'THE GUIDED MIGUEL' LAUNCHES FIVE IN SERIES

New England---The West-leading Yuma Firebirds, a perennial post-season fave, began their latest road trip sporting a season-high ten-game winning streak and the loop's best mark (43-19), but when the dust settled somewhere near Beantown, the Yankee Stompers, led by DH Miguel Cabrera, swept a three-game set from Chris Melkonian's troops to put themselves back in the pennant race!

In the first game of the set, Tim Stauffer left in the sixth trailing 3-2, but Kerry Wood (5-0, 2.82) struck out Ryan Braun to end a threat with runners on and keep the game close. 2B Dustin Pedroia reached with one out on a Jason Bartlett error in the bottom of the frame, and Corey Hart delivered an RBI double to take Stauffer off the hook.

In the seventh, Matt Latos (6-3, 4.18) gave up an RBI single to rookie Jose Tabata, and Cabrera led off the eighth with his second home run of the game, and a 5-3 New England lead! Jonathan Papelbon worked around a leadoff double in the ninth by Nick Markakis, collecting his 12th save of the year in nailing down the opener.

Cabrera went yard twice in the second game, as well: blasting a two-run shot in the first off David Price for an early 2-0 lead, and (with the score still tied) launching a one-out, three-run bomb off Luke Gregerson (3-3, 4.34) in the eighth, giving Danny Haren (7-3, 5.09) a chance for the win. Papelbon again came in and sputtered (a ringing double by Victorino with one down), but fanned pinch-hitters Denard Span and Ty Wigginton for a 5-2 win, and his 13th save.

Two close contests, settled late in favor of the home team, and that set up the final match of the series. The finale was nowhere near as close, however, as Cabrera and company batted around in the sixth, scoring their first run on 'Miggy's' fifth bomb of the series, but also knocking out Tommy Hanson (7-3, 3.96) with five more safeties in the bottom of the second, the icing on the cake an RBI single by Pedroia at the expense of reliever Tyler Clippard. That made things smooth sailing for Gio Gonzalez, who gave up a pair of unearned runs in six frames. Rookie Alexei Ogando was a bridge to Papelbon, who came out for the third straight game and finished up with his 14th save.

An impressive three games for New England, part of a seven-game winning streak that stopped Yuma's run in the West and brought them within five games of the Firebirds, who have begun to deal with a wave of injuries. Still, at 43-22 there was little cause for alarm: despite the setback, Yuma still sports the loop's best record.

In other BARB action:

PHILADELPHIA 10, BROOKLYN 0
WP : Cliff Lee (6-2, 2.85)
LP: Ubaldo Jiminez (2-2, 3.23)


Cliff Lee gave up doubles to B.J. Upton and Ben Zobrist in the early innings, worked around an error with two out in the third, and then retired the last nineteen hitters without breaking a sweat, finishing with a two-hit shutout, while his fellow Rebels cashed in poor defense on the part of the Moabs: the visitors committed a total of four errors, all with Ubaldo Jiminez on the mound. 'The U' was gone by the end of the fifth, and the route was on, helping the host Rebels snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 27-24 overall.

It is rumored that Rebels GM Ronald Melkonian has a move in place for the month of July that is intended to vault him back in contention, but despite this win, Philadelphia is six back of the Central-leading Friars, and twelve games back in the 'W' column.

POTTSYLVANIA 6, SIN CITY 0
WP: Jeremy Hellickson (6-5, 4.14)
LP: James Shields (2-7, 6.42)


Rookie Jeremy Hellickson used just 108 pitches to go the distance, holding the Cowboys to just five hits en route to his first-ever BARB shutout, backed by a pair of HR from Aramis Ramirez. It was a rare day of dominance for the Creepers, who have struggled to score runs for their starters, and managed only six hits even in this effort. The Creepers have scored a BARB-low 176 runs through their first 60 games, less than three runs per outing. Their 'Murderer's Row' could drive their manager to suicide: Erick Aybar (.192), Carlos Pena (.169), Ramirez (.185), Ryan Ludwick (.180), Brad Hawpe (.159), Skip Schumaker (.143)....

AC/BC 10, CENTRAL CALIFORNIA 2
WP: Zack Greinke (4-1, 3.22)
LP: C.J. Wilson (5-6, 4.41)

Josh Hamilton went 4-for-4 with 5 ribbies, Milton Bradley (hitting just .162, and playing for his job) finally hit a home run, and Alex Coffman's Ballclub rolled to an easy win in their Southern California digs. Brittle Chipper Jones also had a good day, reaching base and scoring three times from the top of the order, sufficient for a 8-0 lead after six. Zack Greinke, bidding for a shutout, settled for an easy win that kept the ball largely away from the club's Achilles heel (the bullpen).


FROSTBITE FALLS 5, CASSELTON 4
WP: FelixHernandez (-2, 3.42)
LP: Josh Beckett (4-5, 5.93)
SV: Bailey (3)


Albert Pujols had three hits, Adam Lind chipped in a pair of RBI doubles, and visiting Squirrels got their 30th win of the year to pick up a game on East-leading Brooklyn, as 'King Felix' took a shutout into the eighth before needing some serious relief help, when Casselton C Geovanny Soto came off the deck to belt a three-run bomb to get his club back in the game. But Sean Marshall only gave up one more run, and Andrew Bailey remained perfect as the club's new closer.

Speaking of relief, Frostbite fans are scratching their heads about the normally-reliable Joakim Soria, who has not only lost nine games in relief, but his hold on the ninth frame. Will 'The Mexicutioner' (love that nickname) recover his late-inning flair, or will the Squirrels pursue relief help in the second half?

ST. FRANCIS 5, WORCESTER 1 WP: Cliff Richard (6-1, 2.98)
LP: Ryan Dempster (4-4, 5.37)
SV: Benoit (2)


"It's so funny, but we don't talk anymore." If you don't get the reference, never mind...the fast-working Richard probably wouldn't either, working quickly to scatter six safeties, missing a shutout when he bunched three of the safeties in the ninth. By that time, however, the host Friards had the game well in hand, thanks for four long balls at the expense of starter Ryan Dempster, two of them solo shots by LF Jose Bautista, who leads all of BARB with 21 round-trippers.

With the win, St. Francis becomes the second club to reach 40 wins (40-24) before the All-Star Break, largely due to the lineup's league-leading 353 runs in 64 games.