The Scouting Report:
Game 1:
The Brooklyn Aces get a fine start from veteran Shannon Petrik and a strong two innings from their 23-year old emerging star closer Edgar Cruz to take game 1 in Denver.
Steve Green took the loss for the Brewers, having given up 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out 8 and walking just 1.
Rich White, as always a great first half of the season player, went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and hit his 5th triple of the season.
Antonio Acuna went 2 for 4, hitting his 3rd double and driving in a run.
Game 2:
And the next day the Brewers found a way to defeat the great Aaron McNally in extra innings and their secret weapon (quickly becoming not so secret) was
Antonio Acuna, who came off the bench in the 9th inning with his team trailing 4-2 and hit a 2-out, 2-run home run to tie the game. It was
Acuna's 6th home run of the season.
Erik Sloan started for the Brewers and gave up 4 runs on 11 hits over 8 innings pitched.
Ben Flynn had one of his better outings to get the win after having come in as a pinch-hitter in the 9th (and not coming through.)
Joe McPhillips went 3 for 5 and hit his 9th double of the season. He also picked up his 6th stolen base.
Game 3:
And the Brewers got an excellent start from young
Bryant Cox, who had a no-hitter going into the 5th inning when he gave up a lead-off double to rookie Brooklyn center fielder Craig D'Urso, who then stole third and came home when
Zacarias Martell threw the ball into left field. And that was pretty much it.
Cox lasted 7 innings, giving up just that 1 run and also just that 1 hit, while striking out 4 and walking 1. Sadly, he didn't get the win as the game was 1-1 until the Brewers plated 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.
Javy Bermudez, who has pitched really well this season coming off a season-ending torn rotator cuff injury in 1978, pitched the final 2 innings for the win.
Jake DiCesare hit a 3-run homer in the 8th to key the winning rally, his 5th homer of the season. And
Joe McPhillips, who had been off to a slow start, heated up in this series, going 3 for 4 in this one and hitting his 4th home run of the season.
Notes from around the league:
Oklahoma City outfielder Bill Ramiro appears to be the classic late bloomer. Having been selected in the supplemental 1st round of the 1968 draft (out of Aurora College), Ramiro settled into a modest career starting at age 23 in 1970. From 1970 through 1976, his age 29 season, Ramiro had WAR seasons ranging from 0.4 (1974) to 2.9 (his rookie season) with most seasons just sitting a bit north of 2 WAR. And while his early 30's hasn't necessarily seen a dramatic change, he did put up 3.9 WAR in 1977 and then 4.4 last season and is off to a good start this year, though he projects to get 3.6 WAR on his current pace. He will be 34 in a little over a month and he is no speedster but he remains a solid defensive left fielder, he is durable, and he's a dangerous hitter. He is slated to be a free agent at the end of this season so it will be interesting to see if he can cash in on his recent successes.
In the MGL, the Denver Brewers now sit atop the standings at 32-13 with Detroit, having lost the last 2 games, now a game back with a 31-14 mark. Los Angeles remains in 3rd place at 28-17, 4 games back. And the Brooklyn Aces, having lost the series in Denver, fall to 9 1/2 game back with a 22-22 record, but narrowly hold onto 4th place. Phoenix, as one would expect, pull up the rear with a 15-30 record.
And the San Antonio Keys have pulled ahead now in the SJL, with a record of 32-13 also. Columbus is now 2 games behind them at 29-14, with Philadelphia and Boston tied for third with identical 24-20 marks, 7 1/2 games off the pace.