Note: Sorry for the delay, Blogger wouldn't play nice and let me log in.
Durham Bulls off day
Jacksonville Suns 7, Montgomery Biscuits 6
Matt Bush got the loss, allowing four runs in 1.1 innings. Nick Barnese started and lasted 5 innings, allowing a run on five hits. He struck out three and walked one. Shawn O'Malley (4-6) and Daniel Mayora (4-4 with a BB) starred offensively while John Matulia and Henry Wrigley chipped in with two hits apiece.
Dunedin Blue Jays 10, Charlotte Stone Crabs 9
The Crabs rallied late, but four in the 9th wasn't enough to help overcome an early deficit. Alex Colome allowed eight runs in just 1.2 innings, but Sergio Espinosa, Deivis Mavarez, and Josh Satow controlled the game after, allowing two runs over 6.1. Tyler Bortnick was 2-4 with a double, triple, stolen base, and five RBIs. Mark Thomas collected three hits including a home run and Anthony Scelfo and Mayobanex Acosta each had two.
Bowling Green Hot Rods rained out
The stats do not tell how badly the Stone Crabs played until late in the game. There are just 3 errors credited (debited) but that is simply the anomaly of the scoring system. And the errors that were noted were egregious. Jefferies did not bend over for a ball that was a step to his right. They called that a hit of course. He looked like the men in my over 60 league who are not expected to bend for anything to the side lest we cripple ourselves. There was also a high bouncer he did not charge so his throw to 2B was late. He also bobbled a simple grounder to his glove hand shoving it into foul territory.
ReplyDeleteAnd Espinosa's error was comical-a hard grounder he gloved and dropped in front of the mound which he then lollygagged after and finally threw a sidearm wild pitch down the right field line trying to catch the hustling batter.
Colome's error similarly was on a soft lined bunt he hesitated to charge for the catch, so he short hopped it clumsily and then with no chance to get the runner at 3B threw wildly down the third base line.
Colome throws hard (sitting 94-96, touching 97) and has good off-speed stuff, but had not idea where his pitches were going or how to sequence his pitches. There were few whiffs or called strikes and and all but one hit were tattooed. The outs were also hit very hard and on a line. Dunedin scored 5 runs before he got an out in the second inning.
Molina, the Dunedin pitcher, throws all sorts of pitches from 93 mph fastballs to 77 mph curves, and the Crabs were baffled. Lee had no clue, swinging awkwardly at the off-speed pitches, just about all he got, and taking wild swings for strikeouts his 2nd and 3rd times up, the 3rd time on a ball that almost hit him. He Ked looking in the first inning on an offspeed pitch up and away.
Late in the game, the Crabs started hitting against relievers, especially Bortnick whose 2 extra base hits were liners to the left and right center field wall. Watching Lee run is a real treat. And his solid single up the middle came after he was 0-2, worked the count to 3-2 and then hit a hard grounder past the pitcher.
The game turned exciting, and I know Colome has been improving as the season progresses, but last night was painful.
I hope all you guys out there (including the Rays MiL staff) read this post - you can't just throw someone at first base to give him more ABs, especially if he isn't a good natural fielder. This is a position that requires good fast-twitch muscle reaction, foot quickness and hand-eye coordination to be truly effective. This isn't about Jake Jefferies, it's about all the experiments throughtout the MiL system putting guys at first that haven't played the position, with the attitude that anyone can do it. Well, in my opinion, I'd rather have a guy at first that really knows how to play there and can handle it physically, especially considering the number of times he will handle the ball during a game. Please, stop the madness.
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