Anyhow, I am doing a double-shift tonight, with the Game Recap and the Morning Report. Great for me (I get paid extra), awful for you readers. All 4 of you. May be a little shorter than normal, so apologies.
Summary
* Two teams won, one was off. Combined Record: 69-63
* OKC did well (not)
* Corpus did well (riding a bus)
* Lancaster did well
* Quad Cities did well
Oklahoma City (18-16)
Oklahoma City lost at home to the 16-17 Memphis Redbirds tonight. The Memphis squad scored 2 in the 2nd, with the RedHawks clawing one back in the bottom half. Then... (cue flashbacks to watching the ML pen) ... the RedHawks gave up 4 in the 8th and 2 in the ninth to lose 8-1.
Bump: Nick Tropeano went 6.2 solid innings, finishing with a 4H, 2R/ER, 8K line (no walks). He gave up both runs on one swing of the bat. Then, it got ugly, with the next three pitchers making a strong case to get promoted to the Major League Goatpen (hey, they would fit in there, amirite??)
Richard Rodriguez was the worst offender (0.1IP, 1H, 1BB, 3R/ER, BB), loading the bases in the eighth with none out on a double, FC sac bunt, walk. Happily, Chia-Jen Lo let them all score (1IP, 2H, 1R/ER, 1BB, 1K) and Raul "Exxon" Valdes continued his excellent form of late, pouring oil on the penguins and going 1IP, 3H, 2R/ER, HR).
Bats: Not much to see here, move along, move along... Bob Grossman was the standout performer, going 2-4, 2B. Enrique Hernandez went 1-3, BB, R. Jon Meyer and Carlos Perez also had hits (1-4).
Man of the Match: Bob Grossman watch is ON!! Check out www.isbobgrossmancalledupyet.edu* At OKC: .381/.400/.781 batting leadoff.
* - don't check it out, not a real website.
Corpus Christi (17-15)
I initially got all excited, as Corpus went all Nasty on the San Antonio Missions again. Then, I noticed that the line score looked strangely familiar. Yesterday's game, Corpus was off today. Back tomorrow, playing away to Frisco.
Lancaster (20-14)
I am assuming that there was a ground-rule at Lake Elsinore in force - just for today - that decreed that scoring was only allowed in the second inning. I am assuming some of the scoreboard operators got drunk the previous night and - as a practical joke - glued zeros into all the slots except the second inning. Only logical explanation. Anyhow, Lancaster managed to win the "battle of the second inning", winning 3-1 over a strong Lake Elsinore squad. Lake Elsinore and Lancaster are tied at the top of the Cal League South, one game over High Desert. But in the Cal League North, Bakersfield (Reds affiliate) are at an impressive 26-8. Yikes! Ban inter-league play!!
Bump: I am guessing that the pitchers were buoyed by the temporary-today-only ground-rule, and just threw BP fastballs in inning 1 and 3-9. Brian Holmes had the unenviable job of having to pitch the second, navigating his way around 7 base runners during his outing (4IP, 5H, 1R/ER, 2BB, 6K). J.D.
Bats: Anthony Kemp was the best (2-3, 2BB, R), Ruben Sosa the most powerful (1-3, 2B, BB, R) and Teoscar Hernandez the fastest (1-3, 2BB, RBI, SB). Jordan Scott also had a good game (2-3, RBI, R). Ruben Sosa had an outfield assist.
Man of the Match: I am a sucker for (i) extra-base hits and (ii) outfield assists. Ruben Sosa, Left Fielder for the Lancaster JetHawks: come up and collect your trophy!!
Quad Cities (14-18)
Ceder Rapids (18-14) got off to a good start, scoring 3 in the first two innings. But Quad Cities said "not so fast" (or words to that effect), then scored a combined 7 runs in the 6th and 8th to win, 7-3.
Bump: Evan Grills started for the Bandits (can I leave the "river" off??), and worked around 9 base runners in 5 innings, with only three of the touching home plate after touching first, second and third base, in that order, thus scoring a point for their team. His line: 5IP, 8H, 3R/ER, 1BB, 2K.
But, able relief from Edison Frias (who got the win, and had the following line: 3IP, 1H, 2BB, 2K) and Andrew Walter (1IP, 1BB) followed. The Kernels were held scoreless for the last 7 innings.
Bats: One RBI for each of the first six hitters in the order. Bringing home the runners in that mob - in batting order - was James Ramsay (2-4, 2B, BB, R, RBI), Chan Moon (1-1, 4BB, R, RBI), Jack Mayfield (0-3, 2BB, RBI, R), Conrad Gregor (0-4, RBI, SF), Tyler White (3-5, RBI) and Ronnie Mitchell (3-4, BB, R, RBI). Brett Booths' line was interesting (0-3, BB, R) and Brett Phillips' line was as well - 0-2, BB, 2R.
What an odd box score. Check it out. The 6th inning for QC: ground out, walk, strikeout, walk, walk, walk (scoring a run), walk (scoring a run), passed ball (scoring a run), walk, strikeout. 3 runs, no hits.
Man of the Match: We are not giving out a MOTM today (Jobduan Morales would get it if we were), but rather the oddest line from this game. Brett Phillips: 0-2, BB, 2R. 2 Runs, no hits, one walk. Don't see that everyday. Or Chan Moon: 1-1, 4BB, R, RBI
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it.
