[Questdog]

Friday, May 4, 2001

RP Bob Craig (23-R) and 2B Rick Dundore (35-R) have been sent back to Daytona (A). 2B Ed Diskin (37-R) has been activated from the Disabled List and RP Justin Reddick (28-R) has been called up. Reddick stinks, but he has Major League experience.

We are back home to play Ottawa a 4 game series through the weekend. Yesterday's game was rained out, so we will try to play a doubleheader today. They just won a pair of games at home versus Columbus and have won 5 of their last 6. The Otters are 12th in scoring with 3.63 runs per game (Jacksonville is #15 with 3.15). They are 2nd in fewest runs allowed with 3.44 per game (Jacksonville is #14 with 4.78). Their run differential is +5 and ours is -44, still the worst in the League, but the Whalers, who have lost 10 in a row, are now at -42.

Ottawa Otters (16-11 .593 1 GB in 2nd place in the Northern Division) at
Jacksonville Jays (8-19 .296 8.5 GB in 8th (last) place in the Southern Division)

Game 1
OTT: Bill Cortright (33-R) (2-3 5.28 ERA 30.2 IP, 36 H, 4 HR, 8 BB, 20 SO) vs.
JAX: Mackie Reed (29-R) (1-2 6.31 ERA 25.2 IP, 39 H, 3 HR, 6 BB, 13 SO)

Cortright has alternated losses and wins all season and is due for a win.

Reed gave up 12 hits in 5.1 IP last time out, nut no walks and only 3 runs in a no decision. He is 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA in his last 3 starts.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS-SB DEF)
OTTAWA
1: CF Tom Spiess (23-L .246-57-0-1-.552-2 B) Rookie #30 prospect
2: 2B Tom Van Diest (27-R .149-74-3-7-.510-2 B+)
3: RF Ed Yeager (26-L .319-94-5-23-.908-0 C)
4: 1B Phil Shumate (27-S .241-87-0-7-.659-1 C+)
5: LF Tom Beyke (32-R .423-26-2-8-1.246-0 B+)
6: C Doug Peacock (32-S .118-76-0-5-.357-0 B)
7: SS Joel McCormick (32-R .177-79-0-8-.485-0 A)
8: 3B Dave Behm (24-R .197-61-5-15-.718-0 B+)
9: P Bill Cortright (33-R .167-12-0-0-.333-0 C+)

JACKSONVILLE
1: LF Cal Doty (24-L .260-100-0-7-.645-5 B+)
2: CF Joe Roberts (30-L .361-61-0-7-.820-3 C+) Sprained elbow
3: 3B Brian Porter (33-S .299-97-1-9-.789-0 C+)
4: RF Dennis Brown (27-L .250-84-4-10-.721-0 C) Rookie
5: 1B Tony Becerra (31-L .198-91-4-9-.562-0 A+)
6: C Bert Swope (29-S .239-71-0-5-.606-0 B)
7: SS Leander Gooding (30-R .235-85-0-3-.584-0 B)
8: 2B Frank Roadman (26-R .192-99-3-10-.551-6 B)
9: P Mackie Reed (29-R .167-6-0-1-.417-0 D+)

Game Start: 1:05 PM
Ballpark: Connie Mack Stadium
Weather: 65 F, Partly Cloudy, with an 8 MPH wind blowing out to center
Attendance: 9,317

Another new record crowd outside of Opening Day!

Top of the First:
Tom Spiess pops out to 3rd. Tom Van Diest grounds out to 3rd. Ed Yeager flies out to center! 1-2-3!

Bottom of the First:
Cal Doty strikes out... Joe Roberts strikes out... Brian Porter strikes out on 3 pitches.... Oh, my...

Top of the Second:
Phil Shumate lines a double to left and goes to 3rd on a ground out. Doug Peacock, the .118 hitter, is walked on 4 pitches... Joel McCormick swings at a 3-2 pitch and misses. Dave Behm lines a hit to center and Shumate scores.... 1 to 0, Otters.

Bottom of the Fourth:
Brian Porter leads off with a double to right, his 12th of the season! Dennis Brown lines out to 3rd and they double Porter off base....

Top of the Eighth:
Tom Beyke leads off with a home run to left center... 2 to 0, Otters.

Top of the Ninth:
New Pitcher: Bill Grant (30-L). After the first two batters strike out, Tom Van Diest draws a walk. Ed Yeager doubles to center. Phil Shumate hits his first home run of the season to left... 5 to 0, Otters. Remember when we thought we had a good reliever in Grant?

Lost - 5 to 0

We had 5 whole hits and made no errors
Ottawa had 8 hits and made 1 error

Mackie Reed (L 1-3) went 8 innings, allowed 2 runs, 6 hits, 1 home run, 6 walks (1 INT) and struck out 4. 133 pitches. At bat, he had a hit.
LHP Bill Grant went 1 inning, allowed 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 home run, 1 walk and struck out 2.

Bill Cortright (W 3-3) pitched 9 shutout innings (CG), gave us 5 hits, 2 walks and struck out 7. 122 pitches. At bat, he had a hit.

3B Brian Porter hit a double. He is now tied for the League lead with 12. 1B Tony Becerra had a hit and a walk. PH Mike Volkman had a hit.

For Ottawa, 1B Phil Shumate hit a double and a home run, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBI.

Game 2
OTT: Buford Nolan (24-R) (3-0 2.93 ERA 27.2 IP, 28 H, 0 HR, 14 BB, 13 SO) Rookie vs.
JAX: Victor Espinoza (36-R) (2-3 1.84 ERA 44 IP, 37 H, 2 HR, 10 BB, 27 SO)

Nolan is making his first start in May, after being named Rookie of the Month for April.

Espinoza gave up 3 runs in 6 IP last time out and took a loss. He is currently 3rd in the League in ERA.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS-SB DEF)
OTTAWA
1: 3B Wes Fitzgibbons (25-R .277-47-2-6-.746-4 A)
2: 2B Kim Byrne (25-R .227-66-1-2-.623-5 A)
3: RF Ed Yeager (26-L .327-98-5-23-.927-0 C)
4: 1B Phil Shumate (27-S .250-92-1-10-.710-1 C+)
5: LF Tom Beyke (32-R .387-31-3-9-1.216-0 B+)
6: CF Tom Spiess (23-L .242-62-0-1-.540-2 B) Rookie
7: C Joe Tomlinson (26-R .320-25-0-0-.852-0 C) Rookie #49 prospect
8: SS Tom Van Diest (27-R .143-77-3-7-.509-2 C+)
9: P Buford Nolan (24-R .455-11-0-0-.909-0 D+)

JACKSONVILLE
1: RF Mike Volkman (33-L .394-33-0-4-.853-0 D+)
2: CF Joe Roberts (30-L .344-64-0-7-.791-3 C+) Sprained elbow
3: LF Cal Doty (24-L .260-104-0-7-.640-5 B+)
4: 3B Brian Porter (33-S .297-101-1-9-.788-0 C+)
5: 1B Tony Becerra (31-L .202-94-4-9-.573-0 A+)
6: 2B Ed Diskin (37-R .000-10-0-0-.000-0 B)
7: SS Junior Danielson (29-R .313-16-0-1-.750-1 B)
8: C Garrett Bender (27-R .118-17-0-0-.284-0 B+)
9: P Victor Espinoza (36-R .083-12-0-0-.237-0 F)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: Connie Mack Stadium
Weather: 71 F, Partly Cloudy, with an 8 MPH wind blowing out to left
Attendance: 10,224

Yet another new record crowd outside of Opening Day and only about 150 less than Opening Day!

Top of the First:
Wes Fitzgibbons grounds out to short. Kim Byrne grounds out to short. Ed Yeager strikes out looking! 1-2-3!

Bottom of the First:
Mike Volkman grounds out to 3rd. Joe Roberts grounds out to short. Cal Doty grounds a hit to left. Brian Porter lines a hit to right center and Doty beats the throw to 3rd and Porter takes 2nd. Tony Becerra bloops a hit to left and both runners score!! 2 to 0, Jays! Becerra steals his first base of the season! Ed Diskin takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. Junior Danielson grounds out to 2nd.

Top of the Fourth:
With 1 out, Ed Yeager lines a hit to left. Phil Shumate grounds a hit to center and Yeager goes to 3rd. Tom Beyke pops out to center and the runners hold. Tom Spiess swings at a 3-2 pitch and pops out to center! But when Victor Espinosa comes into the dugout, he goes to see Trudy the Trainer....

Bottom of the Fourth:
Garrett Bender leads off with a walk. PH Dennis Brown (27-L) swings at the first pitch and flies out to center. Mike Volkman swings at the first pitch and grounds a hit to right. Joe Roberts lines a hit to right and the bases are loaded with 1 out. Cal Doty grounds a hit to right and 2 runs score!! 4 to 0, Jays! Brian Porter grounds into a 4-6-3 double play...

Top of the Sixth:
On the Hill: Roger Wallace (25-R), after a perfect 5th. With 1 out, Kim Byrne hits a home run to left center... 4 to 1, Jays.

Won - 4 to 1

We had 10 hits and made 1 error
Ottawa had 8 hits and made 1 error

Victor Espinoza pitched 4 shutout innings, allowed 3 hits, no walks and struck out 4. At bat, he drew a walk.
RHP Roger Wallace (W 2-0) went 2 innings, allowed 1 run, 2 hits and 1 home run.
RHP Justin Reddick (H 1), in his season debut, went 2 scoreless innings and allowed 2 hits.
RHP Gary Adamson (SV 2) pitched a scoreless 9th, allowed 1 hit and struck out 1.

Buford Nolan (L 3-1) went 7 innings, gave us 4 runs, 9 hits, 4 walks and struck out 3.

CF/RF Joe Roberts had 2 hits. LF Cal Doty had 2 hits, scored a run and had 2 RBI. 1B Tony Becerra had a hit and a walk, stole a base and had 2 RBI. 2B Ed Diskin hit a triple and drew a walk. CF Frank Wendell had a hit in his only at bat.

Trudy's report on P Victor Espinoza is forearm stiffness that will bother him for a week or so. Complete rest is recommended.... So we will need a spot starter sometime soon... Trudy also informed me that CF Danny Stewart (30-L), on the DL with a forearm strain, is not healing as fast as expected and it is unclear when he will be able to play.