TRADES, TRAGEDY IN CENTRAL

SANTANA WINS GAME, LOSES S

SANTANA WINS BATTTLE . . .BUT LOST FOR THE WAR!

In a key game against a division rival, the Casselton Horned Toads prevailed 2-0 over the Arizona Thunder, but lost ace LHP Johann Santana to an eighth-inning elbow injury that will sideline him for the rest of the year, and perhaps require surgery.

Casselton (67-51) won their third straight as Santana (10-5, 4.19) won his 24th start of the year, but when the southpaw grabbed his elbow with one out in the eighth, it was clear that they had suffered a bigger blow than just a loss to Arizona. MRI's after the game confirmed what was feared: Santana would miss the rest of the regular season, and the post-season as well.

With the highly-paid Carlos Zambrano still on the roster, the Horned Toads would have no problem fleshing out the rotation, but it was the latest in a series of setbacks for Santana, once regarded as one of the top 10 starters in all of BARB. At the time of his injury, the lefty was shooting for his first complete game of the season, which had so far eluded him. That in itself was a sign that he was not himself: Santana had led all of BARB with 11 complete games in 2007 while pitching for Frostbite Falls, and had managed 8 route-going exercises last season while pitching for Casselton, and a total of 22 over the last three seasons.

Newly-acquired starter Gavin Floyd (see article below) took the loss despite a solid outing (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER) to fall to 7-12 with a 3.92 ERA, the big blow being a two-run bomb by Toads 2B Jose Lopez to snap a scoreless tie in the 6th.

In other BARB action:

LOS ANGELES 4, ST. FRANCIS 3

WP: John Maine (2-1, 6.58)
LP: Frank Francisco (2-5, 6.59)
SV: Lidge (9)

Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana homered as part of a three-run eighth off Frank Francisco, and John Maine struck out two of the three hitters he faced in 104-degree heat to nail down a comeback win for the host Flyers (43-77).

YUMA 6, OAKLAND 0

WP: C.C. Sabathia (8-7, 3.09)
LP: Wade Davis (2-5, 2.57)

Ryan Zimmerman drove in four runs with a first-inning HR (his 15th) and a two-run single in the fifth, while C.C. Sabathia went all the way for his first shutout (and fourth complete game) of the season, to help the warming Firebirds (65-48) win for the ninth time in their last ten games.

FROSTBITE FALLS 5, MADTOWN 2

WP: Tim Lincecum (12-8, 4.11)
LP: Jason Vargas (2-8, 5.68)
SV: Soria (19)

Ricky Weeks (#21), Michael Young (#17) and Victor Martinez (#9) all went deep against Jason Vargas, and Tim Lincecum overcame a shaky first inning to fan 11 Murlocs and keep the Flying Squirrels (67-53) within one game of idle Worcester in the East.

BROOKLYN 6, BLACK MESA 3

WP: Justin Verlander (11-7, 2.83)
LP: Erwin Santana (2-10, 7.92)
SV: Wagner (5)

Former Moabs 3B Miguel Cabrera connected off Justin Verlander in the fourth, but otherwise the hit parade was one-sided, led by Ryan Howard's 40th poke of the year and three-hit effort from Utley, including his 15th. Brooklyn stays within a game-and-a-half of Worcester in the Eastern Division logjam, with 31 games to play!

CENTRAL CLUBS MAKE...OR DON'T MAKE MOVES

At the TRADE DEADLINE . . . .there was little more than a blip, as BARB clubs for the most part adopted a 'stand pat' stance toward their rosters. The one exception (gasp!) was the Arizona Thunder, whose GM (the peripatetic Ronald Melkonian) adopted an 'about-face' in a bid for a playoff spot.

As recently as mid-September, the Thunder was seen by most observers as out of the race. Their GM had said as much, by dealing away supposed staff ace Yovani Gallardo to the Brooklyn Moabs along with veteran slugger Manny Ramirez and CF Vernon Wells. This was widely perceived by the media (and an angry clubhouse) as a 'white flag' trade, especially when Melkonian was quoted in the Arizona Republic as saying that the traded players were "unable to help the team reach their goal of winning a pennant this season" and that they were now going to "focus on . . . future plans for contention."

A funny thing happened on the way to rebuilding: the team got healthier (notably Alex Rodriguez), the bullpen kicked it up a notch and (perhaps most critically) neither Casselton nor Pottsylvanis has played well enough to pull away from the Thunder. So it was that the club found itself in contention, and with an eye on the shaky health of Ricky Nolasco, picked up St. Francis RHP Gavin Floyd for a player to be named.

WHAT DID THE OTHER CONTENDERS DO DOWN THE STRETCH?

In a word, not much. Brooklyn, of course, had already shot its bolt, dealing (among others) RHP James Shields and several prospects to get Gallardo and company from Arizona. A playoff team last year, their hopes on another playoff berth pretty much depend on the roster they have outplaying Frostbite Falls and Worcester down the stretch.

Casselton, despite losing Santana, despite the injuries which slowed 1B Derek Lee, despite a series of meltdowns by closer Bobby Jenks, did nothing to shore up any of those holes. Is this a message of confidence for those struggling, or is it simply a vote of no-confidence in rivals like Pottsylvania and Arizona? Unless either gets hot, the Horned Toads will make their first playoff but it remains to be seen if they will be any threat once getting there.

Frostbite Falls had hoped to get a boost with the return of CF Carlos Beltran, but held on to their most tradeable commodity (2B Rickie Weeks) due to injury concerns with 3B Evan Longoria and SS Jose Reyes. The multiple (2003, 2005, 2006, 2008) BARB champions will try to add 'one for the thumb' with the hand they've been dealt.

Madtown had extra SP to give, which would've made them everyone's favorite in spring training. But, since the Murlocs are very competitive, some of their potential trading partners were rivals (Yuma, Darwin) or else couldn't afford to deal the sort of full-time catcher with a solid bat that Madtown might've liked to have added to their mix.

Pottsylvania: the 2009 Central Division champs have had a lot of injuries to key personnel, and they have to hope that 3B Aramis Ramirez can pull out of his season-long funk in the next four weeks. LHP Brian Fuentes was dangled, but there were no bites. Team leader Jason Varitek was traded away, and CF Matt Kemp was a lightning rod for media criticism. The club just doesn't have a lot of extra talent it can dangle. Hard-throwing LHP Aroldis Chapman could make some noise in September...

Worcester was approached by more than one club with interest in 2B Robinson Cano, but the Eliminators (saddled with heavy payroll) lacked the flexibility to take on salary and in any case probably were wise to reject lowball offers where Cano was concerned.

Yuma had originally hoped to shore up its rotation by offering a significant package for St. Francis RHP Roy Oswalt, but saw the deal fall apart when Oswalt put together a hot streak for the Friars.

WORLDS COLLIDE, WORCESTER TAKE REINS

WORLDS COLLIDE, WORCESTER TAKE REINS

Casselton-----Boasting the loop's best record through 80 games with a 50-30 mark, the Central Division-leading Horned Toads hosted a three-game set against Eastern frontrunner Worcester,only to see the visiting Eliminators exploit their biggest weakness en route to a series sweep!

In the opener, ace Adam Wainwright (8-3, 3.91) took the hill for the Eliminators, but would not figure in the decision when a throwing error by Jason Bay helped trigger a four-run sixth, and give J.A. Happ (1-1, 4.56) a 4-3 lead after seven innings. But Worcester's powerhouse offense(more on that later) scored four times in the top of the ninth off the Casselton pen, including a bases-loaded double for Hanley Ramirez and a game-clinching, save-blowing two-run single off Bobby Jenks by Mark Teixeira. In the bottom of the frame, the great Mariano Rivera came on to collect his 20th save of the year, sending Ramon Ramirez (1-2, 4.80) and his Casselton teammates to a 7-4 loss!

In the second game, Brandon Morrow (7-4, 5.90) struck out nine in outdueling veteran Johann Santana (7-4, 4.26), but it was only 2-1 going into the sixth, where this time it was Joe Mauer who tormented the Casselton pen. Mauer hit his second HR of the game against reliever Dennis O'Day, one of three round-trippers ultimately surrendered late in the ballgame, and Morrow and the Elims would go on to win rather handily, 7-1!

With the second win, Worcester not only guaranteed a series win, but also moved ahead of Casselton in terms of total wins with 51....a sweep would move them to 52, and send a powerful message to the rest of the league that the club that had led BARB in wins for much of 2009 was back on all cylinders.

And that, in fact, is just what happened! This third game matched up Ryan Dempster (9-5,4.05) with John Danks (6-4, 3.99). Just as in other games, this affair stayed close thanks in part to solo HR by Casselton stars Jose Lopez and Justin Upton. But, in the top of eighth, Ramirez hit an RBI double off Brad Ziegler to provide a 3-1 edge. Rivera was summoned yet again after Lopez hit his blast with two out in the bottom of the eighth, and he retired the last four hitters to collect his 21st save and seal the deal for his red-hot club: WORCESTER 3, CASSELTON 2!

ELIMS, TOADS EYE EACH OTHER'S ROSTERS

No club is hotter on offense right now than Worcester, with four of the top ten regulars in batting being Eliminators: C Joe Mauer (.347), 2B Robinson Cano (.328) and SS Hanley Ramirez (.313) are all forces to be reckoned with, and LF Carl Crawford has recently ridden a BARB-leading 21-game hitting streak to a .344 average. The recent promotion of OF Delmon Young has also given the club a significant boost....and yet insiders remain concerned.

A season-ending injury to CF Grady Sizemore has been the only blip on the health department so far, but the system lacks depth throughout. Other than 1B Ike Davis, the club has no blue chip prospects to deal and their bench is thin. If a regular player goes down for any length of time, that could trigger a domino effect through their lineup. It was not hard to imagine club officials looking across the way at Casselton's bench and coveting versatile players like Michael Cuddyer or Jorge Cantu.

Meanwhile, Casselton's 50-33 mark is no fluke. They are clearly playing better than the rest of their rivals in the Central, and barring a historic collapse, seem likely to earn their first-ever playoff spot this year after the recent flurry of 'white flag' trades from rival Central clubs. But they, too, have a key weakness highlighted by this series: outside of heavily-used setup man Mike Adams, their bullpen has become a demilitarized zone. Bobby Jenks, despite a sub-3.00 ERA, is no longer dominating opposing clubs and he has a total of just 8 saves. What might this club's management be willing to do to acquire a player like Heath Bell, currently playing setup man for Mariano Rivera but very able to close?

SUZUKI WHEELED OUT AGAIN

"Oh, for crying out loud!" The sound of Kurt Suzuki's normally soft-spoken voice crackled through Oakland's clubhouse, where it had just been announced that Suzuki (who began the year in a Los Angeles uniform) has been swapped for the second time in less than two weeks.

Oakland's 'catcher of the future' is now just another former backstop, having been acquired by the Madtown Murlocs along with pitching prospect Mike Leake. Murlocs GM Jeff Braga immediately assigned Leake to AAA and issued a press release indicating that Suzuki would displace the out-of-favor Chris Ianetta as backup to starter Ramon Hernandez, and that Ianetta would join Leake in AAA. To acquire Sukuki, the Murlocs have sent a pair of young pitching prospects (LHP Madison Bumgardner and RHP Tim Alderson) to the Oakland ballclub.....which immediately began discussions behind the scenes to acquire yet another catcher.

Suzuki wasted no time in leaving Oakland's clubhouse or so much as hugging a teammate, as it was doubtful he was there long enough to learn everyone's name, much less forge a relationship. Suzuki hit .286 (4-for-14) in four games with United, including a two-run double against Brooklyn. "I just can't believe this is happening," muttered the departing catcher. "I just got a real estate agent...! Now what???!?!"


In other BARB action:

FROSTBITE FALLS 3, ST. FRANCIS 0

WP: Paul Maholm (2-4, 4.94)
LP: Bronson Arroyo (4-6, 4.70)

Paul Maholm, who once twirled a postseason shutout, came up big again as the Squirrels fifth starter, going all the way to blank host St. Francis....but he wasn't the story! The big news was losing pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who took a no-hitter into eighth despite trailing 1-0. Arroyo gave up a single to Adam Lind leading off the eighth and was taken out of the game the losing pitcher, yet received a standing ovation from the crowd for his effort.

Albert Pujols came on in the third and hit a two-run HR off Pedro Feliciano to ice the game for Maholm. It was the 1B's team- leading 28th HR of the season.... and the 133rd blast of the season for a Squirrels batter. Frostbite Falls, unsurprisingly, leads all BARB clubs in round-trippers.

ARIZONA 10, OAKLAND 2

WP: Steven Strasberg (3-2, 3.82)
LP: Derek Lowe (5-9, 5.92)

Andre Ethier hit two of the five home runs collected by the Thunder in annihilating Derek Lowe and the visiting United ballclub. Adrian Gonzalez (26), Alex Rodriguez (24) and Miguel Montero (5) also added bombs to back the six shutout offerings of rookie Steven Strasberg, who continues to impress with high 90's heat after being added to the Thunder rotation.

YUMA 9, BLACK MESA 5

WP: Brian Matusz (1-1, 6.00)
LP: Erwin Santana (2-6, 6.75)
SV: Thornton (4)

Joey Votto had three hits, including a three-run HR (his 15th of the year), and the Firebirds added two more boundary belts off disappointing Anomalies starter Erwin Santana before the club finally pulled the ineffective righty off the mound in the fourth. Rookie Brian Matusz, getting a start with Jake Peavy sidelined, helped his own cause with a pair of singles in three trips to earn his first-ever BARB triumph.

THUNDER RAINS ON CASSELTON PARADE, THEN BLOWS UP ROSTER

THUNDER RAINS ON CASSELTON PARADE, THEN BLOWS UP ROSTER
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

OAKLAND EXPANDING BASE OF OPERATIONS, TRADES FOR CATCHER

The Oakland United media department has a blog under construction. While there is no official word at the referenced site yet, their people have released a press release about an interesting trade for the future:

Oakland United has agreed to send their #4 rated top prospect 3B Matt Davidson to the Los Angeles PF Flyers in return for starting C Kurt Suzuki. "The guy is skillful behind the plate, and has enough pop with his bat to potentially be a 20-25 HR hitter in the batter box," said Owner Anthony Guerra with a big grin on his face. With their recent trading off of catching prospect Tony Sanchez, and with C Jorge Posada toying with the possibility of retirement at the end of the season, the Oakland United organization has stepped up once again and proved that, this Franchise will never just sit by and not compete at the highest level of their capability, so long as the oldest one of the two Guerra owners has anything to say about it!

Los Angeles has confirmed the deal! In a brief press release, GM Brian Chae confirmed that "3B has been an area that LA has been looking to build depth in for quite some time and with the season losing hope, and with C Carlos Santana showing real star potential, Davidson represents a real asset to the franchise."

ST. FRANCIS SHUFFLES PEN

Acting GM "Trader" Jack McKeon continues to overhaul St. Francis's disappointing roster. Garrett Olson and his 11.45 ERA were sent back to the minors along with struggling long man Micah Owings. OF Scott Hairston, squeezed out by the acquisition of Carlos Lee in last week's trade of Ben Zobrist, has been granted his unconditional release along with ailing veteran starter Jamie Moyer. Dipping into the free agent pool, McKeon added RHP Joaquin Benoit (who missed all of the 2009 season) along with a perrenial tease, RHP Brett Myers.

"Essentially, the next 60 games are so are an audition for next year. I have great respect for Scotty and Jamie, but they elicited no interest in the market. We have extended an invite to spring training next year if they receive no interest in the off-season. We would love to have Moyer back to work with our young pitchers, but the time has come to make moves for the franchise's viability."

FRIARS THROW IN TOWEL, DEAL ZOBRIST

FRIARS THROW IN TOWEL, DEAL ZOBRIST

The St. Francis Friars have traded versatile utility man (and team HR leader) Ben Zobrist to Oakland United for struggling OF Carlos Lee and some minor-league talent, much to the consternation of their fan base. You can read more about the controversy here!

For Oakland GM Anthony Guerra, the move made all the sense in the world. "After days of back-and forth-negotiations, Oakland United has once again made another trade move, sending a handful of prospects. We just felt that Zobrist is a very versatile player. He can play OF, IF whereever we need him to play, he is a very exciting player to have and watch," Guerra explained.

"With the likes of C Derek Norris having a respectable year in the minors," continued Guerra, "and Tony Sanchez getting hurt in Double A ball with a broken jaw, this move isn't surprising cause the expectations was to hope Sanchez would of been ready at the beginning of next season, but now its likely he will be out possibly until 2012. Carlos Lee was a toss in to make room of tight salary issues the Oakland ball club has dealt with the last couple of years."

In other BARB action:


WORCESTER 7, BROOKLYN 6

WP: Peter Moylan (4-1, 3.00)
LP: J.J. Putz (1-1, 2.25)

Recently called-up OF Delmon Young's hit his second HR of the game in the eighth off reliever Matt Guerrier, and Mark Teixeira delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth against J.J. Putz to hand the reeling Moabs their third straight divisional loss, putting the resurgent Eliminators (45-30) firmly in the Eastern Division lead as the loop approached the league's All-Star Break

FROSTBITE FALLS 5, OAKLAND 3

WP: Matt Garza (4-4, 4.72)
LP: Andy Pettite (3-7, 5.48)
SV: Frasor (4)

A tiring Andy Pettite gave up a go-ahead, two-run HR to rookie Drew Stubbs, and the Squirrels (38-35) held on when Joakim Soria fanned pinch-hitter Carlos Lee with the bases loaded in the eighth to frustrate their hosts in Oakland. Following the game, the high-priced Lee was sent packing along with some prospects in a trade with St. Francis (see above), while continuing to shop veteran pitchers like Pettite and Josh Beckett on the open market.

LOS ANGELES 12, ST. FRANCIS 6

WP: Mike Pelfrey (1-0, 0.00)
LP: Fausto Carmona (1-1, 0.00)

Nursing a 6-0 lead after four innings, the Friars experienced their worst collapse of the year in recent callup Fausto Carmona's second start of the season. After Alexei Ramirez kicked an easy grounder from Mark Reynolds, Lance Berkman stroked a two-out double and Carmona lost his command, loading the bases. Stephen Drew and Nick Swisher then collected RBI against reliever Micah Owings, capping a seven-run uprising.

The PF Flyers then batted around again in the seventh against Owings and rookie Clayton Richards, with things getting so bad that versatile utility man Ben Zobrist actually began tossing in the bullpen with the score 12-6. Zobrist would end up pinch-hitting for Richards and striking out in what would be his final plate appearance with the Friars (34-39), who had been in first place for nearly two weeks in June before their latest losing streak triggered a trade (see above).

BLACK MESA 4, DARWIN 3

WP: Takashi Saito
LP: Ryan Franklin (0-3, 5.92)

Raul Ibanez reached on an error by 1B James Loney, pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson tied the game by beating out an infield single and Franklin Guttierrez drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to literally....(wait for it).... have a 'walk-off', as the Finches wasted a solid effort by Zack Grienke (7 IP, 3 H, 8 K), dropping them again below .500 as the All-Star Break approached, yet still only three-plus out of first in the surprisingly-competitive Western Division.

The Anomalies late rally gave Black Mesa their fifth straight win, which muddies the picture for the club: on the one hand, below .500 and in the cellar of the division that hosts the defending world champs (Yuma)....on the other hand, playing noticeably better since regaining the bullpen tandem of Jonathan Papelbon and Takashi Saito.

POTTSYLVANIA 6, YUMA 0

WP: Mark Buehrle (7-4, 3.62)
LP: Roy Halladay (6-6, 3.83)

Mark Buehrle scattered eight singles while going the distance, and even added an improbable home run leading off the fifth inning against the great Roy Halladay, as the Creepers (34-38) snapped an eight-game losing streak and moved ahead (34-38) of slumping St. Francis in the unpredictable Central Division. Things definitely went the Creepers way, with rookie Tyler Flowers starting a rally at the bottom of the order and the left-handed hitting Hideki Matsui somehow hooking a ball just off the foul pole off Hong-Chih-Kuo, who was otherwise untouchable (fanning four of the six batters he faced). Carlos Pena added his BARB-leading 29th bomb of the season for good measure.

This is a key stretch for Pottsylvania, which will have nine straight games against Central foes and realistically needs to win their next few series to get back into the Central race.

FRIARS THROW IN TOWEL, DEAL ZOBRIST

HORNED TOADS TAKE CONTROL WITH EPIC DOUBLE DIP

HORNED TOADS TAKE CONTROL


CASSELTON 7, POTTSYLVANIA 3 (1st game of DH: 12 innings)

WP: Bobby Jenks (3-2, 2.91)
LP: Jonathan Broxton (2-2, 1.90)

CASSELTON 10, POTTSYLVANIA 7 (2nd game of DH: 12 innings)

WP: Brad Ziegler (2-2, 4.91)
LP: Santiago Casilla (1-1, 9.09)

In the longest day by innings in BARB annals, the visiting Horned Toads made expense at the sake of host Pottsylvania, needing 24 innings to win a pair of extra-inning affairs, for a total game time of 7 hours, 19 minutes. In the process, the Creepers (33-31) were knocked into a tie for second and the Horned Toads took over sole possession of the lead in the Central Division.

Justin Upton, hitting just .219 when the day began, went 6-for-11 with a pair of HR (7,8) and 5 RBI to lead the twin bill hit parade, while Michael Cuddyer, Geovanny Soto and Casey McGehee also had big days with the lumber to keep things going.

The opening game matched John Lackey and the much-maligned-of-late Ben Sheets. Sheets actually allowed only one run through six frames to outpitch Lackey, but Grant Balfour allowed two runs in the eighth to tie the game and force extra innings, the last run coming on Carlos Pena's second bomb of the game, a solo shot and Pena's BARB-leading 26th of the season. With not a lot of love for their bullpen, the Horned Toads left Bobby Jenks out there for multiple frames and their closer picked up the win when Jonathan Broxton loaded the bases in the 12th and Upton launched his first blast of the day off, a three-run shot off a struggling Brian Fuentes to cap a four-run 12th, pretty much cementing the win.

In the nightcap, Joe Saunders was set to duel with Armando Gallaraga in a battle of fifth starters, but as in the first affair, neither figured in the decision. McGehee hit a go-ahead bomb off Gallaraga and Upton added a two-run homer off Sean West in the top of the seventh to give Casselton a 7-4 lead, but the Creepers came right back in the bottom of the frame to bunch three runs off the normally-reliable Dennis O'Day (2.26), and the game was tied.....leading to extra innings, for the second straight game! Mike Adams and Brad Ziegler combined to fan ten hitters
in four-plus innings of relief, however, and in the top of the 12th Soto launched a two-out, three-run blast to give Casselton the lead for good.

After the game, to make things worse for Pottsylvania, it was announced that both starting C Jason Varitek, LF Ryan Ludwick and RP Manny Delcarmen would all be placed on the DL pretty much at the same time, hitting an already-sagging club while they are down. In their initial move, the Creepers recalled minor-league C prospect Tyler Flowers and were looking to find some sort of cheap arms on the open market.

MURLOCS DEAL FOR MORE PITCHING

Madtown---Having just acquired C.J. Wilson to bolster their run for a Western Division crown, the Murlocs made yet another move to acquire a left-handed pitcher, picking up LHP Jason Vargas along with veteran SS Cesar Izturis from the St. Francis Friars. In return, the infielder-heavy Murlocs sent 2B Kelly Johnson and a pair of struggling minor-leaguers (1B Lars Anderson and OF Aaron Hicks) to the Friars, who have been openly shopping their pitching depth.

Murlocs GM "Chops" had this to say about the trade,"I had depth in the infield and will miss Kelly Johnson, but more important needs were met with the inclusion of Vargas. Pitching has been a big weakness, which is obvious based on the ratio of runs allowed to runs scored. I will miss those prospects but they will be replaced and was glad to also receive a flexible infielder back in the trade. "

In other BARB action:

YUMA 9, MADTOWN 6

WP: Matt Cain (7-5, 3.24)
LP: Vicente Padilla (0-1, 7.94)
SV: Street (1)

Ryan Braun had three hits as part of his recent surge in production, and recently-acquired Huston Street picked up his first save of the season after a laggy first half and a trade from Oakland, giving newly-anointed closer Rafael Soriano a well-needed day off in a tight game after Matt Thornton (3 ER) uncharacteristically was whacked around by Murlocs hitters in the eighth. Madtown kept 2B Kelly Johnson out of the lineup, fueling speculation that the club may well be shopping him to get yet another pitcher.

BLACK MESA 2, DARWIN 0

WP: Barry Zito (4-7, 4.53)
LP: Josh Johnson (7-6, 3.21)
SV: Papelbon (5)

Mired in the BARB equivalent of the cellar, the Anomalies (23-46) nevertheless looked strong as the league's version of "June" was wearing down, winning four of five and getting the strong relief from Saito and Papelbon to nail down a win for Barry Zito, who combined with three relievers on a two-hit shutout. Adam Dunn hit a solo shot, his 14th of the season, to make the game 2-0 in the seventh and that was all that the bullpen would need to send the Finches (34-35) back below .500. With last year's winningest club just three games back in the West, the Unnatural Selections hadn't thrown in the towel yet, but if the draft were held today, they would have one of the first four picks...

BROOKLYN 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 4

WP: Justin Masterson (3-2, 5.06)
LP: Felix Hernandez (6-5, 4.19)
SV: Rodriguez (23)

Newly-signed free agent C Brian Schneider homered in his first at-bat to give his new club an early lead, but Ian Stewart and Andrew McCutcheon both got good wood on the ball batting at the top of the order against 'King' Felix, and the Moabs (41-29) held on keep one game ahead of hard-charging Worcester in the Eastern Division. Seemingly-unconscious Francisco Rodriguez posted his 23rd save despite allowing a run in the ninth on a Pujols sac fly, sending the Squirrels (32-32) to their eighth loss in their last nine games...

ARIZONA 8, ST. FRANCIS 4

WP: Stephen Strasberg (1-1, 2.25)
LP: Randy Wells (1-3, 3.55)

The league's most hyped rookie in many a moon outdueled Friars freshman Randy Wells in a matchup of first-year pitchers, and the Thunder (34-32) moved a half-game ahead of St. Francis, into a tie with sagging Pottsylvania for second in the competitive Central Division. Closer Andrew Bailey, brought in to get some work in a non-save situation, also got to bat, and hit a solo home run off reliever Pedro Feliciano, joining Martin Prado (4) and Andre Ethier (8) in Arizona's hit parade.

OAKLAND 4, WORCESTER 1

WP: Danny Haren (8-5, 3.28)
LP: Johnny Cueto (4-5, 4.62)

Danny Haren went all the way despite a scare by Carl Crawford to best the Eliminators and halt Worcester's season-high six-game winning streak, one which that has brought them into sole possession of second in the Eastern Division with a 39-29 mark, just one back of BARB-leading Brooklyn. Haren's only run allowed was a solo shot to Joe Mauer leading off the eighth, which was the Elims backstop's 11th blast of the season. Haren did get himself into hot water in the ninth when Crawford tripled with one out and Derek Jeter worked a 3-0 count. Haren came back, however, and on his 100th pitch got Hanley Ramirez to roll into a game-ending double play with the tieing run at the plate.

MOABS NOT RESTING ON LAURELS

MOABS NOT RESTING ON LAURELS

The Brooklyn Moabs, currently leading all of BARB with a 40-26 mark, are not resting on their laurels. In the middle of a swing of games with Eastern Division rivals, the Mother Of All Ballclubs (what did you think Moab stood for?) unleased a series of roster moves, free agent explorations and (gasp) even a trade in their quest for another post-season bid!

MADTOWN DEALS ROLLINS!

In a (for BARB) remarkably straight-up deal, the Moabs have acquired veteran SS Jimmy Rollins (and his salary, over $7 million) from the Madtown Murlocs. In return, the Moabs sent a valuable left-handed reliever, Jose Mijares.

Said Murlocs GM Jeff Braga," Jimmy has been a great player for years, however the need for left handed pitching is so great it was time to move him. We have (Jhonny) Peralta and (rookie Alcides) Escobar to step in. Jimmy will be missed but he wasn't worth the value of his salary and its time to bolster the bullpen with a young left hander."

As for Brooklyn, it was clear what GM Eric Caskey's priorities were. "Jimmy Rollins will be entered into the lineup, immediately upon arrival to Brooklyn," Caskey emailed reporters. "Rollins will fill in for the injured Troy Tulowitzki and serve as an insurance policy if Tulo struggles to recover from a fractured wrist."

From Madtown's point of view, the move was a direct consequence of the ineffectiveness of LHP Zach Duke (3-1, 6.75) in a setup role. The Murlocs released Duke, eating his contract, and used this sacrifice to nail down the rental cost of veteran free agent Vicente Padilla, who will be immediately recalled and placed into the tail end of the club's rotation.

(Editor's Note: At press time, a rumored trade between Madtown and another club had not been confirmed, but trust us---GM Jeff Braga has been busy of late)


MY MY: MORE MOABS MOVES

The CALLUP: Not finished by a long shot, GM Eric Caskey also announced that he was not only taking on the Rollins contract, but purchasing the contract of minor-league reliever J.J. Putz and adding his deal (and arm) to the roster to replace the traded Mijares. The former Darwin setup man will be called up immediately, and his salary will be added to Brooklyn's payroll.

The CUT: Frustrated by injuries and inconsistency, the Moabs confirmed that they were cutting utilityman Mark Teahen and eating over $1 million in salary. Observers speculated that they were happy with the play of minor-league free agent Brandon Inge and had other options in their system should Inge go down for any length of time.

THE HIRED GUN: Taking advantage of league rules that allow owners who cut an established player to pursue a free agent in mid-season, the Moabs have signed OF Corey Hart to a guaranteed contract and will immediately assign Hart to their major-league roster, with the idea of adding power to an OF that has, so far, been inconsistent on offense. If Hart can add a charge to the Moabs lineup, this will address the club's biggest issue other than infield depth.

It's worth perusing, however, what these moves might mean. Hart, like any free agent added at this time, is essentially a mercenary for the second half who will automatically go into next year's draft. As with Los Angeles's recent signing of Mike Pelfrey and Tom Gorzelanny, such players are gambles available to clubs that have enough payroll to eat the contract of an established player with the understanding that there is no guarantee they will be able to float the player through next year's bidding circus. In other words, Hart is unlikely to stick with the Moabs beyond 2010 if he posts great second-half numbers.

Also, both Rollins and Hart are former starters for the Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels, arguably Brooklyn's biggest rival over the years for post-season glory. Frostbite Falls has won four titles to Brooklyn's one, but last year's late run forcing a one-game playoff between the Moabs and the Squirrels shows the tide may have turned in Caskey's favor. The Squirrels have been tinkering with their bullpen since losing Joe Nathan in the off-season, and with Carlos Beltran still a few weeks away from a return to active duty and Victor Martinez inconsistent, they have been looking up for much of this season, an unfamiliar role for the 2008 champs.

YUMA CUTS CORDERO!

In a sudden-but-not-completely shocking move, the Yuma Firebirds have released Francisco Cordero, the closer on their 2009 world championship club but an inconsistent mess (4 losses, 7.04 ERA, only five saves) who had apparently burned his bridges with owner Chris Melkonian.

"We've gotten tired of Cordero's act," said a clearly-disgusted Melkonian. "Time and time again, too many runners have reached base and came around to score on Cordero. We just can't trust him anymore. I'd rather throw away six million dollars then watch another lead get blown. When we call on our pen, we expect them to stop the bleeding, not to increase it."

To fill the team's gaping bullpen need, the club has promoted valuable setup man Rafael Soriano (36 K in 25.2 IP) to the closer role, though insiders speculate that underrated Matt Thornton (45 K in 35 IP) may also get a chance to show what he can do in the ninth inning. In addition to eating Cordero's $6 million contract, Yuma has used his release to add minor-league free agent Tyler Clippard, who will be added to the parent club to fill a mop-up role. "Tyler is a good young talent with strikeout stuff. He is young, cheap, and affordable; he can do just as good as Francisco at a fraction of the price," said GM Billy Beane.

Yuma also confirmed that they are calling up rookie Drew Storen from AAA to serve in a setup role, and that he and Rafael Betancourt will hold down the fort somewhat until the injured Ryan Madson comes off the DL.

ARIZONA INKS VETERAN VERNON WELLS

The Thunder, fresh off the unpleasantness of giving veteran starter Joe Blanton his walking papers, have confirmed that they are using the loss to pickup another veteran, CF Vernon Wells. It was initially unclear as to whether Wells would start full-time, or whether or not he would play a bench or platoon role, especially once Manny Ramirez comes off his second DL stint of the year. More will no doubt be made clear if, as expected, the Thunder manage to shed a little bit more payroll to play the open market again.

MCKEON: "HIS CONTRACT AIN'T HEAVY, AND HE ISN"T MY BROTHER"

Contankerous special assistant to the GM, 'Trader Jack' McKeon, was getting lots of flak from St. Francis's fan base (both of them), over the abrupt trade of 1B Adam LaRoche to Yuma for veteran C A.J. Pyrzinski and some spare parts. No one was more critical than the other LaRoche in St. Francis's roster, 3B Andy LaRoche, who has been backing up the corner IF slots and hitting off the bench. The strong first half of Casey Blake had made LaRoche less and less appealing to McKeon, and the sullen attitude of the bench player even less so. McKeon, after briefly shopping around the younger LaRoche, simply chucked him away like a partially-chewed stogie: the infielder was unceremoniously released just minutes ago.

"He's making the league minimum, and we needed to find a roster spot to promote a prospect," said McKeon, "so no big loss. We'll take the sacrifice, and use it to take a flyer on DH/1B Aubrey Huff. He's a veteran hitter who'll be playing somewhere with a big free agent contract next season, and in the meantime he's left-handed, has some pop and can play the infield corners or the outfield in a pinch."

HUGE DAY IN BARB

FIREBIRDS SHAKE THINGS UP, ACQUIRE STREET AND LAROCHE

A flurry of trades....veterans released.....highly-anticipated minor-leaguers dealt and called up....game action....this post has got it all!

FIREBIRDS SHAKE THINGS UP, ACQUIRE STREET AND LAROCHE

The Yuma Firebirds have made a pair of trades in an attempt to add more pieces to the club. In the first move of the day, the Firebirds dealt young RHP Wade Davis and RHP Chad Qualls to Oakland United in exchange for RHP Huston Street.

"Several members of our pen have been struggling and an upgrade was needed," said Manager Ron Scott. Qualls was deemed expendable because, "he wasn't our set-up man, he was just another middle reliever, not to mention, our gut instinct tells somethings not right with him," Scott said. Davis was finding it hard to crack an already deep rotation so he was deemed expendable. "We upgrade the core of our pen. We plan on moving Soriano into the closers role, and have Kuo, Thornton, and Street set-up. That's a pretty formidable quartet. Not to mention, we will be promoting our 2010 first-round draft pick in Drew Storen. Once Madson comes back form the DL, we will be six strong, which allows us to move Cordero into a mop-up role so he can find his way. He's been struggling lately," said Owner Chris Melkonian

The Firebirds also made another move, adding 1B Adam LaRoche in exchange for C A.J. Pierzynksi, RHP Colin Balester, and LHP Dan Meyer. "This move was two fold; we wanted to move AJ's salary and make room for C Buster Posey, who has been on a tear both offensive and defensive lately. LaRoche gives a quality left handed power bat of the bench and will be valuable in late game situations. It was also give Votto a much needed breather once in a while," said Owner Chris Melkonian. "Meyer was struggling and was the fourth LHP on our depth chart and Balester didn't have a future within the organization. This was clearly a win-win for us," said GM Billy Beane.

ARIZONA: BLANTON---CUT! HOLLAND---DEALT! STRASBURG---READY FOR ACTION?

In the first of many moves, Arizona has traded LHP Derek Holland to the Los Angeles PF Flyers for RHP Octavio Dotel and RHP Jason Motte. The move was believed to be critical in filling out a bullpen that was running on just five arms, as well as freeing up a log jam they have in the starting rotation. If there was a weakness that could be found on the Thunder, it was their bullpen. They believe they have now fixed that and are continuing to look to add some more depth in that area in case of injuries, despite the market looking very bleak in good, available relief aid.

(Editor's Note: What was not mentioned in Arizona's press release is that they have been looking for another closer for some time now to supplement Andrew Bailey, and had a deal in principle for Oakland's Huston Street fall apart. Oakland then shopped Street to Yuma--you see above how that went down--and Los Angeles GM Brian Chae parted with Dotel and Motte for less than what had previously been asked.)

In the second move, Arizona released RHP Joe Blanton from the team, due to poor performance since being acquired. It was a move to further free up the rotation for the team's surging young talent. "Joe Blanton is now a free agent who can be signed by any team on a first-come, first-serve basis," remarked Commissioner Scott Hatfield. "With the first half of our season nearly over, I am expected more such moves as teams bite the bullet on veterans and their contracts in order to get higher-performing rookies into their lineups and rotations."

In the third, and perhaps biggest move of the day, Arizona has announced that it will be calling up its most prized prospect in its system: RHP Stephen Strasburg. The fireballer from San Diego is arguably the most heavily-anticipated pitching prospect to make his debut in years. More information can be gleaned from the Thunder's blog.

FLYERS GROUNDED IN LOS ANGELES: CHANGES IN WORKS

It has been a frustrating season, no doubt.” said Los Angeles Owner/GM Brian Chae, “With the talent that we acquired prior to the season, we thought that we would be more competitive this year. But, Lance Berkman simply hasn’t performed, Dexter Fowler has gone through a sophomore slump, and the rest of the offense just never seems to fire on all cylinders. Pitching-wise, we are getting some good innings out of Tim Hudson, but the inconsistency of the rest of the staff has been very disappointing. It’s time to begin thinking about the organization and continuing to strengthen our foundation. Dotel and Motte have done great work with us and it pains me to trade them within the division, but the opportunity to acquire a talent like Derek Holland was worth taking. Our system is notably short on quality left-handed starting pitching and given his rookie status, the team will have control over Holland for quite some time. We look forward to incorporating him into the organization.”

Derek Holland is considered a prized pitching prospect, a left-hander with a fastball working 90-94, complemented by a plus change-up and average slider. He has above-average command and provided that his shoulder recovers from recent injuries, has the ceiling of a No.2 starter. Octavio Dotel was the PF Flyers closer in 2010, although a lack of save opportunities have held down his numbers. Jason Motte was the primary right-handed set-up man for the team. Scott Downs is expected to take over closing duties with Brad Lidge becoming the primary set-up man.

FLYERS CUT VETERANS, ADD FREE AGENTS: WILL OTHER CLUBS FOLLOW SUIT?

Earlier in the season, Los Angeles cut off-injured John Maine and spectacularly ineffective Dana Eveland from the roster, eating their salaries. Following their release, Los Angeles signed LHP Tom Gorzelanny and RHP Mike Pelfrey for the minimum. These were LA's third mid-season pickups through this route, as they also signed Mike Redmond to back up Kurt Suzuki (family grievancs) and Jeff Mathis (in a lover's spat with Mike Scioscia).

"There seems to be some confusion about the rule," Commissioner Scott Hatfield says. "Teams can, in fact, sign available free agents in mid-season to contracts. In order to do so, however, they must release an established player and eat their salary, and have enough salary left on their present payroll to accomodate the new player. Some GM's have attempted to release unestablished players, or to release an earlier free-agent signing disappointment to acquire another free agent. That's not, um, kosher. The only way to pick up mid-season free agents is to release established veterans who were not added this year as free agents. I hope that clears things up."

CANO, RIVERA PACE DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP

Worcester----Hosting the visiting Squirrels, the Eliminators rallied late in back-to-back games to benefit the seemingly-ageless Mariano Rivera, as Worcester (led by 2B Robinson Cano) handed a pair of tough losses to the visitors and in the process vaulted two games ahead of Frostbite Falls in the Eastern division race.

In the opener of the twin bill, Felix Hernandez (6 IP, 2 ER) had a 3-0 lead entering the sixth ahead of Philip Hughes, but Carl Crawford singled and stole a base to unnerve C Victor Martinez, who allowed a passed ball with Hanley Ramirez batting, then air-mailed a throw into CF with Ramirez running to allow Crawford to score, and Ramirez take third. "King Felix" escaped by fanning Jason Bay, but the game was narrowed to 3-2. Jason Frasor gave up a one- out single to Joe Mauer in the eighth, and Joakin Soria (1-3, 3.75) was summoned to pitch. A hitter later, red-hot Robinson Cano connected for his 11th long ball of the year, a three-run shot and a 5-3 Worcester lead.

Frostbite Falls made things interesting in the ninth on Jason Heyward's leadoff bomb, his 12th HR of the season, but Rivera relieved Peter Moylan (2-0, 3.77) to complete the inning, earning his 14th save on Moylan's behalf and hanging the loss on Soria: WORCESTER 5, FROSTBITE FALLS 4!

In the nightcap, Cole Hamels and Ryan Dempster had a 1-1 pitcher's duel after six innings. Pitch count issues led to Dempster's departure, but relievers Heath Bell and Peter Moylan held them down. Hamels, who went eight, seemed in line to win the game, fanning nine and taking a 2-1 lead when (for the second time that day) Heyward went deep in the ninth, his 13th bomb, and this off Rivera himself!

But, as if charmed, the Panamanian was taken off the hook by Nick Masset (3-2, 3.96). Summoned to protect the 2-1 lead, Masset dispatched pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton and Jason Bay but mindful of the first game, worked carefully to Cano, who ended up working a five-pitch walk. Again, as if on cue, the Elims used their speed on the basepaths to intimidate Victor Martinez, who called for several pickoffs and a pitchout. Masset lost his rhythm and loaded the bases with two out Jarrod Saltalamachia, summoned to pinch-hit for Rivera. A 3-1 count...ball four, the game was tied. A strike to Derek Jeter ....ball...BALL...BALL?!?...strike.....

Ball four! Nolan Reimold trotted in from third, and the Eliminators had scored twice in the ninth with two out without so much as a loud foul! WORCESTER 3, FROSTBITE FALLS 2!

That's got to hurt!

In other BARB action:

YUMA 13, POTTSYLVANIA 5

WP: Matt Cain (6-5, 3.12)
LP: Chris Carpenter (6-4, 3.38)

Matt Cain outlasted Chris Carpenter, but the real culprit was the worked-over (and perhaps overworked) Creepers bullpen, as the Firebirds, led by CF Denard Span, did something no BARB team has ever done, ever: they batted around TWICE in the eighth, scoring 12 runs to break up (decisively!) a 1-1 duel between Cain and Carpenter.

Span went 5-for-6 in the ballgame to raise his average to .300, including a leadoff single to start the bombast vs. Carpenter and (later in the inning) a two-run double off Santiago Casilla, and the route was on. Casilla would also give up Joey Votto's 8th HR of the year two batters later, and Sean West and Manny Delcarmen both contributed to the shocking collapse. In the ninth, Span struck out on a 3-2 slider from Delcarmen, missing a chance to go 6-for-6, but he and the rest of the Yuma club improved to 31-29.

MADTOWN 4, ST. FRANCIS 3

WP: Jered Weaver (5-6, 4.84)
LP: Randy Wells (1-2, 3.25)
SV: Aardsma (6)

Matt Holliday, hitting .337, continued to spark the Murlocs, twice triggering two-run outbursts with leadoff singles, and making a diving catch in the gap with runners on vs. pinch-hitter A.J. Pyrzinski in the eighth to preserve the lead and keep the host Murlocs (34-32) in a virtual tie for first in the tight Western race.

Darwin 3B Casey Blake, the subject of trade rumors, smacked his ninth HR of the year in the sixth to narrow Madtown's lead to one run, but Aardsma and Zach Duke combined to hold the Friars hitless the rest of the way to preserve the victory and keep St. Francis looking up at the leaders in the Central Division race.

DARWIN 4, ARIZONA 3

WP: Josh Johnson (7-5, 3.33)
LP: Leo Nunez (0-4, 9.56)
SV: Franklin (12)

David Ortiz hit a grand slam off Leo Nunez with two outs in the fifth after a shaky Tommy Hanson had been knocked out of the game by a line drive off the bat of Milton Bradley, taking a 4-0 lead after five frames, but barely held off a late Thunder rally fueled by HR off the bat of Alex Rodriguez (#17) and Andre Ethier (#7). Ortiz, still below his personal Mendoza line with a .196 batting average, has begun to look more comfortable at the plate for the Finches, who despite being below .500 (31-33) are only two games out in the competitive West.

LOS ANGELES 4, BLACK MESA 2

WP: Brad Lidge (2-1, 5.09)
LP: Ervin Santana (0-4, 6.04)
SV: Shields (2)

On the cusp of trading away closer Octavio Dotel, the Flyers put together a big inning against another cellar dweller visiting their home park, scoring four runs in the fourth off a winless Santana in part due to Howie Kendrick's 7th round-tripper of the campaign. Los Angeles (19-41) has played .500 ball for nearly two weeks to lift their winning percentage over .300, while their guests on this day (Black Mesa) have dropped eight of ten to fall to 20-43.

It is interesting to compare the two clubs. Both have more than $100 million committed in payroll, but still have some flexibility. Both clubs are strong in one area, and not so much in another. In Black Mesa's case, they have depth in the infield with Adrian Beltre, Ian Kinsler, Dustin Pedroia, Justin Morneau, Adam Dunn and Miguel Cabrera. Most clubs don't have three bats that good in their IF, but the Anomalies have so many they can't play them all. Hello? Can you say trade bait?

Meanwhile, Los Angeles is in an opposite pickle. They arguably have the loop's most
underperforming set of IF. At the same time, they have what every team craves: an abundance of pitching prospects and enough depth in veterans that they could probably move a pair of starters. Has the fire sale begun, or is the rest of the league cool to what either one of these rosters might offer?

BROOKLYN 6, OAKLAND 5

WP: Francisco Liriano (1-1, 7.47)
LP: Danny Haren (7-5, 3.49)
SV: Rodriguez (21)

Francisco Liriano's third start of the season brought him a little closer to the comeback he was seeking, as the lefty allowed only one earned run six frames for visiting Brooklyn (39-26), but the Moabs pen just escaped a wild eighth that saw errors by McCann and Howard prolong the inning. Danny Haren fanned 12 in taking the loss, but gave up five runs, three of them on Brandon Inge's first HR of the season after being promoted from AAA to replace the injured Mark Teahen. Francisco Rodriguez allowed an inherited runner to score, but still completed the ninth to earn his BARB-leading 21st save in 24 attempts.

FIREBIRDS SHAKE THINGS UP, ACQUIRE STREET AND LAROCHE

'REALITY' SUGGESTS PATIENCE IS WARRANTED

I will try to post some stats stuff from the league before I leave for the Galapagos on Tuesday.

In the meantime, I'd like to preach patience. We've only played about 40 games in our league vs. nearly 80 in 'reality'. Don't be in too much of a hurry to cast off veterans, it's still EARLY for us. Let me give you an example of how players tend to hit their 'seeds' given time . . .

Consider what Josh Hamilton is doing now. Is it really way better than 2009, when he missed a lot of time with injury? Sure. Is it way off his career norms? Not really. Consider . . .

In 624 AB in the year 2008, Josh established his All-Star credentials, hitting .304 with 32 HR and a .530 slugging percentage. But the luster went off him in the final month, as he ran out of gas and despite having 130 RBI, he only finished 7th in the MVP voting.

In 614 AB since then (2009 and 2010 combined), Josh has hit .303 with 27 HR and a .477 slugging percentage. That's not 2008 good, but it's hardly chump change and his recent surge (8 HR and 26 RBI in June) has him deservedly back in the discussion for a starting berth in the All Star Game.

Yet, neither his picks or his valleys are that far from his career norms. In 1,536 AB in the major leagues through today, Josh has hit .301 with 1 HR every 19.7 AB, or about 31 for every 620 AB and a .529 slugging percentage.

To summarize:

2008 .304, 32 HR, .530 slg
09-10 .303, 27 HR, .477 slg
Career .301, 31 HR per 620 AB, .529 slg

In other words, barring injuries, a lot of players (including Josh) are actually surprisingly consistent year-to-year once you have a big enough sample size. And, if the Finches can avoid injuries in the second half, they can expect to experience an offensive resurgence based on Hamilton, David Ortiz and Milton Bradley finding their center, statistically-speaking.

So, sometimes, the best trades are the ones you don't make.

HEARD AROUND THE LEAGUE

In a move to clear cap space, the Yuma Firebirds have dealt RHP Joe Blanton and 2B Chris Getz to Arizona in exchange for RHP Colin Balester.

GM Billy Beane laid out the practical aspects of this deal. "We don't have any breathing room, and given our rash of injuries, this deal makes logical sense for us. We clear cap space and we can now access our free agents to fill in the voids created by injuries that have crippled our overall depth. Besides, we've got a plethora of pitching depth, so we can easily fill Joe's void," Beane stated.

As proof of that, the club indicated that hard-throwing lefty David Price would get the first call to take up the fifth starter's job. Blanton, who came over in a stretch drive deal last season for the eventual world champions, did not appear to take it hard. "That's baseball," said Blanton. "I was happy to get a chance to win a ring, but I could see that the kids coming up would need room, and they weren't going to deal Roy or C.C. I could see it coming."

As for the Thunder, they were typically confident that this would work out for them. The youngster Getz was placed on the DL shortly after the acquisition, but it was clear the trade was all about Joe Blanton.

"We get an solid arm, who's an innings eater, for a used to be solid prospect who doesn't look like he'll have a future in the majors," clucked GM Ronald Melkonian with satisfaction. "This move also increases our rotation depth and with Getz, our IF depth."


HEARD AROUND THE LEAGUE:



Black Mesa is starting slowly, with the three starters with the most BARB wins for them in 2009 nowhere to be seen: LHP Ted Lilly (9-7) is on the DL, RHP Kevin Millwood (10-11) an unsigned free agent, and LHP Jarrod Washburn (10-6) similarly unsigned and is contemplating retirement. The Anomalies have a lot of blue-chip prospects in their farm system, but there doesn't seem to be anybody ready to help any time soon. On the other hand, they have quite a bit of depth in terms of infielders with big sticks: Adam Dunn, Adrian Beltre or Ian Kinsler could all be attractive to other clubs that have pitching to offer.

The Darwin Finches seem to still be in transition. 1B Adam LaRoche (.248, 21 HR) was second on the club last year with 85 RBI, but he was allowed to leave for free agency. A free agent signing, C Miguel Olivo, appears to be getting more playing time in the middle of the order than franchise player Yadier Molina, a real head-scratcher. Molina, a defensive whiz, is in his prime and as a 'keeper' can't be dealt. The Finches do appear to have upgraded their bullpen and should have a good pitching staff, barring injury. Whether or not they will score more runs remains to be seen. OF Aaron Rowand was beaned in Game Day 10 and may miss two weeks of play, and there is a growing feeling that mercurial OF Milton Bradley is a lost soul.

The Madtown Murlocs have lost the services of starting SS Jimmy Rollins (strained right calf) for the time being. The veteran was a major disappointment last year for the Murlocs (.244, 6 HR, 72 runs scored) but was the leadoff hitter when this season began. Rookie Alcides Escobar will try to fill the plug, and with 3B about to become crowded due to the return of Alex Gordon from the DL, veteran IF Jhonny Peralta (.286 in 22 G last year in BARB) will probably see some playing time, as well.

The St. Francis Friars received a blow when it became clear RHP Chris Young, just coming off an off-season rehab, would require even more medical attention that places his 2010 campaign in doubt. This first chink in the armor of their pitching depth seems more grievous when you consider the problems the Anointed Ones had in scoring runs in the first week of play, with virtually no production from the middle of the field from 2B Ben Zobrist and SS Alexei Ramirez. The Friars took a flyer on recently-released IF Mike Aviles , released in the first week for cap reasons by the Horned Toads. The Friars signed Aviles to a split contract and assigned the former Casselton starter to their AAA club. Club officials are unhappy with Ramirez's slow start and he may even be the subject of trade rumors after previously being regarded as untouchable.

CASSELTON, FROSTBITE SWAP

In a deal that was temporarily held up by the league offices due to salary cap concerns, the Casselton Horned Toads have added anoter veteran to play shortstop, presumably as a backup for Rafael Furcal.

Casselton acquires SS J.J. Hardy from the Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels, who in turn receive a pair of prospects: LHP Gio Gonzalez and OF Andrew Lambo.

Why Hardy? As Casselton GM Landon Bolt put it, the acquisition was "an attempt to strengthen the weakest part of our lineup, the Horned Toads have traded two young prospects for a former all-star hoping he can return to glory. We are hoping the change of scenery for J.J. will help his recovery."

To facilitate the move, the Horned Toads cut IF Mike Aviles and RHP Faustino Delossantos. Aviles, who hit over .300 two years in MLB and was a high draft pick, was injured early in 2009 and has never lived up to the Horned Toads' expectations. The acquisition of Hardy, a more established player, made Aviles expendable.

ST. FRANCIS MAKES THE MOVES

ST. FRANCIS MAKES THE MOVES

The Friars have announced (more details on their web site) moves on the field, in the front office and a pair of trades to help finalize their Opening Day roster.

On the trade front, St. Francis first dealt former top prospect OF Lastings Milledge to the Worcester Eliminators along with minor league southpaw Tony Sipp. The Friars received 1B Daniel Murphy (currently nursing a knee injury) and OF prospect Aaron Cunningham in a deal that was largely precipitated on their part by a desire to clear a roster spot. The Elims, meanwhile, cut a little salary while getting a fourth OF to backup their projected starters. The other player in the deal (Murphy) was fourth on the club’s depth chart at 1B and not projected to win a roster spot.

In the second deal, St. Francis took on a pile of salary in acquiring 35-year-old C Benji Molina and former 2nd-round pick Garrett Olson (nearly $4 million), while sending Oakland United RHP Chris Ray and backup C Ronnie Paulino. Paulino is a more affordable alternative as a #2 catcher for Oakland, rather than pay Molina over $3 million to back up Jorge Posada.

http://francisfriars.blogspot.com/2010/04/roster-moves-hires.html