The Scouting Report:
Game 1:
Brett Taranto powered, quite literally, the Brewers to a win in the series opener.
Brett hits 3 homers after having hit only 1 all season up until this game.
Josh Schaeffer also hits a long ball, his 2nd of the season.
Jim Atwell gets the victory, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits over 8 innings pitched.
Antonio Acuna went 2 for 5, scoring a pair of runs and picking up his 5th stolen base of the year.
Game 2:
Steve Green has a strong start, allowing just 1 run and that one in the 9th inning as he was tiring (1 out solo homer).
Green goes the distance, scattering 7 hits, striking out 6 and walking 2.
Jose Figueroa (.347/.365/.389) was 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored in the game and
Jake DiCesare (.282/.316/.435) was 3 for 4, hitting his 9th double of the season.
Game 3:
And veteran Mike Stagner pretty much shut down the Brewers in game 3 to help the Velocity avoid being swept.
Erik Sloan pitched a bit better than the box score indicates, as he wasn't helped out much by reliever
Walter Hackler, who came in with a runner on and two outs in the 7th inning and promptly gave up a an RBI double and then a single to drive in another run.
Sloan was charged with 4 runs allowed on 10 hits over 6 2/3rds innings pitched.
Brett Taranto (.349/.387/.461),
Bobby Erbakan (.258/.312/.411), and
Rich White (.305/.372/.454) each collected 2 hits in the game, with one of
Bobby's being his 7th double of the season.
Notes from around the league:
A day after the Brewers
Brett Taranto hit 3 home runs, the Washington Night Train's veteran first baseman Luis Gonzales also completed the feat. Gonzales does have 189 career homers so a 3-homer game from him isn't terribly surprising but it is the first time in his 9 plus year career he has done this.
The Night Train haven't had much to cheer this year as they currently sit in a tie for 11th place with the Houston Cavaliers in the SJL with a 21-33 record. The SJL leaders are still the San Antonio Keys who have a robust 39-15 record. Columbus is 2nd, at 34-18, 4 games out. And the Boston Berserkers sit in 3rd place, 30-23, 8 1/2 games out.
Over in the MGL, the Brewers are still in 1st place, now 4 games ahead of both the Los Angeles Spinners and the Detroit Falcons, who each have a 34-20 mark. The Brooklyn Aces are a distant 4th, with a 27-26 record, and 10 1/2 games behind Denver.