The MLB's Las Vegas Aces

[BelgianBomber]

Seattle Mariners (9-11) @ Las Vegas Aces (12-6)

We swept the Mariners at their place 2 weeks ago. They have gone 4-6 since that time. We will be looking to get the sweep once again.



04/22/2013
Game 19: vs. Seattle Mariners
Patrick Corbin had another rough outing, going only 2.2 innings and giving up 6 earned runs. Luckily our offense did show up and they drove David Phelps out of the game after he gave up 5 earned runs in 2.2 innings. The bullpens would battle it out for 9 more innings. Alejandro De Aza would send our fans home happy, with a walk-off single in the 12th. Choo was 3-4 with 2 home runs, a double, 3 RBI, 4 runs scored and 2 walks. Pujols homered (#5) and doubled (#5).
LV 8 – SEA 7 (12) (win 13-6)

Team News:
We did get some bad news after the game, as we learned that 3B Evan Longoria sustained a sprained thumb and he will miss the next 3 weeks. Longoria was placed on the 15-day DL, Adrian Cardenas was called up to take his place on the 25-man roster.

League News:
Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez picked up career save #300 today, as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6. It was the 6th save on the season for the 31-year-old righty.

04/23/2013
Game 20: vs. Seattle Mariners
Albert Pujols showed us once again why he is considered as one of the very best hitters in the game. He finished the night 2-3 with 2 homeruns (#6 and #7) to go with 4 RBI, 2 runs scored and a walk. Choo chipped in with his 4th home run on the season in what was a 2-4 night for him. De Aza and Parra also had 2 hits each. Adrian Cardenas promptly stole his first base after being called up from AAA. Cole Hamels improves to 3-1 on the season while Craig Kimbrel got the final two outs for his 4th save.
LV 7 – SEA 4 (win 14-6)

League News:
The Washington Nationals will be without their starting right fielder, Josh Reddick, for the remainder of the season. The 26-year-old has a torn labrum, which will require surgery.

04/24/2013
Game 21: vs. Seattle Mariners
Joe Kelly had his best outing so far, going 6.2-4-1-1-2-6, but he did not get the win tonight, as the game was tied at 2-2 after 9 innings. Our offense was led by Gerardo Parra (2-4, double, RBI) and Chris Davis (3-5, double, RBI). Davis’ RBI-single in the 10th inning gave us the walk-off win.
LV 3 – SEA 2 (10) (win 15-6)

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (15-6) @ Boston Red Sox (10-12)

The Red Sox have a clear ‘win now’ team. Their offense features veterans David Wright, Nick Markakis, Shane Victorino, Alex Gordon and Kendrys Morales, as well as youngster Carlos Santana. The rotation looks solid and is anchored by veterans C.C. Sabathia, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz. The bullpen seems to be the weakest link and includes names such as Brandon League, Boone Logan and Sean Marshall. Their payroll ranks 6th in the league and comes in at 135.768 million. The cupboard is pretty thin in the minors, as the Red Sox’ minor league system ranks 24th, with Courtney Hawkins being the best player. The experts predicted a 84-win season for the Red Sox, but their team looks better. The Red Sox started the season struggling a bit, but are now riding an 8-game win streak.


04/25/2013
Game 22: @ Boston Red Sox
Max Scherzer didn’t have his best outing tonight, getting pulled after just 4.2 innings (95 pitches). He would finish the night 4.2-6-4-4-2-5. The offense would bail him out, as our guys had 11 hits and 6 walks. 8 of those 11 hits were for extra bases. Davis and Phillips both had 2 hits (including a double) and Alexi Amarista went 3-5 with a double, a triple and an RBI. Craig Kimbrel logged his 5th saves of the season.
LV 7 – BOS 4 (win 16-6)

04/26/2013
Game 23: @ Boston Red Sox
Jeremy Guthrie did a great job out there today. The 34-year-old gave us 7.1 innings of 1-run ball. He gave up only 4 hits, while walking 2 and striking out 5. His performance gave him his 3rd win for the season. The offense was fueled by Shin-Soo Choo’s 3-4, 3 RBI outing. Choo also scored 2 runs and hit his 5th home run. For the season he is batting .346/.420/.564 with 5 home runs, 2 doubles and 3 stolen bases. Tejada was 2-3 with a run scored and Craig Kimbrel notched his 6th save.
LV 4 – BOS 2 (win 17-6)

04/27/2013
Game 24: @ Boston Red Sox
De Aza went 2-5 with a run scored and his 2nd stolen base and Brandon Phillips had 2 doubles (8 on the season) to go with 2 RBI. Albert Pujols hit his team high 8th home run on the season and picked up RBIs 23 and 24 (also a team high). Patrick Corbin didn’t start out strong, give up a 2-run shot to David Wright in the first, but he settled down after that, finishing the night 8.0-8-4-4-1-6 to pick up his 3rd win. Josh Edgin pitched a scoreless 9th and picked up his first save.
LV 5 – BOS 4 (win 18-6)

04/28/2013
Game 25: @ Boston Red Sox
A rain delay made us pull Cole Hamels after only 4.1 innings. Our bullpen wasn’t at it’s usual form, but they did well enough, as the offense had another great outing. Home runs by Albert Pujols (#9) and Chris Davis (#7) provided a big spark. De Aza, Amarista and Molina all had 2 hits in this game.
LV 10 – BOS 5 (win 19-6)

Weekly Awards:
Nelson Cruz of the Chicago White Sox was named National League Player of the Week. The right fielder had 10 hits in 23 at-bats to go with 5 home runs and 7 RBIs.
In the American League, Denard Span was named Player of the Week. The Phillies’ center fielder hit .500 (11 for 22) with 1 home run and 9 RBIs.

Power Rankings:
We are ranked first, with a rating of 152.8

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (19-6) @ New York Yankees (16-10)


The experts are favoring the Yankees to win the AL East with a record of 91-71. Looking at their roster, they should be capable of doing just that. Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira are the veteran players who should be in the #3 and #4 spot in the batting order. Desmond Jennings, B.J. Upton and Alexei Ramirez are well capable of putting up solid numbers for the Yanks. The rotation is headlined by two former Mariners: Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. That’s a pretty good 1-2 combo right there. Derek Holland, Ryan Vogelsong, Tyson Ross and Joe Blanton will be battling for the remaining innings for most of the season. The bullpen could be better, but it could also be worse. Jake McGee is set to be the closer, with Luke Gregerson and Andrew Bailey in a setup role. The Yankees rank 10th in payroll, at 110.836 million. It’s been a while since they’ve been ranked this low, if they ever have. Their farm system also comes in 10th, with Mike Zunino, Luis Heredia and Jonathon Crawford all residing in the top 100.


04/29/2013
Game 26: @ New York Yankees
Albert Pujols 1st inning 3-run home run (#10) spotted Joe Kelly an early lead. That was all Kelly would need to get the win today, as the youngster went 8.1-4-1-1-2-7 and picked up his 2nd win of the season. Pujols would later add a run-scoring-double to give him a 2-4, 4 RBI night. Shin-Soo Choo had 2 hits in the game, including his 4th double.
LV 5 – NYY 1 (win 20-6)

04/30/2013
Game 27: @ New York Yankees
Max Scherzer gave up 5 runs today (3 HR’s), but would walk away with his 4th win of the season. Our offense was absolutely on fire today, as the guys combined for 5 home runs. Ruben Tejada had 3 hits, as did Chris Davis. Davis went 3-4 with 3 home runs, 6 RBI, 3 runs scored and a walk. Pujols, Choo, Amarista and Hannahan had 2 hits a piece. Pujols (#11) and Choo (#6) had the other home runs in the game.
LV 12 – NYY 6 (win 21-6)

Monthly Awards:
Our own Albert Pujols was named American League Batter of the Month. Albert hit .353 with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs and 21 runs scored during the month of April.
In the National League, Miguel Cabrera was named as the Batter of the Month. The Mets’ third baseman hit .300 with 7 home runs, 29RBI’s and 21 runs scored.
Matt Moore of the Chicago White Sox was named American League Pitcher of the Month. The 23-year-old lefty went 6-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He struck out 47 in 44.1 innings.
In the National League, Matt Harvey of the Cincinnati Reds was named Pitcher of the Month. In 5 starts, Harvey compiled a 1.29 ERA and 4-0 record. He recorded 44 strikeouts in 35 innings.
Oscar Taveras of the Cleveland Indians was honored as the American League Rookie of the Month. The 20-year-old center fielder batted .321 with 5 home runs, 19 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Pete Kozma was named National League Rookie of the Month. He batted .370 (30-81) wtih 10 RBIs and 2 homeruns.

05/01/2013
Game 28: @ New York Yankees
Jeremy Guthrie had one of his better performances today, going 8.0-6-2-2-2-7. He would however not factor into the decision, as the game was tied at 2 after 9 innings. Chris Davis’ 11th home run of the season, a 3-run shot in the 10th, would give us the win. Davis would finish the night 3-5. Brandon Phillips was 2-5 with 2 RBI, a run scored and his 4th home run. Gerardo Parra also had 2 hits. Craig Kimbrel picked up his 2nd win.
LV 5 – NYY 3 (win 22-6)

League News:
The Cincinnati Reds came to an agreement with second baseman Ian Kinsler. The 30-year-old signed a 4 year extension with the team, that will pay him 57.4 million. On the season Kinsler is hitting .348 with 2 home runs and 11 RBI. Kinsler was set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

[BelgianBomber]

Detroit Tigers (8-19) @ Las Vegas Aces (22-6)

The Tigers did a pretty good job in the draft, getting a couple of high-upside MLB ready players in Wil Myers and Didi Gregorius. They will join Brandon Belt, Mike Napoli and Kevin Youkilis in what should be a strong offense. The rotation also looks promising with Kris Medlen, A.J.Griffin, Neftali Feliz and Jonathon Niese. The bullpen is a cause for concern with Fernando Rodney as the closer and guys like Steve Delabar, Sean Doolittle and Scott Elbert rounding out the unit. Their payroll of 76.484 million ranks 22nd in the league. As mentioned before, the rotation looks to be in good shape with some talented young arms, but there is a lot more help on the way. Kevin Gausman, James Paxton and Kyle Crick all figure to be part of the rotation in a couple of years. The experts seem to like the Tigers’ chances, as they are predicting them to win 89 games and win the AL Central. The start to the season has been disappointing however, with the Tigers only managing 8 wins so far.

05/02/2013
Game 29: vs. Detroit Tigers
Cole Hamels showed up today. The lefty pitched 7 innings of 1-run ball. He gave up 6 hits, walked 1 and struck out 3. Affeldt and Grilli tossed 2 scoreless innings in relief. On offense we got a nice contribution from Alejandro De Aza, as our center fielder went 2-3 with a double, RBI, 2 runs scored and a walk. Chris Davis was also 2-3 with a walk, 3 RBI, a run scored and a home run (#12).
LV 5 – DET 1 (win 23-6)

05/03/2013
Game 30: vs. Detroit Tigers
Our guys once again showed off their muscles, hitting 4 home runs in the game. Alejandro De Aza hit his first on the season, while Gerardo Parra hit his second in a 2-4 performance that also saw him hit a double and score 2 runs. The other 2 home runs came off the bat of Chris Davis, who hit his 13rd and 14th. He also drove in 3. The offense backed Patrick Corbin’s 8.0-9-3-3-0-6 outing and Craig Kimbrel notched another save (#7).
LV 5 – DET 3 (win 24-6)


05/04/2013
Game 32: vs. Detroit Tigers
Our offense couldn’t get anything going tonight, as Kris Medlen was on top of his game. The Tigers’ ace finished the game 8.0-2-1-1-1-12 to get his second win of the season. Our only run of the game came on a Jack Hannahan home run. Joe Kelly battled hard for most of the night, but he finished with a statline of 5.2-10-5-5-2-3. The loss ends our 13-game winning streak.
LV 1 – DET 5 (loss 24-7)


05/05/2013
Game 33: vs. Detroit Tigers
Jonathon Niese (8.0-5-3-3-3-6) and Max Scherzer (6.2-5-2-2-0-9) were locked in a nice battle for most of the night. Neither would however figure into the decision, as the game would be tied at 3 after 9 innings. The Tigers tied the game up in the 9th, as Craig Kimbrel blew his first save of the season. 2 innings later Chris Davis would score the winning run on a Brandon Phillips triple. Davis went 1-2 with a double, RBI, 2 runs scored and 3 walks.
LV 4 – DET 3 (win 25-7)

Weekly Awards:
Our very own Chris Davis was named AL Player of the Week. The designated hitter racked up 11 hits in 27 at-bats to go with 8 home runs and 16 RBIs.
Aramis Ramirez of the Washington Nationals was named National League Player of the Week. The 34-year-old hit .536 (15-28) with 2 home runs, 7 RBIs and 7 runs scored.

Power Rankings:
Our score of 149.6 leads the league.

[BelgianBomber]

Los Angeles Angels (19-13) @ Las Vegas Aces (25-7)

The Angels just swept the Orioles in a 4 game series at home and will look to extend the home winning streak. We took 2 out of 3 from them earlier in the season, also in Anaheim.

05/07/2013
Game 33: vs. Los Angeles Angels
Erasmo Ramirez had a great outing for the Angels, finishing the game with a line of 8.0-8-1-1-1-4. He would however take the loss, as Cole Hamels was absolutely outstanding today. The lefty pitched 8 scoreless innings, giving up only 3 hits, 2 walks and striking out 9. The only run of the game came from the bat of Albert Pujols, when the slugger hit his 12th home run on the season in the 4th inning. Pujols finished the night 2-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk. Adrian Cardenas went 3-3 with a double.
LV 1 – LAA 0 (win 26-7)

League News:
Aramis Ramirez of the Washington Nationals joined the 2000-hit club tonight. “I am proud of this. Not too many players reach this level. You have to be around quite a few years and you have to get a lot of hits,” Ramirez said after the game.

05/08/2013
Game 34: vs. Los Angeles Angels
What a game we got from Jeremy Guthrie today!!! Guthrie pitched 8.1 innings of shutout ball, giving up only 1 hit and 3 walks, while striking out 5. With the win he improves to 5-1 on the season, with a sparkling ERA of 3.05. Jason Grilli got the final two outs, to complete the shutout. On offense we got back-to-back 1st innings home runs from Pujols (#13) and Davis (#15). Phillips, Amarista and Pujols had 2 hits each, Jose Molina went 3-4 with an RBI.
LV 5 – LAA 0 (win 27-7)

05/09/2013
Game 35: vs. Los Angeles Angels
Our offense got to the Angels early today, driving starter Joulys Chacin out of the game after only 2.1 innings. Parra 2-4, 3 runs and a walk, Davis 3-4, HR (#16), RBI, 3 runs and a walk, Pujols 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs and 2 walks led the offense. Ruben Tejada went 1-3 with 3 RBI, while Choo added 2 RBIs of his own. Patrick Corbin improved to 5-1 on the season, but his ERA is still at 5.28. Carter Capps pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, giving up only 1 hit, while striking out 6.
LV 9 – LAA 4 (win 28-7)

Team News:
The Las Vegas Aces and the Cleveland Indians made a swap. Players involved in the transaction are the Aces 30-year-old center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, 18-year-old minor league center fielder Clint Frazier and a 1st round draft pick in exchange for 20-year-old center fielder Oscar Taveras and a 3rd round draft pick.

League News:
The Miami Marlins will be without the services of righthander Dan Haren for the next 2-3 months. He suffered an injury during a game a couple of days ago and had been waiting on word from the doctors. It appears he has a strained elbow and he will be forced to watch from the sidelines for an extended period of time.

[BelgianBomber]

05/07/2013

Major League announced the 2013 amateur draft pool today, a scant 30 days in advance of the actual draft. For scouts, it is the toughest challenge of the season, trying to come up with an educated guess to what a young man in his late teens or early twenties is going to de at the professional level a good five years down the road, at best. Some will go on gut instincts; some will rely on years of experience; but most will find it disconcerting how much their team is beholden to Lady Luck. Choose well and they are geniuses; choose poorly and they are unemployed.

The top players available seem to be:
Jeff Watson, 18-year-old starting pitcher out of high-school.
Cliff Lef, 21-year-old starting pitcher out of college.
Jon Fritz, 20-year-old starting pitcher out of college.
José Sanchez, 22-year-old starting pitcher out of college.
Manuel De La Cruz, 18-year-old starting pitcher out of high-school.
Angel Ramirez, 19-year-old starting pitcher out of high-school.
Jeremy Long, 21-year-old starting pitcher out of college.
Manuel Fabian, 20-year-old starting picther out of college.
Pablo Reyes, 19-year-old starting pitcher out of high-school.
Octavio Villarreal, 21-year-old first baseman out of college.



We hold the #1 overall pick in this year's draft. However, I am feeling a bit reluctant to spend a ton of money on either one of these players. The demands for the top arms are ridiculous and would have a significant impact on our budget for this season. I think it would be well worth exploring the option of trading out of the number 1 overall pick and get a known commodity in return. I will be fielding some calls to see what might be possible.

[BelgianBomber]

We are sitting pretty well with a record of 28-7, but that doesn't mean I can just sit around and relax. It's my job to make sure that we can sustain our success in the future. The extension that was signed by Chris Davis earlier in the season was the first step. Earlier today, we showed what the next step in our gameplan is.

As I mentioned earlier, we would be able to save some money trading out of the 1st overall pick. However, that doesn't mean we wouldn't be looking to maximize the value of the pick.

After putting in a couple of phonecalls, the Indians seemed like the team that was most interested in obtaining the number 1 pick. Oscar Taveras was one of the young players that I had on my shortlist. Taveras gives us a Major League ready outfielder who is capable of playing all 3 positions. We can give him the needed time to continue his development, as we are not counting on him to carry the team, yet. The main reason to acquire him is that we will need a starting right fielder next season. Shin-Soo Choo is set to become a free agent after the season, and he is asking for a 7 year contract with an annual value of 18 million. And as things stand now, we just won't be able to afford him.

With this trade, we have an in-house option who can step in if needed. So in essence this trade saves us money in the present (high bonus for the number 1 overall pick) and future (not having to find a way to be able to afford Choo).

We included Gutierrez to even out the money and give the Indians an outfielder in return. We wouldn't have kept Gutierrez on the 25-man roster anyway, so this was a no-brainer for us. Frazier is a top 50 prospect, but he is many years away from reaching his potential. We have a deep system and should be able to overcome the loss.

Taveras is expected to start in center, with De Aza now being our 4th outfielder and bat off the bench.

I will continue to look for potential trades to improve our team bothin the present and the future.

[BelgianBomber]

Texas Rangers (17-17) @ Las Vegas Aces (28-7)

We meet the Rangers for a second time this season. They were able to take the first game of that series from us, but we came out on top, winning the next two. That first loss of the season was the only time we were below .500. The Rangers have been playing decent baseball so far this season, sitting at an even .500 record at the moment.


05/10/2013
Game 36: vs. Texas Rangers
Max Scherzer improves to 5-0 on the season, as he pitches 7 innings of 1-run ball. He gave up 5 hits, walked 4, but also struck out 9. The offense was provided by Ruben Tejada (2-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs), Shin-Soo Choo (2-3, HR, triple, 2 RBI, 2 runs, walk) and Chris Davis (2-4, HR, RBI, run). Jeremy Affeldt pitched 2 scoreless to end the game.
LV 8 – TEX 1 (win 29-7)

05/11/2013
Game 37: vs. Texas Rangers
What a total turd of a game. Joe Kelly got pulled after only 1 inning (45 pitches), giving up 8 hits, 3 walks and 9!!! earned runs. The next two innings didn’t go much better, as Cody Eppley gave up another 4 runs in the 2nd and Jerome Williams added 4 earned of his own. The offense didn’t put much up either and this is a game to quickly forget.
LV 2 – TEX 18 (loss 29-8)

League News:
Tim Hudson of the Pittsburgh Pirates joined the elite 200 Club today. The 37-year-old sports a 3.43 ERA for his career to go with his 200 wins and 108 losses.

05/12/2013
Game 38: vs. Texas Rangers
What would be the best way to bounce back after giving up 18 runs? Yes that’s right, you shut them out!! Cole Hamels got his 6th win of the season, pitching 7 scorless innings. He gave up only 2 hits, while striking out 7 and walking one. Jerremy Affeldt gave up 2 hits and struck out 3 in 2 innings. On offense Choo went 2-3 with a HR (#8), 3 RBI and a run. Pujols was 2-4 with 2 runs and Brandon Phillips hit his 5th home run of the season.
LV 5 – TEX 0 (win 30-8)

League News:
Ryan Braun of the Oakland Athletics bashed 3 home runs in a 10-8 win over the Seattle Mariners. For the day he collected 3 hits in 4 at-bats, scored 4 runs and had 5 RBIs.
The Miami Marlins will be forced to miss All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for the next 3 months. He strained a hip muscle a couple of days ago and the injury seems to be more severe as was expected at first.

Weekly Awards:
The American League honored Jay Bruce as the Player of the Week. The Orioles’ right fielder racked up 13 hits in 26 at-bats to go with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs.
35-year-old Marlon Byrd of the Arizona Diamondbacks was named NL Player of the Week. The center fielder reeled off 13 hits in 27at-bats, with 1 home run and 4 RBIs.

Power Rankings:
We remain at the top, with a rating of 149.1.

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (30-8) @ Detroit Tigers (11-25)

The Tigers have been struggling so far this season. I still believe this team is a lot better than their record says. We took 3 out of 4 from them 2 weeks ago and we will look to atleast take 2 out of 3 this time around.

05/13/2013
Game 39: @ Detroit Tigers
This one was over before it even began. Jeremy Guthrie got lit up for 6 earned runs in only 1.2 innings. The offense couldn’t get a whole lot going today, driving in only 2 runs. Albert Pujols and Omir Santos both had 2 hits in the game. Both of Santos’ hits were doubles.
LV 2 – DET 8 (loss 30-9)

05/14/2013
Game 40: @ Detroit Tigers
Max Scherzer pitched only 5.2 innings (92 pitches) today, but he improved to 6-0 on the season. He gave up only 3 hits and struck out 6. Carter Capps would allow his inherited runner to score. Capps (H2), Grilli (H4)and Kimbrel (SV9) would keep the Tigers off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. The offense only got 6 hits off starter Carlos Villanueva, but made 3 of those hits count. Choo (#9) and Phillips (#6 and #7) combined for the only 3 runs we scored in this game.
LV 3 – DET 1 (win 31-9)

Team News:
Evan Longoria is eligible to come off the DL today. He missed the last 4 weeks and will begin his rehab assignment tomorrow.

05/15/2013
Game 41: @ Detroit Tigers
We couldn't have asked for a better start to this game, leading 5-0 without even throwing one pitch. Choo (#10), Davis (#18) and Amarista (#2) each homered in the 5-run inning. Patrick Corbin was solid enough to get the win (#6), finishing the game 6.0-10-2-2-1-4. Josh Edgin and Jeremy Affeldt would toss 3 scoreless inning to finish the game. Alexi Amarista went 3-4 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 runs and a walk. Davis, Pujols, Taveras, Phillips and Molina had 2 hits a piece.
LV 9 – DET 2 (win 32-9)

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (32-9) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (22-18)

The Pirates’ offense looks pretty strong from top to bottom. Joe Mauer and Adam Jones will be heavily relied upon. But with guys like Ben Zobrist, Howie Kendrick, Kyle Seager, David Murphy and J.J. Hardy around, this team should be capable of putting up a good number of runs. The rotation is led by Justin Verlander and Lance Lynn, while also including young Mark Rogers and veteran Tim Hudson. The bullpen includes Jonathan Broxton, Heath Bell and Chris Perez and looks like one of the better groups in the league. The Pirates have a high payroll, 146.402 million for the upcoming season, but should have a lot of flexibility going forward, as a lot of the veteran players only have shortterm contracts. Their payroll is ranked 3rd in the league. The Pirates have one ranked prospect in pitcher Trevor May. Their minor league system ranks 27th overall. The Pirates are expected to come in 4th in a very tough NL Central. A record of 80-82 will undoubtedly be disappointing for their management. The Pirates started the season pretty well, including an 8 game winning streak, but have come back to earth a bit in recent weeks. They will look to rebound against us.

05/17/2013
Game 42: @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Today’s game turned out to be a duel between two of the better pitchers in the game. Lance Lynn (7.2-5-2-2-3-6) was outpitched by Cole Hamels (7.0-5-1-1-0-5) and took his 3rd loss of the season. Hamels improves to 7-1, as the bullpen gets the final 6 outs. Kimbrel picks up his 10th save after getting himself into trouble and allowing 2 runners (at 2nd and 3rd) with only one out. He would strike out the next 2 batters to put the game away. Jack Hannahan went 2-4 with his 2nd home run of the year and Oscar Taveras hit his first home run (#7) as an Ace.
LV 2 – PIT 1 (win 33-9)

05/18/2013
Game 43: @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Joe Kelly went toe-to-toe with the Pirates’ ace, Justin Verlander, today. Kelly finished the night going 7.0-5-2-2-4-7, while Verlander would leave the game with a line of 7.2-5-3-3-3-8. Affeldt (H3), Grilli (H6), Capps (H3) and Kimbrel (SV11) would only allow one more hit and combined to strikeout 4 to finish the game. Jack Hannahan homered for the 2nd time in 2 days and Oscar Taveras was 2-4 with an RBI and a run. Choo (#4) and Davis (#2) added a stolen base.
LV 3 – PIT 2 (win 34-9)

05/19/2013
Game 44: @ Pittsburgh Pirates
The offense spots Guthrie a 4-run lead and while he pitched really well to start the game, the wheels came off in the 6th and 7th. Guthrie would finish the game giving up 5 runs. The offense would tie it back up, but reliever Josh Edgin would give up 2 more runs. Amarista went 3-4 with 3 doubles, an RBI and 2 runs. Molina was 2-5, with a triple and a run.
LV 5 – PIT 7 (loss 34-10)

Weekly Awards:
Jake Elmore of the New York Yankees was named American League Player of the Week. The 25-year-old second baseman cracked 9 hits in 21 at-bats. He collected 4 home runs, 12 RBIs and scored 4 runs.
The Milwaukee Brewers’ Andrelton Simmons was voted NL Player of the Week. The shortstop hit .480 (12-25) and batted in 8 runs.

Power Rankings:
We are still the cream of the crop, ranking 1st with apoints total of 142.1.

[BelgianBomber]

Kansas City Royals (22-20) @ Las Vegas Aces (34-10)

The new look Royals figure to have a pretty solid rotation, top to bottom. James Shields, Brandon McCarthy, Edwin Jackson, Joe Saunders and Alexi Ogando should win this team a good number of games. The offense is built around superstar Andrew McCutchen and features the likes of Matt Wieters, David Freese, Matt Carpenter and Everth Cabrera along with powerhitter Mark Reynolds.If the younger players can continue to develop, that looks like a pretty good team. The bullpen should be capable of keeping the team in most games. Josh Collmenter, George Kontos and Mitchell Boggs make up the late inning trio. The Royals’ 88.569 million dollar payroll has them ranked 16th in the league. The farm system appears to be in decent shape, ranking 12th. Pitchers Alex Meyer and Brandon Workman along with shortstop Alen Hanson are the players ranked in the top 100. A predicted 78 victories would put the Royals in 2nd place within the division, tied with the White Sox.
The Royals are currently enjoying a 7 game win streak and are hoping to run that number up against us.

05/20/2013
Game 45: vs. Kansas City Royals
The Royals took Max Scherzer deep twice in the 1st inning, as Andrew McCutchen and David Freese hit back-to-back home runs. The 3 runs would be all we would give up tonight, but with near perfect game pitcher Edwin Jackson pitching for the Royals it turned out to be all they would need. Jackson limited our offense to only 5 hits in 7.1 innings. Molina and Cardenas had 2 hits each.
LV 1 – KC 3 (loss 34-11)

05/21/2013
Game 46: vs. Kansas City Royals
The Royals started the game carrying the momentum from last night and jumped on Patrick Corbin for 5 runs in the first 2 innings. Corbin would settle down after the first two innings and put up zeroes over the next 6. The offense was able to get in a couple of well timed hits, to once again make Corbin the winner. Craig Kimbrel gets the final 3 outs for his 12th save of the season. Albert Pujols was 2-3 with a HR (#14), 2 RBI, 2 runs and a walk. Gerarda Parra went 2-4 with 2 runs scored.
LV 6 – KC 5 (win 35-11)

05/22/2013
Game 47: vs. Kansas City Royals
It was just one of those nights. Things just went Cole Hamels’ way all night. Our ace pitched a complete game shutout, as he limited the Royals to only 2 hits and 3 walks. Hamels also recorded 9 strikeouts and improved his record to 8-1 on the season. Albert Pujols took the lead on offense, going 2-4 with a double (#11), 3 RBI and a run. Ruben Tejada added 2 hits, drove in a run, scored a run and drew a walk.
LV 6 – KC 0 (win 36-11)

Team news:
Quad Cities (A) center fielder Jamal Austin is on a 20-game hitting streak. The 22-year-old is hitting .330/.288/.459 with 3 HR, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 26 RBI, 37 runs, 19 walks and 11 stolen bases in 194 AB’s. (Austin is a borderline prospect at best)

Gerardo Parra was diagnosed with a strained hamstring and he will miss about 3 weeks. He will be placed on the DL. Alejandro De Aza will take over his spot in the starting lineup. Travis Buck will be called up from AAA to replace Parra on the 25-man roster.

[BelgianBomber]

Oakland Athletics (18-30) @ Las Vegas Aces (36-11)

The big budget A's are an all-or-nothing team so far. They either win a couple of games in a row or go on a losing streak. At this point of the season, the losing streaks have been outweighing the wins and the A's have stumbled to a 18-30 record. We are 3-3 against them this season, winning the first 3 games at home and losing 3 on the road. We'll look to turn that luck around and beat them at their house.

05/24/2013
Game 48: vs. Oakland Athletics
Travis Wood must have watched Cole Hamels closely yesterday. The 26-year-old lefty spun a complete game shutout, allowing only 4 hits, 2 walks and striking out 5. Joe Kelly pitched a solid game, going 6.2-5-6-2-3-6. The defense made 3 fielding errors, giving the Athletics a couple of crucial extra outs. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the game, but Kelly deserved better.
LV 0 – OAK 6 (loss 36-12)

Team news:
Jamal Austin saw his 20-game hit streak and today. Still a pretty nice accomplishment for the youngster.

05/25/2013
Game 49: vs. Oakland Athletics
The A’s seemed to be riding a high to begin the game, seemingly still feeling great about their win from last night. They jumped on Guthrie early, scoring 3 runs in the 2nd on a Lucas Duda home run. It seems to be a trend that our starters give up runs early and make the offense play catchup. Our offense did just that, they fought their way back into the game and delivered the final blow in the 9th on a Chris Davis walk-off single. Davis would finish the night 3-5, with a HR (#19), double (#8), 3 RBI (#40) and a run scored. De Aza, Phillips, Taveras and Hannahan had two hits a piece.
LV 6 – OAK 5 (win 37-12)

05/26/2013
Game 50: vs. Oakland Athletics
Max Scherzer followed the trend of giving up a couple of runs early, as he spotted the A’s a 2-0 lead before even recording an out. Scherzer would settle in after that and finished the game 7.0-5-4-4-0-12. The offense got back 4 runs in the 2nd inning and would hold onto the lead for the rest of the game. Hannahan homered (#4), while Davis and Amarista both had 2 hits. Alejandro De Aza stole 2 bases to put his output for the season at 4.
LV 6 – OAK 5 (win 38-12)

League News:
Torii Hunter of the Chicago Cubs reaches the 2000 hit plateau. The 37-year-old center fielder joins the ranks of the elite. The crowd gave him a 5-minute ovation, which was certainly well-deserved.

Weekly Awards:
The AL named it’s Player of the Week today, as Lorenzo Cain of the Toronto Blue Jays received the award. The center fielder had 9 hits in 27 at-bats, 3 home runs and 9 RBIs.
The Miami Marlins’ Chase Headley was named National League Player of the Week. The 29-year-old racked up 13 hits in 31 at-bats, 2 home runs and 5 RBIs.

Team News:
Oklahoma City (AAA) third baseman Evan Longoria was named Player of the Week. The slugger hit .536 (15-28) with 4 home runs, 7 RBIs and 12 runs scored. It looks like he is about ready to return to our lineup.
Cancel that last remark. Later today we were informed that Longoria will miss another 3 weeks due to a herniated disc. This certainly blows.

Power Rankings:
We drop to second in the standings (142.8), trailing theCincinnati Reds (143.6)

[BelgianBomber]

05/26/2013

We were able to reach an agreement with Jeremy Guthrie today. The deal will keep the 34-year-old righty inan Aces uniform for 2 more seasons. Guthrie was set to become a free agent after the season. He will however not hit the open market after agreeing to his new deal.

The deal will pay Guthrie 1.69 million in the first year, while the second year is a team option for 2.31 million with no buy-out. Knowing that Guthrie is making 3.5 million this season, the deal looks pretty damn good for us.
It's a low risk, low cost deal. We are saving some money going forward and we won't have a need to look for an arm to replace him on the free agent market.

This is just another step to get our budget in order for the 2014 season and beyond.

[BelgianBomber]

Colorado Rockies (23-28) @ Las Vegas Aces (38-12)

The Rockies have the look of a solid, veteran team. The offense features marquee names such as Hanley Ramirez, Ichiro Suzuki and Dustin Pedroia. They are joined in the lineup by Mike Morse, Jarod Saltalamacchia and Jon Jay. The rotation is headlined by Roy ‘Doc’ Halladay and also includes veterans Francisco Liriano and Wandy Rodriguez. The bullpen could be good, with Brian Wilson as the closer and Vinnie Pestano in a setup role. The Rockies didn’t spend a lot of attention on building a minor league system, which reflects in their 26th place ranking. Phillip Ervin is their best prospect. The ‘investment’ in the veteran players means a payroll of 112.943 million, good for 9th place. The ‘experts’ aren’t sold on the Rockies, predicting a 82-80 record. That would have to be disappointing for the Rockies as I would fully expect them to win more games.

05/27/2013
Game 51: vs. Colorado Rockies
Cole Hamels was just dominant tonight. Our ace took a perfect game into the 7th inning, untill Jon Jay was able to get a hit off of him. Hamels would go on to finish the night 8.0-3-1-1-0-7 to improve his record to 9-1. Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless 9th and picked up his 3rd save. The offense got contributions from Albert Pujols (#15) and Brandon Phillips (#8),as they both homered. Adrian Cardenas was the only Ace to have 2 hits in the game, going 2-2 with a double and a run.
LV 4 – COL 1 (win 39-12)

05/28/2013
Game 52: vs. Colorado Rockies
Patrick Corbin had one of his better outings, going 6.2-6-3-3-3-6, but he was outpitched by Francisco Liriano (8.0-8-2-2-1-9). Our offense spotted Corbin a 1-0 lead in the 3rd, but the young lefty gave up 2 in the 5th and another one in the 6th. Chris Davis’ 20th home run of the season in the 8th got us within one, but the Rockies would go on to win this game. Choo went 2-4.
LV 2 – COL 3 (loss 39-13)

League News:
The Baltimore Orioles got some bad news today. They will be without star left fielder Bryce Harper for the next 8-9 weeks. Harper suffered an oblique strain and will be forced to watch from the sidelines for the next couple of weeks. On the season the 20-year-old is hitting .322 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (39-13) @ Colorado Rockies (24-29)

After the 2-game series at home, we now play 2 games at high altitude. The first two games were split, so we will be looking to improve that outpot on this trip to the Rocky Mountains.

05/29/2013
Game 53: @ Colorado Rockies
Another poor outing from Joe Kelly, as he gave up 13 hits and 5 earned runs over 7 innings. It marks the third consecutive game in which he has given up 2 home runs. This is becoming an issue. Jon Jay went 4-5 with 3 doubles, 2 RBI and 2 runs for the Rockies. Our offensive output was led by Jose Molina’s 3-5 night that included a HR (#4), an RBI and a run. Oscar Taveras went 2-3.
LV 2 – COL 7 (loss 39-14)

05/30/2013
Game 54: @ Colorado Rockies
This game was controlled by the offenses, as we saw a combined 31 hits and 8 home runs. Our offense came out on top, led by Oscar Taveras (4-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 runs) and Chris Davis (2-3, 2 HR, RBI, 3 runs and 2 walks). Jack Hannahan wen t2-4 with a HR (#5) and Alejandro De Aza had 2 hits of his own, while adding his 5th stolen base.
LV 12 – COL 7 (win 40-14)

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (40-14) @ Los Angeles Angels (28-27)

We go up against our division rival Angels yet again. So far this season we are 5-1 against them this season. We hope we can keep that momentum going.

05/31/2013
Game 55: @ Los Angeles Angels
This game turned out to be a duel between the two pitching staffs. The game was still tied at 0-0 when we entered the 9th. Max Scherzer pitched 6 scoreless innings, giving up only 2 hits and 1 walk. The Angels lost starter Jhoulys Chacin in the 4th inning, as he had to leave the game due to an undisclosed injury. Their bullpen was solid, but finally came apart in the 9th. We were able to jump on them for 6 runs, 4 on a Jack Hannahan grand slam. Hannahan finished the game 3-4 with a HR (#6), double (#8), 4 RBI and a run scored. Josh Edgin pitched 3 scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and one walk, to pick up his 5th win.
LV 6 – LAA 0 (win 41-14)

Monthly Awards:
Chris Davis was named American League Batter of the Month. Our DH hit .295 with 12 home runs, 25 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Batting .292 to date, Davis has 22 home runs and 48 RBIs.
Matt Joyce of the Arizona Diamondbacks captured the NL Batter of the Month Award. Joyce went 30-99 last month with 11 walks, good for a .378 OBP. The right fielder tallied 11 home runs, 24 RBIs and 17 runs scored.
Another award for our team, as Cole Hamels was named AL Pitcher of the Month. Hamels went 6-0 in 6 starts, posting a 0.59 ERA over 46 innings and striking out 40. Over the season Hamels has thrown 90.2 innings and dished out 77 strikeouts with a 9-1 mark and 1.79 ERA.
The Miami Marlins’ Antonio Bastardo was voted National League Pitcher of the Month. The 27-year-old reliever thew 17.2 innings over 12 relief appearances and collected a 5-0 record with 29 strikeouts and 4 saves, while etching his 1.02 ERA.
Jake Elmore of the New York Yankees received AL Rookie of the Month honors. The 25-year-old second baseman hit .354 with 4 home runs, 22 RBIs and 16 runs scored.
The Cincinnati Reds’ Jackie Bradley Jr. is this month’s National League Rookie of the Month. The speedy outfielder hit .311 with 10 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run while driving in 11 runs and scoring 19.

06/01/2013
Game 56: @ Los Angeles Angels
Cole Hamels was penciled in as our starter today. And these days, a start from Hamels is something to look foward to. It came as no surprise that the lefty delivered yet again, going 8.0-5-1-0-0-9 to secure his league-leading 10th win of the season. The offense was held in-check by Anthony Bass, but a couple of well-timed hits led to 4 runs. Ruben Tejada hit his 2nd home run of the season, while Shin-Soo Choo had an RBI triple. Pujols drove in one on his 13th double of the season. Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect 9th to pick up the save (#14).
LV 4 – LAA 1 (win 42-14)

League News:
Alex Rodriguez of the Oakland Athletics will be out of action for the next 3 months. The 37-year-old third baseman was diagnosed with a hip flexor strain and was placed on the 60-day DL.

06/02/2013
Game 57: @ Los Angeles Angels
Patrick Corbin (7.2-7-2-2-1-10) had a solid outing today, going toe-to-toe with Clayton Kershaw (7.0-7-1-0-4-5). Corbin’s two earned runs did come on two solo home runs, so that continues to be an issue. The offense was led by Chris Davis’ 2-4 night that included his league-leading 23rd home run. Alejandro De Aza was 3-4 with a walk, RBI and a stolen base (#6). Craig Kimbrel pitched another scoreless 9th to pick up the save (#15).
LV 3 – LAA 2 (win 43-14)

Team News:
Alejandro De Aza was diagnosed with a ?????? injury after the game. He is expected to miss the next 6 weeks. He was put on the 15-day DL and OF Bryce Brentz was called up from AAA to take his spot. We are still without Gerardo Parra, so Alexi Amarista is expected to get most of the starts in left field.

06/03/2013
Game 58: @ Los Angeles Angels
For the 4th consecutive time we saw Joe Kelly give up multiple home runs. This time around he gave up 3 to the Angels and we were looking at an uphill battle yet again. Fortunately our offense was able to match the power output of the Angels and our guys put up 3 home runs of their own. Taveras (#10), Choo (#11) and Pujols (#16) hit one out of the park. Choo was 3-4, also adding a double, RBI, 3 runs and a stolen base (#6). Amarista was a perfect 3-3. Affeldt (H5), Grilli (H8) and Capps (SV2) would put the game away.
LV 7 – LAA 5 (win 44-14)

Weekly Awards:
Chris Iannetta was honored as the AL Player of the Week. He piled up 8 hits in 19 at-bats, 5 home runs and 9 RBIs.
The San Diego Padres’ Yoenis Cespedes was tabbed as the National League Player of the Week. The left fielder hit .448 (13-29) with 3 home runs and 9 runs batted in.

Power Rankings:
We jump back into the lead with a points total of 143.8.

[BelgianBomber]

Baltimore Orioles (25-32) @ Las Vegas Aces (44-14)

The Orioles chose to build a young roster, centered around outfielders Bryce Harper and Jay Bruce. Tyler Moore, Juan Francisco and Jason Kipnis are guys that are expected to be solid contributors. Their rotation also features a couple of solid, young players in Josh Johnson, Jeff Nieman and Trevor Rosenthal. The bullpen doesn’t have the makings of a big-time unit. The Orioles have the number 24 payroll, at just 63.432 million. Their farm system ranks 9th and is centered around pitcher Jose Fernandez and shortstop Addison Russell. Pre-season predictions have the Orioles winning only 64 games.

06/04/2013
Game 59: vs. Baltimore Orioles
Neither starting pitcher was on top of his game today as both Jeremy Guthrie (7.1-10-5-2-1-4) and Trevor Rosenthal (5.1-10-5-5-0-7) struggled for most of the game. Jason Grilli pitched 1.2 innings in relief of Guthrie and was able to keep the Orioles off the board. Our offense was able to get to their pen and added 4 more runs to put the game away. Phillips was 3-3 with a HR (#9), RBI and 2 runs scored. Alexi Amarista added 3 hits (3-4), 2 RBIs and a run scored while hitting his 10th double. Taveras (#11), Tejada (#3) and Choo (#12) also homered.
LV 9 – BAL 5 (win 45-14)

06/05/2013
Game 60: vs. Baltimore Orioles
Max Scherzer had another solid outing (7.0-8-2-2-3-5), as he improves to 8-1 on the season. Affeldt (H6), Capps (H5) and Kimbrel (SV16)finished the game. Albert Pujols was 3-4 with an RBI (#52) and a run scored. Alexi Amarista made his only hit count, a 3-run homer (#4).
LV 5 – BAL 4 (win 46-14)

06/06/2013
Game 61: vs. Baltimore Orioles
Another dominating performance from out pitching staff, as we shut out the Orioles. Cole Hamels pitched 7.1 scoreless innings while giving up only 3 hits, 3 walks and striking out 9. He improves to a league-leading 11-1 on the season. Affledt (H7), Grilli (H9), Edgin (H3) and Kimbrel (SV17) finished the game. The offense wasn’t able to do a whole lot, but they got in a couple of very well-timed hits. Amarista was 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Right fielder Bryce Brentz made his MLB debut and he doubled in his very first at-bat and also made a couple of outstanding defensive plays.
LV 3 – BAL 0 (win 47-14)

[BelgianBomber]

06/06/2013

This is a day that is marked on every GM’s calendar. This is the day that the stars of the future find out what their new homes will be. That’s right, today the First-year Player Draft will take place.

We are without our 1st round pick (1st overall), as we included the pick in the trade that got us Oscar Taveras. I am, however, confident that we will be able to scoop up a couple of talented players in this draft. Our scouting department has been working hard on putting together player profiles, so that we are able to make the best decision for our ballclub.

The first round was dominated by pitching, as 22 of the 30 selections were pitchers.

The top picks were as follows:

1) Cleveland Indians: 18-year-old RHP Jeff Watson out of high school
The numbers in high school were amazing, but he played against average competion. He has talent, but our scouts see him as nothing more than a back-of-the-rotation starter.

2) Chicago Cubs: 19-year-old RHP Pablo Reyes out of high school
This kid looks like the real deal. The numbers are insane: 103 IP, 0.26 ERA, 0.56 WHIP, 208 K vs. 13 BB. I would have selected this kid first overall, but the reported 8.5 million bonus demand would not fit in our budget.

3) Colorado Rockies: 19-year-old RHP Angel Ramirez out of high school
Mike Elias sees Ramirez as a future superstar, a top of the rotation starter who could win a couple of awards. He already touches 100 mph with his fastball, has great stamina and the potential to work on his control. Great pick!

4) Minnesota Twins: 22-year-old RHP Jose Sanchez out of college
The first college player taken in the draft, Sanchez showed what he can do against the best young players in the country. The numbers were solid and his makeup is off the charts. He should be a top-of-the-rotation starter.

5) Cleveland Indians: 21-year-old RHP Cliff Lef out of college
Another questionable selection by the Indians. Lef is a solid pitcher, who can also play the field, but his versatility alone doesn’t make him a top pick. He is reported to be as dumb as a brick, which will hurt his development. The Indians continue to puzzle me.

6) Miami Marlins: 21-year-old RHP Jon Fritz out of college
Solid pick by the Marlins. Fritz played against poor competition in college, but he made sure he got noticed. He has the makeup and polish to move through the system quickly. According to Elias Fritz has the makings of an elite starter.

7) Boston Red Sox: 19-year-old RHP Ramon Cuevas out of high school
While he might not have the upside that some of the guys selected ahead of him have, Cuevas is a pretty good bet to have a solid career. He looks like a future number 2 or 3 starter or elite bullpen arm.

8) Kansas City Royals: 18-year-old LHP Hector Rivera out of high school
‘El Presidente’ isn’t the flashiest player out there, but his numbers in high school certainly impressed the Royals. A potential middle-of-the-rotation starter, Rivera is a solid pick here.

9) Toronto Blue Jays: 22-year-old RHP Pedro Seguillo out of college
Seguillo looks like a potential workhorse starter. He’ll give you a good number of quality innings, with the upside to be a bit more. There were higher upside players on the board, but the Blue Jays wanted a player who has a high floor.

10) New York Mets: 21-year-old first baseman Octavio Villarreal out of college
Villarreal is one of the best power prospects in the draft. He hit 20 home runs in 257 AB’s against great competition. He has a really high ceiling, with off the charts power potential. He should also be able to hit for a decent average.

Aces picks:

Round 2: 21-year-old shortstop Ryan ‘King’ Lyons out of college
We decided to go with Lyons here, because of his versatility. He can play 2nd, 3rd and shortstop at a very high level, which is always a major plus at either one of those positions. As far as his hitting abilities go, his bat would obviously play best at shortstop, where he would bring excellent upside, at 3rd base his bat would be just average. Lyons figures to hit for a .270 average with 25 home runs per season, while drawing a ton of walks.

Round 3: 18-year-old LHP Artie Cotton ouf of high school
Solid numbers in high school, while showing some flashes of brilliance. At this point he is still too inconsistent, but with the right coaching, this kid could be a solid part of the rotation.

Round 3: 20-year-old first baseman Cisco Lopez out of college
16 home runs in 202 AB’s, that’s showing some good power potential. Lopez doesn’t run and his defense brings a ton of question marks, but power is always a good thing to have. We will bring him along slowly, to get the most out of him. Has the potential to be an average player.

Round 4: 22-year-old RHP Dave Wallace out of college
He played against good competition in college and showed he can hold his own. He works really hard and you can count on him when you need him. His ceiling isn’t high, but he should be a solid arm to have in our system.

Round 5: 18-year-old LHP Jose Valdez out of high school
Excellent numbers in high school (0.58 ERA and 176 K in 93.2 IP), but the lack of a 3rd pitch means he is most likely suited best as a reliever. Regardless of that, he has great upside and should have a career at the highest level.

After our first 5 picks things really turned into a crapshoot. We took the best players available but don’t have any high expectations for any of those guys.

Obviously the lack of a 1st round pick hurt us here, but we have Taveras to show for that. I see Lyons as a potential elite utility player, while one of the pitchers we took early could eventually be a decent #5 starter. Lopez could be a power hitter off the bench if it all comes together for him. All-in all, that wouldn’t be a bad return on this draft and you never know that one of the late round picks might really surprise.

I will be doing an evaluation of our team when the All-Star break comes around, as ordered by Mr. Wynn.

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (47-14) @ Kansas City Royals (28-31)

We go up against the Royals for the second time this season. We were able to take 2 out of 3 when they visited us a couple of weeks ago. So far their season has been one of ups and downs, alternating winning streaks with losing streaks. They will look to put the train back on track, after dropping 3 of their last 4 games.

06/07/2013
Game 62: @ Kansas City Royals
This was a very nice game to watch, as both teams played really well. Both starters did a solid job as Corbin (7.0-6-3-3-2-3) went toe-to-toe with Edwin Jackson (8.0-7-3-3-2-4). Jason Grilli served up the game-winning home run to Andrew McCutchen, as the Royals were able to get this one. Pujols went 2-4 and added 2 more RBI (#54).
LV 3 – KC 4 (loss 47-15)

League News:
The Tampa Bay Rays will be without closer Aroldis Chapman for the next 4-5 months. Chapman suffered ulnar nerve irritation and will be forced to watch from the sidelines for pretty much the rest of the season. On the season he has collected 19 saves to go with a 4-2 record, 1.50 ERA. He also struck out 49 in 36 innings.

06/08/2013
Game 63: @ Kansas City Royals
A rain delay took both starters out early and turned the game into a battle of the bullpens. Our guys did a solid job, untill Josh Edgin gave up 3 runs in the 7th. Edgin took the loss and now sits at 5-3 with a 3.24 ERA on the season. Pujols was 1-4 with a HR (#17) and 2 RBI (#56). Chris Davis and Brandon Phillips had two hits each.
LV 3 – KC 5 (loss 47-16)

06/09/2013
Game 64: @ Kansas City Royals
The offenses dominated this game, as the two teams had a combined 31 hits. Our guys were able to come out on top, led by Chris Davis’ 3-5 performance. Davis homered (#24), added 2 RBI (#53), scored a run and added a stolen base (#4). Hannahan was 4-5 with a double, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Ruben Tejada added 3 hits of his own. Craig Kimbrel added to his saves total, picking up his 18th.
LV 9 – KC 7 (win 48-16)

League News:
Bobby Abreu of the Texas Rangers entered the record books today. The 39-year-old outfielder collected his 2500th career hit. Lifetime Abreu has batted .292 with 295 home runs and 1377 RBIs.

Weekly Awards:
The AL named it’s Player of the Week today, as Carlos Santana of the Boston Red Sox received the honor. The 27-year-old catcher hit .500 (12-24) with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.
The San Diego Padres’ Daniel Murphy was voted National League Player of the Week. The second baseman hit .458 with 4 RBIs and a home run.

Power Rankings:
We still sit on top of the rankings, with a score of 142.

[BelgianBomber]

Las Vegas Aces (48-16) @ Seattle Mariners (25-39)

We meet the Mariners for the 3rd time this season. So far we are 6-0 against them, sweeping both series (at home and on the road). Hopefully we can keep it up and make it 3-for-3 in sweeps. The Mariners have struggled for most of the season, but are coming off a 4-game series sweep against the Yankees. The home crowd will be behind their team, as they try to run up their winning streak.

06/10/2013
Game 65: @ Seattle Mariners
Max Scherzer continues to impress and is looking like a very good complement to Cole Hamels at the top of our rotation. Tonight he went 6.1-6-1-0-0-5 to pick up his 9th win on the season. The bullpen did it’s job, as this unit is establishing themselves as one of the best in the game. Albert Pujols homered (#18) and added another 2 RBI (#58). Cardenas and Hannahan both had 2 hits.
LV 4 – SEA 2 (win 49-16)

Team News:
Gerardo Parra is eligible to come off the DL today. He will start a rehab assignment after missing the past 3 weeks due to a strained hamstring.

06/11/2013
Game 66: @ Seattle Mariners
Cole Hamels vs.Yovani Gallardo. This game had the makings of becoming a pitchers’ duel, but it turned out to be nothing like that. Hamels (6.1-10-5-5-0-0) and Gallardo (5.2-5-3-3-2-9) didn’t have their best days, as the offenses would decide this game. Our guys battled to get this one, scoring 2 in the 9th to send the game to extra innings and finally coming out on top in the 12th. Choo was 4-7 with a HR (#14), 2 RBI and a run scored. Phillips went 3-5 with a double, a walk and 2 runs scored. Pujols homered (#19).
LV 7 – SEA 6 (12) (win 50-16)

06/12/2013
Game 67: @ Seattle Mariners
Patrick Corbin had one of his better outings tonight, leaving the game after 6.2 innings. He gave up 5 hits, 1 walk and 2 earned runs while striking out 8. Both of his earned runs come on solo home runs, so that problem isn’t going away just yet. The offense was led by some surprising contributors today. Omir Santos was 3-4 with a double, RBI and a run scored. Choo and Tejada had 2 hits a piece. Kimbrel collected his 20th save.
LV 5 – SEA 3 (win 51-16)