[Questdog]

Saturday, April 30, 2005

Jacksonville Jays (14-9 .609 0 GA tied for 1st place in the Southern Division) at
Memphis Mules (9-14 .391 5 GB in 7th place in the Southern Division)

JAX: Dave Buchalter (27-R) (0-1 11.25 ERA 4 IP, 5 H, 0 HR, 1 BB, 1 SO)
MEM: Dave Gray (35-R) (0-2 6.18 ERA 27.2 IP, 31 H, 2 HR, 15 BB, 17 SO)

Buchalter is making his 2nd start of the season and 1st in 2 weeks. I spent all morning trying to find this Choctaw fellow that someone told be about at the hotel last night. I had mentioned that it would be nice if today's game was rained out, so we would not have to send poor Buchalter to face this Memphis lineup that is murder to right-handers and they told me I should find this particular Choctaw and get him to do a rain dance. Well, I could not find the fellow that they mentioned, but I was led to another Choctaw fellow who at first did not seem to know anything about rain dances, but after I told him I was willing to pay for one, he admitted that he knew something about them and could perform one that would guarantee rain within 24 hours. I told him I needed the rain in 8 hours and he said there was one that would do that, but it was very demanding on the spirit and he did not want to hazard it. After some haggling, I finally got him to do it for $500. Once he started, I soon suspected that he was making it up as he went along, but I did not want to insult his culture and kept my mouth shut and paid him the money when he was done. But game time is here and the skies do not have a single cloud to be seen anywhere..... This is not going to be pretty, so you may want to make the kids leave the room...........

Gray was 9-12 with a 3.23 ERA in 228.1 IP last year and 9-16 with a 4.00 ERA in 211.1 IP in 2003. He is 3-3 in 8 starts against the Jays in his career with a 3.97 ERA. 47.2 IP, 44 H, 3 HR, 21 BB, 26 SO.

Lineups: Pos Name (Age-Bats BA-AB-HR-RBI-OPS-SB DEF)
JACKSONVILLE
1: 2B Charlie Faber (34-R .174-23-0-1-.477-0 B+)
2: 1B Jack Washburn (23-L .250-76-1-6-.768-6 B)
3: CF Cal Doty (28-L .167-24-0-3-.359-2 C+) All-Star
4: RF Ray McDonald (24-L .232-82-1-9-.729-1 B+) All-Star
5: 3B Tom McDowell (27-R .220-91-6-13-.692-4 C+)
6: LF Fernando Tello (23-L .213-75-2-8-.577-0 C)
7: SS Bart Daw (33-R .215-65-1-10-.611-3 B+)
8: C Bob Hutson (22-L .224-58-1-4-.670-0 B)
9: P Dave Buchalter (27-R .000-1-0-0-.000-0 F)

MEMPHIS
1: SS Tony Weninger (23-R .227-97-0-5-.547-4 B+)
2: 2B Leo Toruno (31-L .256-82-1-9-.691-1 B) MVP/Silver Slugger(3: 01-SS,02,04)/All-Star(3: 01-02,04)
3: 3B Keith Meyer (30-L .321-84-3-10-.896-3 C+) MVP(2: 01,03)/Silver Slugger(4: 01-SS,02-04)/All-Star(4: 01-04)
4: 1B Nestor Gonzalez (31-L .292-89-5-17-.880-0 A) Silver Slugger(2: 01,04)/All-Star(3; 01-03)
5: LF Rafael Jimenez (30-L .233-60-1-12-.680-0 C) All-Star(2: 02-03)
6: C Roger Beaudin (32-R .309-55-2-9-.839-1 D+) All-Star(2: 03-04)
7: CF Steve Gress (33-L .263-80-3-12-.771-0 B) All-Star(01)
8: RF Ron Alario (35-R .231-52-0-3-.637-1 A+) Gold Glove(2: 02-03)
9: P Dave Gray (35-R .000-7-0-0-.000-0 D)

Game Start: 7:05 PM
Ballpark: RFK Stadium
Weather: 75 F, Clear Skies, with an 8 MPH wind blowing in from right
Attendance: 11,169

Top of the First
Charlie Faber lines out to first, Nestor Gonzalez making a fine play. Jack Washburn lines out to 2nd, Leo Toruno making a nice play..... Cal Doty strikes out.......

Bottom of the First
Is you health insurance paid up, Dave? I hope so.... Tony Weninger grounds out to 1st, 3-1. Leo Toruno grounds out to 2nd, Charlie Faber making a good stop! Keith Meyer swings at a 3-2 pitch and flies out to deep center! 1-2-3!

Top of the Second
Ray McDonald hits a home run to right center! 1 to 0, Jays!

Through 5 innings, we have 2 hits....

Bottom of the Fifth
With 1 out, Roger Beaudin takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4, the third walk issued by P Dave Buchalter. Steve Gress grounds into a force at 2nd, 1-6. Ron Alario bloops a hit just over 2b Charlie Faber and Gress beats the throw to 3rd.... That is the first hit by the Mules.... T.R. Hunter's younger legs would have run that one down.... P Dave Gray swings at a 3-2 pitch and misses!

Top of the Sixth
Charlie Faber grounds a hit to left and steals 2nd! Jack Washburn doubles to right center and Faber scores! 2 to 0, Jays! With 1 out, they walk Ray McDonald intentionally. With 2 outs, Fernando Tello lines a 2-2 pitch to center for a hit and Washburn scores! 3 to 0, Jays!

Bottom of the Eighth
Ron Alario and PH Ken Gates (30-L) lead off with back to back walks, now 5 issued by P Dave Buchalter. The Bullpen was up after the first one. Tony Weninger pokes a hit to left and the bases are loaded with no outs..... Do I bring in the lefty now or give Buchalter a chance at a shutout and give up a Grand Slam? We let him pitch.... Leo Toruno clears the bases with a triple to center.... Tie Game: 3 to 3. Call to the Bullpen: All-Star Albert Davies (28-L). Keith Meyer swings at a 3-2 pitch and misses! We walk Nestor Gonzalez intentionally........... Why??? Now we are guaranteed to face the righty Beaudin, unless we get a DP here.... Rafael Jimenez strikes out! Roger Beaudin swings at a 3-2 pitch and grounds out to 3rd!

Top of the Ninth
New Pitcher: John Robillard (29-R), their closer, pitching in his third straight game of this series. He has giving a run in 2 innings on a hit and 2 walks with 1 strikeout. 5-6-7 up for us. Tom McDowell grounds one to short, but Tony Weninger boots it! Fernando Tello lines an 0-2 pitch to right for a hit! PH Dave Estey (23-L) strikes out.... Bob Hutson strikes out..... PH T.R. Hunter (28-R), who will stay in to play short, walks on 4 pitches to load the bases up with 2 outs. Charlie Faber lines a 3-2 pitch hard to center, but Steve Gress runs it down......

Bottom of the Ninth
New Pitcher: Bob Craig (27-R). 7-8-9 up for the Mules. PH Dave Stacy (30-R), 0 for 1 this series and 2 for 9 on the season with 3 walks, pops out to 2nd. Ron Alario draws a walk... The Bullpen is back up. PH Pedro Manzanares (31-R), who drew a walk on Thursday, and is 1 for 8 on the season, flies out to center. Alario steals 2nd..... Tony Weninger grounds out to the pitcher!

Extras!
For the second time this season.
We won the first.

Top of the Tenth
New Pitcher: Jim Lucas (26-R), who is 1-0 with a 7.84 ERA in 10.1 IP with 12 SO, but 3 HR. He was 4-7 with 9 SV and a 3.76 ERA in 52.2 IP last year with only 2 HR. 2-3-4 up for us. With 1 out, Cal Doty lines the first pitch to center for a hit! Ray McDonald takes a 3-2 pitch for ball 4. We pull off a double steal!! Tom McDowell lines a 3-2 pitch down the left field line for a double and both runners score!! 5 to 3, Jays! Fernando Tello grounds the first pitch up the middle for a hit! PH Danny Rosas (26-L) strikes out.... Bob Hutson lines out to center.

Bottom of the Tenth
New Pitcher: 2-time All-Star Bill Grant. Gary McKellar (35-R) is in to play center and Cal Doty moves to left. 2-3-4 up for the Mules. Leo Toruno grounds out to the pitcher! Keith Meyer grounds out to 2nd! Nestor Gonzalez grounds out to 2nd and THIS Ball Game Belongs to the Jays!

Won - 5 to 3

We had 9 hits and made no errors
Memphis had 4 hits and made 2 errors

Dave Buchalter went 7+ innings, allowed 3 runs, 4 hits, 5 walks and struck out 6. 116 pitches. Unbelievable effort from him!
LHP Albert Davies went 1 scoreless inning (and stranded a runner at 3rd with no outs), allowed 1 walk (1INT) and struck out 2.
RHP Bob Craig (W 1-0) went 1 scoreless inning and walked 1.
LHP Bill Grant (SV 6) pitched a perfect inning.

Dave Gray went 8 innings, gave us 3 runs, 5 hits, 1 home run, 2 walks (1 INT) and struck out 4. 125 pitches.
RHP John Lucas (L 1-1) went 1 inning, gave us 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1.

1B Jack Washburn hit a double, drew a walk, scored a run and had an RBI. RF Ray McDonald hit his 2nd home run of the season, drew 2 walks (1 INT), stole a base and scored 2 runs. 3B Tom McDowell hit a double and had 2 RBI. LF Fernando Tello had 3 hits and an RBI. PH/SS T.R. Hunter drew a walk in his only plate appearance.

For Memphis, Leo Toruno hit a triple and had 3 RBI.