SQUIRRELS LEAD BY THREE

FROSTBITE FALLS 11, LEXINGTON 1

WP: Cole Hamels (7-8, 3.49)
LP: Josh Beckett (7-7, 3.49)

The red-hot (winners of 15 of their last 20) Squirrels had seven straight batters reach in the second to knock out Josh Beckett, and former Rebels starter Cole Hamels scattered nine hits over eight innings to help his teammates take a three-game lead in the East, their largest lead of the season.

Albert Pujols hit his 22nd homer of the year for the Squirrels (74-46), and Corey Hart drove in four with a two-run double and his 12th circuit shot of the season.

CASSELTON 6, DARWIN 5

WP: Joaquin Benoit (2-2, 6.10)
LP: Chad Billingsley(4-3, 3.76)
SV: Frasor (2)

Freddie Sanchez tripled with one out in the eighth off Chad Billingsley (who was in long relief of Josh Johnson) and then came on to score the go-ahead run when Ryan Doumit couldn’t handle a pitch from Brandon Lyon, and the slumping Finches (71-49) dropped their third straight affair to the Horned Toads.

Darwin manager P.Z. Myers was tossed in the seventh for arguing balls-and-strikes, which seemed to trigger a four-run uprising that allowed the Finches to tie the game after Johnson’s ineffective (4 IP, 5 ER) outing. After the game, Myers admitted, “Whatever we’re doing right now, it’s not enough. If this is the way we go into the last week, we’re not going to make the playoffs. There are too many other teams playing well this time of the year.”

BROOKLYN 8, BLACK MESA 3

WP: Fausto Carmona (8-3, 3.03)
LP: Todd Wellemeyer (7-11, 5.22)

Fausto Carmona worked seven strong innings, and Moabs 2B Chase Utley pounded a pair of home runs (#20 and #21) , as the Moabs (62-58) swept their series with the Anomalies. Despite the win, however, owner Eric Caskey remained invisible in his luxury box, suggesting that Utley and his teammates were on the outs with ownership.

Brooklyn is twelve games out of first in the East and nine games out of the wild card, not what was expected when this club broke spring training. But an unexpected slew of injuries, especially to the club’s pitching, crippled the Moab’s ability to compete in the punishing East, and management made the unpopular decision to deal for next year weeks ago.

LAS VEGAS 3, S-MART 0

WP: Erwin Santana (6-12, 5.33)
LP: Javier Vazquez (10-6, 3.12)
SV: Rivera (21)

After a rough August (13-20), the gassed Luchadores have shown signs of life of late, sweeping the visiting Boom Sticks seemingly out of contention in the Central, and pulling back into a tie for first with the resurgent Oakeyland Ballers. This night, Santana combined with three relievers on a five-hitter, and Hunter Pence had three hits and a stolen base to help the club squeak out some runs against Vazquez, who went all the way in the loss.