BROOKLYN, OAKEYLAND STAY ALIVE

BROOKLYN, OAKEYLAND STAY ALIVE

Office of the League Commissioner---With ten games or less remaining in the BARB season, the Brooklyn Moabs and Oakeyland Ballers took care of ‘must-win’ games to keep themselves in the playoff hunt. Brooklyn was formally eliminated from contention from the Eastern playoff spot by Darwin’s 10-3 win over Worcester, but remained in play for the wild card spot with a one-sided (11-1) drilling of Frostbite Falls.

Oakeyland, meanwhile, picked up a game in the standing over Central-leading Las Vegas by winning an extra-inning thriller at home, but they are already eliminated from wild card consideration with a 70-74 record: with eight games left, they are five back and Las Vegas’s ‘magic number’ for clinching a second straight divisional title is down to four.

BROOKLYN 11, FROSTBITE FALLS 1

WP: Anthony Reyes (1-1, 3.30)
LP: Cole Hamels (7-12, 3.94)

Anthony Reyes picked up an easy win when Ubaldo Jiminez could not continue after a third-inning rain delay already leading 7-0, as Chase Utley and Miguel Cabrera capped a big inning with run-scoring doubles off an ineffective Cole Hamels. Utley (.321, 41 doubles, 14 triples, 23 HR) leads all BARB players with 126 RBI and has emerged as an MVP candidate. Frostbite Falls (83-59) fell a game behind Darwin in the East with ten games remaining.

DARWIN 10, WORCESTER 3

WP: Randy Johnson (11-4, 3.41)
LP: Joba Chamberlain (2-2, 3.03)

The Finches sent twelve men to the plate in a seven-run second in which Chipper Jones and Lance Berkman bookended bases-loaded doubles around a throwing error by Hanley Ramirez, and 45-year-old Randy Johnson allowed only two runs through 100 pitches before needing relief help from Max Scherzer. With the win, Worcester (82-60) fell games two games behind Darwin in the East, but remain just one game out of the wild card.

OAKEYLAND 3, BLACK MESA 2 (13 innings)

WP: Brad Lidge (4-6, 3.86)
LP: Takashi Saito (10-3, 1.80)

Takashi Saito, just off the DL, walked two batters with one out then allowed a winning double to rookie 3B Andy LaRoche, as the Ballers (70-74) kept themselves alive in the Central. Todd Wellemeyer pitched brilliantly for Black Mesa, nurturing a 2-1 lead for eight frames, but Jonathan Papelbon allowed an RBI triple to tie the score in the ninth and force extra innings.

S-MART 7, YUMA 3

WP: Javier Vazquez (13-6, 3.03)
LP: Edinson Volquez (5-9, 3.50)
SV: Wilson (5)

Rookie Edinson Volquez gave up a homer on the first pitch of the ball game to Dan Uggla, then failed to retire any of the next six hitters as the Boom Sticks sent him to the showers trailing 4-0, with former Firebirds SS Miguel Tejada going 4-for-4 with his 13th circuit shot of the season. S-Mart then held on against a late rally, with Brian Wilson striking out pinch-hitter Josh Bard with runners on to end the game. It was the third straight loss for the Firebirds (81-63), and their lead with eight games to play in the West is still just one game over sibling rival Lexington.

LEXINGTON 8, LAS VEGAS 7

WP: Brandon Webb (14-10, 3.47)
LP: Francisco Liriano (0-2, 11.74)
SV: Cordero (4)

Brandon Webb, loser of five of his last seven decisions, gave his possible Cy Young candidacy a boost with seven solid innings, only to nearly see his teammates in the bullpen give the game away in a wild game that featured seven homers, including a pair by Rebels CF B.J. Upton. Prince Fielder hit his 43rd blast of the year in a losing cause to get the Luchadores (75-69) close.