But first the All-Star Game… I’ll be honest – I don’t like it. I mean, you gotta have it, I get that, but in the game it just serves to mess up my flow. I like having it for record keeping – so & so from wherever was a 6-time All Star, that sort of thing – but as far as caring who won, who took home the MVP award, etc… meh. So, on that note, the American League won it, by a score of 4-3, with
SS Vance Dungeon (Dallas) leading the way with a double, 2 runs scored and an RBI – he’ll be your MVP – and, as for our guys,
Oh Hong secured a hit,
Otto got one too (and an RBI), and
Marco Ortega walked one in 1 IP. I hope the guys had fun, but
now it’s time to get back to work…
Phoenix Coyotes (36-54, .400, 6th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (56-33, .629, 1st NL West)
To see our once proud rivals, and my first post as a GM in this save, at the bottom of the NL West, losers of 3 straight before the break, and owners of an 2-8 record over their last 10 doesn’t give me the satisfaction you’d think it would. What I want is for Phoenix to be good… just not good enough to compete with the likes of us when the chips are down, when immortality is on the line, when opportunity is knocking and we’re both doing our level best to open the door first. And, I think I’ve said this before (likely several times), though I’m not sure as it’s been a minute since I’ve even opened this save, the Coyotes have some pieces, there’s a few bonified stars on their roster –
SP Landon Sampson (59/59) &
LF Harlem Peterson (76/76) each come to mind – but there’s not really anything there to fill in the gaps, nothing too intriguing in the pipeline, and, with the two I’ve mention included, their star caliber players are starting to age out. They got money, they’re in a great market, and they have an owner who, while temperamental, is willing to splash his fortune around a little bit on a winner. One thing is for sure – something needs to change for this club during the offseason because the path they’re on… well, it ain’t the one.
90 of 162: Rufo Luna (7-4, 3.59) @ Larimel Alvarez (8-7, 3.20)
Win, 3-2. We’d break what can only be called a low energy, low-scoring affair open during the bottom of the 7th when
C Lee Rolon hit a
2-run triple to put us ahead after not scoring any runs since the 1st frame and trying to dig ourselves out of a 1-run hole since the 3rd.
Larimel pitched an uneven 5-innings where he’d allow 4 hits and 2 earned,
Rad Taylor picked up his 2nd win of the year after putting in a 5-pitch inning of relief, and
Don Haag, back from the break no worse for wear, recorded his 29th save of the year.
91 of 162: Mike Clendenin (4-8, 4.04) @ Nacho Valadez (5-1, 2.92)
Win, 9-6. Oh Hong drove in two during a 4-run bottom of the 6th that put us up for good and
Ramiro Marte got the win after turning in 2.2 innings of relief, taking over from an erratic
Nacho who gave up 4 earned and walked three in his 4-innings of service. Save #30 for
Haag, two runs scored for
Humberto, and a glorious 3-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 run day at the plate for our backup backstop,
Julian Nagy. This one felt like an apology to the fans that showed up at the park yesterday – more energy, more runs, and a lot more fun for the hometown faithful… Phoenix’s
SS Marcel Suggs had something of a day too – 4-for-4, 2 doubles, and 3 RBI for the 30yo fielding dynamo.
Elsewhere: 3B Bono Jimenez may never find what’s he’s looking for as a 25yo prospect that tops out at 34 OVR, but he did endear himself to the Oklahoma City crowd as he led the Friendlys to a 6-5 win over the Manitoba Bison on the back of a 2-for-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 run day… probably his 2nd best performance of the year with a 3-for-5, 4 RBI day in Macon being his high water mark so far this season.
92 of 162: Landon Sampson (5-3, 2.99) @ Dani Thorpe (4-5, 4.06)
Win, 4-1. We’d make it three in a row against the lowly Coyotes as
Dani Thorpe would be our only starter to earn a win since the All-Star break on the back of his 6.1-inning, 6-hit, 1 earned performance with
Dalton,
Hong,
Isaac, and
Blasko each driving in a run to give him more than enough support.
Otto’s RBI came on a solo shot,
Blasko hit two doubles, and we turned two double plays… we’ve come out of the gates hot!
93 of 162: Jamey Montgomery (0-0, 0.00) @ Leonardo Duarte (6-1, 3.07)
Win, 4-3 (13). It’s take extra frames to get it sorted but, in the end, superstar
Otto Isaac came through with a SOLO HOMER to walk Phoenix off to complete the 4-game sweep at home.
Isaac finished 3-for-5 with that timely TANK,
Blasko brought one in on a single, his only hit in 5 tries, and
Lee Rolon hit a SAC FLY to record his 20th RBI of the season… while
Duarte, after 6.2 solid innings of work would watch on from the dug out as we trotted out 4 more pitchers with
T-Rex Stiles earning the win in the end, improving to 3-1 on the year after tossing the final two frames of this contest.
Also, we’re number one, we’re number one!
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Los Angeles Leopards (126.1, +)
2) Charlotte Imperials (106.3, -)
3) Detroit Motors (104.5, +)
4) Mexico City Jaguars (103.9, ++)
5) Pittsburgh Pipers (103.7, -)
6) San Diego Skipjacks (101.2, o)
7) New York Sluggers (99.0, ++)
8) Philadelphia Founders (93.0, ++)
9) Miami Herons (92.1, --)
10) Vancouver Mounties (90.0, o)
Record: 60-33, .645, 1st NL West
Up Next: We have a travel day to caravan down to San Diego, where we’ll kick off a 6 game road trip in paradise before heading east to Montreal.