On the road in Casselton, the previously-winless PF Flyers took a doubleheader from the Horned Toads with help from just-activated 1B Lance Berkman and clutch hitting Ryan Sweeney, preserving 4-3 and 4-2 wins with some timely bullpen work.
In the opener, Ryan Sweeney drove in his second run of the game with a one-out single in the top of the tenth off Bobby Jenks (0-1, 1.39). With projected closer Brad Lidge still on the mend, LHP Scott Downs was summoned to preserve the win for Octavio Dotel (1-0, 5.06) as the Flyers went on to win, 4-3.
A visibly-disgusted Carlos Zambrano dented a water cooler at the end of the game: he had a 3-2 lead in the seventh over Kevin Slowey, but an error by Kendry Morales (coaxed into OF duty to get his bat in the lineup) foiled that plan. With a 5.25 ERA, ‘Big Z’ has been the subject of rumors that he might be placed in the bullpen.
In the nightcap, Lance Berkman made his presence felt by clubbing a two-run bomb in the sixth, his first of the year. His shot against Johann Santana (0-2, 5.57) gave his club a 4-1 lead, and that proved to be enough. Rookie LHP Scot Shields surrendered a run in the ninth due to Orlando Hudson’s leadoff double, but held on to preserve the win for journeyman Todd Wellemeyer (1-1, 6.75). The PF Flyers had two W’s in the right column for once, and no doubt hope to build on that once Lidge’s (hoped-for) return from the DL transpires.
WORCESTER 7, ST. FRANCIS 4
WP: Heath Bell (1-1, 4.70)
LP: Brandon Lyon (1-1, 2.70)
SV: Rivera (4)
Jason Bay cranked a ball out with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, his BARB-leading ninth poke of the year, and Mariano Rivera collected his loop-leading fourth save with a 1-2-3 ninth as the Eliminators (9-4) maintained a slim lead in the Eastern Division. Hanley Ramirez started the rally with a double off Brandon Lyon, but it was Bay who snapped the 4-3 lead with a bomb off Pedro Feliciano. Bay, who led all of BARB last season with 41 round-trippers, now has FIFTY big flies in his last 621 at-bats . . . .
FROSTBITE FALLS 7, ARIZONA 2
WP: Cole Hamels (2-1, 3.66)
LP: Ricky Nolasco (2-1, 4.42)
Albert Pujols, Jason Werth and Ricky Weeks all went deep against Arizona pitching, and Cole Hamels worked effectively into the sixth as the visiting Squirrels pretty much had their way with the host Thunder, collecting 14 hits in the process.
BLACK MESA 3, DARWIN 2
WP: Barry Zito (1-2, 5.40)
LP: Hideki Okajima (0-1, 1.08)
SV: Perdomo (1)
Barry Zito allowed only one earned run while scattering ten (!) hits, and Franklin Guttierez led off the bottom of the 7th with a solo homer off reliever Hideki Okajima to lead the host Anomalies over the visiting Finches at Black Mesa. DH David Ortiz snapped an 0-for-13 skid with an RBI single in first for the Darwinians, and added another single to lift his average near the Mendoza line.
CURRENT STANDINGS:
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