FINCHES: NO REPEAT IN THE WEST
ST. FRANCIS----On a bittersweet note, veteran Friars 3B Casey Blake put on a one-man show against visiting Darwin, smacking three long balls to lead St. Francis’s 11-hit attack and mathematically eliminate any possibility that the visitors could repeat as Western Division champions.
Blake hit a two-run HR in the first to get the scoring started against Darwin starter Jonathan Sanchez (6-13, 5.09), then added a solo shot in the third and a two-run pop against long man Sean O’Sullivan for the third round-tripper. Blake hit a ball to the wall in left off Luke Gregorson in his final at-bat that was reeled in by Ryan Doumit, playing the outfield regularly with Josh Hamilton sidelined.
The Unnatural Selections had played reasonably well after losing their superstar CF to shoulder problems, and they expected him back for the final week of play, but how much he could contribute was uncertain. One thing was for sure: Bronson Arroyo (9-7, 3.56) had their right-handed journeymen eating out of their hand, and by the sixth the rout was on, with the host Friars going on to win, 10-2.
In 2009, the injury-riddled Finches took things to the wire against perennial powerhouse Yuma, and eventually won their division by just one game despite losing their last three games. In the playoffs, the Darwinians showed ‘zero fitness’, being ax-murdered by Central-winning Pottsylvania in a three-game sweep. Since that time, the club’s once-powerful lineup of switch-hitters has been decimated by free agency (Lance Berkman), injuries (Chipper Jones) and personal troubles (Milton Bradley). Despite one of the better BARB rotation and an upgraded bullpen, the Finches
FRIARS: BYE, BYE, BLAKE?
Despite his big day, Blake was somber in the clubhouse. The veteran BARB infielder and St. Francis franchise leader in games played, HR and RBI was informed earlier in the week that his contract for 2011 would not be picked up, making him a free agent despite good numbers this season (.266, 25 HR, 89 RBI). “I’ve had a good run here,” said the 35-year-old Blake, “but I can’t say what the future holds.”
Veteran C Jason Varitek, who has notably taken more of a leadership role since being added to the team, commended Blake: “The guy is a pro’s pro. He prepares every game. He takes ground balls, he takes fly balls in case he’s asked to do that, he scoops it at first, he starts the 5-4-3 as well as anybody. He takes care of his business.” For more info on the future of the Friars, see their blog.
ST. FRANCIS----On a bittersweet note, veteran Friars 3B Casey Blake put on a one-man show against visiting Darwin, smacking three long balls to lead St. Francis’s 11-hit attack and mathematically eliminate any possibility that the visitors could repeat as Western Division champions.
Blake hit a two-run HR in the first to get the scoring started against Darwin starter Jonathan Sanchez (6-13, 5.09), then added a solo shot in the third and a two-run pop against long man Sean O’Sullivan for the third round-tripper. Blake hit a ball to the wall in left off Luke Gregorson in his final at-bat that was reeled in by Ryan Doumit, playing the outfield regularly with Josh Hamilton sidelined.
The Unnatural Selections had played reasonably well after losing their superstar CF to shoulder problems, and they expected him back for the final week of play, but how much he could contribute was uncertain. One thing was for sure: Bronson Arroyo (9-7, 3.56) had their right-handed journeymen eating out of their hand, and by the sixth the rout was on, with the host Friars going on to win, 10-2.
In 2009, the injury-riddled Finches took things to the wire against perennial powerhouse Yuma, and eventually won their division by just one game despite losing their last three games. In the playoffs, the Darwinians showed ‘zero fitness’, being ax-murdered by Central-winning Pottsylvania in a three-game sweep. Since that time, the club’s once-powerful lineup of switch-hitters has been decimated by free agency (Lance Berkman), injuries (Chipper Jones) and personal troubles (Milton Bradley). Despite one of the better BARB rotation and an upgraded bullpen, the Finches
FRIARS: BYE, BYE, BLAKE?
Despite his big day, Blake was somber in the clubhouse. The veteran BARB infielder and St. Francis franchise leader in games played, HR and RBI was informed earlier in the week that his contract for 2011 would not be picked up, making him a free agent despite good numbers this season (.266, 25 HR, 89 RBI). “I’ve had a good run here,” said the 35-year-old Blake, “but I can’t say what the future holds.”
Veteran C Jason Varitek, who has notably taken more of a leadership role since being added to the team, commended Blake: “The guy is a pro’s pro. He prepares every game. He takes ground balls, he takes fly balls in case he’s asked to do that, he scoops it at first, he starts the 5-4-3 as well as anybody. He takes care of his business.” For more info on the future of the Friars, see their blog.
In other BARB action:
BROOKLYN 6, FROSTBITE FALLS 4 (1st game of DH)
WP: Justin Verlander (12-7, 2.79)
LP: Cole Hamels (9-10, 4.65)
SV: Feliz (1)
BROOKLYN 6, FROSTBITE FALLS 3 (2nd game of DH)
WP: Jon Lester (12-7, 3.84)
LP: Brett Anderson (6-4, 4.27)
SV: Feliz (2)
Justin Verlander and Jon Lester both took leads into the seventh, backstops Brian McCann and John Buck both took Frostbite starters deep, and dominant setup man Neftali Feliz gave a banged-up Billy Wagner a break, earning saves in both halves of a double dip on the road against East-leading Frostbite Falls, finishing up a three-game sweep.
By taking the set, the Moabs (who looked out of it just a week ago) pulled within one game of first in the tightening East with their fifth straight win, in large part due to the outstanding play of recently-activated SS Troy Tulowitzki, who has been on a late-season tear, hitting .455 with 4 HR in his last eight games.
However, with six of their remaining ten games against cellar-dwelling Oakland, the Squirrels would seem to have the edge for at least claiming a wild-card spot. Brooklyn, meanwhile, must face their sibling rivals in Worcester six times, plus four games against cellar dwellers. One thing’s for sure: there will be at least one team in the division to win 80 or more games that won’t make the playoffs, or even (if Western runner-up Madtown gets hot) even two!
YUMA 4, CASSELTON 2
WP: Matt Cain (13-11, 3.69)
LP: Carlos Zambrano (8-6, 3.94)
SV: Street (3)
The loaded Firebirds lowered their ‘magic number’ for clinching the West to just three games with yet another brilliant outing by Matt Cain, who has allowed just two earned runs in his last three starts for (how typical is this) two no-decisions and a win. Cain was aided by the deep and underrated Yuma bullpen, which collected three holds before handing things over to Huston Street.
Casselton, whose ‘magic number’ in the Central is down to just six games, managed to get a pair of runs by the long ball—including the 36th of the year from unlikely power source Jose Lopez. The Horned Toads second-sacker is tied with teammate Derek Lee for the team lead, and is among the top 10 in long balls in all of BARB. Their chief rival (the Arizona Thunder) trails them by two-and-a-half with just eight games remaining....albeit two, head-to-head, to end the season.
BLACK MESA 9, ARIZONA 8
WP: Carlos Rosa (4-6, 4.96)
LP: Jon Rauch (3-3, 3.52)
SV: Linebrink (1)
Adam Dunn homered twice for the visiting Anomalies, and the Thunder experienced possibly the worst loss of the season, blowing 5-2 and 6-3 leads after knocking Ricky Romero out of the game in the second, and despite another three-hit day from leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki! The remarkable Asian superstar now has 223 safeties and seems likely to set a BARB record for most hits in a season at the age of 35.
Suzuki helped make things interesting in the ninth by slicing a two-out double off Jonathan Papelbon over the head of Alberto Callaspo to score Elvis Andrus, but in what may be a sign of things to come Papelbon was lifted in favor of journeyman Scott Linebrink, who finished the inning by getting Andre Ethier to pop out to Dunn.
Papelbon, who for three years had combined with Takashi Saito to anchor one of the loop’s strongest pens, has fallen on hard times in 2010 and leads all of BARB with 11 blown saves.
WORCESTER 11, OAKLAND 4
WP: Joba Chamberlain (2-1, 5.59)
LP: Edison Volquez (5-4, 3.13)
Joba Chamberlain worked five scoreless innings of long relief after visiting United plated four in the first against Johnny Cueto, and SS Hanley Ramirez drove in four runs with a pair of long balls to pace Worcester’s 13-hit attack in a key game for the Eliminators.
The win completed a three-game sweep of the since-eliminated Oakland club, but more importantly it vaulted Matt Caskey’s club into a first-place tie with Frostbite Falls. And, since the Squirrels are their next opponent, this makes their next three games a critical matchup. A sweep by either club would probably eliminate the loser from contending for the divisional title with Brooklyn also in the equation, just one game back.
Also, in this scenario, the Eliminators have an edge: of Worcester’s final 10 games, seven are at home....(3) hosting Frostbite Falls, (3) on the road vs. the Moabs, some days off, a one-game makeup game at home vs. Central-contending Arizona, and then three to end the season vs. sibling rival Brooklyn.
In other words, serious drama remains!
BROOKLYN 6, FROSTBITE FALLS 4 (1st game of DH)
WP: Justin Verlander (12-7, 2.79)
LP: Cole Hamels (9-10, 4.65)
SV: Feliz (1)
BROOKLYN 6, FROSTBITE FALLS 3 (2nd game of DH)
WP: Jon Lester (12-7, 3.84)
LP: Brett Anderson (6-4, 4.27)
SV: Feliz (2)
Justin Verlander and Jon Lester both took leads into the seventh, backstops Brian McCann and John Buck both took Frostbite starters deep, and dominant setup man Neftali Feliz gave a banged-up Billy Wagner a break, earning saves in both halves of a double dip on the road against East-leading Frostbite Falls, finishing up a three-game sweep.
By taking the set, the Moabs (who looked out of it just a week ago) pulled within one game of first in the tightening East with their fifth straight win, in large part due to the outstanding play of recently-activated SS Troy Tulowitzki, who has been on a late-season tear, hitting .455 with 4 HR in his last eight games.
However, with six of their remaining ten games against cellar-dwelling Oakland, the Squirrels would seem to have the edge for at least claiming a wild-card spot. Brooklyn, meanwhile, must face their sibling rivals in Worcester six times, plus four games against cellar dwellers. One thing’s for sure: there will be at least one team in the division to win 80 or more games that won’t make the playoffs, or even (if Western runner-up Madtown gets hot) even two!
YUMA 4, CASSELTON 2
WP: Matt Cain (13-11, 3.69)
LP: Carlos Zambrano (8-6, 3.94)
SV: Street (3)
The loaded Firebirds lowered their ‘magic number’ for clinching the West to just three games with yet another brilliant outing by Matt Cain, who has allowed just two earned runs in his last three starts for (how typical is this) two no-decisions and a win. Cain was aided by the deep and underrated Yuma bullpen, which collected three holds before handing things over to Huston Street.
Casselton, whose ‘magic number’ in the Central is down to just six games, managed to get a pair of runs by the long ball—including the 36th of the year from unlikely power source Jose Lopez. The Horned Toads second-sacker is tied with teammate Derek Lee for the team lead, and is among the top 10 in long balls in all of BARB. Their chief rival (the Arizona Thunder) trails them by two-and-a-half with just eight games remaining....albeit two, head-to-head, to end the season.
BLACK MESA 9, ARIZONA 8
WP: Carlos Rosa (4-6, 4.96)
LP: Jon Rauch (3-3, 3.52)
SV: Linebrink (1)
Adam Dunn homered twice for the visiting Anomalies, and the Thunder experienced possibly the worst loss of the season, blowing 5-2 and 6-3 leads after knocking Ricky Romero out of the game in the second, and despite another three-hit day from leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki! The remarkable Asian superstar now has 223 safeties and seems likely to set a BARB record for most hits in a season at the age of 35.
Suzuki helped make things interesting in the ninth by slicing a two-out double off Jonathan Papelbon over the head of Alberto Callaspo to score Elvis Andrus, but in what may be a sign of things to come Papelbon was lifted in favor of journeyman Scott Linebrink, who finished the inning by getting Andre Ethier to pop out to Dunn.
Papelbon, who for three years had combined with Takashi Saito to anchor one of the loop’s strongest pens, has fallen on hard times in 2010 and leads all of BARB with 11 blown saves.
WORCESTER 11, OAKLAND 4
WP: Joba Chamberlain (2-1, 5.59)
LP: Edison Volquez (5-4, 3.13)
Joba Chamberlain worked five scoreless innings of long relief after visiting United plated four in the first against Johnny Cueto, and SS Hanley Ramirez drove in four runs with a pair of long balls to pace Worcester’s 13-hit attack in a key game for the Eliminators.
The win completed a three-game sweep of the since-eliminated Oakland club, but more importantly it vaulted Matt Caskey’s club into a first-place tie with Frostbite Falls. And, since the Squirrels are their next opponent, this makes their next three games a critical matchup. A sweep by either club would probably eliminate the loser from contending for the divisional title with Brooklyn also in the equation, just one game back.
Also, in this scenario, the Eliminators have an edge: of Worcester’s final 10 games, seven are at home....(3) hosting Frostbite Falls, (3) on the road vs. the Moabs, some days off, a one-game makeup game at home vs. Central-contending Arizona, and then three to end the season vs. sibling rival Brooklyn.
In other words, serious drama remains!
FINCHES: NO REPEAT IN THE WEST
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