[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Lakers (71-43, .623, 1st NL West) @ Orlando City (54-60, .474, 5th NL East)
The Good:

• Bullpen ERA – 3.37, 3rd
• Zone Rating - +0.3, 3rd

The Bad:

• OPS - .707, 11th
• wOBA - .316, 11th
• Home Runs – 75, 11th
• Defensive Efficiency - .666, 11th

The Ugly:
SP Ethan Hardoon – 3-12, 5.86 ERA – 184th overall pick in 2064 by the Carolina Panthers; claimed off of waivers by Pittsburgh in 2071, signed a 1-year $890K deal with Orlando in the offseason. Hardoon has a great fastball and curveball but suffers from poor movement and average control.



115 of 162: Nat Millard (12-2, 2.85) @ Vicente De La Cruz (8-6, 5.07)
Loss, 2-0. De La Cruz is sensational, pitches a 2-hit shutout for City. Nat Millard isn’t bad, per se, just not quite good enough – his 8-inning, 5-hit, 2-run performance is actually one of his better outings since early July.

Scoring Summary:
003: CF Masaharu Watanabe (ORL) hits a line-drive double, RF Abelardo Aguila (ORL) scores from second – Otto’s throw from CF is close. Skipper Ryan Rudnick argues the call to no avail – gets tossed for his shenanigans. City leads, 1-0.
007: C Gavin Roberts (ORL) draws a bases-loaded walk off of SP Nat Millard (LAL), 1B Tad Monroe scores from 3rd. City leads, 2-0.

Top Performers:

1. SP Vicente De La Cruz (ORL) – 8.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
2. SP Nat Millard (LAL) – 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
3. C Gavin Roberts (ORL) – 1 for 2, RBI, BB

Bad News Bears: Pepper Grant was diagnosed with a hamstring strain. He’ll miss 6-7 weeks. This is super unfortunate, Pepper was having a good year for us. 3B Dontrell Gay was recalled from Compton to replace Mr. Grant. Depth – we have a little bit of that. We should be okay here, I think.

City of Compton: 2B Owen Mack, our 1st pick in this year’s draft (18th overall) out of Vandy, went 4 for 5 with a double, a homer, 2 RBI, and 3 runs in a 6-4 loss against the Columbus Bluejackets. Mack has hit 6 home runs for Compton so far, including 2 leadoff home runs.

116 of 162: Lee Myers (11-5, 3.65) @ Cathal Magill (7-6, 3.22)
Win, 18-3. Take that Orlando.

Scoring Summary:
002: C Dominic Cooke (LAL) hit a solo HR off of Cathal Magill. Lakers lead, 1-0.
003: Top - CF Otto Isaac (LAL) hit an 0-2 double into the gap, Lonzo Gonzo scores from 3rd – throw from Watanabe, not in time. RF Ethan Mullen (LAL) hits a 2-2 single, Otto Isaac (LAL) scores. Bottom – RF Patricio Sanchez hits a first-pitch single, C Gavin Roberts (ORL) scores from 3rd, Watanabe scores from 2nd – throw by Lonzo Gonzo is late. Lakers lead, 3-2.
004: C Dominic Cooke (LAL) hits a solo home run off of Cathal Magill. Lakers lead, 4-2.
005: RF Ethan Mullens (LAL) hits a 3-RUN HOME RUN off of Cathal Magill (he has given up 3 jacks so far…), Otto Isaac and Austin Rollins score. SS Larry Williams (LAL) hits an FC to the Short Stop, 1B Ian Hanan (LAL) scores. Lakers lead, 8-2.
006: 1B Ian Hanan (LAL) hits line-drive single, CF Otto Isaac (LAL) scores. 2B Mario Marshburn (LAL) draws a bases-loaded walk, RF Ethan Mullens (LAL) scores. SS Larry Williams (LAL) hits an L7 sacrifice fly, 1B Ian Hanan (LAL) scores. Los Angeles 11, Orlando 2.
007: CF Otto Isaac (LAL) hits 2-run HR off of JJ Chavasse (ORL), DH Austin Rollins scores. C Dom Cooke (LAL) hits 2-run HR off of JJ Chavasse (ORL), RF Ethan Mullens (LAL) scores. Los Angeles 15, Orlando 2.
008: Top – CF Otto Isaac (LAL) hits 2-run HR off of Mike Norwood (ORL) – his second of the game, DH Austin Rollins (LAL) scores. Bottom – 2B Carter DeTour (ORL) hits line-drive single, 3B Jason Spears (ORL) scores from 2nd – throw by CF Otto Isaac (LAL) is late. Los Angeles 17, Orlando 3.
009: LF Lonzo Gonzalez (LAL) hits a line drive single down the middle, C Dom Cooke (LAL) scores from second. Los Angeles 18, Orlando 3.

Top Performers:

1. CF Otto Isaac (LAL) – 4 for 5, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, BB
2. C Dom Cooke (LAL) - 3 for 3, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB
3. RF Ethan Mullens (LAL) – 4 for 5, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB

117 of 162: Dejuan Burns (12-7, 3.28) @ Ethan Hardoon (3-12, 5.86)
Loss, 6-5. Last night was exhausting – it’s hard on the body to put 18 on the board. That’s our excuse and we are sticking to it.

Scoring Summary:
001: RF Ethan Mullens (LAL) hits groundball single, LF Lonzo Gonzo (LAL) scores after stealing 3B on the pitch before. 1B Ian Hanan (LAL) hits groundball single, DH Austin Rollins scores from 2nd. SS Larry Willimas hits a 3-run HR off of Ethan Hardoon (440 ft), 1B Ian Hanan (LAL) and RF Ethan Mullens (LAL) score. Los Angeles 5, Orlando 0.
005: LF Otis Murray (ORL) hits groundball single, SS Aaron Lane (ORL) scores. 3B Jason Spears (ORL) hits a double (EV 96.9 MPH), CF Masaharu Watanabe scores from 2nd. 1B Tad Monroe (ORL) hits 3-RUN HOME RUN off of SP Dejuan Burns (LAL), LF Otis Murray (ORL) and 3B Jason Spears (ORL) score. Los Angeles 5, Orlando 5.
008: 1B Tad Monroe (ORL) hits solo homer off of RP Matt Olston (LAL) – thanks Matty – 383 Ft. Los Angeles 5, Orlando 6.

Top Performers:

1. 1B Tad Monroe (ORL) – 2 for 4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
2. SS Larry Williams (LAL) – 1 for 3, HR, 3 RBI, R
3. SP Ethan Hardoon (ORL) – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

118 of 162: Michael Brisk (11-6, 3.85) @ Prior Balazs (8-4, 4.05)
Win, 5-2. We get the split – a marginally acceptable result. Brisky comes through – always out there preening for the ladies, which can be annoying, but he has it dialed in pretty good of late.

Scoring Summary:
001: C Dom Cooke (LAL) hits a single on a 3-1 count, line drive with a 104.4 MPH EV, LF Lonzo Gonzo (LAL) scores from second – your boys got some wheels. He stole 2nd during this sequence as well. Lakers 1, City 0.
004: RF Patricio Sanchez (ORL) hits Sac Fly, CF Masaharu Watanabe (ORL) tags up at 3rd and scores. LF Otis Murry (ORL) hits a groundball single, 3B Jason Spears (ORL) scores from 2nd, throw by RF Ethan Mullens (LAL) is late.
005: DH Austin Rollins (LAL) hits Sac Fly, 2B Mario Marshburn (LAL) tags up at 3rd and scores, throw by LF Abelardo Aguila (ORL) is late. Los Angeles 2, Orlando 2.
007: DH Austin Rollins (LAL) hits 2-RUN HOME RUN off of RP Chip Gaytan (ORL), SS Kawku Kawku (LAL) scores. CF Otto Isaac hits 390ft. SOLO HOME RUN off of RP Chip Gayton (ORL). Los Angeles 5, Orlando 2.

Top Performers:

1. SP Michael Brisk (LAL) – 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W
2. SP Prior Balazs (ORL) – 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
3. DH Austin Rollins (LAL) – 1 for 4, HR, 3 RBI, R

We split both of the series we played this week – we are consistently inconsistent – and drop back to #2 in the Weekly Power Ranking.

1. Philadelphia 76ers
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Phoenix Suns
5. Los Angeles Galaxy

We'll make the trip to St. Louis (ranked 18th) for a 3-game set, followed by 3 at home against Toronto (ranked 8th)...