The Scouting Report:
Game 1:
The Brewers drop game 1 in Charlotte against the Sting as young inexperienced right-handed starter
Bryant Cox reached the 100 pitch mark after just 5 innings pitched, having given up 4 runs on 8 hits. (
Cox does not profile as a high stamina pitcher and will need to be more efficient in his outings if he is to be a viable member of the rotation.) Young outfielders
Antonio Acuna and
Val Guzman did their parts to try to help the Brewers get the win, alas to no avail.
Acuna went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, though he did also commit a throwing error. And
Guzman was 2 for 3, walking twice, scoring a run, and hitting his 9th double of the season. (
Guzman continues to show an excellent eye at the plate, beyond even any expectations the scouting staff have for him.)
Game 2:
Sadahige Kawasaki gets his 4th straight complete game victory in the middle game of the series, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking just 1. Oh, and he also went 2 for 4 at the plate, scoring twice and hitting his 2nd double of the season.
Joe McPhillips only managed 1 hit in his 4 at-bats but it was a big one- a 7th inning Grand Slam that blew open what had been a close game up to that point. It was
McPhillips 3rd home run of the season.
Brett Taranto went 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and
Bobby Erbakan was 3 for 5 with a run scored and one driven in.
Game 3:
And in a game that was another tight contest through the first five innings, the Brewers end up pinning an ugly loss on Charlotte in the rubber match of the series.
Jim Atwell pitched well, lasting 7 innings and giving up 1 run on 6 hits for his 6th win of the season. And continuing the trend of Denver starting pitchers helping to provide themselves with runs,
Atwell (a collegiate two-way player and pretty decent hitter) went 2 for 2 with a run scored and 2 driven in and even picked up his first big league stolen base, on the back-end of a double steal with speedy
Val Guzman.
Brandon Veach, recently brought up from AAA, was very good for the final two innings, giving up just a pair of harmless hits.
Brett Taranto had been in the midst of a minor slump at the plate earlier in the month but he went 4 for 5 in this one, scoring twice and driving in 2 runs, hit his 6th double of the season, and is now back in a familiar position, at the top of the leader boards in the MGL in batting average at .354. (He has won the last two MGL batting titles.) Backup catcher
Kirk Patnode had a big game, going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI and hitting 2 doubles to get to 3 on the season.
Notes from around the league:
The Los Angeles Spinners chose Kerry Krieg, out of Western Carolina University, in the 2nd round of the 1965 amateur draft and by early 1966 he was the #21 prospect in the WPK. But his career got off to a bit of a slow start and it wasn't until 1973, at the age of 26, that he really solidified himself in the Spinners rotation, going 16-8 with a 2.77 ERA that season. Up to this point, that is his high water mark in wins in a single season though he has been in double digits every season since. Now 32 years of age, the slightly built right-hander profiles as surprisingly durable (the only injury of his career that caused him to miss more than a week of action was a strained shoulder way back in 1967) and is a consistent innings eater. Krieg will likely never be in the discussion of best starting pitchers in the game but with his durability, good stamina, and exemplary work ethic and baseball knowledge, he is a not only a fan favorite but also a pitcher who can probably be counted on for several years to come. And this year he is off to an undefeated start and leads the MGL in wins in the early going.
His team continues to occupy 3rd place in the MGL standings with a 26-16 mark, 4 games behind the twin leaders, Denver and Detroit, who both have impressive 30-12 records. The slumping Brooklyn Aces drop down to just a game over .500 at 21-20 and just barely hold onto 4th place, 8 1/2 games off the pace.
Over in the SJL, not a lot of change. Columbus (28-12) and San Antonio (29-13) continue to battle it out for supremacy with Philadelphia (23-18) and Boston (22-19) just trying to stay close for now (5 1/2 and 6 1/2 out, respectively.)