FINCHES LOSING STREAK REACHES EIGHT

FINCHES LOSING STREAK REACHES EIGHT

Worcester----The host Eliminators, led by captain Derek Jeter, finished off a three-game sweep of visiting Darwin in style, with C Joe Mauer hitting over .400 for the week and the hapless Finches losing three more to run their losing streak to a season-high eight games, the longest-such streak of futility for any BARB club this season. *

The tale of the tape is glorious for Worcester, but ugly for fans of the club that had the best regular-season mark in BARB in 2009 . . .

The Elims sent All-World righthander Zack Greinke (3-4, 3.89) to an early shower in the opener, as Anibal Sanchez (3-3, 3.40) was effective and Jeter had two RBI as part of a four-run third, and a 7-1 Worcester win. In the second game, Worcester destroyed Jonathan Sanchez (0-3, 6.92), who has not been effective since filling in for the injured Scott Kazmir. The Elims got a great complete-game effort from Adam Wainwright (3-2, 4.24), given the opportunity to go long after six runs of insurance in the eighth, keyed by Jeter’s fourth HR of the year. Despite getting two late runs, the Finches were humiliated, 10-3. In the finale, Brandon Morrow (1-1, 8.10) flashed some potential, pitching eight strong innings to help his club edge the Darwinians, 4-2, as Hanley Ramirez and Mauer both hit first-inning HR off Josh Johnson (4-4, 3.26)

In other BARB action:

BROOKLYN 3, BLACK MESA 1 (1st game of DH)

WP: Justin Verlander (2-2, 4.11)
LP: Rich Harden (0-4, 4.39)


BROOKLYN 12, BLACK MESA 9 (2nd game of DH)

WP: Jose Mijares (1-0, 1.59)
LP: Carlos Rosa (1-1, 9.47)

Chase Utley snapped a 1-1 tie in the seventh with his fifth HR of the season, and Justin Verlander made it stand up, going all the way while fanning 12 Anomalies in a pitching-dominated opener of a wild, wind-swept doubleheader in Brooklyn.

It was a good thing for the Moabs that they go so much out of Verlander, though: the nightcap was a slugfest that saw Raul Ibanez pull out of an early slump with a 3-HR game, the last off Matt Lindstrom to tie the ballgame at 9-9 in the eighth. But, with two down in the bottom of the ninth, Brooklyn’s big boppers got it going. Andrew McCutcheon singled with two away, then stole second on a busted hit-and-run, beating the throw by John Buck. Chase Utley hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, but Carlos Rosa fumbled with the ball to put runners at the corners. Ryan Howard then launched his second homer of the game (and 12th overall),. a WALKOFF JOB, as the Moabs improved to 17-16.

CASSELTON 13, LOS ANGELES 6

WP: John Lackey (3-2, 2.72)
LP: Tim Hudson (2-3, 6.53)

Smoking-hot Jose Lopez (12 hits in his last five games) with a double and his fifth boundary belt of the year to lead the Horned Toads’ reawakened offense at home in Casselton. Rookie 3B Casey McGeehee also had a HR and a double to drive in three in the one-sided affair. It was the fourth straight win for Casselton (15-13) during Lopez’s hot streak.

ARIZONA 4, POTTSYLVANIA 3

WP: Jose Valverde (2-1, 3.26)
LP: Brian Fuentes (0-1, 10.61)
SV: Bailey (8)

Jose Valverde ‘vultured’ a win by blowing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a pinch-hit single by Skip Schumaker, but the Thunder lineup bailed him out with a rally off the Creepers pen keyed by Alberto Callaspo’s pinch single, as the Thunder (15-14) pulled above .500 in the Western race.

OAKLAND 3, YUMA 2

WP: Jeremy Affeldt (2-0, 2.33)
LP: Francisco Cordero (2-2, 5.21)

Kevin Youkilis led off the bottom of the ninth with a tie-breaking, WALKOFF bomb off slumping Francisco Cordero as the United ballclub (16-16) won their fourth straight to keep their foot in the door of the Eastern Division race.

* Los Angeles began the 2010 campaign with a seven-game losing streak