Note: Nacho’s back… we’re bringing him right back into the fold, no need for a rehab stint.
Ryan McGuire heads back to Compton having had the benefit of hobnobbing with some bonified major leaguers even if he didn’t see any action with the big club.
Los Angeles Leopards (10-2, .833, 1st NL West) @ San Diego Skipjacks (9-4, .692, 2nd NL West)
The Skipjacks have jumped off the line like a man on a mission, hell bent on earning some early respect… the bullpen is dealing, ranked 4th for ERA, the defense stout, ranked 4th in efficiency, and their offense, led by
Jalen Payton (.327/.435/.404), has done enough to keep their club in the plus column for RDiff so far. It is, of course, early yet and no one, save their staunchest supporters, expect them to so much as sniff this rarefied air for much longer, but this could be a precursor of better things to come as the San Diego Skipjacks are starting to take on the look of a club with a long term plan, no longer content to whilst away their time at the bottom of the barrel with the rest of the National League riff raff. Here they’ll attempt to dodge the blades of our buzzsaw and continue to give their hometown fans a preview of a future so bright that only a pair of well-constructed, American classic
Blublocker’s will suffice should they want to take in the view.
13 of 162: Nacho Valadez (0-0, 0.00) @ Calvin Fox (2-0, 0.00)
Win, 9-0. We’d make it 7-straight wins and flip San Diego’s RDiff (now sitting at -1) on its head in one fell swoop with
Ethan leading the way offensively, posting a 2-for-5 day in the box with 4 RBI and a run of his own (on a 2-run TANK in the 4th).
Chance Bell finished 4-for-5 with an RBI, he’s now hitting .459,
Hernando went 3-for-3 with 3 runs, and
OH HONG hit a
SAC FLY to bring in a run despite finishing 0-for-4 on the day. Great start for
Nacho here too – 5 innings pitched, 2 hits allowed, nothing earned, and 5 K’s – with
Sherwin Kane and
Ramiro Marte contributing to the team shutout the rest of the way.
14 of 162: Larimel Alvarez (1-1, 3.78) @ Lucas Torres (1-1, 3.26)
Win, 3-2. Julian Nagy, in a late PH appearance, hit the go-ahead, run-scoring double during the top of the 9th, and
Don Haag secured the last two outs of the game on a double play ball to secure his 6th save while ushering in our 8th straight victory. We’re now one win away from that ever-ellusive,
trifecta of terrificness (not a word but maybe should be) – three straight sweeps. That’s a lot of broom-work, if you know what I mean.
Elsewhere: The Outlaws’
Aitor Cubas, 3x MVP, 6x Silver Slugger, put on a show for Las Vegas in Austin, leading his club to a satisfying, 10-6 win, over the Grackles with a fantastic 3-for-4 day at the plate, including a 2-run dinger and 3 runs scored. With the win, Las Vegas improved to 5-10 while Austin falls to that same mark… they’re both languishing in the rear with the gear so far in 2082, much to the chagrin of the BNN Punditry who had both clubs pegged as playoff contenders. Also, don’t look now, but the Mexico City Jaguars are coming in hot, currently riding a 7-game winning streak to move into second on the NL West table with a .714 winning percentage and a 9-1 record over their last ten.
15 of 162: Rad Taylor (0-0, 8.00) @ Jan Hernandez (0-1, 9.75)
Win, 6-3. We may never lose again… 9-straight for the yellow tops now.
Rad went 6.1, allowing 3 runs on 6 total hits while fanning 5,
Ethan and
Otto put balls out with
Otto’s being a 2-run blast,
SAC BUNT from
OH HONG, an expertly executed double play to kill a late, bottom of the 7th rally attempt, and save #7 for
Don Haag would round things out for us nicely here as our club continues to run roughshod over our ramshackle competition. Listen, it’s early to put these kinds of expectations on a club… but, it’s title or bust for us this year, fam. If we can’t get it done with this crew, I’ll likely have my bags packed for me.
Current Weekly PR…
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Los Angeles Leopards (173.0, ++)
2) Charlotte Imperials (168.5, o)
3) Buffalo Nickels (138.0, -)
4) Mexico City Jaguars (125.0, ++)
5) Pittsburgh Pipers (124.8, +)
6) Detroit Motors (108.2, ++)
7) Montreal Alouettes (104.2, ++)
8) Phoenix Coyotes (102.2, --)
9) Salt Lake Alpines (100.2, o)
10) San Diego Skipjacks (95.2, --)
Denver at 13th, Vancouver 15th, Philly 16th, Austin 17th, Vegas 21st.
Record: 13-2, .866, 1st NL West
Up Next: Another day off because why not and we deserve it… then it’s three at home against the Las Vegas Outlaws, kicking off a 9-game homestand.