As we try to keep track with reality, as of Memorial Day (May 31st), the BARB 'reality' has reached its version of May 1st. In the next few days the following players have or will be reactivated:
Black Mesa 2B Ian Kinsler
Pottsylvania LHP Cliff Lee
Los Angeles RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka
Darwin CF Aaron Rowand
Arizona RHP Joe Blanton
Madtown RHP Kerry Wood
Arizona OF Manny Ramirez
Pottsylvania OF Brad Hawpe
At the same time, the following will hit the ranks of the walking wounded:
Yuma SS Yunel Escobar
Casselton SS Rafael Furcal
Casselton SS J.J. Hardy
Darwin IF Maizer Izturis
Darwin OF Milton ('Ding Dong') Bradley
Darwin LHP Franklin Morales
The St. Francis Friars have also released IF Mike Aviles, who can now be signed by any BARB club on a first come-first served basis . Aviles was previously released due to a roster crunch as a disappointment by the Casselton Horned Toads, so anyone who doesn't see the cruel irony of fate hasn't been paying attention . . .
Meanwhile, in BARB action:
POTTSYLVANIA 6, WORCESTER 5
WP: Cliff Lee (1-0, 3.68)
LP: Anibal Sanchez (2-2, 3.42)
SV: Broxton (7)
Just activated from the DL, Creepers ace Cliff Lee was the beneficiary of a four-run sixth keyed by Matt Kemp’s bases-clearing, go-ahead double, allowing just two runs in seven-plus innings of work to boost last year’s Central Division champs.
Jason Bay made the game very interesting in the eighth with his BARB-leading 13th homer of the year, a three-run shot off a slumping (7.36) Brian Fuentes, but former Eliminators setup man Grant Balfour fanned Lastings Milledge to end the threat and give the Creepers (11-4) their third straight win.
OAKLAND 6, ST. FRANCIS 4
WP: Danny Haren (5-0, 3.19)
LP: Gavin Floyd (1-2, 3.56)
SV: Hoffman (3)
Colby Rasmus and Jorge Posada both homered for ‘United’, and Danny Haren became the first BARB pitcher this season to reach five wins despite a slow start against the expansion Friars, as Oakland resumed its dance with .500 (11-11) to end the BARB version of May showers.
Seemingly-ageless reliever Trevor Hoffman earned his third save since the loss to injury of projected closer Huston Street, deftly maneuvering his way out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam to frustrate the Friars, who blew a 3-1 lead in the middle innings.
LOS ANGELES 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 2
WP: Aaron Harang (1-2, 6.35)
LP: Felix Hernandez (2-2, 3.42)
SV: Motte (1)
The PF Flyers received two pieces of good news en route to putting a notch in the ‘W’ column. First, injured started Daisuke Matsuzaka was expected to rejoin the rotation this weekend, while hot-hitting Mark Reynolds (#9)and Lance Berkman (#4) both ripped home runs off ‘King Felix’ to back prevously-winless Aaron Harang.
Since beginning the season 0-7, the Flyers have managed to win seven of twelve, which if they can maintain that pace might be enough to contend in the historically-weak Central Division. The pitching staff’s uncertainty can be gauged, however, by the fact that rookie Jason Motte (with a 9.00 ERA) ended up earning a save.
YUMA 4, MADTOWN 1
WP: Jake Peavy (2-3, 4.01)
LP: Jered Weaver (2-2, 3.73)
SV: Cordero (3)
With starter Yunel Escobar on the DL, backup IF Ryan Theriot hit a go-ahead single in the bottom of the third to give Jake Peavy the lead, and Peavy followed that with an RBI single in what proved to be the winning rally for two Western Division rivals, who remained neck-and-neck with one ‘month’ of BARB play in the books. Yuma (15-9) took their second straight from the visiting Murlocs, who at 16-10 are still just percentage points behind and in a virtual tie for first.
DARWIN 5, BLACK MESA 1
WP: Zack Greinke (3-2, 2.03)
LP: Ted Lilly (0-1, 2.57)
SV: Morales (1)
The Finches, led by ace Zack Greinke, spoiled Black Mesa lefthander Ted Lilly’s 2010 BARB debut with a solid team effort, tacking on three late runs off reliever Carlos Rosa to help cement the triumph thanks to Chipper Jones, who clouted his sixth big fly in April. Darwin (14-13) is already two-and-a-half games back in the West, but that’s nothing on the Anomalies: at 4-21, they have the loop’s worst record—and perhaps even worse luck.
Black Mesa received word that CF Curtis Granderson, a major part of their offense, would be placed on the DL with calf problems at the same time that starting SS Jack Wilson was trying to avoid the same fate.
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