[PhilledUp]

May 26, 2025: Week 7
31-14 overall; 5½ game lead (3-3 this week)
Runs Scored: 239, 3rd in NL (from 2nd) Runs Allowed: 179, 1st in NL (from 1st), Zone Rating: +7.2 (from 5.5)
Power Rankings: 3 (from 2)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic (from Ecstatic)
Fan Interest: 76 (from 74)
Last Week: @ Anchorage (1-2), vs Indianapolis (2-1)
Next Week: 3 @ Newark, 3 @ Omaha
Player of the Week NL: Chang-wei Sun (Las Vegas) SL: Antonio Rodriguez (Jacksonville)

Game Notes
Game 40: Madison 11 Anchorage 10 W Reyes (1-1) L Perez (3-2) S McClellan (12) – Player of the Game: Alfonso Galvan, Anchorage (3-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI)
HR Madison: Bautista (14), F. Gonzalez (6) Anchorage: Galvan 2 (12), Sanchez (8)
Madison jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Martinez allowed 7 runs before recording an out in the bottom of the 4th. Madison took the lead with a 4 run 6th but Anchorage re-tied the game in the bottom half. Unfazed, Madison scored 3 more runs before allowing 2 to hold on and nip the Caribou.
Game 41: Anchorage 8 Madison 6 W Woods (2-2) L Jones (1-1) S Stimpson (6) – Player of the Game: Fernando Gonzalez, Madison (3-5, HR, RBI)
HR Madison: F. Gonzalez (7) Anchorage: Galvan (13), Sanchez (9)
Dixon entered the game with a 1.94 ERA in 55.2 IP but wasn’t nearly that sharp. He allowed 4 runs in 5 innings. After Anchorage took a 4 run lead, Madison scored 2 in the 9th and threatened to tie but couldn’t come through. Avila and Gilmore were both hurt during the game.
Game 42: Anchorage 5 Madison 4 W Lindsey (4-1) L Shaw (1-1) S Stimpson (7) – Player of the Game: Rafael Deleon, Madison (2-3, 2 2B, R, RBI)
A pair of sac flies scored 2 in the 1st. Wiley wasn’t sharp at all. He needed 65 pitches to get through 2 innings and only lasted 4, allowing 4 runs. The bullpen allowed a run in 7th to provide the margin of victory for Anchorage.
Game 43: Indianapolis 6 Madison 3 W Martinez (3-1) L Moore (6-1) S Gallagher (6) – Player of the Game: Bryan Harmon, Indianapolis (1-4, HR, 3 RBI)
HR Indianapolis: Harmon (3), Rea (5)
Moore tied a Madison franchise record by walking 8 in 5 innings. He left with a 6-1 deficit. Madison threatened in the later innings several times, but could only close the gap to 6-3 before time ran out.
Game 44: Madison 9 Indianapolis 8 (10) W McClellan (3-0) L Gunn (2-2) – Player of the Game: Victor Bautista, Madison (3-5, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI)
HR Indianapolis: Calderon (8) Madison: Deleon (5), Bautista 2 (16), Stephens (1)
Madison led 4-0, 6-2, and 7-6, but needed a HR in the bottom of the 9th to bring the game into extras and HR in the 10th to win the game.
Game 45: Madison 5 Indianapolis 3 W May (1-0) L Younger (1-1) S McClellan (13) – Player of the Game: Tomas Gracia, Madison (2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
HR Madison: Corral (10), Gracia (2)
Trailing 3-0 in the 6th, Gracia hit a HR to bring Madison to within 1. In the 8th, a Corral HR tied the game, and 2 more runs scored to give Madison the lead. McClellan nailed down the 9th for the save.

Thoughts
I used Huang’s injury to make some line-up changes. Medina (.253, .318 obp) was bumped from leadoff to #6. Despite his speed, he is more of a power threat. Deleon (.330/.422/.543) was elevated to the leadoff spot. The lineup is now: LF Deleon, 1B Gonzalez, 3B Corral, RF Bautista, C Sanchez, CF Medina, 2B Fields, SS Nieto. Gonzalez will also frequently sub in for Nieto as I try to balance offense (Gonzalez) with defense (Nieto).

On 5/21, LF Avila was lost for 3 weeks with a strained oblique. RP Gilmore had an injury that was initially pending but was later diagnosed as shoulder inflammation and he will have to push to be back for the playoffs. He suffered a ratings hit to both his movement and control right away, so I knew it was serious. At least it gives me a chance to try out RP Melton and/or RP Diaz. They could have realistically been in the ABL at this time last year.

Starting today, we embark a 13 game road trip 5/26 - 6/8. So far we’ve been worse on the road (10-9 vs 21-5 at home), so we have to make sure we play well and at least stay above .500 on the trip.

Team Transactions
5/19: Madison optioned SP Richard Walters to AAA Laredo.
5/20: Madison recalled SS Fernando Nieto from AAA Laredo.
5/22: Madison placed LF Jorge Avila on the 11 day DL retroactive to 5/21 and purchased the contract of RF Millard Stephens from AAA Laredo.
5/23: Madison placed RP Bill Gilmore on the 60 day DL retroactive to 5/21 and purchased the contract of RP George Melton.

League News
5/23: Portland 1B Tony Stout went 0-3 to snap a 22-game hitting streak. The ABL record is 29.
5/24: Louisville SP Martin Wynn allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 in a 5-0 shutout over Albuquerque. It was the 29 year old’s 9th career shutout.

Madison Player of the Game tally
Millard Allen 1
Victor Bautista 4
Junior Corral 3
Rafael Deleon 1
Jimmy Dixon 3
Glenn Fields 1
Fernando Gonzalez 3
Tomas Gracia 1
Jing Huang 1
Gabor Lindemans 1
Vicente Martinez 2
Augusto Medina 1
Emery Moore 2
Raul Sanchez 3
Kerry Sawyer 1
Richard Walters 1