JOHNSON’S ARM, BAT PACE RECORD-SETTING DAY FOR FINCHES

JOHNSON’S ARM, BAT PACE RECORD-SETTING DAY FOR FINCHES

Black Mesa----Darwin's Josh Johnson became the first-ever BARB pitcher to homer twice in one game, drilling a three-run blast off Carlos Rosa, the third Black Mesa reliever, as part of a 12-run victimization of the reeling Anomalies in the fifth inning of a laugher played on the road in Black Mesa.


With the game scoreless, Johnson greeted starter Rich Harden (0-2, 4.50) with a single to open the Darwin fifth. Placido Polanco and Milton Bradley singled to plate Johnson, but the game was delayed when Bradley was caught stealing off of first and proceeded to argue with 1B umpire Gordon Freeman. Bradley was removed from the game for his own protection, but after the lull Miguel Olivo hit his sixth HR of the year, a two-run shot, and Harden (who may have stiffened in the delay) was done.

Things turned ugly: first Luis Perdomo, then Carlos Villanueva, and finally all failed to bring the usually light-hitting Darwinians to bay. After Carlos RosaMiguel Tejada (batting eighth) singled to plate the inning’s fifth run, Rosa had little choice but to groove a get-ahead fastball to Johnson, who PULLED it, over the wall in left, a three-run poke and a 9-0 Finches lead.

With one down, Rosa struck out Ryan Doumit batting from the missing Bradley, but David Ortiz smacked his second boundary belt of the season a batter later. Finally, a fourth reliever (normal setup man Takashi Saito) made his appearance to end the bleeding: all told, Darwin had sent 15 men to the plate, collecting three walks and nine hits, among them three bombs:

FINCHES 12, BLACK MESA 2!

Johnson (3-1, 2.96) was obviously given a chance to go all the way. The Finches scratched out two more insurance runs against Papelbon and Linebrink in the seventh, and with the game way out of hand (15-0) and the bullpen gassed, backup 3B Adrian Beltre was summoned to “pitch” the last few innings.

With two on and one down in the eighth, Johnson got a ball over the plate, and this time launched it UP and OUT, a three-run shot to left-center and an 18-0 Darwin win!

All told, Johnson would go 4-for-5 with 2 HR and 5 RBI, a good day for anyone, but an epic outing for a pitcher. About the only downside for Darwin’s big righty on this day of ownage was the fact that he lost his shutout bid in the bottom of the eighth, and needed help from Max Scherzer to finish out the 18-2 victory.

In other BARB action:

FROSTBITE FALLS 4, BROOKLYN 3

WP: Nick Masset (2-0, 0.00)
LP: Francisco Rodriguez (0-1, 3.00)

Rookie Jason Heyward punched a two-run single through the drawn-in infield, a walkoff knock, as the Squirrels rallied to beat the visiting Moabs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. 3B Evan Longoria, who kept the rally going with a booming double, also hit a pair of solo HR in the game to keep things close for the Squirrels, who reached .500 (5-5) by posting their fourth straight win.

WORCESTER 6, OAKLAND 1

WP: Anibal Sanchez (2-0, 1.98)
LP: Hideki Kuroda (1-1, 5.73)

Mark Teixeira had three hits, including his second home run of the season, a three-run shot in the first---as the Eliminators manhandled Hideki Kuroda (4 IP, 7 H, 6 runs) and the rest of Oakland United’s relief corp, improving to 8-2 overall, tops in the league through ten games played, and good enough for a one-and-a-half game lead in the East.

POTTSYLVANIA 5, CASSELTON 1

WP: Chris Carpenter (2-0, 2.40)
LP: John Danks (0-1, 5.45)

Unimpressed by a southpaw, the Creepers corps of left-handed sluggers (Matsui, Hawpe and Pena) all went deep off John Danks, effectively putting the game out of reach early. The division’s defending champ, the Creepers not only have more power than they’re used to, their strong start (5-1) makes them the only team in the Central with a winning record.

ST. FRANCIS 6, ARIZONA 3

WP: Jorge De La Rosa (1-1, 3.38)
LP: Tommy Hanson (1-1, 4.91)
SV: Francisco (3)

Ben Zobrist smacked an RBI triple and scored, Shin-Soo Choo added his first home run of the year and Jorge De La Rosa pitched seven strong innings, lifting his club to 3-4 as the Anointed Ones pretty much had their way with Tommy Hanson after a long rain delay stiffened many joints. Arizona left a season-high ten runners on base, most after the fifth inning.
JOHNSON’S ARM, BAT PACE RECORD-SETTING DAY FOR FINCHES