[pauwoo]

Phoenix Suns (11-8) @ Los Angeles Lakers (9-10)
Outside of scoring a lot of runs we aren’t much different than the Lakers. We both sit in the bottom half for AVG and OBP, we are tied for 1st in home runs with 24 each, our starters are bad & our bullpens are competent enough to pick up the slack (or at least stop the bleeding most nights). A bounce here and a bad hop there and we can easily have our records flipped. This is a well-matched series featuring two teams who should finish outside of the playoffs this year. I mean, it’s been a fun month for the Suns, but we should come back to earth soon.

20 of 162: Del Miller (2-0, 5.50 ERA) @ C.J. Crush (Great name, better facegen) (2-0, 3.18)
SS Hamza McDonnell opened the game for us with a triple off CJ Crush, the Jeter Bros followed that up with a K and a pop-out before 2B Luca Milbrandt brought Hamza home. The Lakers tied it up in the 2nd, but Derek answered back for us in the top of the 4th with a towering solo shot to make it 2-1. After scoring again in the top of the 6th we gave up another run to the home team and in the end won the game 5-2… Nice start to the series for us. Donny went 0-4 with 3 K’s and your boy Pepper went 0-3 with 1 K. Pepper is now batting .219 – not wonderful. SP Del Miller went 8 strong innings, fanning 10 and only giving up 2 runs.

Elsewhere… SP Harper Johnese (Carolina Panthers) pitched a 6-hit shutout in New York. He struckout 7 and walked 4 for the game as the Panthers beat the Jets, 1-0. He also has a solid mustache game… So many players in this universe have strong mustache games.

21 of 162: Isaiah Zuno (1-2, 6.86 ERA) @ John Aivazian (0-3, 10.13 ERA)
Donny gets the day off… Luca Milbrandt hits a double in the 1st, Derek leaves him there… we did, however, manage to put 2 on the board in the top of the second, courtesy of your boy Pepper who hit a 2-RBI triple – it’s all or nothing with this guy. Pepper strikes again in the 4th with an RBI single. Legend. We gave up runs in the 4th and 5th, but with the 3 runs that Pepper brought in today, it just wasn’t enough for the Lake-Show. Phoenix wins 3-2.

Elsewhere… SP Max Harrington (Golden State Warriors) shut out the Los Angeles Galaxy in a 1-0 win for the Bay Area stalwarts. He posted 10 K’s and no walks – the kid has been for real so far going a perfect 4-0 with a 2.34 ERA. He wears a really unfortunate chinstrap beard. Nobody likes it.

22 of 162: Cleveland Cornejo (2-0, 6.20 ERA) @ Julen Morales (2-2, 3.45)
Old Man Donny gets another day off… Pepper is sitting as well (lefty problems)… 3B Kai-Fa Chiang blasts a solo shot in the top of the first & Derek follows it up with a nice base knock up the gut – we settle for the one, but I like what I see so far. LA tied it up in the bottom of the 4th, but C Yo****aro Nakamura gets it back with an RBI single in the top of the 6th and later in the inning LF PJ Amador drives in three on a double to put us up 5-1. The Lakers chip away at it a bit in the bottom of the 6th & 7th, scoring a single run in each frame before we put it out of reach with a 2-run top of the 9th to take the lead at 7-3. That’s where we left it – bring out the brooms!

Elsewhere… SP Arnaldo Romero (SDC) pitched a 3-hit clean sheet against OKC – my man punched 12 out and gave freebies out to three lucky batsmen. Killer ‘stache on this guy – I’m telling you, man, 2074 is a good year for lip eyebrows.

Next up we head to Phoenix for some home-cookin' and welcome San Fran to town for 3 followed by a 4-game set against the Chargers...