While the easy joke is “of course, Florida,” this raises some disturbing questions: Why was this allowed to happen? Why didn’t the Commissioner of Baseball step in? It is, after all, his call.
I keep hearing from people that baseball was supposed to distract us from our everyday problems, but it’s hard not to notice that the leader of an organization is also refusing to take responsibility, allowing folks with provincial, short-term interests to make decisions that affect more than just their group, and acting like this will all just go away.
Reno 8 Fresno 6 – 2019
• Copeland (L, 4-5) 3⅔ IP, 5H, 7R, 7ER, 6BB, 2K, 2HR
• Kontos 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 3K
• Snyder 4-5, 2R, 2-2B, HR(25), 2RBI
• Read 1-3, R, BB, HR(15) 2RBI
• C. Taylor 1-3, R, HR(15), RBI
The Grizzlies followed the familiar script in an 8-6 loss to the Aces: shouldn’t-be starter digs an early hole, tired bullpen is asked to pitch twice as much as they should, and the offense falls short. Scott Copeland failed to go five innings for the fifth time in 13 starts, knocked from the box in the 4th after seven runs on five hits (two homers) and six (6) walks. He struck out two – including the opposing pitcher! Joan Baez, George Kontos, and Dakota Bacus combined for five and 1/3rd innings of one-run ball to keep the game from getting away. Fresno launched four homers, but only one with a runner on, which accounted for five of their six runs.
Harrisburg 6 Bowie 3 – 2011
• O. Perez 5⅔ IP, 6H, ER, 5BB, 3K, HR
• Barthmaier (W, 3-3) ⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 0K, 1-0 IR-S
• VanAllen (H, 8) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Harper 3-4, 2R, HR, RBI, SB
• Pahuta 3-4, 3R, HR, RBI
• Ivany 2-4, R, HR, 3RBI
Bryce Harper continued to bounce back from his early Eastern League slump with a dominating performance in a 6-3 Harrisburg win over Bowie. Harper whipped out the full offensive arsenal with a single the other way and stolen base in his first at-bat, a homer in his third AB, and a rope of a single in his fourth at-bat. He had plenty of help as Tim Pahuta and Devin Ivany would each go long for the Senators for a total of four RBI. Ollie Perez pitched five and 2/3rds innings of excruciating five-walk ball in the heat before Jimmy Barthmaier added a sixth walk then stranded Perez’s runner at first, which earned him the win. Corey VanAllen pitched a scoreless 7th and Rafael Martin Rafael Martin pitched a scoreless eighth, but struggled to hold a 6-1 lead in the 9th, which required Pat McCoy to record the final out for the save. With the victory, Harrisburg improves to 59-46, good for a 1½ game lead over Richmond and Bowie in the E.L. West.
Potomac 8 Carolina 6 – 2018
• Crowe 5⅔ IP, 2H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 6K, HBP
• Acevedo (BS, 2) ⅔ IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 0K, HR, 3-3 IR-S
• Fuentes (W, 2-1) 2⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 3K, 2-0 IR-S
• Agustin 2-2, 2R, BB, SF, 2RBI
• Sundberg 2-4, R, 2RBI
• Wiseman 2-4, 2RBI, 2K
Potomac blew a 6-1 lead but rallied for two in the 8th and held on in the 9th for an 8-6 win over Carolina. Wil Crowe failed to go six innings for the 10th time in 16 appearances, but pitched well enough to earn the “W” with two hits and two walks allowed over five and 2/3rds innings while striking out six. He left with a 6-1 lead with two out and the bases loaded. Carlos Acevedo wasted little time in getting Crowe a no-decision as he coughed up a double, then a homer to send five runs in and wear his second blown save. In the 8th, Telmito Agustin drew a leadoff walk, took second on a Jakson Reetz sacrifice, then scored the go-ahead run on Jack Sundberg’s second RBI single of the game. Sundberg then scored from second on a (very) wild pitch to give the P-Nats a two-run lead. Steven Fuentes, who bailed Acevedo out of two-on, one-out jam in the 7th, finished the game with two and 2/3rd inning scoreless relief and picked up the win.
Hagerstown 5 West Virginia 4 (10 inn.) – 2010
• Demny (ND) 6IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 7K, HR
• Wort (W, 4-0) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Hood 3-5, R, 2B, HR, RBI
• Hague 2-5, 2B, 2RBI
J.P. Ramirez plated the game-winner with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th to give the Hagerstown Suns a 5-4 victory and a series split against the West Virginia Power. Destin Hood (3-for-5) and Rick Hague (2-for-5) paced the 11-hit attack, driving in three runs combined. Starter Paul Demny got the no-decision, allowing four runs on six hits (one home run) while Kyle Morrison and Rob Wort combined for four scoreless and hitless innings to make the comeback from a 4-1 deficit after 5½ innings possible.
State College 2 Auburn 1 – 2013
• Voth 5IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 6K
• Hollins (BS, 2; L, 0-2) 1IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 0K, 1-0 IR-S
• W. Rodriguez 3-4, R
• Ballou 1-2, 3BB
Through eight innings, the Doubledays held the Spikes to six hits. Three hits in the 9th, however, led to the two runs State College needed for a 2-1 walkoff win over Auburn. L.J. Hollins, who escaped a 1st-and-3rd jam with one out in the 8th, gave up two singles and a walk to load the bases, hit a batter to send in the tying run, then gave up a third single to take the blown-save-loss. Starter Austin Voth got the no-decision for his five innings of two-hit, no-walk ball with six strikeouts. Wilman Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Doubledays hit column while leadoff man Isaac Ballou reached base four times with a single and three base-on-balls.