2, POTTSYLVANIA 1

WP: Chad Qualls (4-1, 2.37)
LP: Brad Thompson (2-5, 6.90)
SV: Rivera (19)

Neither A.J. Burnett nor Cliff Lee could stick around for a game twice interrupted by hour-long rain delays, but eventually Luchadores middleman Chad Qualls made an early Vegas lead stand up by retiring all eight hitters he faced, sending the Creepers to another hard-luck loss and (barring a miracle of sorts) guaranteeing them the first pick in next year’s draft. Pottsylvania now trails Casselton by four-and-a-half games in the wild card and are on the bubble. Any combination of Creepers losses or Vegas wins totaling twelve will eliminate Jeff Moore’s club from contention . . .