[illeracula]

Current Week: 3-4 (23-15 - GB 1st (+2.5))
Next Week: 2 @ Annapolis Admirals, 2 Days Off, 3 @ Chesapeake Blue Crabs
Power Ranking: 7 (-3)
Fan Interest: 61 (+1)
Owners Mood: Ecstatic

Game 32
Norfolk 9, Milford 5
Carlos Mateo (ND) got roughed up, going 3 innings, giving up 5 hits and 5 runs, including 2 HR's. Bill Lee took home the win (1-0) with the help of 4 other relievers who pitched 7 shutout innings. The offense had 18 hits, in their best offensive performance in a while, lead by Jose Rodriquez 3-6, with 3 RBI, including a HR (6). Mauro Candelaria, Chris Shopland and Julio Romero each added 3 hits.

Game 33
Norfolk 1, Milford 0
Tsuneo Sato (7-0) has proved my worries about him wrong so far this season, as he extended his hot streak another game, going 7 innings of 4 hit ball before turning the game over to the pen. Bill Lee pitched the 9th for the save (2). Sun Ho struck out the side in the 8th. Ron Alder went 2-3, including a double in the 7th setting up the winning run. Chris Shopland knocked him in for the only run of the game.

Transactions: After the game Sun Ho was sent back down to AAA and Carlos Rodriquez was activated from the 15-day. Sun pitched great in the 3 games he appeared in, and we are glad to have kept him around. He may see some starts as the season progresses.

Game 34
Norfolk 2, Milford 3
Karl Armstrong (ND) threw a decent 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 6. Carlos Rodriquez (0-1), in his first game back, showed some rust, losing the game in the 9th, giving up a first pitch walk off HR. The offense had 4 hits, the only extra-base hit was by Jacob Chaney who had a double, he also scored a run and drove in one.

Injury News: Ron Alder was pulled in the 7th after pulling up lame on the base paths. While we wait to hear how bad the injury is Joe Payne and Pat Shelton will share time in LF.

Game 35
Norfolk 5, Milford 2
Geoffrey Bayles (4-2) got back on the winning track with a 5.0 inning, 1 run start. he allowed 6 hits and struck out 6. Carlos Rodriquez pitched the 9th for the save (5). Mauro Candelaria and Tomas Reyes each had 2 hits, Brian Cline scored 2 times and Jesus Rivera hit a HR (2).

Injury News: Billy Lee threw 2 innings of perfect ball, before leaving with an undisclosed injury.

Game 36
Norfolk 4, Washington 5 (10 innings)
Don Sweetapple (ND) threw 6.1 solid innings, but the bullpen couldn't keep the Senators in check. Sweetapple gave up 1 run on 5 hits. Edgar Matsuda gave up 3 runs, on 2 hits, both HR'sin 2 innings, and Elmer Hawkins (1-1) took the loss in the 10th. Mauro Candelaria and Jacob Chaney each had 2 hits, and Tomas Reyes drove in 2 with a triple.

Game 37
Norfolk 3, Washington 4 (12 innings)
Carlos Mateo (ND) threw 6.2 innings giving up 3 runs on 9 hits. Carlos Rodriquez pitched 2 shut-out innings of relief, giving up 2 hits and 3 walks. Dalton Whitaker (1-1) took the loss in the 12th, giving up a walk-off HR. Mauro Candelaria and Jose Rodriquez each had 2 hits. The only runs the Cav's scored came in the 6th on a 3-run blast by Tony Soto (6).

Injury News: LF Ron Alder has been informed he will miss about 4 more days with a hyper-extended knee. MR Bill Lee is listed as D2D with a mild-calf strain... at least we escaped anything major.

Game 38
Norfolk 11, Washington 12
Tsueno Sato (ND) got roughed over 2.1 innings, giving up 6 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks (He walks too many people and it caught up to him this game), but took home the ND as the offense fought back. Bill Lee coming back since he left with a calf-strain pitched 3 innings giving up 2 runs. Edgar Matsuda, who has been disastrous after a hot start, gave up 3 runs on 4 hits in 1/3 of an inning and blew the save. Dalton Whitaker (1-2) pitched the final 2.1 innings giving up a solo-HR in the 8th, which proved to be the winning run. The offense got it going with 14 hits, but left 10 men on base. Six of the starting 9 each had 2 hits (Tomas Reyes was the only starter without a hit). Brian Cline hit a Grand Slam (4). Tony Soto had the only other extra-base hits with 2 doubles.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Felix Pena, Wilmington Iron Pigs, 11-24, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 Runs
MarVa: Steve Williams, Annapolis Admirals, 13-27, 3 HR, 7 RBI (current 21 game hitting streak)

Power Rankings:
1) Annapolis Admirals (125.4)
2) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (114.4)
3) Newark Millers (114.0)
4) Milford Clippers (109.9)
5) New Castle Colonials (108.2)

GM Thoughts/Notes: Getting swept by the Senators made this a rough week. If we just pulled one out I would of been much happier. But all 3 games were very hard fought battles... our hitters are just in a slump, they all came out on fire, but as the weeks have gone on the averages are starting to fall where we expected. Luckily with Tomas Reyes in the lineup we have one more solid bat. Our lineup 1-9 is pretty average, last year with the injuries I would of said we were below average... Pitching is still doing well, outside of one game they did what we expected of them. Our bullpen and starters are #2 in ERA, so thats pretty impressive... Defensively we are back to where we were 2 years ago, #1 in the league and at .705. Just need to get those bats back to life... We have a tough series in Annapolis, then 2 days off. Should be a nice break... I need to figure out what to do with Edgar Matsuda, he is on a short leash.