BROOKLYN 11, LOS ANGELES 8
WP: Neftali Feliz (3-0, 2.25)
LP: Tim Hudson (0-2, 18.00)
The Moabs scored seven runs in the fourth against Tim Hudson and three relievers en route to their fourth straight win and an early share of first place (7-2) in the Eastern Division. Hudson (3 IP, 10 H, 7 ER) was knocked out of the box by opposite number James Shields, who drove in three runs with a pair of singles.
That was good for Brooklyn, but perhaps amped-up, Shields would not be able to finish the fifth and qualify the victory as the winless (0-7) Flyers rallied for six runs in that frame to send him to the showers, capped by the first of two home runs in the game for Mark Reynolds. Neftali Feliz came on to get the win, despite allowing a second solo shot to Reynolds.
Los Angeles is reeling: with a team ERA in double figures, allowing over two baserunners per inning, and having a pair of games first with Worcester, then with Brooklyn, things just couldn’t be worse right now for a pitching staff that is largely unchanged from last year, when the injury-riddled roster finished last in the league. With both their cleanup hitter and their closer starting the year on the DL, they may have already hit rock-bottom:
In other news:
DARWIN 7, YUMA 2
WP: Josh Johnson (1-1, 3.46)
LP: Jake Peavy (0-2, 9.58)
Miguel Olivo, a surprise choice to bat cleanup, nevertheless hit his 1st HR of the season off a wildly ineffective Jake Peavy, and Yadier Molina added a pinch-double in the top of the ninth to help cement a win against the defending Western champs, as Yuma (5-3) suffered its first loss of the year at home.
MADTOWN 4, BLACK MESA 1
WP: Jeff Niemann (2-0, 1.13)
LP: Rich Harden (0-1, 4.09)
SV: Aardsma (3)
The Murlocs lost Jimmy Rollins to the DL before the game began, but his replacement (rookie Alcides Escobar) hit his first-ever BARB home run, a two-run shot to send the slumping Anomalies to their sixth straight loss with help from CF Nate McLouth, who also homered. With the win, the Murlocs (6-3) were above .500 and in first place for the first time since October of 2007.
POTTSYLVANIA 8, OAKLAND 2
WP: Sean West (1-0, 2.45)
LP: Andy Pettite (0-1, 5.84)
Rookie Sean West worked into the eighth and new Creepers 1B Carlos Pena drove in five runs with a pair of dongs as the defending Central champs maintained their early divisional lead. Oakland United’s only runs came on a two-run homer in the fifth by Andruw Jones, getting a spot start with the club apparently losing confidence in slow-starting Carlos Lee.
FROSTBITE FALLS 8, CASSELTON 3
WP: Cole Hamels (1-1, 3.86)
LP: Johann Santana (0-1, 5.82)
Cole Hamels fanned eight, Adam Lind and Victor Martinez both homered and the Squirrels won their second straight game after beginning the season 0-4 in an uncharacteristic offensive funk. The four-time champions trail early in the season despite allowing less runs than any other team in the East.
ARIZONA 1, WORCESTER 0
WP: Ricky Nolasco (2-0, 2.57)
LP: Johnny Cueto (1-1, 2.40)
SV: Bailey (2)
Ricky Nolasco cooled the jets of the high-flying Elims, outdueling rookie Johnny Cueto with the help of the pitch-calling and hitting of fellow youngster Mat Wieters, who smacked an RBI single in the second for the game’s only run.
GAME DAY 9
3 comments:
Can someone clear something up for me? I thought Oakland United was the new name for the Darwin Finches. The way I'm seeing it is that Kyle didn't change Darwin's name (which I had assumed) but one of the Guerras changed from Fresno to Oakland. Is that correct?
That's the spirit! Dude you're team is mirroring that of the Pirates- no bueno...
ANDREW: You are correct.
BRIAN: I feel for you. The problem is that most of the teams in BARB are better than the best teams in baseball where offense is concerned. You can't win a division with average starting pitching and average bullpen. You might be able to win with exceptional starting and average bullpen or vice versa, but you've got to have some pitching.
When I look at the Flyers last year, their pitching much of the year was riddled with injuries (Francis, Duchscherer, Shields, Harang, Cruz, Matsuzaka). The club's saving grace in the second half were the big boppers who would occasionally hit a late HR to give a lead that would hold up: guys like Jim Thome (30 HR), Nick Swisher (21) and Mark Reynolds (19 in just 98 G). Well, Thome is gone now and with Lance Berkman starting the year on the DL you've got Luke Scott doing much of the damage right now.
Like you said, a limited sample size, but it doesn't bode well.
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