[PhilledUp]

April 28, 2025: Week 3
12-7 overall; 1½ game lead (4-3 this week)
Runs Scored: 96, 2nd in NL (from 3rd) Runs Allowed: 69, 3rd in NL (from 2nd), Zone Rating: 0 (from -0.3)
Power Rankings: 4 (from 3)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic (from Ecstatic)
Fan Interest: 72 (from 72)
Last Week: @ Indianapolis (1-2), vs Buffalo (3-1)
Next Week: 3 vs Las Vegas, 4 @ Columbus
Player of the Week NL: Denis Asbury (Omaha) SL: Jose Diaz (San Antonio)

Game Notes
Game 13: Madison 3 Indianapolis 0 W Moore (3-0) L Guerrero (0-1) S Shaw (1) – Player of the Game: Emery Moore, Madison (6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 7 K)
Moore worked around 5 walks to shut out Indianapolis for 6 innings. On offense, Madison ran into trouble (3 CS, 1 out at the plate), but managed to score 3 in the 7th to secure the victory.
Game 14: Indianapolis 6 Madison 5 (13) W Gunn (1-0) L Gilmore (1-2) – Player of the Game: Augusto Medina, Madison (2-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
HR Madison: Medina 2 (3), Deleon (1)
Medina delivered a 3 run HR in the 2nd to help Madison jump out to a 3-0 lead. Indianapolis came back with 2 in the 5th and 1 in the 6th to tie the game. It stayed that way until the 13th when Madison hit back to back solo HRs against former prospect Howard Gunn. But the bullpen, tired from a busy week, gave up 3 runs in the bottom half to lose a heartbreaker.
Game 15: Indianapolis 9 Madison 3 W Salazar (2-1) L Martinez (1-2) – Player of the Game: Leonardo Calderon, Indianapolis (3-3, BB, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI)
HR Madison: Corral (4) Indianapolis: Calderon 2 (5), Caine (1), Rea (2)
Martinez allowed HRs to lead off the 1st and 2nd and a 3 run HR in the 3rd. Gamely trying to absorb innings for an exhausted bullpen, he pitched 5 innings and allowed 9 runs (7 earned) in a blowout.
Game 16: Buffalo 5 Madison 0 W Aguirre (1-2) L Dixon (2-1) – Player of the Game: Alonso Aguirre, Buffalo (8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)
HR Buffalo: Hernandez (1)
Dixon allowed 2 in the 1st and 1 in the 8th but was dominant in between. Unfortunately Madison’s bats were quieted by Aguirre.
Game 17: Madison 5 Buffalo 2 W Wiley (2-0) L Reyes (1-1) S McClellan (4) – Player of the Game: Raul Sanchez, Madison (1-3, HR, 2 RBI)
HR Madison: Sanchez (3)
Sanchez kicked off the scoring with a 2 run HR in the 2nd, but Buffalo countered with a 2 run double in the 3rd. Wiley again struggled with control, allowing 6 walks in 6 innings, but escaped allowing only those 2 runs. Madison took the lead with a run in the 4th and added 2 insurance runs in the 7th to seal the victory.
Game 18: Madison 12 Buffalo 3 W Moore (4-0) L Bernard (2-1) – Player of the Game: Jing Huang, Madison (2-3, HR, BB, 3 RBI)
HR Madison: Huang (2), Bautista (8)
Facing SP Felipe Bernard, who they wooed in free agency, Madison arrived angry. Bautista hit a 1st inning grand slam and Madison batted around in taking an early 4-0 lead. They greeted the bullpen by scoring 6 more runs and batting around again in the 2nd. From there they coasted to the 12-3 victory.
Game 19: Madison 5 Buffalo 4 W Gilmore (2-2) L Marino (0-3) – Player of the Game: Stephen Starks, Buffalo (8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
HR Buffalo: White (2), Hernandez (2) Madison: Huang (3) F. Gonzalez (2)
Fresh off a blowout, the Madison offense was shut down for 7 innings. They scored 1 in the 8th and tied the game in the 9th with a 3 run shot. A Jing Huang 2 out single later in the inning delivered the walk-off victory.

Thoughts
The stretch of extra inning games and short starts by my starters put a strain on my bullpen. I don’t know if its advancing age, more ‘fragile’ players, or bad luck, but it seems like it takes this year’s bullpen longer to bounce back. It’s something I will have to be cognizant of moving forward. Maybe it means I have to play fewer matchups.

Team Transactions
none

League News
4/23: 27 year old Nashville SP Michael Moody allowed 2 hits and 3 walks in a 8 K, 8-0 shutout over Birmingham. It was his 1st career shutout.
4/27: 31 year old New Orleans SP Earl Morrison allowed 2 hits and 1 walk en route to a 7 K, 7-0 shutout over Wichita. It was his 4th career shutout.

Madison Player of the Game tally
Victor Bautista 2
Junior Corral 2
Jimmy Dixon 1
Fernando Gonzalez 1
Jing Huang 1
Vicente Martinez 1
Augusto Medina 1
Emery Moore 2
Raul Sanchez 2