Casselton---In the middle of a season-high eight-game winning streak that has propelled them to a commanding lead in the Central, the Horned Toads clawed back against visiting Arizona, only to fall in extra frames on Andre Ethier's clutch two-run double....yet the highlights of the game paled in comparison to the media frenzy that followed the game, as the Thunder raised the 'white flag' with a blockbuster trade.
THE GAME ITSELF
Adrian Gonzalez's 25th HR of the year, a three-run shot, had given Arizona a 5-1 lead after four frames, but the Horned Toads came all the way back to take a 6-5 lead off relievers Octavio Dotel and Edward Mujica, the big blow being a two-run pinch-HR by Michael Cuddyer. The visitors managed to scratch out a tying run when Martin Prado led off the eighth with a double off reliver Ramon Ramirez.
This set up a trip to extra frames, where Mike Gonzalez and Jon Rauch (2-1, 3.02) were effective, and Sergio Romo (0-2, 7.94) and Claudio Vargas were not: the Thunder batted around in the top of the 11th, with the big blow being Ethier's two-out double. C Miguel Montero, who had come in a double switch in the tenth, added an RBI double as part of a four-run inning, and Jose Valverde fanned three Casselton hitters in the bottom of the 11th to seal the deal in a non-save situation.
THE TRADE!
The doors to the clubhouse were immediately closed following the game, however, and OF Manny Ramirez (who had flied out in a pinch-hit appearance in the eighth) was already gone. To a hushed clubhouse, GM Ronald Melkonian announced a deal that, well, won him no popularity points. Arizona had sent Ramirez, along with starter Yovani Gallardo, castoff OF Vernon Wells, backup C John Buck and a minor-leaguer (1B Chris Davis) to Brooklyn.
In return, the Moabs have dealt starter James Shields and a pair of prospects (RHP Jeremy Hellickson and OF Jose Tabata) to Arizona. Melkonian was blunt: "Considering my team's inability to catch Casselton, and a wave of injuries, we're throwing in the towel and setting our sights on next season."
Reaction within the clubhouse was swift and disbelieving. Normally-stoic 1B Adrian Gonzales, a former Horned Toad, could not contain himself: "We just beat Casselton on their own turf, in extra innings! We are just three games out of the wild card, and there are weeks of games to play, and this . . . guy's throwing in the towel? Throwing in the towel?"
News from the Brooklyn camp was more matter-of-fact: Buck gives them a veteran with pop to back up starter Brian McCann and send rookie Alex Avila back to the minors for more seasoning. The acquisition of Wells is an insurance policy for CF Mike Cameron, who has been on the DL twice. Gallardo takes Shields's spots in the rotation, a potential upgrade, while Ramirez is widely seen as a salary dump to make the deal go down. Moabs GM Eric Caskey, known for his criticism of Barry Bonds and other alleged users of PED's, had little comment on 'Man-Ram', who served a significant suspension last year for violation of the league's drug-testing program.
In other BARB action:
OAKLAND 4, LOS ANGELES 0
WP: Wade Davis (1-1, 2.81)
LP: Tim Hudson (5-8, 4.68)
Rookie Wade Davis got his first BARB win, and new United backstop Kurt Suzuki (acquired for minor leaguer Matt Davidson) had an RBI single as well as getting six strong frames out of his backstop to mark his arrival in Oakland, at the expense of his former club, Los Angeles. Andruw Jones, getting more regular playing time following the trade of Carlos Lee, whacked his 9th HR of the year for Oakland, while former Friars utilityman Ben Zobrist added his 18th, a solo shot to pace Oakland (39-45) to just its third win in its last ten games.
As they confirmed, the Friars wanted to give rookie C Carlos Santana more playing time behind the dish on a regular basis, and expressed confidence that Davidson (deemed expendable by United) would be a good pickup for their system.
DARWIN 7, BLACK MESA 4
WP: Zack Greinke (6-6, 3.23)
LP: Luis Perdomo (4-2, 6.75)
SV: Franklin (15)
The visiting Anomalies hit three roundtrippers off Finches ace Zack Greinke, but they were all solo shots, whereas reliever Luis Perdomo served up David Ortiz's 12th of the year with a man aboard, part of a game-changing seventh that wasted a decent effort to that point by Wandy Rodriguez, as the Finches (44-43) continued their 'dance with .500.'
ST. FRANCIS 7, BROOKLYN 3
WP: Randy Wells (2-5, 3.64)
LP: Justin Masterson (4-3, 4.68)
Chris Young, Casey Blake and A.J. Pierzynski all took Justin Masterson deep in a four-run fifth, and Randy Wells battled for seven innings to earn just his second win of the year. Despite the solid outing, Wells will be moved to the pen to accomodate recent free agent signing Brett Myers off the scrap heap. With the win, the Friars (39-48) won for just the fourth time in their last ten games, while Brooklyn (49-36) dropped a half-game behind East-leading Worcester. But big moves are in the works (see trade article, above).
MADTOWN 10, YUMA 0
WP: Jared Weaver (7-6, 3.87)
LP: Roy Halladay (7-7, 3.93)
Jared Weaver scattered five hits through seven frames, then added a two-run single off Roy Halladay to send the Yuma ace to an uncharacteristically-early exit in the fourth, as the Murlocs (45-41) continued to baffle the oddsmakers, pulling into a first-place tie in the West with the Firebirds. Yuma's staff also had to be miffed by allowing a career high 5 RBI to free-swinging free spirit Pablo Sandoval, who also homered twice to lead the Madtown attack.
THUNDER RAINS ON CASSELTON PARADE, THEN BLOWS UP ROSTER
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