[PhilledUp]

April 14, 2025: Week 1
6-1 overall; 1½ game lead (6-1 this week)
Runs Scored: 42, 1st in NL Runs Allowed: 24, 3rd in NL, Zone Rating: 0
Power Rankings: 1 (from 6)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic (from Ecstatic)
Fan Interest: 72 (from 72)
Last Week: vs Anchorage (3-0), vs Newark (3-1)
Next Week: 2 vs Omaha, 3 @ Boise
Player of the Week NL: Mauro Parra (Portland) SL: Matt Miller (San Antonio)

Game Notes
Game 1: Madison 7 Anchorage 5 W McClellan (1-0) L Williams (0-1) – Player of the Game: Victor Bautista, Madison (2-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI)
HR Anchorage: Sanchez (1), Galvan (1) Madison: Bautista (1), Medina (1)
Madison plated 3 in the 3rd to take a 3-1 lead. They added a run on a groundout and one on a solo HR to take a 5-2 lead going into the ninth. McClellan allowed the first 2 men to reach base before striking out 2. But he allowed a game-tying 3 run HR to prove that his struggles from last year may have carried over to this year. However, in the bottom of the 9th, Victor Bautista laid into a 2 out, 2-2 pitch to walk off with the opening day victory.
Game 2: Madison 6 Anchorage 3 W Dixon (1-0) L Woods (0-1) – Player of the Game: Raul Sanchez, Madison (2-5, HR, 2 RBI)
HR Anchorage: Scurry (1) Madison: Sanchez (1)
Madison pushed a run home in the 1st with a bases loaded walk but couldn’t manage more. Dixon returned the favor in the 3rd. Sanchez broke a 2-2 tie with a 2 run HR in the 6th, and the offense added 2 more to secure the victory.
Game 3: Madison 7 Anchorage 4 W Wiley (1-0) L Taylor (0-1) S McClellan (1) – Player of the Game: Victor Bautista, Madison (2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI)
HR Anchorage: Scurry (2) Madison: Bautista 2 (3), Corral (1), Lindemans (1)
Facing ex-Greenie Aaron Taylor, Madison used some big hits to take the lead. They hit 2 solo HRs and Avila had a 2 RBI triple (11th all-time) to give Madison a 5-2 lead. They padded their lead with 2 more runs in the 7th before McClellan pitched a perfect 9th to secure the sweep.
Game 4: Madison 4 Newark 2 W Moore (1-0) L Moreno (0-1) S McClellan (2) – Player of the Game: Emery Moore, Madison (7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
HR Newark: Kelley (2) Madison: Bautista (4), Sanchez (2), F. Gonzalez (1)
Bautista continued his hot start to the year with a solo HR in the 2nd. Sanchez added a 2 run shot, and Moore left after 10 K’s in 7 IP with a 3-2 lead. The standard O’Dell, McClellan took care of the rest.
Game 5: Newark 8 Madison 7 W Bixler (1-0) L Sawyer (0-1) S Nava (2) – Player of the Game: Lewis Perkins, Newark (2-5, HR, 4 RBI)
HR Newark: Perkins (1), Lopez (1), Kelley (3), Benjamin (2) Madison: Lindemans (2)
Sawyer walked 5 and allowed a grand slam as he battled nerves in the 1st inning of his 1st career ABL start. The opposing pitcher walked 4 batters of his own and allowed 2 runs in the bottom half. Sawyer allowed 2 more HRs and 3 runs through 6. Madison pulled within 1 with a 4 run 6th. They traded runs in the 9th and Madison was narrowly defeated.
Game 6: Madison 2 Newark 0 W Martinez (1-0) L Robertson (0-2) S O’Dell (1) – Player of the Game: Vicente Martinez, Madison (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
Martinez pitched 7 shutout innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter. The pinch hitter delivered a single to break the scoreless tie. Madison added an insurance run in the 8th and O’Dell pitched 2 innings for the save.
Game 7: Madison 9 Newark 2 W Dixon (2-0) L Hill (1-1) – Player of the Game: Junior Corral, Madison (3-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI)
HR Newark: Perkins (2), Kelley (4) Madison: Corral (2)
The game was close until a 3 run bomb by Corral put Madison up 5-1. They scored 4 more in the bottom of the 8th to put the game out of reach. The victory was Dixon’s 100th of his career.

Thoughts
It’s great to start the year so hot. Bautista’s hot spring training carried over into the season. It’s too early to worry about slow starts by Corral (.231) or Fields (.125). Martinez almost missed a win in both starts this week, but luckily a pinch hit single allowed him to earn his much deserved first win with Madison. Hopefully it’s the first of many.

Team Transactions
4/8: Madison signed 16 year old SP Gabriel Pina from Venezuela.
4/9: Madison claimed C Chris Hawkins on waivers from New Orleans, CF Jack Bond on waivers from San Jose, and C Cristobal Ibanez on waivers from Boise. Ibanez was assigned to AAA Laredo. Hawkins and Bond were placed on waivers.
4/12: C Chris Hawkins and CF Jack Bond cleared waivers and were outrighted to AAA Laredo.

League News
4/8: Omaha LF Cesar Perez suffered a sprained elbow and will miss 6 weeks.
4/12: Birmingham signed SS Jon Davidson to a 1 year contract worth $5.8M. In doing so, they forfeited their 1st round pick. Davidson was the last free agent available with compensation tied to a signing.

Madison Player of the Game tally
Victor Bautista 2
Junior Corral 1
Vicente Martinez 1
Emery Moore 1
Raul Sanchez 1