Denver Brewers Week 7 results:
Summary:
The Brewers had two home series this week and not against the strongest of opponents and yet managed to lose them both.
They started on Tuesday with division rival Portland.
In game 1, swingman
Austin Bond (2-1, 5.26) had his worst start of the season thus far, allowing 7 runs (6 earned) on 7 hits over 5 innings pitched. Not that he got much support from the offense either, as the Brewers only managed 3 hits, one of them being
Jerry Lillie’s (.254/.338/.565) 11th home run of 1987, which drove in both Brewers runs in the game.
Game 2 saw the home team enter the bottom of the 9th trailing 3-0 and then mounting a rally that would produce 2 runs but ultimately fall short.
Eric Fehrenbacher (1-5, 3.57) has certainly been the tough luck starter for the team this year. In this one he pitched a solid 7.1 innings, giving up 2 unearned runs on just 5 hits, but still suffered another loss. The Brewers frigid offense managed just 5 hits, 2 of them off the bat of rookie third baseman
Jeremy Beeson (.306/.333/.422). Of the other 3 hits, a pair of them were home runs (
Kenny Brown’s 3rd and
Matt Turner’s 1st). A pinch-hit homer by Portland’s Toyohiko Yano in the top of the 9th off reliever
Scott Evans ended up being the difference.
The Brewers did manage to avoid getting swept with a narrow 4-2 victory in the third game, on Thursday night. Surprise, surprise-
Bernie Lopez (6-1, 3.78) was on the mound for another win. This was the Game of the Week so more details below.
Next up, the Brewers played host to the Baltimore Lords.
Game 1 was typical for a matchup with the good hitting, poor pitching Lords, with the Brewers getting the scoring started early (5 run 1st inning) en route to a 13-6 victory.
Stephen Brooks (1-3, 6.19) got the victory, not really earned, as he allowed 6 runs on 10 hits. But the bullpen was excellent as it usually is and the offense was booming again.
Kenny Brown (.343/.381/.492) led the way with a 5 for 6 day, hitting 2 doubles (12).
Brandon Singer (.242/.288/.532) also had a big game, going 2 for 3, scoring 4 runs and driving in 5, hitting his 2nd double and 4th home run of the season. And outfielder
Myles Ford (.271/.320/.458), starting to warm up after a slow start, clubbed a pair of homers to get to 5 and drove in 4 runs.
And then the middle game of the three-game series was a surprise pitching duel, with undistinguished veteran lefty Kevin Kitchen (3-5, 6.46) somehow keeping the Brewers from scoring over his 6.1 IP despite allowing 9 hits.
Eric Maisch (2-4, 5.00) started for the hometown nine and struck out 8 batters while walking none, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits but gave up 3 bombs and ran out of gas after hurling 6.2 innings. Rookie left fielder
Wayne LaCross (.333/.394/.613) was 3 for 4 in the loss and hit his 8th double.
Game 3 saw Baltimore win by the exact same score as game 2 (3-2). This time it was promising young (22 years old) righthander Nick Pasternak who stymied the Brewers hitters. Pasternak worked 7 innings and although he gave up 9 hits, he only allowed the 2 runs while striking out 9 batters and walking just 1.
Jim Atwell (5-3, 5.64) took a tough loss, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits over 7.1 innings pitched. He did allow 2 more homeruns to get him to 14 given up in the early going. The recently promoted
Matt Enders went 2 for 4 with a double in his first game with the big-league club this season.
Wayne LaCross (.333/.397/.632) hit his 8th homer and veteran outfielder
Heath Zweig (.312/.364/.438) was 3 for 3 in the loss.
Brewers Game of the Week:
Bernie Lopez, pitching at the back of the Brewers rotation, is looking more and more like the ace of the staff thus far. On Thursday evening he pitched another gem to help the Brewers avoid being swept by Portland.
Lopez lasted 7 innings, throwing 110 pitches, allowing just 2 runs on 7 hits while recording 8 K’s and walking nary a batter. Rookie left fielder
Wayne LaCross continued to make his case for increased playing time, going 3 for 4 in the game and hitting his 1st triple. And reliever
Willie Ramirez was again excellent, earning his 5th save to go with an excellent 1.84 ERA.
Notes from Around the WPK:
The surprising Seattle Alligators stay hot and remain atop the SJL West with a 27-18 record. Houston moves into 2nd place at 25-20 while El Paso sits in 3rd, 3 ½ games back with a 23-21 mark. The not long ago mighty San Antonio Keys bring up the rear at 18-26.
The Washington Night Train are also 27-18 and lead the SJL East. Columbus has won 8 of their last 10 and now are in 2nd place with a 26-19 record. Boston is in the cellar with a 16-25 record.
The San Francisco Velocity (26-19) and St. Louis Redbirds (27-18) have both been hot lately and are 1st and 2nd in the MGL West. Denver, at 24-22, sit in 4th place, 4 games off the pace. And the L.A. Spinners, with a record of 20-24, are in last in this toughest of the WPK divisions.
Reigning WPK champs Detroit are in 1st in the MGL East with a 25-20 record. Brooklyn, in 2nd at 23-22, is the only other team in the division over .500. Oklahoma City has the worst record in the WPK at 16-29.
Players of the Week:
Philadelphia’s 27-year-old second-year first baseman John Thornton is one of the breakout players of this season and was named SJL Player of the Week this past week.
Meanwhile, Phoenix center fielder Dan Johnson, who was at or near the top of the best prospects list for several years before graduating to the bigs, is starting to show signs of living up to his great potential. His biggest challenge will be consistently getting bat to ball, but he is toolsy and a fine fielder (would probably be a Gold Glove left fielder but is good enough to stay in center for now), has great speed, plus power, and likely will have elite OBP skills. The next in a line of superstar outfielders for the Speed Devils.