Las Vegas Outlaws (70-73, .490, 5th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (98-46, .681)
With the 2082 campaign winding down, this will be the last time we see
Aitor Cubas and his merry band of baseball brigands… and, it’s a real possibility that this is the last time we see him in an Outlaws uniform as he will be free to take his talents elsewhere at the conclusion of the season. If I were him, that would be my foremost thought, I’d be preoccupied with my exit strategy, with greener grass, unparalleled success, and riches beyond my wildest dreams just after the curve ahead. If nothing else,
Aitor does have a chance to hit 50+ homers this year, a feat that, should he complete it, would make him the 3rd player in our leagues history to do so. And should he blast just 9 more, the resulting total of 53 would put him at the top of the pops for most homeruns in a single season. I almost want to pitch him underhand if only to make his likely departure that much more painful for the Outlaws faithful…
145 of 162: Steve Allen (9-2, 3.63) @ Nacho Valadez (8-1, 2.75)
Win, 3-1. Our game-winning run came in on a Vegas fielding flub, with
D-Rod’s RBI representing the tie, and
Joseph Brant’s RBI being the one that got us started earlier in the game…
Nacho gave up a homer to the Outlaws’
Buffalo Maliwat with nothing else getting across during his 5-innings of work,
Ramiro Marte sniped the win in relief, improving to a perfect 12-0 on the year, and
Don Haag needed just 8 pitches to close the show (thanks in large part to a
Blasko-Hutchinson-Hong DP), earning his 46th save in the process.
146 of 162: Shizuka Takeuchi (8-11, 3.97) @ Dani Thorpe (8-8, 3.71)
Win, 4-3. The first to 100 wins, by a country mile, with our closest competition for that designation, the Charlotte Imperials, a full 18 games behind that mark…
Dan Blasko, with a runner on second and one out on the board, hit the game winner, a run-scoring single, and
Rad Taylor, our 4th hurler to come to the mound for the day, secured the win here, his 8th as we hit triple-digits for wins in our park and against one of our fiercest rivals. In other news,
Aitor hit his 45th homer and is now trending to reach 50 on the year…
better pick up the pace if he truly wants to make his mark on the record books.
147 of 162: Radoslav Borovsky (7-8, 5.94) @ Marco Ortega (16-7, 3.51)
Win, 2-1. Sweep city, USA… and riding a 5-game winning streak once more in a season that’s been filled with them.
Ortega would make it our third starter in a row to turn in a good performance – 6.1-innings, 3 hits, 1 earned – and fail to earn a W as
RP Ewing Rivera sniped this one to improve to 2-0 on the year. Save #48 for
Haag, who’s now two Saves behind
Max Egner, and, because this may be the most interesting bit of all,
Aitor Cubas put another one out, making it 46 so far and trending to finish with 51 of them on the year…
I really want him to get the record.
Also, check out his LHP vs. RHP hitting ratings…
Record: 101-46, .687, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll travel to Miami to begin our final road trip of the regular season totaling 12 games over 14 days.