FRIARS SNUFF FINCHES, BUT FIREBIRDS CAN’T CAPITALIZE

FRIARS SNUFF FINCHES, BUT FIREBIRDS CAN’T CAPITALIZE

Down Under----Justin Verlander pitched his best game of the year in the heat of a pennant race to help the St. Francis Friars play the role of ‘spoiler’ to the hilt, as the big righthander went all the way to hold the Western-leading Darwin Finches (81-58) to just four hits to win a 1-0 shutout on the road in Australia.

Verlander (9-11, 3.98) fanned nine, including seven through the first four innings, and got an early run when Scott Hairston doubled in Ben Zobrist with two down in the second. The Friars ace got into a jam in the fifth, allowing a single to Aaron Rowand and a four-pitch walk to Brandon Inge to start the inning. Jeff Francouer hit an absolute smash to Casey Blake, though, that kicked right off Blake’s mitt to rookie Alexei Ramirez, who flipped the ball to Felipe Lopez at second to nip Rowand, just your typical 5-6-4 force play (yawn)...as if! Yadier Molina and Cristian Guzman then both flied harmlessly out to right-center.

That was nearly the entire Darwin offense, other than a leadoff double in the ninth by Adam LaRoche. An overpowering Verlander just reached back and blew away Rowand and a pair of pinch-hitters, and the Friars had sent Scott Kazmir (3-7, 5.67) a tough-luck loss despite mustering only three hits themselves against Darwin pitching.

A prime opportunity for Darwin’s Western rival, the Yuma Firebirds, to pull into a tie for first in the division....but it was not to be. Joe Saunders (7-10, 4.10) took a shutout into the sixth against the Yumans, and the Casselton Horned Toads began their game against Matt Cain (8-12, 3.69) with four straight hits to put the host Firebirds into an early 3-0 hole. Ryan Zimmerman would hit a two-run bomb off with one down in the eighth off Sergio Romo to narrow the score, but Casselton cashed in an error by Nick Markakis that allowed Kendry Morales to reach with two out, and Bobby Jenks retired the last five hitters to make the 4-2 lead stand up and collect his 21st save of the year.

WILD, BUT EXASPERATING FINISH

With five games left in the West, Yuma and Darwin are separated by one game. The runner-up could still earn a playoff spot....or not.

With three games left with the Eastern contenders, Brooklyn, Frostbite Falls and Worcester are separated by just two games. Any of the three could win the division, make it on a wild card, or fail to make the cut.

In the Central, Pottsylvania’s ‘magic number’ is down to two with two games left....but Casselton, the longest of long shots, still has five games left on the schedule to just a pair oft he Creepers. So, if the Horned Toads sweep their final five contests, and Pottsylvania drops a pair....well, you get the idea...nothing is set in stone.

In other BARB action:

MADTOWN 14, TEXAS 2

WP: A.J. Burnett (10-10, 4.21)
LP: Javier Vasquez (7-13, 5.79)

Surging Prince Fielder hit his 34th and 35th home runs in the first two games of the final series between the Murlocs, and capped the series finale with a three-hit, 5-RBI game to send the staggered Tornadoes to their season-high tenth straight loss. Chris Davis, Scott Rolen and Pablo Sandoval also had three hits apiece in a very one-sided affair that saw Texas use (or is that use up) seven pitchers. With the win, the Murlocs ensured they would avoid a last-place finish, ceding that ‘honor’ to either Los Angeles or Texas.

FRIARS SNUFF FINCHES, BUT FIREBIRDS CAN’T CAPITALIZE