DELMARVA Baseball League

[illeracula]

Dover Held Hitless by Cuesta:
The Chadds Ford Cannons had a lot to celebrate today as 25-year-old hurler Juan Cuesta no-hit the Dover Generals at Dover Grounds today.

In an impressive outing that keyed the Cannons to a 3-0 victory, Cuesta had 5 strikeouts and surrendered 2 walks.

"He mixed his pitches well and hit his spots, plus he got a little help from above," said Chadds Ford manager Bill Patterson. "Juan really took it to another level today."

In 28 starts this year Cuesta has crafted a 13-5 record and a 4.10 ERA.

-----------

Cuesta is a stud pure and simple and he is only getting better. I am hoping he will be with us for a few more season before he gets too rich for our blood.

Cuesta is the second player in Chadds Ford to toss a new hitter the first coming last season by Nobukazu Higashi and the second in the DBL this season, the first in the Delaware Conference.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has another one under his belt before his career is over. This kid could end up winning a Golden Arm in a year or two. I hope this is a sign that our starting pitching is coming together.

[illeracula]

Week 23
Current Week: 5-2 (88-59 .599, +8.0)
Next Week: 3 vs New Castle Colonials, 3 @ Cape May Beacons
Power Ranking: 3 (--, 116.8)
Fan Interest: 84
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Playoffs

Home: 45-29 .608 | Away: 43-30 .589
July: 21-8 .724 | August: 14-15 .483 | September: 9-2 .818
April: 9-16 .360 | May: 21-7 .750 | June: 14-11 .560

Runs Scored: 812 (1st)
Avg: .285 (1st)
HR: 165 (7th)
SB: 156 (3rd)
Runs Against: 640 (7th)
Starters ERA: 4.09 (7th)
Pen ERA: 3.59 (3rd)
Def Eff: .680 (11th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Mikel Wallstreet: .313-4-10 (10-32), 5 2B, 11 R, 2 SB
Pitching: Juan Cuesta: 2 GS, 2-0 2.00, 18.0 IP, 9 H, 14 K

Week 23:
Game 141: Chadds Ford 13, Dover 5
Gregorio Costello (13-8): 6.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Mikel Wallstreet: 3-6, 2 2B, HR (24), 2 R, 6 RBI
Melvin Wallstreet: 2-3, HR (19), R, 2 RBI
Ambrose Guiterrez: 2-4, 3 R
Roger Phillips: 1-4, HR (7), 2 R, RBI
H: 15, LOB: 7

Game 142: Chadds Ford 3, Dover 0
Juan Cuesta (13-5): 9.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Phil Davis: 2-5, 2B, R
Lorenzo Leal: 2-5, RBI
Mikel Wallstreet: 1-4, HR (25), R, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 9

Game 143: Ocean City 6, Chadds Ford 5 (11 Innings)
Robert Shepherd: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Jose Santos (BS 1): 1.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 K
Dani Rubio (8-2): 2.0 IP, H, R
Chris Mildmay: 3-6
Melvin Wallstreet: 3-6, 2 RBI
Giovanni Smith: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI
H: 14, LOB: 14

Game 144: Ocean City 4, Chadds Ford 3 (13 Innings)
John Robertson: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K
Jose Santos: 2.0 IP, H, BB, 5 K
Eric Harmon (3-1): 1.0 IP, 2 H, R
Chris Mildmay: 5-6, 2B, R
Mikel Wallstreet: 1-5, HR (26), R, RBI
Phil Davis: 2-6
H: 13, LOB: 11

Game 145: Chadds Ford 3, Ocean City 2
Ying-Hua Ji (13-7): 8.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 11 K
Jose Santos (SV 7): 1.0 IP, BB, K
Chris Mildmay: 3-4, HR (13), R, RBI
Mikel Wallstreet: 1-4, HR (27), R, RBI
Roger Phillips: 1-4, HR (8), R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 9

Game 146: Chadds Ford 7, Ocean City 2
Gregorio Costello (14-8): 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, BB, 10 K
Jose Matos: 4-5, 2 2B, HR (8), 3 R, 2 RBI
Tully Maxwell: 2-4, 2 2B, R
H: 12, LOB: 12

Game 147: New Castle 4, Chadds Ford 10
Juan Cuesta (14-5): 9.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, BB, 9 K
Mikel Wallstreet: 3-5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI
Jose Matos: 3-4, R, 2 RBI
Melvin Wallstreet: 3-4, 2B, RBI
Chris Mildmay: 3-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
H: 15, LOB: 9



Transactions:
Purchased the contract of SP Gehrig Pearl from Triple A San Juan.

Injuries:
MR Dustin McNeil, torn UCL, 8 months, 60-day DL
1B Naofumi Ohayashi, torn thumb ligament, 2-3 weeks, 11-day DL
OF Byung-Ho Ch'on, ruputred finger tendon, 4 weeks, 11-day DL
SP Gehrig Pearl, AAA Rehab, DtD sprained ankle (1-day) - Will be brought up after 1 starts.

Other/Roster News:
Tim Meyers (9 G, 1-1 9.35) and Francisco Franco (14 G 0-1 7.15) have just been awful in AAA, so they won't be back up with his to finish the season. I am quite surprised how poorly they are playing, hopefully 2039 will be new seasons for them.

GM Notes:
With 15 games left to play we are all but guaranteed a playoff spot. If we don't win the division we should win a wild card slot (unless we just lose out, which hopefully doesn't happen). Which means we are having another successful season. That will mean 3-years in a row with playoffs in Chadds Ford. Despite two months in which we couldn't win games we still will finish with another successful year.

My 3-big rookies won't win any awards but they are all over the rookie leader-boards. Ambrose Gutierrez (.269-4-39), Lorenzo Leal (.259-13-40), and Jose Matos (.309-8-44) have all made a name for themselves. This is going to make losing all the players this off-season a little easier. This team is deep in youth and we should have 2 or 3 more coming up next season, including Ayala, Carrillo and possibly Allen Frias. Next season will be different, but you have to like what the future holds.

We have some interesting games coming up but we should be able to finish strong. We won't be holding home field throughout the playoffs as the Sixteens have ran away with the league this year and I am not sure we will be able to get any home field games as we are still 2-games behind the Clippers for the second best record, but I am hopeful and I think we may have a shot. With our schedule it could be possible. The Clippers do need to beat the Blue Hens and the Blue Jays. Those two big series should give us a shot.

Our biggest acquisition this off-season might have been Chris Mildmay. I didn't realize how good this kid was. At 24 years-old he is starting to hit his stride. He is giving us a lead-off man who gets on base and steals a base when needed. He is hitting .317 with OBP of .387 and has 48-steals, while only being thrown out 4 times! He is the real deal and I hope he can stay around in Chadds Ford for a while, 2039 will be his first arbitration year, so he should be here at least one more season.

What a week we had. A no-hitter, 5 wins, a play-off spot in our sights. I am starting to gain confidence in this team again... maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud.... not much more time left in the season before the playoffs begin and I am getting excited, as are the fans.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 90-57 .612 (+1.0, M15)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 88-59 .599 (+8-0, M8)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 96-51 .653 (+26.0, XX)

Wild Card 1: Seaford Blue Jays (DEC): 89-58 .605 (+11.0, M5)
Wild Card 2: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 80-67 .544 (+2.0, M14)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 96-51 .653 (+5.0, M11)
MV Mountain: King George Royals: 79-68 .537 (+1.0, M15)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 85-62 .578 (+1.0, M15)

Wild Card 1: Baltimore Barons (MVB): 91-56 .619 (+13.0, M3)
Wild Card 2: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 84-63 .571 (+6.0, M10)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Howard Porter, Georgetown Sixteens: 15-31, 4 HR's, 8 RBI's, 9 R's
MarVa: Tyrone Jackson, Martinsburg Mountaineers: 11-28, 4 HR's, 15 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Georgetown Sixteens (134.6)
2) Washington Senators (125.6)
3) Chadds Ford Cannons (116.8)
4) Milford Clippers (116.2)
5) Baltimore Barons (112.4)

News:
Georgetown Sixteens: 2B Claudio Flores cracked 5-hits during a 11-3 win against the Iron Pigs.
Seaford Blue Jays: SS Jim Stephens had a day to remember during a 20-innings marathon, going 5-9, all singles, no rbi's or runs.
Milton Brewers: Will be without 3B Chris Cook for the rest of the year. Cook was hitting .192-1-18 on the year. He will be out after suffering a concussion.
Washington Senators: Will be without Gonzalo Bustamante for the season and possible the playoffs. Bustamante was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow. He finishes the season going 12-6 3.44 in 28 starts.
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Will be without Nate Rice for the rest of the year. The reliever went 2-4 5.66 with 2 saves in 30 games. Rice is out with a stretched elbow ligament.
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Closer John Wood who has 35 saves in 68 games this season will be out for 5-6 weeks with back spasms. Wood 5-3 2.42 will be missed as the Crabs fight for a playoff spot.
Harrington Ponies: Lost rookie pitcher Ben Pearce with a stretched elbow ligament. Pearce pitched in 1-game before sustaining the injury.
Washington Senators: 22-year-old Jesus Hernandez collected a hit in his 20th straight game. The outfielder is hitting .329-34-102 on the year.
Washington Senators: Clinched a playoff birth.
Dover Generals, Annapolis Admirals, Salisbury Ports, Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, Newark Millers, and the New Castle Colonials: have all been eliminated from playoff contention.

[illeracula]

Week 24
Current Week: 4-2 (92-61 .601, +9.0)
Next Week: 1 @ Cape May Beacons, 4 vs Lewes Braves, 2 @ Milton Brewers
Power Ranking: 3 (--, 114.2)
Fan Interest: 84
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Playoffs

Home: 47-30 .610 | Away: 45-31 .592
July: 21-8 .724 | August: 14-15 .483 | September: 13-4 .765
April: 9-16 .360 | May: 21-7 .750 | June: 14-11 .560

Runs Scored: 843 (1st)
Avg: .284 (1st)
HR: 176 (t6th)
SB: 166 (3rd)
Runs Against: 659 (6th)
Starters ERA: 4.07 (7th)
Pen ERA: 3.54 (3rd)
Def Eff: .681 (11th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Chris Mildmay: .238-3-5 (5-21), 5 R, 3 SB
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 2-0 2.40, 15.0 IP, 12 H, 17 K's

Week 24:
Game 148: New Castle 2, Chadds Ford 7
Robert Shepherd (3-4): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Chris Mildmay: 1-4, HR (14), R, 2 RBI
Lorenzo Leal: 2-3, HR (14), 2 R, RBI
Jose Matos: 2-4, HR (9), 2 R, RBI
H: 10, LOB: 2

Game 149: New Castle 5, Chadds Ford 9
John Robertson (10-7): 7.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K
Eugene Todd: 1-4, HR (21), R, 2 RBI
Fernando Cirin: 2-4, HR (1), 2 R, 3 RBI (1st big league HR)
Chris Mildmay: 2-5, HR (15), R, 2 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 4

Game 150: New Castle 3, Chadds Ford 2
Ying-Hua Ji (13-8): 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 7 K
Mikel Wallstreet: 1-4, 2B, R, RBI
Tully Maxwell: 2-3
H: 6, LOB: 8

Game 151: Chadds Ford 3, Cape May 4 (10 Innings)
Gregorio Costello: 9.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Jose Santos (0-1): 0.1 IP, 3 H, R
Tully Maxwell: 1-2, HR (3), R, 2 RBI
Chris Mildmay: 1-5, HR (16), R, RBI
Mikel Wallstreet: 3-4
H: 6, LOB: 3

Game 152: Chadds Ford 5, Cape May 3
Juan Cuesta: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Chris Adkins (1-0): 2.0 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K
Jose Santos (SV 8): 1.0 IP
Brad Sims: 2-4, HR 94), R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, 2 RBI
Jose Ayala: 3-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI
H: 13, LOB: 10

Game 153: Chadds Ford 5, Cape May 2
Robert Shepherd (4-4): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 7 K
Jose Santos (SV 9): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Mikel Wallstreet: 3-5, 2B, HR (28), 2 R, 2 RBI
Lorenzo Leal: 1-4, HR (15), R, RBI
Melvin Wallstreet: 1-3, 2 RBI
H: 10, LOB: 7



Transactions:
Sent CF Byung-ho Ch'on to Triple A San Juan for injury rehab.

After missing 4-months Ch'on was sent down to see if he can find his swing. Not sure he will be back with the big league club or not.

Injuries:
SP Ying-Hua Ji, Partially torn labrum, 4-5 weeks, 11-day DL
MR Dustin McNeil, torn UCL, 8 months, 60-day DL

Ji (13-8 3.75) is done for the season. I don't see him making a come back after 4 weeks as the playoffs wrap up, which means the pressure will be on Shepherd, Robertson and Cuesta.

Ying-hua Ji Suffers Injury: Ying-hua Ji of the Chadds Ford Cannons could be headed for the disabled list after suffering a partially torn labrum in a game against the New Castle Colonials. He is expected to miss at least 5 weeks. The Chadds Ford starting pitcher was injured throwing a pitch. On the season Ji has 13 wins and 7 losses and a 3.75 ERA.

Other/Roster News:


GM Notes:
We are in the playoffs for the third straight season, now we just need to clinch the division for the third straight season and we are that much closer to our final goal. I like how we starting to warm up at the right time, I like how things seem to be coming together. I would be lying if I said playing the Clippers or Sixteens in the first round didn't scare me, but if that is who we go up against we will be ready...

Or will we? We are doing a pitcher! Without Ji, that means Cuesta and Robertson will get the game 2 and 3 starts. They are much better suited for 3 and 4 at this point in their career, but I have faith that one of them will step it up. Just as we were healing getting our players back, we lose a big one. Ji is a big player on this team and he will be missed, but I 'think' we have the fire power to make up for his loss... I am lucky that he isn't out for longer, since he is on the top of the list, or very close to it of being traded in the off-season.

One thing that caught my eye while looking over my team is that our attendance is down 5.2%, over 2,000 people a game. I have to believe that a lot of this was caused by our awful first month of the year. With the fan interest at a season high 84 and us on the verge of another division title, it can't be going on now. It is just shocking I guess that is what happens when your fan loyalty isn't that good!

This team is ready for the playoffs and everyone in the clubhouse believes we can pull off the title this season. There isn't much more than I want than to win a title here in Chadds Ford, especially after losing in the playoffs the past 2 seasons. I will be happy with a Delaware Conference title, just as long as we make progress.

Mikel Wallstreet is having one of the best years ever for a player in a Cannons uniform. He is close to becoming a 30/30 player which is something we have never seen here... Currently he is hitting .325-28-112 with 99 runs scored, 38 doubles and 29 steals. He is posting a 6.1 WAR and should finish in the top 3 of the MVP voting... It is a shame he is only going to be here one season (most likely).

The other player that I have been amazed by this season is Chris Mildmay. When I made the deal at the beginning of the season Mildmay was a player I was like whatever I will take him if I can... and he has arguably turned in the best year of any of the new players. He won't be mentioned in the MVP race since he doesn't have flashy power, or drive in a tons of run, but he has earned that 5.9 WAR with a .314-16-61 line, with an OBP of .385, his 111 runs scored and his crazy 51 steals in 55 attempts. If I had a vote he is the most valuable player on this team right now.

Ok... enough talk, lets play these last 9-games and get on with the fun pert of the seasons...




Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 93-60 .608 (+2.0, M8)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 92-61 .601 (+9.0, M1)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 100-53 .654 (+27.0, XX)

Wild Card 1: Seaford Blue Jays (DEC): 91-62 .595 (+8.0, XX)
Wild Card 2: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 83-70 .542 (+2.0, M8)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 101-52 .660 (+8.0, M2)
MV Mountain: King George Royals/Martinsburg Mountaineers: 83-70 .542 (+6.0, M10)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 88-65 .575 (+1.0, M9)

Wild Card 1: Baltimore Barons (MVB): 93-60 .608 (+10.0, XX)
Wild Card 2: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 87-66 .569 (+4.0, M6)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Allen Graves, Milton Brewers: 9-22, 3 HR's, 7 RBI's, 5 R's
MarVa: Jesus Hernandez, Washington Senators: 9-23, 4 HR's, 14 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (128.8)
2) Georgetown Sixteens (121.6)
3) Chadds Ford Cannons (114.2)
4) Milford Clippers (110.4)
5) Martinsburg Mountaineers (108.6)

News:
Baltimore Barons: 1B Shawn Wilson had a day to remember going 5 for 5 during a 10-3 win over the Admirals.
Milford Clippers: The division isn't theirs yet, but they are in the playoffs for the 5th time in 6 seasons.
Harrington Ponies: Two-time All-Star Julian De Jesus is down for the season. De Jesus hasn't been happy since being sent to Harrington and is only hitting .185-1-5.
Annapolis Admirals: Will be without MR William Dyer for the final 2-weeks. Dyer went 1-3 6.94 in 26 games.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Outfielder Carlos Romano went 4-5, and he made all 4-hits count, hitting for the cycle. Romano is hitting .270-19-62 on the season.
Washington Senators: 22-year-old OF'er Jesus Hernandez went 2-4 collecting a hit in his 25-th straight game. Hernandez is hitting .332-38-116.
Salisbury Ports: Had a clubhouse mishap as raw sewage flooded the teams clubhouse. The Ports are looking for a new stadium or a new home-town as their stadium has begun to show signs of aging.
Baltimore Barons: Have clinched a play-off spot for the 6th time in team history, and the second season in a row.
Lewes Braves: Have been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in 7-seasons.
Seaford Blue Jays: Will be making a playoff appearance for the 3rd straight season. They won the title 2-seasons ago (2036).
Christiana Blue Hens: MR Kevin Gordon is out for the rest of the season. Gordon finishes the season 7-3 2.93 with 14 saves in 40 games.
Washington Senators: Have been plagued by injuries this season and they can now add another won to the list, as they will be without MR John Pierce for the rest of the year. Pierce finished the season 2-1 3.06.
Milton Brewers: Will miss the playoffs again. The Brewers haven't been in the playoffs since 2034.
Chadds Ford Cannons: Have clinched a playoff birth for the third straight season. After failing in the playoffs the past 2-years they have set the goal on the title this year.

[illeracula]

Week 25
Current Week: 6-1 (98-62 .613, +11.0)
Next Week: 2 @ Milton Brewers, ** Playoffs **
Power Ranking: 4 (-1, 117.3)
Fan Interest: 84
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Playoffs

Home: 51-30 .630 | Away: 47-32 .595
July: 21-8 .724 | August: 14-15 .483 | September: 19-5 .792
April: 9-16 .360 | May: 21-7 .750 | June: 14-11 .560

Runs Scored: 880 (1st)
Avg: .284 (1st)
HR: 185 (7th)
SB: 176 (3rd)
Runs Against: 681 (5th)
Starters ERA: 3.98 (6th)
Pen ERA: 3.57 (3rd)
Def Eff: .682 (8th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Chris Mildmay: .333-1-3 (9-27), 2B, 5 R, 6 SB
Pitching: Gregorio Costello: 1 GS, 1-0 1.00, 9.0 IP, R, 12 K

Week 25:
Game 154: Chadds Ford 4, Cape May 2
John Robertson (11-7): 7.1 IP, 5 H, BB, 2 K
Chris Adkins (SV 1): 0.2 IP
Naofum Ohayashi: 2-4, R, RBI
Lorenzo Leal: 1-4, HR (16), R, 2 RBI
H: 8, LOB: 6

Chadds Ford Secures Top Spot in Delaware Conference Northern Division:
The Chadds Ford Cannons are trying to accomplish something that's never been done before - hosting a League Championship parade in the city of Chadds Ford. They've taken the first big step, winning the Delaware Conference Northern Division title. "We want to win a championship, that's our ultimate goal and something our franchise deserves," said center fielder Mikel Wallstreet. "Our coaches, GM and ownership have been behind us, it's time to make that effort pay off." The club's record sits at 93-61 and it is the 3rd time they've won the division title. Team manager Bill Patterson said it will be the "accomplishment of a lifetime" if he can lead the team to a championship. "It's what we've been working towards for so long," he said.

Game 155: Lewes 7, Chadds Ford 8 (13 Innings)
Gehrig Pearl: 7.1 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 8 K
Jose Santos (BS 2): 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, K
Chris Adkins: 2.0 IP, BB, 3 K
Eric Harmon (4-1): 1.0 IP, K
Eugene Todd: 3-6, HR (22), R, 2 RBI
Mikel Wallstreet: 4-6, 2 2B, 3B, 3 R, RBI
Lorenzo Leal: 1-2, HR (17), R, RBI
Jose Matos: 2-6, R, 2 RBI
Melvin Wallstreet: 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI
H: 17, LOB: 2

Game 156: Lewes 1, Chadds Ford 6
Gregorio Costello (15-8): 9.0 IP, 8 H, R, 2 BB, 12 K
Tully Maxwell: 2-4, HR (4), 2 R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-2, 2 R
Ambrose Guiterrez: 1-4, 2B, R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 6

Game 157: Lewes 3, Chadds Ford 6
Juan Cuesta (15-5): 8.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Jose Santos (SV 10): 1.0 IP, K
Phil Davis: 2-3, 2B, HR (19), R, 2 RBI
Chris Mildmay: 3-4, HR (17), R, 2 RBI
H: 8, LOB: 6

Game 158: Lewes 4, Chadds Ford 5 (12 Innings)
Robert Shepherd: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 7 K
Jose Santos (BS 3): 2.0 IP, 2 H, R, 5 K
Oscar Robinson (7-3): 2.0 IP, H, 4 K
Eugene Todd: 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Phil Davis: 3-3, RBI
Jose Matos: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI
H: 11, LOB: 8

Game 159: Chadds Ford 3, Milton 4
John Robertson (11-8): 7.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, HR (17), R, 3 RBI
H: 8, LOB: 5

Game 160: Chadds Ford 5, Milton 1
Gehrig Pearl (5-5): 9.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 K
Lorenzo Leal: 3-3, HR (18), R, RBI
Eugene Todd: 1-4, HR (23), R, 2 RBI
Jose Ayala: 2-4, R
H: 10, LOB: 5



Transactions:
Purchased the contract of CF Byung-ho Ch'on from Triple A San Juan.

Ch'on hit .290-1-7 in 33 PA's while in AAA, so he will be joining us for the final 2 games. I am unsure if he will put him on the playoff roster, but we will see. Speed and defense? Maybe so.

Injuries:
SP Ying-Hua Ji, Partially torn labrum, 3 weeks, 11-day DL
MR Dustin McNeil, torn UCL, 7 months, 60-day DL
OF Lorenzo Leal, diagnosis pending, Unknown

Leal has came into his own after the all-star break and if we lose him we will be hurting a little bit. I am hoping he will be ready for the playoffs, but if he isn't we should be able to pick-up the slack with Ambrose Gutierrez and the return of Naofumi Ohayashi.

Other/Roster News:


GM Notes:
We weren't predicted to win the title, but we did it! We won our third division title in a row and I couldn't be happier (at least right now). We finish with our highest win total in the history of Chadds Ford and we still have 2 games to go! I think we are in good shape heading into the post season and am excited to get back to post-season play. It isn't going to be an easy road but maybe we will surprise some people. It is sad to say that our attendance is actually down about 2-million. Not sure how that happened.

One thing that does worry me about this team is our up and down swings. They just seem so extreme! I am not sure how we are supposed to compete when we are on a downward spiral. I am hoping we can remain hot and continue our strong play into October... We do have a lot of young players and I am pretty certain very little post-season experience. I am not sure if that will help or hurt us down the road.

At the beginning of the season I had a lot of faith in this rotation, and oddly enough they were the weakest link on this team (outside of defense). We will end up with 2 pitchers posting 15 wins (Costello and Cuesta) and 4 pitchers with over 10-wins (Yi 13, Robertson 11). goes to show you how deep our bullpen has been and how important it has been. They are the ones that will be around for a few more years, so I am excited about that.

Speaking of that poor defense we have to talk about Eugene Todd and his third base play. He has committed 16 errors this season at 3B (7th in the DBL), posting a .944 FPct and a -1.9 ZR. This makes me nervous about the playoffs. I need his bat, but this glove is awful. If Leal is out for an extended period time (another stone glove) Todd may just have to DH... one thing to watch out for this season is if Todd will reach the 20/20 mark, he has 23 HR's and 18 E's (16 @ 3B, 2 @ 1B)... I really am disappointed with his glove!

When I first came to Chadds Ford I figured I was going to build this team on pitching, defense and speed. To find quality speed and defenders can be cheap, and decent pitching would be where I'd spend my money. I had players like Manny Hernandez, Felix Olivas, Martin Adams and Tim Burman in my everyday lineup. I could count on them for stolen bases, but not for much other production... that is why this season has been great, as I finally have speed players given me production! Chris Mildmay with a Chadds Ford record 57 steals (.315-17-64), Phil Davis setting a person high with 37 steals (.291-19-83) and Mikel Wallstreet (30 SB) who is just 2 HR's away from our first 30/30 man in Chadds Ford (.323-25-113). These are the players I as a GM dream about... I really hope I can keep at least one of them this off-season.

Okay enough hoot and hollering, I need to focus on the final 2 games... We take on the Brewers and then head to the playoffs... Exciting times. I am ready to bring the hammers and make some noise in the playoffs. Lets finish strong and most importantly HEALTHY!



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 97-63 .606 (+1.0, M1)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 98-62 .613 (+11.0, XX)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 105-55 .656 (+28.0, XX)

Wild Card 1: Seaford Blue Jays (DEC): 95-65 .594 (+12.0, XX)
Wild Card 2: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 87-73 .544 (+2.0, XX)

Only one race left in the DC and that is for the Colonial Division title. The Clippers take on the Ponies in Harrington and the Blue Jays will play the Blue Hens at home... The Clippers hold their destiny in their own hands. Either way both teams will be playing extra games this season.

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 106-54 .662 (+7.0, XX)
MV Mountain: Martinsburg Mountaineers: 89-71 .556 (+1.0, M2)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers/Chesapeake Blue Crabs: 91-69 .569 (+20.0, M3)

Wild Card 1: Baltimore Barons (MVB): 99-61 .619 (+11.0, XX)
Wild Card 2: Norfolk Cavaliers/Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 91-69 .569 (+3.0, XX)

There are two races left in the MarVa Conference with the Blue Crabs and Cavaliers battling for the Coastal Division title. Both teams will be in the playoffs, but who will get the bye? The Blue Crabs go to Washington to take on the Senators and the Cavaliers will head to Richmond. This is going to be an interesting final two games.

In the Mountain Division the Mountaineers will try to hold off the King George Royals. The Royals take on the Ports at home and the Mountaineers will be in Cape May. The Mountaineers are trying to repeat as division winners and the Royals are trying to head back to post-season play for the first time since 2035.

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Patrick Coates, Milford Clippers: 11-26, 5 HR's, 11 RBI's
MarVa: Ulbrect Gette, Martinsburg Mountaineers: 16-59, 3 HR's, 17 RBi's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (125.3)
2) Georgetown Sixteens (125.1)
3) Baltimore Barons (117.4)
4) Chadds Ford Cannons (117.3)
5) Martinsburg Mountaineers (111.1)

News:
Wilmington Iron Pigs: Lost SP Rob Rice for the rest of the year. Rice went 12-10 4.98 on the season and will be missed as the Pigs head to the post-season.
Washington Senators: OF Jesus Hernandez was finally held hitless at 29-games. Hernandez is only 22-years-old, but is still known as one of the games top hitters. Hernandez is hitting .336-40-126.
Dover Generals: MR Blake Stout will be out for the final week of the season with a torn rotator cuff. Stout pitched in 7 games for the Generals going 0-1 5.49.
Baltimore Barons: Got news they didn't want to hear heading into the playoffs when they announced Rafael Estrada (.356-9-76) for 2-3 weeks with a herniated disc.
Richmond Cardinals: Outfielder Cale Paul had a day to remember going 5 for 6 in a 12-inning win over the Admirals.
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: The Blue Crabs will be fighting for the division title without OF Ron Turney (.269-10-58) for the rest of the year.
Seaford Blue Jays: The Blue Jays will be without 22-year-old SP Felipe Moreno (16-7 3.69) for the rest of the year. Moreno was diagnosed with a torn labrum earlier this week.

[illeracula]

Week 26
Current Week: 1-1 (99-63 .611, +11.0)
Next Week: ** Playoffs **
Power Ranking: 4 (--, 117.3)
Fan Interest: 85 (+1)
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Playoffs

Home: 51-30 .630 | Away: 48-33 .593
July: 21-8 .724 | August: 14-15 .483 | September: 20-6 .769
April: 9-16 .360 | May: 21-7 .750 | June: 14-11 .560

Runs Scored: 887 (1st)
Avg: .283 (1st)
HR: 188 (6th)
SB: 178 (3rd)
Runs Against: 691 (5th)
Starters ERA: 3.97 (6th)
Pen ERA: 3.57 (3rd)
Def Eff: .682 (9th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Chris Mildmay: 2 G, .500-1-3 (4-8), R, SB
Pitching: Tim Meyers: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, SV, 2 K

Week 26:
Game 161: Chadds Ford 2, Milton 7
Gregorio Costello (15-9): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 6 K
Chris Mildmay: 3-4, HR (18), R, 2 RBI
H: 5, LOB: 3

Game 162: Chadds Ford 5, Milton 3
Juan Cuesta (16-5): 6.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Tim Meyers (SV 1): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Lorenzo Leal: 1-3, HR (19), 2 R, RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-3, HR (6), R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 7



Transactions:
Purchased the contract of RP Tim Meyers from Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of RP Jimi Morlini from Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of RP Gus James from Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of C Emílio Alba from Triple A San Juan.

Brought up the rest of the guys now that our AAA team the San Juan Hibiscus have been eliminated from the playoffs... Just as I expected Patterson moves Meyers back to the closer role and Santos to a set-up man... Maybe he has his reasons I have no idea!

Draft Pick Recap:
Drafted SS Murray Wallstreet in the 2038 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 3, 3rd overall pick).
Tulsa Roughnecks (A): 89 G, .299-18-56, 12 SB

Drafted RP Ernie Sampson in the 2038 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 24, 24th overall pick).
Wilmington Tides (SA): 22 GS, 10-3 2.35, 186 Ks, 11.5 K/9
(offense) 32 G, .323-4-20, 8 2B, 22 Rs

Drafted RF Cristián Reyes in the 2038 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 12, 44th overall pick).
Wilmington Tides (SA): 77 G, .280-12-43, 18 2B

Drafted 2B Flint Shears in the 2038 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 25, 57th overall pick).
Wilmington Tides (SA): 18 G .250-1-7, 3 2B, 5 R

Drafted SS Willie Mitchell in the 2038 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 26, 83rd overall pick).
Wilmington Tides (SA): 53 G, .266-4-12, 5 2B, 22 R, 9 SB

Injuries:
SP Ying-Hua Ji, Partially torn labrum, 3 weeks, 11-day DL
MR Dustin McNeil, torn UCL, 7 months, 60-day DL

Other/Roster News:
AAA: San Juan Hibiscus: 95-65 .594 (-7 GB, 2nd, Elminated)
AA: Pierre Jackrabbits: 77-73 .513 (-13 GB, 3rd)
A: Tulsa Roughnecks: 105-45 .700 (-- GB, +24 Games, Clinched playoff)
SA: Wilmington Tides: 94-66 .588 (--DB, +1 Game, Clinched Playoff)

GM Notes:
Not really a whole lot to say over two games. We beat expectation and took home the division title, won over 90 games and just missed winning 100! I think when it is all said and done that is what I wanted most. I wanted that 100th win. It would have been a nice addition to my Chadds Ford resume...

We will be taking on the Clippers in the playoffs and I am excited for that, I am excited to be back in the playoffs with a pretty solid all around time. The best part of this time of the year is I can stop thinking about the off-season and I can just sit back and concentrate on winning the playoffs. Now isn't the time to think about how I am going to dismantle and rebuild this team, but now is the time to sit back and figure who are the 25 that are going to make the playoff roster.

The pressure will be on the starting pitching. That haven't been "great" this season and we will be taking on a tough offensive minded team. These playoffs might be the toughest yet for us. More on that later... now is the time to celebrate for a couple of minutes, a division title, 99 wins, and the efforts that these players put in. This will be one of the best years in Chadds Ford history and I am glad I have been part of it.

I am feeling good about the next step as hot as we finished we should be taking some solid momentum into the next series... I am ready to do this, I just hope everyone one else is too.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 98-64 .605 (+3.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 99-63 .611 (+11.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 107-55 .660 (+29.0)

Wild Card 1: Seaford Blue Jays (DEC): 95-67 .586 (+10.0)
Wild Card 2: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 88-74 .543 (+3.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 106-56 .654 (+5.0,)
MV Mountain: Martinsburg Mountaineers: 91-71 .562 (+2.0)
MV Coastal: Chesapeake Blue Crabs: 93-69 .574 (+2.0)

Wild Card 1: Baltimore Barons (MVB): 101-61 .623 (+12.0)
Wild Card 2: Norfolk Cavaliers (MVC): 91-71 .562 (+2.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware:
MarVa:

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (125.3)
2) Georgetown Sixteens (125.1)
3) Baltimore Barons (117.4)
4) Chadds Ford Cannons (117.3)
5) Martinsburg Mountaineers (111.1)

News:
Georgetown Sixteens: Will head into the playoffs without starting 2B Claudio Flores (.319-6-22) who went down with a strained calf muscle and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.
Milford Clippers: Lost MR/SP Alfredo Mejia (9-8 5.07, 2 SV) for the rest of the season. He is hoping to be ready for spring training, as he is expected to be out 6-months after elbow surgery for radial nerve compression.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Lost SP Chris Meyer (5-13 4.62) for 8-9 months after Meyer was diagnosed with a torn labrum.
Washington Senators: Announced that SP Gonzalo Bustamante's (12-8 3.44) will keep him out throughout the playoffs dealing the Senators a blow.
Dover Generals: Lost 23-year-old MR Anthony Carter (2-7 6.98) for the next year with a torn UCL. The 23-year-old vows to come back better and stronger than before.
Milford Clippers: Clinched the Colonial Division title thanks to a season ending 3-game losing streak by the Seaford Blue Jays. The Clippers will face off against the Cannons and the Blue Jays will be headed to the wild card game.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Finished strong, winning 9 of their last 10, to claim their second Mountain Division title in a row. The Mountaineers beat out the King George Royals, sending them home for the winter.
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Took care of business against the Harrington Ponies winning their final two games and clinching their first division title since realignment. The Blue Crabs are in for the second straight season.
Norfolk Cavaliers: Didn't win a division title for the first time since 2016 after losing their final 2 games to the Richmond Cardinals. This stops an impressive feat of division titles, but they will still be repping in the playoffs. An amazing run has come to an end... I am not sure if I am happy our not about this.

Coates Is DE Conf Batting Champ:
Many talented DELMARVA Baseball League players can go their entire careers and never even get a sniff of a batting title. Patrick Coates has already captured one at age 23. The Milford second baseman batted .383 to capture the 2038 Delaware Conference batting championship. He collected 219 hits, 41 doubles, 10 triples and 39 home runs for the year. In 156 games Coates totaled 121 RBIs and scored 126 runs.

Coates finished with a .383 batting average which is 3rd all time behind 1) Tyrone Jackson (.387) and Rafael Piedade (.385). The stats he put up this season were amazing including a slash line of .383/.492/.694, which were good enough for the league lead, gave him a WAR of 11.84, which is good for 2nd all-time behind and in-front of Pete Peters (12.49 & 11.83). Not only did he hit 39 HR's, he also doubled 41 times and tripled 10. He scored 126 times and drove in 121. He did this while walking 127 times and striking out just 71. He should be the MVP this season no question.

Barons Estrada Takes MV Conf Batting Crown:
He may only be 24 years old, but Rafael Estrada has already established himself as an elite DELMARVA Baseball League player. The Baltimore Barons star posted a .356 batting average this year, which won him the MarVa Conference batting crown. "I can't even believe it, to be honest," he told Baseball News Network. His fantastic campaign consisted of 173 hits, 17 doubles, 11 triples and 9 home runs for the year. In 133 games Estrada added 76 RBIs and scored 77 runs.

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - September 2038



Delaware Conference

Coates Takes DE Conf's Best Bat Trophy: Patrick Coates made his presence known as one of the best young stars in the Delaware Conference this past month. The Milford Clippers second baseman shined through the month of September and has won the Batter of the Month award. The 23-year-old hit .389 with 10 home runs, 30 RBIs and 20 runs scored. This season Coates is batting .383 with 39 home runs. He has scored 126 runs and driven in 121.

Sixteens Starter Named September's Premier Pitcher: Veteran Ernie Kennedy put together quite a successful stretch in September for the Georgetown Sixteens, earning himself the Delaware Conference Pitcher of the Month award. Kennedy racked up a 4-0 record in 5 starts, posting a 1.86 ERA over 38.2 innings and striking out 33. To date this season, Kennedy has registered 17 starts, 8-3 won-lost mark, 2.23 ERA, 109 IP, 91 strikeouts and 22 walks. Opposing teams have hit .218 against him.

DE Conf Selects Rookie Star of the Month: Youngster Clemente Lucarelli emerged as the latest Delaware Conference Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Newark deserved the honor, batting .361 with 4 home runs and 18 RBI. Is the month of September a harbinger of things to come or just a fluke? We'll find out someday, but for now, we'll just let Lucarelli enjoy the limelight. For the season Lucarelli is batting .331 with 200 hits and 15 home runs. He has scored 73 times and batted in 77.

MarVa Conference
Gette Wins Best Bat Award in September: Martinsburg Mountaineers fans may just have witnessed a star player blossoming before their eyes in September. Ulbrecht Gette put up a remarkable month at the age of 22 and has been named the MarVa Conference Batter of the Month. For the month, Gette hit .391 with 8 home runs, 32 RBIs and 23 runs scored. This year Gette is hitting .327 with 30 home runs.

Barons Hernández Chosen September's Best in MV Conf: José Hernández has made fans throughout DELMARVA Baseball League take notice over the past month with an exceptional 5-0 record. No pitcher in the MarVa Conference threw better in September, garnering him the Pitcher of the Month award today. In 6 starts Hernández compiled a 1.80 ERA, putting up a 5-0 record, striking out 58 and tossing 50 innings. Over the season Hernández has thrown 252.2 innings and dished out 276 strikeouts with a 19-10 mark and a 2.99 ERA.

MarVa Conference Names Rookie of Month: Manuel Vázquez is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest MarVa Conference Rookie of the Month honoree? He hasn't been around the league long enough to fully know the ropes yet, despite the fact that he's putting up veteran-like numbers. In September the King George hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .333 average with 31 hits, 7 home runs and 26 RBIs. Vázquez has a .294 average and a .336 on-base percentage for the year. He has picked up 135 hits, 26 home runs and driven in 83 runs.

Standings - 2038 Final Standings

Colonial Division
Current Leader: Milford Clippers - 98-64 .605 (+3.0)
Predicted: Milford Clippers - 97-65 .599 (+12.0)

Northern Division
Current Leader: Chadds Ford Cannons - 99-63 .611 (+11.0)
Predicted: Wilmington Iron Pigs - 92-70 .568 (+2.0)

Atlantic Division
Current Leader: Georgetown Sixteens - 107-55 .660 (+29.0)
Predicted: Georgetown Sixteens - 98-64 .605 (+14.0)

Wild Cards:
(DEC) Seaford Blue Jays - 95-67 .586 .586 (+10.0)
(DEN) Wilmington Iron Pigs - 88-74 .543 (+3.0)

Beltway Division
Current Leader: Washington Senators - 106-56 .654 (+5.0)
Prediction: Washington Senators - 96-66 .593 (+5.0)

Mountain Division
Current Leader: Martinsburg Mountaineers - 91-71 .562 (+2.0)
Prediction: Martinsburg Mountaineers & Ellicott City Express - 91-71 .562 (+4.0)

Coastal Division
Current Leader: Chesapeake Blue Crabs - 93-69 .574 (+2.0)
Prediction: Norfolk Cavaliers - 97-65 .599 (+17.0)

Wild Cards:
(MVC) Baltimore Barons - 101-61 .623 (+12.0)
(MVB) Norfolk Cavaliers - 91-71 .562 (+2.0)

League Leaders - Final Statistics

Delaware Conference Leaders:
Average: Patrick Coates, Clippers: .383
HR: Lorenzo Montoya, Blue Hens: 61
RBI: Mark Hayes, Milford Clippers: 140
SB: Rafael Hernandez, Milford: 76
WAR: Patrick Coates, Clippers: 11.8

ERA: Chris Brock, Sixteens: 2.63
W: Jose Lopez, Sixteens: 20
K's: Bryan Washington, Blue Hens: 236
SV: 3-Players tied: 36
WAR: Ricardo Gonzalez, Clippers: 7.2

MVP Canidates: Patrick Coates, Clippers (.383-39-121, 11.8 WAR), Howard Porter, Sixteens (.340-27-107, 7.2 WAR), Naoaki Okubo, Sixteens (.327-48-131, 7.0 WAR)
GA Canidates: Ricardo Gonazlez, Clippers (17-9 3.19, 7.2 WAR), Jose Lopez, Sixteens (20-5 3.21, 5.1 WAR), Tim Lynch, Clippers (18-6 3.54, 3.4 WAR), Chris Brock, Sixteens (16-7 2.63, 5.0 WAR)

MarVa Conference Leaders:
Average: Rafael Estrada, Barons: .356
HR: Manuel Miranda, Senators: 53
RBI: Manuel Miranda, Senators: 131
SB: David Gonzalez, Barons: 79
WAR: Gabriel Castellanos, Senators, Ulbrecht Gette, Martinsburg: 7.4

ERA: Sancho Acevedo, Barons: 2.06
W: Jesus Cruz, Barons/Tadasuke Uenohara, Blue Crabs: 20
K's: Jose Hernandez, Barons: 276
SV: Andres Ortiz, Barons: 50
WAR: Scott Vanciny, Tourists: 9.2

MVP Canidates: Gabriel Castellanos, Senators (.282-32-88, 7.4 WAR), Ulbrecht Gette, Mountaineers (.327-30-96, 7.4 WAR), Manuel Miranda, Senators (.322-53-131, 6.9 WAR), Petar Mrdja, Ports (.280-45-128, 5.8 WAR)
GA Canidates: Sancho Acevedo, Barons (15-2 2.06, 4.8 WAR), Jesus Cruz, Barons (20-6 2.81, 6.1), Tadasuke Uenohara, Blue Crabs (20-5 3.44, 3.7 WAR), Jose Hernandez, Barons (19-10 2.99, 6.4 WAR), Scott Vanciny, Tourists (13-12 3.51, 9.2 WAR)

Single Season Records
AVG: Tyrone Jackson (2036): .388
HR: Jimmy Moore (2035): 67
RBI: Alberto Trujillo (2017): 163
SB: Pedro Galvan (2017): 80
WAR: Peter Peters (2016): 12.5

ERA: Ricardo Gonzalez (2029): 1.41
W: Ricardo Gonzalez (2033): 27
K's: Ricardo Gonzalez (2033): 345
SV: Miguel Angel Gonzalez (2037): 54
WAR: Ricardo Gonzalez (2032): 14.0

[illeracula]

DBL News: Playoffs begin: It's playoff time. The best teams have emerged from the divisional battles and now it is the survival of the fittest. Only one team will survive and they will be crowned the DELMARVA Baseball League champions. Here are the matchups:

Delaware Conference:
The Wild Card:
Wilmington Iron Pigs versus Seaford Blue Jays

• The Blue Jays won 5 of 12 games during the regular season.
• Runs Scored: Iron Pigs 802 (4th), Blue Jays 732 (6th)
• Runs Against: Blue Jays 599 (2nd), Iron Pigs 697 (6th)

The best-of-three game series will start in Wilmington for Game 1, and Games 2 and 3 will be played in Seaford.

Divisional Round:
Milford Clippers versus Chadds Ford Cannons
Wild Card Winner Vs Georgetown Sixteens

MarVa Conference:
The Wild Card:
Norfolk Cavaliers versus Baltimore Barons

• The Season series was tied 6-6 during the regular season.
• Runs Scored: Barons 805 (3rd), Cavaliers 776 (4th)
• Runs Against: Barons 602 (1st), Cavaliers 657 (2nd)

The best-of-three game series will begin in Norfolk, then head to Baltimore for the final two games.

Divisional Round:
Wild Card Winner vs Washington Senators
Chesapeake Blue Crabs vs Martinsburg Mountaineers




Coming up with the 25-man roster for the playoffs is a bit tricky. We will be playing a 7-game series so do I want to carry 10 or 11 pitchers? Do I bring that 11th pitcher or stay with the extra fielder? Roger Phillips, Tully Maxwell, Jose Ayala or Byung-ho Ch'on? The one thing about bringing Ch'on is we will have a better defensive outfielder. I am not really sure what I want to do to.

Pitchers:
SP Robert Shepherd
SP Juan Cuesta
SP John Robertson
SP Gregorio Costello
MR Gehrig Pearl
MR Reed Davis
MR Gallin Krall
MR Eric Harmon
MR Oscar Robinson
MR Dani Rubio
MR Jose Santors

One thing I like about this group is we have pitchers like Krall, Harmon, Reed, Pearl who can all go deep into games. And if Pearl isn't in the rotation we have two lefty's in the pen Rubio and Pearl. This is if we go with 11 pitchers, which I am not sure I need to do.

Position Players
C: Jose Matos
1B: Naofumi Ohayashi
2B: Melvin Wallstreet
3B: Eugene Todd
SS: Chris Mildmay
LF: Lorenzo Leal
CF: Mikel Wallstreet
RF: Phil Davis
DH: Ambrose Gutierrez

Bench:
C: Raul Garcia
2B: Juan Guzman
2B: Roger Phillips
UT: Brad Sims
OF: Giovanni Smith

If we go with 14 position players I will have to make an adjustment, since we are very short in dept in the OF. Which means Guzman or Phillips will have to be removed. This is why I am thinking drop a pitcher (WHO?) and bring in an OF'er, like Ch'on. Just doesn't seem like a good makeup with too many OF'ers in the starting lineup takes away on some of the D. Especially since Leal isn't a great fielder.

I have a couple of days to think on this...

[illeracula]

DBL News: Playoffs begin: It's playoff time. The best teams have emerged from the divisional battles and now it is the survival of the fittest. Only one team will survive and they will be crowned the DELMARVA Baseball League champions. Here are the matchups:

Delaware Conference:
The Wild Card:
Wilmington Iron Pigs versus Seaford Blue Jays

Game 1: Iron Pigs 11, Blue Jays 3
Game 2: Blue Jays 5, Iron Pigs 1
Game 3: Blue Jays 6, Iron Pigs 5

Blue Jays Prevail, as The Wild Card Goes to the Wire:
Seaford Blue Jays won a nail-biting series against the Wilmington Iron Pigs 2-1, wrapping up the The Wild Card finale 6-5 at Blue Jays Ballpark. Blue Jays left fielder Howard Gray was named the series MVP. He batted .500, drove in 5 runs and scored 4 to lead Seaford into the next round of play. "Howard was real solid for us, real solid," said Blue Jays manager Matt Spencer. "I normally say I'd like to have nine of him out there, but thankfully we got by with just one this time." The Seaford Blue Jays will play against the Georgetown Sixteens in the next round. Georgetown had a bye in the The Wild Card. The Division Round schedule will be announced after the The Wild Card finishes..

Divisional Round:
Milford Clippers versus Chadds Ford Cannons

• Season series was won by the Clippers 8 to 5
• Runs Scored: Cannons 887 (1st), Clippers 876 (2nd)
• Runs Against: Clippers 666 (4th), Cannons 691 (5th)
• Schedule: Chadds Ford, Chadds Ford, Milford, Milford, Milford, Chadds Ford, Chadds Ford

Seaford Blue Jays Vs Georgetown Sixteens

• Season Series was won by the Blue Jays 7 to 5
• Runs Scored: Sixteens 832 (3rd), Blue Jays 732 (6th)
• Runs Against: Sixteens 547 (1st), Blue Jays 599 (2nd)
• Schedule: GTown, GTown, Seaford, Seaford, Seaford, GTown, Gtown

MarVa Conference:
The Wild Card:
Norfolk Cavaliers versus Baltimore Barons

Game 1: Cavaliers 9, Barons 3
Game 2: Barons 5, Cavaliers 3
Game 3: Cavaliers 2, Barons 1

Cavaliers Prevail, as The Wild Card Goes to the Wire:
A classic and dramatic The Wild Card has wrapped up, with the Norfolk Cavaliers outlasting the Baltimore Barons to advance to the Division Round. Norfolk won the final game by a score of 2-1 and took the series 2-1. "We can enjoy this one tonight, but then it's back to work and thinking about the next win," said Norfolk first baseman Oliver Ramos, whose standout performance earned him the nod as series MVP. Ramos hit .545 with a .615 on-base percentage. He had 2 home runs, drove in 2 RBI and scored 4 runs. The Norfolk Cavaliers will play against the Washington Senators in the next round. Washington had a bye in the The Wild Card. The Division Round schedule will be announced after the The Wild Card finishes.

The bad news for the Cavaliers is...
González Set to Miss 2 Months:
The Norfolk Cavaliers have made it official: Juan González is headed to the disabled list. The 30-year-old starting pitcher has been out since 09/30/2038 with biceps tendinitis. He is expected to miss 2 months. For the year González has compiled a 15-12 record with a 4.56 ERA.

Divisional Round:
Norfolk Cavaliers vs Washington Senators

• The Season Series was won by the Senators 9 to 3.
• Runs Scored: Senators 953 (1st), Cavaliers 776 (4th)
• Runs Against: Cavaliers 657 (2nd), Senators 666 (3rd)
• Schedule: Washington, Washington, Norfolk, Norfolk, Norfolk, Washington, Washington

Chesapeake Blue Crabs vs Martinsburg Mountaineers

• The Season series was tied 6-6.
• Runs Scored: Mountaineers 846 (2nd), Blue Crabs 740 (8th)
• Runs Against: Blue Crabs 674 (4th), Mountaineers 735 (7th)
• Schedule: Chesapeake, Chesapeake, Martinsburg, Martinsburg, Martinsburg, Chesapeake, Chesapeake

I made my final roster selection. It was tough, but I decided to remove Gallin Krall (4-1 2.79) from the playoff roster. I like Krall and he will be playing a big role in 2039, but he was the bullpen pitcher with the least amount of control. So bye he was the odd man out... and with Krall coming off I added Byung-Ho Ch'on (.253-1-23). Not the 'best' selection, but the only OF'er I had available on the 40-man. Ch'on brings a little more OF defense depth and speed. I almost went with Jose Ayala, but in the end I felt like I needed another OF'er.

Pitchers:
SP Robert Shepherd
SP Juan Cuesta
SP John Robertson
SP Gregorio Costello
MR Gehrig Pearl
MR Reed Davis
MR Eric Harmon
MR Oscar Robinson
MR Dani Rubio
MR Jose Santors

Position Players
C: Jose Matos
1B: Naofumi Ohayashi
2B: Melvin Wallstreet
3B: Eugene Todd
SS: Chris Mildmay
LF: Lorenzo Leal
CF: Mikel Wallstreet
RF: Phil Davis
DH: Ambrose Gutierrez

Bench:
C: Raul Garcia
2B: Juan Guzman
2B: Roger Phillips
UT: Brad Sims
OF: Giovanni Smith
OF: Byung-Ho Ch'on

I feel like this is a solid roster at least one that will get us by Milford... We will have our hands full against this Clippers team which pretty much owned us during the regular seasons. I am not sure what to expect, but I am glad we have Robert Shepherd back.

Partick Coates (.440-4-14) and Mark Hayes (.294-1-13) will have to be handled during this series if we expect to win. I am a little worried about their bats. Our pitching will need to step it up. I do believe we can do it, but that doesn't mean I can't be nervous. They have this amazing pitching staff and Tim Lynch (2-1 1.64) and Ricardo Gonzalez (2-0 3.32) dominated us this season!

One thing we do have going for us is Robert Shepherd, he didn't face the Clippers this season which I find a bonus. But Juan Cuesta (2-1 2.63) and Gregorio Costello (1-2 3.91) did and faired ok.

We do have our hands full... I just hope we come through. I want this year to be "OUR" year! I don't want to let down our fans, and this team really gives us our best shot ever.

[illeracula]

Game 1: Milford Clippers at Chadds Ford
Ricardo Gonzalez (17-9 3.19) vs Robert Shepherd (4-4 3.38)

We are back in the playoffs and we have a tough road ahead of us, as we face off against on the leagues top teams. This should be an interesting battle against the Clipppers one I do believe we should be able to win. They owned us during the regular season, but the last time we saw them in August we split... we match up pretty well with them.

Gmae 1 should be a pitching duel with two of the games best pitchers facing off against each other. Should be a fun one... I hope our guys are ready, I know I am. We will be going with our best offensive lineup... but may be making some defensive changes as the game progresses:
DH Ambrose Gutierrez, SS Chirs Mildmay, CF Mikel Wallstreet, LF Lorenzo Leal, RF Phil Davis, 2B Melvin Wallstreet, C Jose Matos, 1B Naofumi Ohayashi, 3B Eugene Todd

Players to Watch:
Ricardo Gonzalez: 2-0 3.32 vs Chadds Ford
Alejando Feliciano: 5-22 .227, HR vs Shepherd
Patrick Coates: 2-7 .286 vs Shepherd
Juan Hernandez: 0-10 vs Shepherd
Ambrose Gutierrez: 5-10 .500 vs Gonzalez
Lorenzo Leal: 3-7 .429, HR
Mikel Wallstreet: 1-9, vs Gonzalez
Robert Shepherd: 0-0 0.00 vs Milford

Game 1:
Inning 1:
Top: Shepherd sets down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: Rodriguez sets down the Cannons 1-2-3
After 1: 0-0

Inning 2:
Top: After setting down the first 2-batters, Juan Hernandez just missed a HR with a triples off the top of the CF wall. He would be left at 3B when Bryan Cooper grounded out to end the inning.
Bottom: After Leal flew out to RF, Phil Davis singled to right. After Melvin Wallstreet flew out to left, Phil Davis would steal second. Jose Matos would look at strike three to end the inning.
After 2: 0-0

Inning 3:
Top: Shepherd sets down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: Naofumi Ohayashi lead off the inning with a double to center. Eugene Todd would get drilled by a 1-0 fastball. Ambrose Guiterrez was called on to bunt, he laid it down too hard and Ohayashi was gunned down at 3B for out #1. Chris Mildmay would pick up Guiterrez with a double to left-center scoring both Todd and Guiterrez. Mikel Wallstreet strikes out for out #2. Lorenzo Leal singled to right scoring Mildmay. Phil Davis would follow with a single. With runners on 1st and 2nd Melvin Wallstreet stuck out. The Cannons however would strike first.
After 3: 3-0 Cannons

Inning 4:
Top: Shepherd sets down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: After a fly out by Jose Matos Naofumi Ohayahsi would single to left. Eugene Todd would draw a 4-pitch wal. Ambrose Guiterrez singled to right loading the bases. Chris Mildmay struck out for out #2. Mikel Wallstreet would be hit by the 2-2 pitch scoring Ohayashi and chasing Ricardo Gonzalez from the game. With new pitcher Kelly Smith on the himm Lorenzo Leal would single to right, scoring Eugene Todd and Ambrose Gutierrez. Phil Davis followed with a ground out to second to end the inning.
After 4: 6-0 Cannons

Inning 5:
Top: Shepherd sets down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: Smith sets down the Cannons 1-2-3
After 5: 0-0

Inning 6:
Top: Shepherd sets down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: After 2-groundouts Chris Mildmay legged out an infield single. Mikel Wallstreet ground out to end the inning.
After 6: 6-0 Cannons

Inning 7:
Top: With one out Patrick Coates would get the bats going for the Clippers lacing a doulbe to left-center field. He would come to score on an Artie Hamilton single. But Mark Hayes struck out and Juan Hernandez would pop out to second to end the inning.
Bottom: Lorenzo Leal would start the inning off with a double to left-center. Phil Davis was intentionally walked. Melvin Wallstreet would double in Leal moving Wallstreet to third. Jose Matos ground out 6-3 with the infield drawn in. Naofumi Ohayashi laced a liner to left, Leal would tag and score. Eugene Todd ended the inning flying out to deep right-center.
After 7: 8-1 Cannons

Inning 8:
Top: A single by Bryan Cooper would start the 8th. After visiting the mound and Shepherd letting me know he was "pefectly fine" he would set down the next three Clippers batters.
Bottom: Smith sets down the Cannons 1-2-3
After 8: 8-1 Cannons

Inning 9:
Top: Shepherd sets down the Clippers 1-2-3, including getting Patrick Coates to pop out to second base.
Bottom:
After 9: 8-1 Cannons

Cannons take Game 1 8-1, taking a series lead 1-0, thanks to a great outing by Robert Shepherd.

Final
Milford: 1
Chadds Ford: 8
W: Robert Shepherd (1-)
L: Ricardo Gonzalez (0-1)

Cannons lead series 1-0

Robert Shepherd: 9.0 IP, 4 H, R, 5 K, W (POG)
Lorenzo Leal: 3-4, 2B, R, 3 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-3, R, SB
Chris Mildmay: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-3, 2B, R, RBI
H: 11, LOB: 7

Not much to say about this game, but "Robert Shepherd". He was on and he dominated the game keeping the big bats of the Clippers at bay. Coates got a double, but it didn't mean much in the 7th. I hope this is a good sign for us, we beat a good pitcher and will have to beat another tomorrow. But we got the first W and that means a lot to me.

Other Series:

Delaware Conference:
Game 1: Seaford 2, Georgetown 8 (Sixteens lead 1-0)
W: Chris Brock, L: John Smith
POG: Naoaki Okubo (GEO)

Game 2: Seaford , Georgetown
Game 3: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 4: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 5: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 6: Seaford , Georgetown
Game 7: Seaford , Georgetown

MarVa Conference:
Game 1: Norfolk 1, Washington 3 (Washington Leads 1-0)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Julio Rocha (WAS)

Game 2: Norfolk 8, Washington 7 (Series tied 1-1)
W: Brad Olson, L: Edmond Scott, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Jesus Hernandez (WAS)

Game 3: Washington , Norfolk
Game 4: Washington , Norfolk
Game 5: Washington , Norfolk
Game 6: Norfolk , Washington
Game 7: Norfolk , Washington

Game 1: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 1 (Martinsburg Leads 1-0)
W: Hugh Duncan, L: Tadasuke Uenohara
POG: Hugh Duncan (MMM)

Game 2: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 2, 11 Innings (Martinsburg Leads 2-0)
W: Nori Suzuki, L: Jose Ruiz
POG: Sancho Castro (MMM)

Game 3: Chesapeake , Martinsbug
Game 4: Chesapeake , Martinsbug
Game 5: Chesapeake , Martinsbug
Game 6: Martinsbug , Chesapeake
Game 7: Martinsbug , Chesapeake

[illeracula]

Game 2: Milford Clippers at Chadds Ford
Tim Lynch (18-6 3.54) vs John Robertson (11-8 4.54)

John Robertson didn't have the year I was expecting him to have, but he had his moments. I do believe he will be a solid pitcher over the course of his career, but I need him to be that solid pitcher tonight. And the reason I will need him to be that pitcher tonight is becuase we are going up against another one of the games top pitches. Our line-up, the same as in Game 1 will need to step it up as they did against Gonzalez...

DH Ambrose Gutierrez, SS Chirs Mildmay, CF Mikel Wallstreet, LF Lorenzo Leal, RF Phil Davis, 2B Melvin Wallstreet, C Jose Matos, 1B Naofumi Ohayashi, 3B Eugene Todd

Players to Watch:
Tim Lynch: 2-1 1.64 vs Chadds Ford
Artie Hamilton: 7-16 .438, 2 HR's vs Robertson
Rafael Hernandez: 6-11 .545 vs Robertson
Ryosei Aoki: 5-9 .556, HR vs Robertson
Naofumi Ohayashi: 7-16 .438 vs Lynch
Phil Davis: 6-25 .240, 2 HR's vs Lynch
John Robertson: 0-2 19.29 vs Clippers

Game 2:
Inning 1:
Top: Robertson gave up a 1-out infield single to Artie Hamilton, but would erase him on a 4-6-3 DP to end the inning.
Bottom: With 2-outs Mikel Wallstreet doubled to left, but Leal couldn't get him home and flew out to end the inning
After 1: 0-0

Inning 2:
Top: Robertson would shut down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: Phil Davis legged out an infield hit to start the inning. 1-out later he would move to second on a single by Jose Matos. After Ohayashi flew out to left, Eugene Todd was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Ambrose Guiterrez would hit a hard grounder to second to end the inning.
After 2: 0-0

Inning 3:
Top: The inning started with a single by Pedro Cantu, but a pop-out and 2-K's later the inning was over.
Bottom: With 2-outs Lorenzo Leal singled to left, but he was gunned down trying to steal second ending the inning.
After 3: 0-0

Inning 4:
Top: Robertson shut down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: With 2-outs Jose Matos doubled to right-center, but Ohayashi struck out ending the inning
After 4: 0-0

Inning 5:
Top: A 1-out single by Glenn Velasco was all the Clippers managed. Robertson struck out the #9 and 1 hitters to end the inning.
Bottom: The Cannons are shut down by Lynch 1-2-3.
After 5: 0-0

Inning 6:
Top: Robertson shut down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: A 2-out walk by Phil Davis was all the Cannons could manage.
After 6: 0-0

Inning 7:
Top: Robertson shut down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: With 1-out Naofumi Ohayshi singled to left. After a Todd strike out Ambrose Gutierrez beat out an infield single, but Chirs Mildmay couldn't get the job done hitting into the 6-4 FC.
After 7: 0-0

Inning 8:
Top: John Robertson struck out the first batter before giving up a single to Pedro Cantu, but he would settle down and get PH Dan Foley to ground out and then Aoki flew out to end the inning.
Bottom: Michael White would replace Tim Lynch on the bump for the Clippers and the first two batters went down flyout strike-out. Phil Davis would battle White in a 10-pitch at-bat that would end with a Davis curving a solo-HR down the RF line for the first run of the game. Melvin Wallstreet singled and Jose Matos would crush the first pitch he saw deep into the right-center stands, chasing White. Austin Ewing would get Ohayashi to fly-out and the end inning.
After 8: 3-0 Cannons lead

Inning 9:
Top: After a lead-off single by Rafael Hernandez, John Robertson day was over and in came Dani Rubio. Artie Hamilton singled bringing the tying run to the plate. Patrick Coates struck out for out #1. Todd Gatchalian singled on an infield single to load the bases. Rubi would bounce the the first pitch to Bryan Cooper scoring Hernandez and moving the runners up. Bryan Cooper grounded out to second scoring Artie Hamilton and moving the tying run to third. Oscar Robinson was called on to get us out of the inning. Glenn Velasco lined out to first to end the game!
Bottom:
After 9: 3-2 Cannons win Game 2

Final
Milford: 2
Chadds Ford: 3
W: John Robertson (1-0)
L: Michael White (0-1)
S: Oscar Robinson (1)

Cannons lead series 2-0

John Robertson: 8.0 IP, 5 H, R, 7 K, W
Oscar Robinson: 0.1 IP, SV
Jorge Matos: 3-4, 2B, HR (1), R, 2 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-3, HR (1), R, RBI
H: 10, LOB: 7

Our starter did it again. This time John Robertson held the Clippers big bats in check and that has been the most important thing. But now we will be heading to Milford and keeping Patrick Coates and Mark Hayes in check might be a problem. But for now we have to be happy that we heading out of Chadds Ford with a two game lead. I am excited about how this team is playing and now we have to win 2 of 5 games. Doesn't seem as hard as it will be.

Other Series:
Delaware Conference:
Game 1: Seaford 2, Georgetown 8 (Sixteens lead 1-0)
W: Chris Brock, L: John Smith
POG: Naoaki Okubo (GEO)

Game 2: Seaford 8, Georgetown 3 (Series is tied 1-1)
W: Donald Bender, L: Ernie Kennedy
POG: Donald Bender

Game 3: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 4: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 5: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 6: Seaford , Georgetown
Game 7: Seaford , Georgetown

MarVa Conference:
Game 1: Norfolk 1, Washington 3 (Washington Leads 1-0)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Julio Rocha (WAS)

Game 2: Norfolk 8, Washington 7 (Series tied 1-1)
W: Brad Olson, L: Edmond Scott, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Jesus Hernandez (WAS)

Game 3: Washington , Norfolk
Game 4: Washington , Norfolk
Game 5: Washington , Norfolk
Game 6: Norfolk , Washington
Game 7: Norfolk , Washington

Game 1: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 1 (Martinsburg Leads 1-0)
W: Hugh Duncan, L: Tadasuke Uenohara
POG: Hugh Duncan (MMM)

Game 2: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 2, 11 Innings (Martinsburg Leads 2-0)
W: Nori Suzuki, L: Jose Ruiz
POG: Sancho Castro (MMM)

Game 3: Chesapeake , Martinsbug
Game 4: Chesapeake , Martinsbug
Game 5: Chesapeake , Martinsbug
Game 6: Martinsbug , Chesapeake
Game 7: Martinsbug , Chesapeake

[illeracula]

Game 3: Chadds Ford at Milford Clippers
Juan Cuesta (16-5 4.05) vs Tucker Barford (13-9 4.34)

Patterson had Cuest in as the closer, but I think he is more valuable to us starting so he will be getting the game ball. Going in game 4 Gregorio Costello, but for now Cuesta (IMO) gives us the best chance to win. We won the first two games, so why make any changes to the lineup at this time? I did think about putting Brad Sims in at 3B, but didn't want to break up what we have going... so for now its the same 9.

DH Ambrose Gutierrez, SS Chirs Mildmay, CF Mikel Wallstreet, LF Lorenzo Leal, RF Phil Davis, 2B Melvin Wallstreet, C Jose Matos, 1B Naofumi Ohayashi, 3B Eugene Todd

This should be an intesting game, since we don't have many bats with experience against Tucker Barford, so we will see what happens.

Players to Watch:
Juan Cuesta: 2-1 2.63 vs Milford
Mikel Wallstreet: 3-5 .600, HR vs Barford
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-8 .375
Artie Hamilton: 4-11 .364, HR vs Cuesta
Patrick Coates: 4-16 .250 vs Cuesta
Pedro Canto: 2-14 .143 vs Cuesta, .667 in the series.

Will we take the 3-0? It is going to be tough for us to, as we are playing in Milford. They play well at home and we play ok on the road... fingers crossed. I hope we jump out early, these nail biters are tough.

Game 3:
Inning 1:
Top: Ambrose Gutierrez got the game started with an infield single. He was quickly erased however on the 6-4-3 DP. Wallstreet followed with a ground out and the Cannons would go down quietly.
Bottom: Cuesta's nerves were showing early with a lead-off walk to Rafael Hernandez. After a deep flyout by Artie Hamilton, Patrick Coates would crush a 2-2 FB for a 475ft 2-run HR. Cuesta would get Hayes to ground out. Plunk Bryan Cooper and finally get out of the inning by when Glenn Velasco lined out sharply to third.
After 1: 2-0 Clippers

Inning 2:
Top: Barford would sit down the Cannons 4-5-6 hitters, 1-2-3.
Bottom: Cuesta quickly retired the first 2-hitters of the inning. But Ryosei Aoki doubled to left to keep the inning going. Lead-off man Rafael Hernandez would flex his muscled and drive the 3-2 pitch into the RF bleaches for 2 more runs. Cuesta would give up a single and walk 2 to load the bases. Gehrig Pearl replaced Cuesta on the hill and struck out Bryan Cooper to end inning.
After 2: 4-0 Clippers

Inning 3:
Top: Naofumi drew a 1-out walk. Eugene Todd followed with a single to right. But Gutierrez and Mildmay would go down ending the inning.
Bottom: Glenn Velasco singled to start the third. After a K, Alejandro Feliciano singled, moving Velasco to third. With runners on seecond and third Pearl bounced a ball to the back-stop scoring Velasco. Aoki struck out and Hernandez lined to third ending the inning.
After 3: 5-0 Clippers

Inning 4:
Top: A 1-out single by Lorenzo Leal was erased by a 4-6-3 DP.
Bottom: Pearl walked Patrick Coates with 1-out, but retired the next two to get out of the inning
After 4: 5-0 Clippers

Inning 5:
Top: With one-out Jose Matos singled up the middle. Naofumi Ohayashi followed with a double to left-center. With 1-out Eugene Todd hit a deep fly ball to the fence, Matos tagged and scored. Giving the Cannons their first run of the game. Gutierrez grounded out ending the inning.
Bottom: A 1-out walk to Pedro Cantu didn't mean much as Pearl retired the next to batters.
After 5: 5-1 Clippers

Inning 6:
Top: Chris Mildmay got the inning started with a single. But Wallstreet, Leal and Davis went down in order leaving Mildmay at first.
Bottom: A double by Rafael Hernandez got the Clippers started in the 6th. Pearl settled down got Hamilton to fly out, strike out Coates and Hayes popped out to the catcher. Leaving Hernandez at 2nd.
After 6: 5-1 Clippers

Inning 7:
Top: Barford locked us up setting us down 1-2-3
Bottom: A single by Bryan Cooper got the inning started. He moved to second on the sac-bunt. Pearl struck out Cantu. Feliciano lined out ending the inning
After 7: 5-1 Clippers

Inning 8:
Top: Cannons once again shut-down by Barford 1-2-3
Bottom: Pearl retired the first 2, but was exhausted, so in came Dani Rubio. Rubio retired Artie Hamilton ending the inning.
After 8: 5-1 Clippers

Inning 9:
Top: Mikel Wallstreet strikes out looking! Lorenzo leal grounds out to second. Phil Davis keeps the game going drawing the four pitch walk. Melvin Wallstreet flies out weekly to left ending the inning and the game.
Bottom:
After 9: 5-1 Clippers WIN

Final
Chadds Ford: 1
Milford: 5
W: Tucker Barford (1-0)
L: Juan Cuesta (0-1)

Cannons lead series 2-1

Juan Cuesta: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, K, L
Gehrig Pearl: 6.0 IP, 4 H, R, 2 BB, 8 K
Eugene Todd: 1-2, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-2, 2B
Mikel Wallstreet: 0-4, 3 K
H: 6, LOB: 5

I didn't expect us to sweep the Clippers, but losing like this was tough. We match up well against the Clippers and Barford, but he locked our bats up! I am not sure Cuesta will be getting another post-season start. I am worried about his performance, not just this one, but his 2 from last season. His post-season stats are awful: 3 GS, 0-2 15.26, 7.2 IP, 15 H, 13 R ... How can I trust him right now? He is so much better than that.... Speaking of slumps, we can't win if Mikel Wallstreet doesn't hit and he is in an AWFUL cold-spell. He is 1-12 (.083) during the playoffs with 6 K's. His only other playoff experience came in 2035 and he hit .250 as a 19-year-old. I need, no I expect, much more from him. He is our offensive catalyst.

Maybe it is time in Game 4 to make some changes... Melvin Wallstreet is only 2-12 (.167), Eugene Todd has gotten on base, but isn't' hitting (1-6, .167)... overall our offense is battling some cold spots... something you hate to see during the post-season... Maybe Brad Sims and Juan Guzman next game??

I do have to give props to Gehrig Pearl coming in and shutting down the Clippers. He kept the game close and he gave us a shot to win... I do think his performance and Cuesta's lack of shows how much we are missing Ying-Hua Ji this series. To have another lefty starter would be so big!

I am taking this loss hard, probably harder than I should... my already high blood pressure is boiling....maybe tomorrow will be better. Costello will be getting the ball I just hope he is ready for it. I need to win 1 of the next 2-games in Milford to have any hopes of going to the next round.

Other Series:
Delaware Conference:
Game 1: Seaford 2, Georgetown 8 (Sixteens lead 1-0)
W: Chris Brock, L: John Smith
POG: Naoaki Okubo (GEO)

Game 2: Seaford 8, Georgetown 3 (Series is tied 1-1)
W: Donald Bender, L: Ernie Kennedy
POG: Donald Bender

Game 3: Georgetown 1, Seaford 5 (Seaford leads 2-1)
W: Chris Courtney, L: Antonio Cortes, S: Cy Head
POG: Chris Courtney (SEA)

Game 4: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 5: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 6: Seaford , Georgetown
Game 7: Seaford , Georgetown

MarVa Conference:
Game 1: Norfolk 1, Washington 3 (Washington Leads 1-0)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Julio Rocha (WAS)

Game 2: Norfolk 8, Washington 7 (Series tied 1-1)
W: Brad Olson, L: Edmond Scott, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Jesus Hernandez (WAS)

Game 3: Washington 1, Norfolk 1 (Norfolk leads 2-1)
W: Bob Davis (1-0), L: Andrew Clark (0-1)
POG: Bob Davis (NFK)

Game 4: Washington 4, Norfolk 8 (Norfolk leads 3-1)
W: Scott Stephenson, L: Whit Nelson, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Abraham Towns (WAS)

Game 5: Washington , Norfolk
Game 6: Norfolk , Washington
Game 7: Norfolk , Washington

Game 1: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 1 (Martinsburg Leads 1-0)
W: Hugh Duncan, L: Tadasuke Uenohara
POG: Hugh Duncan (MMM)

Game 2: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 2, 11 Innings (Martinsburg Leads 2-0)
W: Nori Suzuki, L: Jose Ruiz
POG: Sancho Castro (MMM)

Game 3: Chesapeake 5, Martinsbug 4 (Martinsburg Leads 2-1)
W: Cesar Berau (1-0), L: Nori Suzuki (1-1), S: Jose Ruiz (1)
POG: Robinson Alaniz (CPK)

Game 4: Chesapeake 14, Martinsbug 7 (Series is tied 2-2)
W: Zach Harris, L: Eric Thomas, S: Emilio Leon
POG: Logan Richardson (CPK)

Game 5: Chesapeake , Martinsbug
Game 6: Martinsbug , Chesapeake
Game 7: Martinsbug , Chesapeake

[illeracula]

Game 4: Chadds Ford at Milford Clippers
Gregorio Costello (16-5 4.05) vs Leland Baker (8-11 3.46)

Maybe I learned my lesson last game going with Cuesta when Patterson really wanted Costello to go. Cuesta was awful and we lost.. so now it is Gregorio's turn to show me what I missed out on. This could also be a game for him to prove his worth here in Chadds Ford. Not only is he the team leader he is also about to get a nice arbitration payday. I'd hate to lose him and his leadership abilities, but if he can't win in the postseason why keep him around, right?? No pressure or anything.

There will be a minor chnage in the line-up. I am going to go swap Gutierrez and Mildmay, only because I think Mildmay is a better lead-off man. I am debating about Eugene Todd and Brad Sims. Todd hasn't hit, but he has got on base regularly. Sims is HOT and a better fielder. Not much more time, so I will have to figure this out... One move I thought about doing but didn't was dropping Wallstreet to 5t, but he is the heart of this lineup dropping him doesn't make much sense... In the end I kept Todd in the game since he was 1-2 against Baker lifetime. (I was going to make big lineup changes, but got a little nervous so this is what we have).

SS Chirs Mildmay, DH Ambrose Gutierrez, CF Mikel Wallstreet, LF Lorenzo Leal, RF Phil Davis, 2B Melvin Wallstreet, C Jose Matos, 1B Naofumi Ohayashi, 3B Eugene Todd

Players to Watch:
Gregorio Costello: 1-2 3.91 vs Milford
Melvin Wallstreet: 4-6 .667 vs Baker
Mikel Wallstreet: 1-7 .143 vs Baker
Patrick Coates: 16-23 .696, 4 HR's vs Costello
Rafael Hernandez: 8-18 .444 vs Costello
Leland BAker: 1-1 4.61 vs Chadds Ford

Who is reaady for Game 4? I know I am, I just hope those starting 9 are too. Now that the Clippers had a taste of success I might need to watch out... if they pick it up, so do we, just more so.

Game 4:
Inning 1:
Top: With 2-outs Mikel Wallstreet walked. Lorenzo Leal followed with a single. But Phil Davis popped out to end the inning.
Bottom: Costello looked good in the first setting the Clips down 1-2-3.
After 1: 0-0

Inning 2:
Top: Baker settled in and shut down the Cannons 1-2-3.
Bottom: 2-outs and the bases empty Glenn Velasco laced a single to right. But was left on first.
After 2: 0-0

Inning 3:
Top: The Cannons got things going in the 3rd thanks to a lead-off double by Eugene Todd and a walk to Chris Mildmay. With 2-runners on Ambrose Gutierrez laced a double down the left-field line for a double scoring Todd. Wallstreet and Leal went down swinging. With 2-outs Phil Davis singled to right scoring by Mildmay and Gutierrez. The Cannons struck first.
Bottom: Costello came out in the 3rd with the lead and set the Clippers down 1-2-3.
After 3: 3-0 Cannons

Inning 4:
Top: Eugene Todd walked with 2-outs, that was the only action int he 4th.
Bottom: Make Hayes came to the plate with 2-outs and laced a double down the line. He scored easily on the next batters, Bryan Cooper, single to left. The Clippers begin to chip away.
After 4: 3-1 Cannons

Inning 5:
Top: The Cannons 2-3-4 go down 1-2-3 including 2-more K's by Wallstreet and Leal.
Bottom: Costello woudl thow a lot of pitches (20) in the inning, but was still able to set-down the Clippers 1-2-3.
After 5: 3-1 Cannons

Inning 6:
Top: A lead-off single by Phil Davis chased the Clippers starter and brought in Austin Ewing out of the pen. Melvin Wallstreet greeted Ewing with a single. A passed-ball would move the runners up. With the infield in Jose Matos grounded out for out #1. 3-pitches later the game 6-1, thanks to a 3-run BLAST by Naofumi Ohayshi. A Mildmay single was the only other action the rest of the inning, but the damage was done.
Bottom: Costello walked the lead-off man. Retired Artie Hamilton on a pop-out. With Coates at the plate the speedy Rafael Hernandez would try to steal second, but Jose Matos gunned him down for the big 2nd out. Coates battled with a 9-pitch AB to draw the walk. Mark Hayes followed with a single. Bryan Cooper popped out to the SS. Costello pitched his way out of it.
After 6: 6-1 Cannons

Inning 7:
Top: Wallstreet and Leal would start the inning off with K's. Phil Davis drew a walk, but was left on first.
Bottom: Glenn Velasco started the 7th with a single. Pedro Canto popped-out. Feliciano and Aoki, the 8 and 9 hitters, walked to load the bases. Those two walks meant the end of the road for Costello, and in came Dani Rubio. Rubi bounced up the 0-2 pitch, which plated Velasco. Then settled down to strike out Hernandez and retire Hamilton. Damage averted again!
After 7: 6-2 Cannons

Inning 8:
Top: New pitcher Anastasio Garcia set the Cannons down 1-2-3 (7-8-9)
Bottom: Patrick Coates greeted Rubi in the 8th with a single. Rubi Struck out Hayes. Then gave u a single to Bryan Cooper... in comes our closer Jose Santos, runners on first and second 1-out. Velasco battled Santos then laced a grounder to short and into an inning ending 6-4-3 DP!
After 8: 6-2 Cannons

Inning 9:
Top: The Cannons 1-2-3 go down 1-2-3.
Bottom: Santos remains in the game to close out the game and give the Cannons a 3-1 lead in the series! Pedro Canto HR! Alejandro Felcianco HR! Aoki grounds out for out #1. Rafael Hernandez single to left and that was all she wrote for Santos. In comes Oscar Robinson... Artie Hamilton battled Robinson and on the 8th pitch of the at-bat the game was tied HR! The wind is out of the sails, all heck broke loose and the Clippers tied the game, OUR game! Patrick Coates singles to keep things going. Mark Hayes hits a ground-ball to first which is booted by Ohayshi! Bryan Cooper hits a slow roller to third and is retired, but the runners move up. Glenn Velasco laces a ball to center, Mikel Wallstreet makes a great play... Inning over, game tied! We are going to extras.
After 9: 6-6

Inning 10:
Top: In comes the Clippers closer and he shuts down the Cannons quickly 1-2-3 on 6-pitches.
Bottom: Robinson settles down and sets down the Clippers 1-2-3.
After 10: 6-6

Inning 11:
Top: With one-out Naofumi Ohayashi walks. With 2-outs Mildmay walks. Ambrose Gutierrez singles to load the bases and bring up our offensive star Mikel Wallstreet! Time for him to break out... Strike 3! Bases left loaded.
Bottom: Rafael Hernandez starts the inning off with a double. Artie Hamilton pops out. I decide to walk Patrick Coates, putting runners on first and second with 1-out. Out goes Robinson and in comes Gehrig Pearl. Strike 3! Out #2. Then Bryan Cooper grounds out sharply to second ending the inning.
After 11: 6-6

Inning 12:
Top: Out, out, out... 1-2-3, such a familiar sight tonight.
Bottom: Eric Harmon comes in for the long-haul... Velasco greets him with a single. But Harmon gets Cantu to ground into the 4-6-3 DP, and retires Juan Hernandez.
After 12: 6-6

Inning 13:
Top: This shouldn't be a surprise... Cannons are set down 1-2-3 (Garcia, Ohayashi, Sims). Garcia and Sims came in for defense purposes now I am regretting that move.
Bottom: Harmon sets the Clippers down 1-2-3.
After 13: 6-6

Inning 14:
Top: Top of the line-up sounds like some runs! 1-3, 3-1, 1-3... guess not this time.
Bottom: With 1-out Harmon walked Pedro Torres adn Bryan Cooper. Then settled down and retired Velasco and Cantu.
After 14: 6-6

Inning 15:
Top: Michael White was finally done and in comes Jim Molina. He started the inning with a walks to Phil Davis and Melvin Wallstreet! On the first pitch the runners break and steal second and third! Garcia hits a fly-ball to right, but not deep enough to score Davis. Ohayashi is walked to load the bases. Juan Guzman is called on to hit for Brad Sims who looked bad during his two trips. With a 2-2 count Guzman would hit a hard grounder up the middle, field by the short-stop who stepped on second ending the threat.
Bottom: With two outs lead-off man Rafael Hernandez finally ended the extra-inning drought hitting the first pitch he saw from Harmon 361 feet over the left-field wall giving the Clippers the improbably victory!!
After 15: 7-6 Clippers win!

Final
Chadds Ford: 6
Milford: 7
W: Jim Molina (1-0)
L: Eric Harmon (0-1)

Series is tied 2-2

Gregorio Costello: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K
Dani Rubio (H): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Jose Santos: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 HR
Oscar Robinson (BS): 2.0 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 3 K
Eric Harmon (L): 3.2 IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB, K
Mikel Wallstreet: 0-6, 4 K's
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-5, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-5, R, 2 RBI
Ambrose Gutierrez: 2-7, 2B, R, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 10

The Clippers closer Michael White threw 5.1 innings, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 6. He was the difference of the game and the reason why he was the POG... the power bat decided to show up for the Clippers after the 8th inning hitting 4 HR's... We have to get this under control.

I am not sure if this is my fault or what. I made all kinds of defensive substitutions in the final inning, thinking it was for the better, but the better meant weaker bats. Raul Garcia 0-3 all infield ground-outs and he had a passed-ball, Brad Sims 0-2 both K's, and Byung Ch'on who went 0-3 and didn't get the ball out of the infield... then again my 'closer' HAS to do better than 3 runs in the 9th... the second HR was killer, and just pure heartbreak for me. We were so close to a 3-1 lead and now we will be fighting in a best of 2 series... the nerves are picking back up... I will say that Gregorio Costello threw well, till he got tired in the 7th, Gehrig Pearl came in tired and threw 2/3's getting out a huge jam in the 10th and Eric Harmon kept the game close till allowing just 2-hits, he was up to 41 pitches which is high for him this season... just a tough tough loss... I am pretty certain that Mikel Wallstreet will NOT be in the #3 hole next game I can't have a guy hitting 1-18 (.056) with 10 K's in that spot! What a time to go cold...

Our bullpen was the strong point during the regular season, what happened? I am guessing nerves got to Santos in the 9th? Or was it experience by the Clippers? Either way I am feeling that Oscar Robinson will need to be doing the closing. The 24-year-old Santos can pitch in less stressful innings... Pressure is back on Shepherd. We must steal this game in Milford, it will make our lives so much easier. Must win game 5? I think it is especially with our #1 on the bump.

In the end this L is all on me. It is game we should have won, but just didn't and I take the blame. I overthought the strategy and overplayed my cards... I must do better.

Other Series:

Delaware Conference:
Game 1: Seaford 2, Georgetown 8 (Sixteens lead 1-0)
W: Chris Brock, L: John Smith
POG: Naoaki Okubo (GEO)

Game 2: Seaford 8, Georgetown 3 (Series is tied 1-1)
W: Donald Bender, L: Ernie Kennedy
POG: Donald Bender

Game 3: Georgetown 1, Seaford 5 (Seaford leads 2-1)
W: Chris Courtney, L: Antonio Cortes, S: Cy Head
POG: Chris Courtney (SEA)

Game 4: Georgetown 1, Seaford 4 (Seaford leads 3-1)
W: Owen Cobb, L: Jose Lopez, S: Cy head
POG: Owen Cobb (SEA)

Game 5: Georgetown , Seaford
Game 6: Seaford , Georgetown
Game 7: Seaford , Georgetown

MarVa Conference:
Game 1: Norfolk 1, Washington 3 (Washington Leads 1-0)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Julio Rocha (WAS)

Game 2: Norfolk 8, Washington 7 (Series tied 1-1)
W: Brad Olson, L: Edmond Scott, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Jesus Hernandez (WAS)

Game 3: Washington 1, Norfolk 1 (Norfolk leads 2-1)
W: Bob Davis (1-0), L: Andrew Clark (0-1)
POG: Bob Davis (NFK)

Game 4: Washington 4, Norfolk 8 (Norfolk leads 3-1)
W: Scott Stephenson, L: Whit Nelson, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Abraham Towns (NFK)

Game 5: Washington 11, Norfolk 6 (Norfolk leads 3-2)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Gabriel Castellanos (WAS)

Game 6: Norfolk , Washington
Game 7: Norfolk , Washington

Game 1: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 1 (Martinsburg Leads 1-0)
W: Hugh Duncan, L: Tadasuke Uenohara
POG: Hugh Duncan (MMM)

Game 2: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 2, 11 Innings (Martinsburg Leads 2-0)
W: Nori Suzuki, L: Jose Ruiz
POG: Sancho Castro (MMM)

Game 3: Chesapeake 5, Martinsbug 4 (Martinsburg Leads 2-1)
W: Cesar Berau (1-0), L: Nori Suzuki (1-1), S: Jose Ruiz (1)
POG: Robinson Alaniz (CPK)

Game 4: Chesapeake 14, Martinsbug 7 (Series is tied 2-2)
W: Zach Harris, L: Eric Thomas, S: Emilio Leon
POG: Logan Richardson (CPK)

Game 5: Chesapeake 4, Martinsbug 2 / 13 Innings (Chesapeake leads 3-2)
W: Joel Bolick, L: Nori Suzuki
POG: Tadasuke Uenohara (CPK)

Game 6: Martinsbug , Chesapeake
Game 7: Martinsbug , Chesapeake

[illeracula]

Game 4: Chadds Ford at Milford Clippers
Robert Shepherd (1-0 1.00) vs Ricardo Gonzalez (0-1 14.73)

I said this is must win and I really believe it. I have my ace on the bump today (Robert Shepherd) and then John Robertson tommorrow and then who knows for game 7. If we can win I will feel much better, if we lose we will be in a huge hole... am I worried? Yes I am. Our offense has just been stale and the Clippers owned us the last 2 games. One more game in Milford, and how sweet would it be to steal it!

Our line is changing today. Wallstreet and his .056 average can't bat #3, he might be one of the best hitters on the team, but right now he is a liability. He had multiple chances last game to win the game, which a true "star" would do but came up empty... change time!... Mikel Wallstreet (.056/.150/.111) will now hit 5th, Naofumi Ohayashi (.357/.444/.714) is in the 3 hole, Melvin Wallstreet (.167/.211/.222) is 9th and Eugene Todd (.222/.429/.333) is 7th... we now have a L/R/L pattern up and down the lineup, which I like as well... I was close to benching Melvin Wallstreet this game, but decided to keep him in the lineup.

SS Chirs Mildmay, DH Ambrose Gutierrez, 1B Naofumi Ohayashi, CF Mikel Wallstreet, LF Lorenzo Leal, RF Phil Davis, 3B Eugene Todd, C Jose Matos, 2B Melvin Wallstreet

We touched up Ricardo Gonzalez last game and I am pretty certain he won't allow us to do that again, so we will need to be bring our A game all around...

Players to Watch:
Robert Shepehrd 2nd game against the Clippers, both in this series.
Mikel Wallstreet: 1-9 .111 vs Gonzalez, .056 during this series.
Lorenzo Leal: 3-7 .429 vs Gonzalez
Jose Matos: 0-8 vs Gonzalez
Ricardo Gonzalez: 2-0 3.32 vs Cannons in the Regular season.
Patrick Coates: 2-7 .286 vs Shepherd, .313 during the series.
Todd Gatchalain: 7-21 .333, 2 HR's vs Shepherd.

This is a must win before we head back to Chadds Ford. I am not feeling great about this game, but I will never doubt Robert Shepherd and his abilities...

Game 5:
Inning 1:
Top: Ambrose Gutierrez walked with 1-out, steal second and then score on a single by Naofumi Ohayashi. Leal followed with a single, but that was it. Mikel Wallstreet popped out and Phil Davis flew out... we missed a chance to get a big lead, but at least we got on the board.
Bottom: It didn't take long for the Clippers to bounce back. With 2-outs Patrick Coates hit a 3-2 fastball over the left-field wall tying the game. After a Hamilton single, Shepherd struck out Juan Hernandez to end the inning.
After 1: 1-1

Inning 2:
Top: A 2-out hit batter (Melvin Wallstreet) was all the Cannons had to show in the 2nd.
Bottom: Todd Gatchalian singled to start the inning. Went to second with 1-out when Shepherd drilled Alejandro Feliciano. The next two hitters flew out ending the inning.
After 2: 1-1

Inning 3:
Top: Cannons get shut down 1-2-3
Bottom: Clippers go down 1-2-3
After 3: 1-1

Inning 4:
Top: Mikel struck out to start the inning. Phil Davis and Eugene Todd hit back-to-back singles. But are stranded on base after a pop-out and a K.
Bottom: Juan Hernandez leads off with a single. Shepherd shuts down the next two batters. Alejandro pays Shepherd back for hitting him earlier with a 2-run HR of the RF line. The Clippers end the inning with a 3-1 lead.
After 4: 3-1 Clippers lead

Inning 5:
Top: The Cannons started the inning with back-to-back singles by Mildmay and Gutierrez. Naofumi Ohayashi lined out to center. Lorenzo Leal gives the Cannons the lead back with a 3-1 shot down the RF line. Mikel k's, Phil Davis gets hit by the pitch and that ends the day for Ricardo Gonzalez. Kelly Smith comes in and strikes out Eugene Todd to end the inning.
Bottom: A 1-out triple by Glenn Velasco goes for naught as Shepherd strikes out Coates and Hamilton to end the inning.
After 5: 4-3 Cannons lead

Inning 6:
Top: Chris Mildmay singles with 2-outs, then moves to second on a passed ball, but is left on the bases when Gutierrez grounds out.
Bottom: The Clippers go down 1-2-3
After 6: 4-3 Cannons lead

Inning 7:
Top: The Clippers use three pitchers to set the Cannons down 1-2-3.
Bottom: With 2-outs Rafael Hernandez singled to left. Hernandez steals second. Glenn Velasco singles to right scoring the speedy Hernandez to tie the game. 2-pitches later Patrick Coates gives the Clippers a 2-run lead with his second HR of the game. Shepherd retires Hamilton to end the inning.
After 7: 6-4 Clippers lead

Inning 8:
Top: Eugene Todd doubles with 1-out. Jose Matos walks on four pitches. Both runners move up on passed ball. Melvin Wallstreet flies out to left, Todd tags up and scores. Chris Mildmay pops out to the catcher to end the inning.
Bottom: Eric Harmon comes in to replace Shepherd and retires the first two hitters he faces. Byran Cooper doubles and Alejandro Felicano follws with his 2-nd HR of the game over the left-field wall. Reed Davis comes into pitch and quickly allows a double to Ryosei Aoki. The double chases Reed and brings in Dani Rubio to face the lefty heavy bats of the top of the order. Rubio plunks Hernandez and retires Velaso to end the inning.
After 8: 8-5 Clippers

Inning 9:
Top: Ambrose Guiterrez flies out to center. Naofumi Ohayashi singles to center. Giovanni Smith comes into run for Ohayashi. Lorenzo Leal hits a laser beam to first for out #2. Mikel Wallstreet strikes out on 3-pitches to end the game.
Bottom:
After 9: 8-5 Clippers win

Final
Chadds Ford: 5
Milford: 8
W: Raul Martinez (1-0)
L: Robert Shepherd (1-1)

Clippers lead the series 3-2

Robert Shepherd (1-1): 7.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 K (3 HR)
Eric Harmon: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, K (HR)
Eugene Todd: 2-4, 2B, R
Naofumi Ohayshi: 2-5, RBI
Lorenzo Leal: 2-5, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
Chris Mildmay: 2-5, R
Mikel Wallstreet: 0-5, 3 K's
H: 9, LOB: 10

That my friend was a tough loss. Two games in a row we should have won, but we walked away with the L... so close yet so far away. Painful L's for sure. Now the pressure is square on the shoulders of John Robertson who pitches well at home and is on a hot streak... I am still unsure who is going to pitch in the next game, if there is one, which means all 10 pitchers are able to throw in Game 6...

Mikel Wallstreet has looked lost at the plate. He has truck out 13 of 23 AB's, and has only 1 hit. Like I said I can't win when he isn't hitting and he isn't hitting! The Clippers have his number and are making him look really bad. I was hoping dropping him in the line-up would help, but it didn't he was still overmatched. In the 3-games in Milford he has gone 0-15 with 10 K's. Amazing.

Shepherd threw well but gave up 3 HR's. Not long HR's either, but long enough. One of the downfalls of having a flyball pitcher who throws the ball hard... I am kicking myself for not bringing that 11th pitcher.

Not sure what else to say, we are done to our last game, our last chance to keep this season going and we control the outcome. We are returning back home, which I am hoping is a good sign, but I'd be lying if I said it makes me feel any better. Tomorrow's off day will be a long that is for sure.

It is all a must win...

Other Series:
Delaware Conference:
Game 1: Seaford 2, Georgetown 8 (Sixteens lead 1-0)
W: Chris Brock, L: John Smith
POG: Naoaki Okubo (GEO)

Game 2: Seaford 8, Georgetown 3 (Series is tied 1-1)
W: Donald Bender, L: Ernie Kennedy
POG: Donald Bender

Game 3: Georgetown 1, Seaford 5 (Seaford leads 2-1)
W: Chris Courtney, L: Antonio Cortes, S: Cy Head
POG: Chris Courtney (SEA)

Game 4: Georgetown 1, Seaford 4 (Seaford leads 3-1)
W: Owen Cobb, L: Jose Lopez, S: Cy head
POG: Owen Cobb (SEA)

Game 5: Georgetown 2, Seaford 7 (Seaford wins series 4-1!)
W: John Smith, L: Crish Brock
POG: John Smith (SEA)

Seaford Takes Division Round:
The Seaford Blue Jays have beaten the Georgetown Sixteens and will advance to the Conference Championship. Seaford won the final game by a 7-2 count to take the series 4-1. The Blue Jays triumph was no doubt in large part because of the performance of catcher Elwood Krause, who was named MVP of the series. "The only thing that matters is that we're off to the next round and one step closer to a League Championship," he said. The Seaford Blue Jays don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Milford Clippers - Chadds Ford Cannons series. That series is tied at 2 games apiece. The Conference Championship schedule will be announced after the Division Round finishes.

MVP: Seaford, Catcher Elwood Krause: .400-1-6 (6-15), .400/.524/.667, 5 R's, 2B

MarVa Conference:
Game 1: Norfolk 1, Washington 3 (Washington Leads 1-0)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Julio Rocha (WAS)

Game 2: Norfolk 8, Washington 7 (Series tied 1-1)
W: Brad Olson, L: Edmond Scott, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Jesus Hernandez (WAS)

Game 3: Washington 1, Norfolk 1 (Norfolk leads 2-1)
W: Bob Davis (1-0), L: Andrew Clark (0-1)
POG: Bob Davis (NFK)

Game 4: Washington 4, Norfolk 8 (Norfolk leads 3-1)
W: Scott Stephenson, L: Whit Nelson, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Abraham Towns (NFK)

Game 5: Washington 11, Norfolk 6 (Norfolk leads 3-2)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Gabriel Castellanos (WAS)

Game 6: Norfolk , Washington
Game 7: Norfolk , Washington

Game 1: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 1 (Martinsburg Leads 1-0)
W: Hugh Duncan, L: Tadasuke Uenohara
POG: Hugh Duncan (MMM)

Game 2: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 2, 11 Innings (Martinsburg Leads 2-0)
W: Nori Suzuki, L: Jose Ruiz
POG: Sancho Castro (MMM)

Game 3: Chesapeake 5, Martinsbug 4 (Martinsburg Leads 2-1)
W: Cesar Berau (1-0), L: Nori Suzuki (1-1), S: Jose Ruiz (1)
POG: Robinson Alaniz (CPK)

Game 4: Chesapeake 14, Martinsbug 7 (Series is tied 2-2)
W: Zach Harris, L: Eric Thomas, S: Emilio Leon
POG: Logan Richardson (CPK)

Game 5: Chesapeake 4, Martinsbug 2 / 13 Innings (Chesapeake leads 3-2)
W: Joel Bolick, L: Nori Suzuki
POG: Tadasuke Uenohara (CPK)

Game 6: Martinsbug , Chesapeake
Game 7: Martinsbug , Chesapeake

[illeracula]

Game 6: Milford Clippers at Chadds Ford Cannons
Tim Lynch (1 GS, 0-0 0.00) vs John Robertson (1 GS, 1-0 1.13)

In a rematch of game 2, Lynch and Robertson will face off again in Chadds Ford. The Cannons won game 2 3-2, and Lynch held us close with no ER's over 7 strong. He has had our number before and I wound't be surprised if he had it again. The way the bats have been performing this series the pressure is square on John Robertson who had a great game, game 2, and comes into the series on a red-hot season finish.

I am not sure what to do with Mikel Wallstreet. He is one of my strongest bats, most of the time. I am so close to benching him or sending him down to the 9-hole, but he is too good for that. He is the team's offensive MVP, I just need him to show up tonight!

DH Ambrose Gutierrez, SS Chirs Mildmay, RF Phil Davis, 1B Naofumi Ohayashi, LF Lorenzo Leal, CF Mikel Wallstreet, 3B Eugene Todd, C Jose Matos, 2B Roger Phillips

Phillips will be getting the start tonight replacing Melvin Wallstreet who hasn't been hitting lately either, just .150-0-2 (3-20)... something has to give...

Players to Watch:
Tim Lynch: 2-1 1.64 vs Cannons, 7 shut-out in Game 2 of the series.
Patrick Coates: 2-12, .167, HR vs Robertson, 2 HR's last game
Artie Hamilton: 7-16, .438, 2 HR vs Robertson
Rafael Hernandez: 6-11, .545
John Robertson: 0-2 19.29 during regular season vs Clippers, 1-0, 8 IP, 1 ER in playoffs
Naofumi Ohayashi: 7-16 .438 vs Lynch
Phil Davis: 6-25 .240, 2 HR vs Lynch
Mikel Wallstreet: 3-9 .333 vs Lynch, .043/.120/.087 in playoffs

Well I said last game was a must win, so what does that make this game? We are playing to stay alive or go home and watch Netflix (is Netflix even around in 2038?)... I am worried, this Clippers team has been firing on all cylinders the last few games...

Game 6:
Inning 1:
Top: Robertson walks Patrick Coates with 2-outs. Then strikes out Mark Hayes to end the inning.
Bottom: Ambrose Gutierrez sinles to start the game. Chris Mildmay doubles moving Gutierrez over to third. Phil Davis singles him Gutierrez. Naofumi Ohayashi hit a sac-fly Mildmay scores. Loeal ends the inning with a 4-6-3 DP. But the Cannons score first.
After 1: 2-0 Cannons

Inning 2:
Top: Clippers go down 1-2-3
Bottom: With two outs Jose Matos hits a blast to right-center field for a solo-HR. The only runner the Cannons had, but a key insurance run.
After 2: 3-0 Cannons

Inning 3:
Top: Alejandro Feliciano stays hot with a double to right. He moves to third 2-batters later on a 4-3 ground. But is stranded on 3rd when Artie Hamilton flies out to center.
Bottom: Cannons go down 1-2-3
After 3: 3-0 Cannons

Inning 4:
Top:Patrick Coates starts the inning with a HR into the RF bleachers. Robertson sets down the next 3.
Bottom: A double by Naofumi Ohayashi is followed by a single by Lorenzo Leal scoring Ohayashi. This was the end of the day for the Clippers starter and in came Kelly Smith. Mikel Wallstreet strikes out, Eugene Todd hits into a 5-4-3 inning ender.
After 4: 4-1 Cannons

Inning 5:
Top: A 2-out single by Ryosei Aoki is all the Clippers get.
Bottom: A 1-out single by Roger Phillips is all the Cannons get.
After 5: 4-1 Cannons

Inning 6:
Top: Clippers go down 1-2-3
Bottom: Phil Davis walks to start things off. With 2-outs and Mikel Wallstreet at the plate, Davis steals second. This prompts the Clippers to walk Wallstreet (LOL!). Eugene Todd ends the inning with a ground out.
After 6: 4-1 Cannons

Inning 7:
Top: Clippers are set down 1-2-3
Bottom: Cannons are set down 1-2-3
After 7: 0-0

Inning 8:
Top: Robertson retires the first two of the inning, then allows back-to-back singles to Hernandez and Hamilton. Lefty Dani Rubio is called in from the bullpen to face off against Patrick Coates. 2-pitches later Coates flies out to center Rubio does his job.
Bottom: With 1-out Phil Davis is hit by a pitch. He gos to second on a weak ground-out by Ohayashi. Leal flies out ending the inning.
After 8: 4-1 Cannons

Inning 9:
Top: Rubio sets down Mark Hayes, then walks Bryan Cooper. In comes Jose Santos to face the righty/lefty/righty... Bryan Cooper greets Santos with a double, moving Cooper to third... and at this point I start to get nervous after Santos blew game 4... Santos strikes out Cantu looking. The Clippers bring in lefty Dan Foley to PH... strike three! Game is over!
Bottom:
After 9: 4-1 Cannons!

Final
Milford: 1
Chadds Ford: 4
W: John Robertson (2-0)
L: Tim Lynch (0-1)
S: Jose Santos

The series is tied 3-3!

John Robertson: W, 7.2 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 9 K
Jose Santos: S, 0.2 IP, H, 2 K
Phil Davis: 2-3, RBI
Jose Matos: 1-3, HR (2), R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3, 2B, R, RBI
Mikel Wallstreet: 0-2, BB, K
H: 8, LOB: 4

What a game! We won and now we will face off in game 7... This should be interesting, and I will have to figure out who is going to pitch. Juan Cuesta who has had 3 awful playoff starts (2 last year) or Gehrig Pearl to faced the lefties of the Clippers lineup. Something to sleep on... one thing is for certain though it will be all hands on deck. Don't be surprised if Robert Shepherd comes in to get a lefty on lefty out in a key situation... I am nervous about game 7, but excited to be playing it.

I do want to give props to Dani Rubio. During this series he has pitched in 5 of the 6 games, throwing 3 total innings, but getting key lefty batters out. H has allowed 4 hits and 1 R, with only 3 K's but he has been a key part of this team during our 2 W's and the 2-close games... He is becoming more and more one of my favorite go-to guys out of the pen.

I will have a couple of key decisions to make, like who is starting, does Wallstreet play? If so where does he bat? Does Roger Phillips continue at 2B? What about the bullpen? Cuesta available if he doesn't start? Rubio still going strong? Can Shepherd get a batter or two?

Game 7's are always fun.

Other Series:
Delaware Conference:

Game 1: Seaford 2, Georgetown 8 (Sixteens lead 1-0)
W: Chris Brock, L: John Smith
POG: Naoaki Okubo (GEO)

Game 2: Seaford 8, Georgetown 3 (Series is tied 1-1)
W: Donald Bender, L: Ernie Kennedy
POG: Donald Bender

Game 3: Georgetown 1, Seaford 5 (Seaford leads 2-1)
W: Chris Courtney, L: Antonio Cortes, S: Cy Head
POG: Chris Courtney (SEA)

Game 4: Georgetown 1, Seaford 4 (Seaford leads 3-1)
W: Owen Cobb, L: Jose Lopez, S: Cy head
POG: Owen Cobb (SEA)

Game 5: Georgetown 2, Seaford 7 (Seaford wins series 4-1!)
W: John Smith, L: Crish Brock
POG: John Smith (SEA)

MVP: Seaford, Catcher Elwood Krause: .400-1-6 (6-15), .400/.524/.667, 5 R's, 2B

MarVa Conference:
Game 1: Norfolk 1, Washington 3 (Washington Leads 1-0)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Julio Rocha (WAS)

Game 2: Norfolk 8, Washington 7 (Series tied 1-1)
W: Brad Olson, L: Edmond Scott, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Jesus Hernandez (WAS)

Game 3: Washington 1, Norfolk 1 (Norfolk leads 2-1)
W: Bob Davis (1-0), L: Andrew Clark (0-1)
POG: Bob Davis (NFK)

Game 4: Washington 4, Norfolk 8 (Norfolk leads 3-1)
W: Scott Stephenson, L: Whit Nelson, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Abraham Towns (NFK)

Game 5: Washington 11, Norfolk 6 (Norfolk leads 3-2)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Gabriel Castellanos (WAS)

Game 6: Norfolk 3, Washington 4 (Series is tied at 3)
W: Anthony Sinclair, L: Mark Peterson, S: Travis Abadee
POG: Gabriel Garcia (WAS)

Game 7: Norfolk 8, Washington 9 (Washington wins the series 4-3)
** Washington scored two in the bottom of the 9th, after Loeffler walked the lead-off man and then gave up a big 2-run HR to Gabriel Castellanos, for the walk-off clincher!
W: Melvin Gray, L: Jonathan Loeffler
POG: John Minor (WAS)

Senators Prevail, as Division Round Goes to the Wire:
The Washington Senators and Norfolk Cavaliers put on a classic Division Round that was in question until the final game. In the end, Washington won the deciding contest by a score of 9-8, to take the series 4-3. "It doesn't get much tighter than that. To win a series in the last game is a thrill," said Salvador Espinoza, who earned series MVP honors for Washington. "Our guys are breathing a little easier now." For the series, Espinoza hit .519 with a .618 on-base percentage. He had 1 home runs, drove in 3 RBI and scored 7 runs. The Washington Senators will play against the Chesapeake Blue Crabs in the next round. Chesapeake won their series against the Martinsburg Mountaineers 4 games to 2. The Conference Championship schedule will be announced after the Division Round finishes.

MVP: Washington, CF Salvador Espinoza: .519-1-3 (14-27), .519/.618/.667, 2B, 7 R's, 3 SB's

Game 1: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 1 (Martinsburg Leads 1-0)
W: Hugh Duncan, L: Tadasuke Uenohara
POG: Hugh Duncan (MMM)

Game 2: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 2, 11 Innings (Martinsburg Leads 2-0)
W: Nori Suzuki, L: Jose Ruiz
POG: Sancho Castro (MMM)

Game 3: Chesapeake 5, Martinsbug 4 (Martinsburg Leads 2-1)
W: Cesar Berau (1-0), L: Nori Suzuki (1-1), S: Jose Ruiz (1)
POG: Robinson Alaniz (CPK)

Game 4: Chesapeake 14, Martinsbug 7 (Series is tied 2-2)
W: Zach Harris, L: Eric Thomas, S: Emilio Leon
POG: Logan Richardson (CPK)

Game 5: Chesapeake 4, Martinsbug 2 / 13 Innings (Chesapeake leads 3-2)
W: Joel Bolick, L: Nori Suzuki
POG: Tadasuke Uenohara (CPK)

Game 6: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 4 (Chesapeake wins the series 4-2)
W: Jose Ruiz, L: Nori Suzuki
POG: Aaron McComb (CPK)

Chesapeake Takes Division Round:
The Chesapeake Blue Crabs are on to the Conference Championship, having knocked out the Martinsburg Mountaineers 4-2. The final blow came tonight at Blue Crabs Ballpark, where Chesapeake sealed the Division Round with a 4-3 triumph. Logan Richardson was instrumental in the series win and was given MVP honors. Richardson hit .400 with a .478 on-base percentage. He had 2 home runs, drove in 6 RBI and scored 4 runs. The Chesapeake Blue Crabs don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Norfolk Cavaliers - Washington Senators series. That series is tied at 3 games apiece. The Conference Championship schedule will be announced after the Division Round finishes.

MVP: Chesapeake, 2B Logan Richardson: .400-2-6 (8-20), .400/.478/.900, 4 R's, 2 2B

[illeracula]

Game 7: Milford Clippers at Chadds Ford Cannons
Tucker Barford (1-0 1.04) vs Gehrig Pearl (0-0 1.35)

In 2036 we had a game 5, in a best of 5 series, and a game 7 in a best of 7 series and we went 1-1. In 2037 we didn't have any final series tied games, as we lost in the first round 4 games to 1. The only best-of-seven series we had we lost to the Seaford Blue Jays in the Delaware Conference Championship 4-1. That game we were lucky enough to have Robert Shepherd throwing. Shepherd also threw the game winning game-5 that season, in which we won 5-4... This year we will need someone else to step it up.

I decided to go with the lefty Pearl since he threw well in relief after Cuesta got roughed up. Cuesta may come into pitch if needed, but right now the pressure is on the young lefty.

Not much of a lineup change Wallstreet remains in the 6 hole and Roger Phillips is playing second. The same lineup as last game... I really hope that Wallstreet can break out of it today...

Ambrose Gutirerrez (DH), Chris Mildmay (SS), Phil Davis (RF), Naofumi Ohayashi (1B), Lorenzo Leal (LF), Mikel Wallstreet (CF), Eugene Todd (3B), Jose Matos (C), Roger Phillips (2B)

Players to Watch:
Tucker Barford: 1-1 5.23 vs Cannons in the regular season and 1-0 1.04 in the playoffs
Patrick Coates: .348/.444/.913 in playoffs, 2-4 .500 vs Pearl
Todd Gatchalian: 2-3 .667, HR vs Pearl
Phil Davis: .450/.593/.600 in playoffs, 3-9 .333 vs Barford
Gehrig Pearl: 0-1 6.14 vs Clippers in regular season, 0-0 1.35 in playoffs
Mikel Wallstreet: .040/.143/.080 in playoffs, 3-5 .600, HR vs Barford

Pearl says he is 100%, but will be on a short leash. He threw 6 pitches 4 days ago and 96 5-days ago. He does have 15 stamina... so my fingers are crossed... Game 7! Lets do this!!

Game 7:
Inning 1:
Top: With 1-out Glenn Velasco batteld Pearl in a 11-pitch AB before beating out an infield single. After Coates flew out, Artie Hamilton delievered a big blow, 2-run bomb over the RF wall.
Bottom: With 1-out Chris Mildmay doubled to center. He came up lame and would need to be removed, in came Brad Sims. Phil Davis sinbgled to left, and Sims tried to score, but was gunned down! That was all she wrote in the first.
After 1: 2-0 Clippers

Inning 2:
Top: Todd Gatchalian doubled to start the inning. He moved to third on a Bryan Cooper fly out to center. Then scored 2-batters later on a big E-6 by Brad Sims. Felciano ended up at second. Felipe Pagado drew a walk to put two runners on and Gehrig Pearl was done. In came Juan Cuesta. Cuesta would retire the next to end the inning.
Bottom: Mr Slump Mikel Wallstreet singled with one out. Moved to third a batter later on a SB/E2. But was left standing on third.
After 2: 3-0 Clippers

Inning 3:
Top: Cuesta retired the first two then gave up a double to Juan Hernandez. Then struck out Gatchalian to end the inning.
Bottom: With 1-out Ambrose Gutierrez, Brad Sims and Phil Davis hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Naofumi Ohayashi hit into a 6-4-3 to end the inning!
After 3: 3-0 Clippers

Inning 4:
Top: Cooper lead off with a single. Went to second on a WP. Moved to third on a single Feliciano. Feleciano would head to second on the 6-3 FC with the infield in. Rafael Hernandez hits a nummber and Jose Matos throws the ball way plating 2-runs. Cuesta retires the next two to end the inning.
Bottom: Mikel Wallstreet singled, but that was it for the Cannons.
After 4: 5-0 Clippers

Inning 5:
Top: With 1-out Juan Hernadnez and Todd Gatchalian hit back-to-back singles. Bryan Cooper follwed with a double plating Hernadnez. After an intentional walk to Feliciano loaded the bases. Cuesta struck out Pagado for out #2. Lefty Robert Shepherd was called in to close out the inning against the lefty Hernandez. Hernandez singled in Gatchalian. Velasco pops out to end the inning.
Bottom: Roger Phillips walks to start the inning. Ambrose Gutierrez doubles to left putting runners on 2nd and 3rd. Brad Sims hits a weak grounder to second scoring Phillips, moving Gutierrez to third. Phil Davis grounds out scoring Gutierrez. Ohayashi singles with 2-outs, but is left there when Lorenzo Leal grounds out to third.
After 5: 7-2 Clippers

Inning 6:
Top: Patrick Coates leads off the inning with a single. Jose Santos is called into pitch and retires the next 3.
Bottom: Wallstreet strikes out, Todd and Matos fly out to center.
After 6: 7-2 Clippers

Inning 7:
Top: Matos walks Pagado with 2-outs, then strikes out Hernandez to end the inning.
Bottom: With 1-out Ambrose Gutierrez doubles. He would take on a Brad Sims fly out, and be left at 3rd when Phil Davis grounds out.
After 7: 7-2 Clippers

Inning 8:
Top: Santos shuts down the Clippers 1-2-3
Bottom: Naofumi Ohayashi singles to start the inning. Moves to second on a ground out by leal. Mikel Wallstreet follows with a single moving Ohayashi to third. Eugene Todd hits into a 6-4-3 to end the inning.
After 8: 7-2 Clippers

Inning 9:
Top: Santos shuts down the Clippers 1-2-3!
Bottom: Matos strikes out. Phillips flies out to right. Gutierrez hits into the 6-3 Ground out game-set-match!
After 9: 7-2 Clippers

Final
Milford: 7
Chadds Ford: 2
W: Tucker Barford (2-0)
L: Gehrig Pearl (0-1)

The Clippers win the series 4-3!

Gehrig Pearl: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, L
Juan Cuesta: 3-1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, BB, 2 K
Jose Santos: 4.0 IP, BB, 5 K
Mikel Wallstreet: 3-4, SB
Ambrose Gutierrez: 3-5, 2 2B, R
Phil Davis: 2-4 RBI
Chris Mildmay: 1-1, 2B
H: 12, LOB: 8

We have now been knocked out of the playoffs in the past 3 seasons. Losing really sucks and losing a game 7 hurts even more... Heading into the playoffs I really liked the way this team was playing. But not being able to steal a game in Milford crushed us... Hopeully 2039 will bring us something.

Phil Davis ended up being out best hitter during the series hitting .458-1-5. Lorenzo Leal drove in the most runs hitting .310-1-7, Naofumi Ohayashi was second in hitting and RBI's finishing .385-1-6, and Jose Matos lead the team in HR's hitting .200-2-3. Mikel Wallstreet ending up hitting .138 during the series thanks to his 3 hits (of 4) during the final game, at least he broke out of his slump... but wow I could have used in earlier in the series.

Pitching wise John Robertson was our hero winning 2 games giving up just 10 hits in 15.2 innings and striking out 16. Shepherd did ok in his first game giving us our other winning. He threw in 3 games going 16.1 IP, posting an 1-1 record, while allowing 15 hits in 16.1 innings and 10 K's. His 3 HR's were very painful. Juan Cuesta went 0-1 and threw 5.0 Innings, allowing 10 hits, while walking 4 and striking out just 3.

This was a tough series to lose and very painful. We missed quite a few chances this game. I really thought we had it, but wow this game went south quickly! The funny thing is I'd like to say we will be back next year with more experience, but this team is going to look quite different in 2039. We do have some building blocks like Leal and Gutierrez, Pearl, Cuesta and Robertson... but to match what we did this season? I don't know... Plus I am not sure how much longer I can stay in Chadds Ford. I miss winning. :-)

I will sit back and watch the rest of the playoffs and try to figure out what I am going to do... Congrats to the Clippers and best of luck to them against the Blue Jays.

Milford Takes Division Round in Deciding Game:
With a narrow 4-3 series win, the Milford Clippers have eliminated the Chadds Ford Cannons and are Division Round winners. "We tried not to look ahead to the Conference Championship, but we thought we'd be there for sure," said second baseman Patrick Coates, who was named series MVP. Milford won the final game by a score of 7-2, wrapping it up at The Cannons Battefield. Coates's big series saw him hit .321 with a .406 on-base percentage. He had 4 home runs, drove in 6 RBI and scored 5 runs. The Milford Clippers will play against the Seaford Blue Jays in the next round. Seaford won their series against the Georgetown Sixteens 4 games to 1. The Conference Championship schedule will be announced after the Division Round finishes.

MVP: Clippers 2B Patrick Coates: .321-4-6, .321/.406/.786, 1 2B, 5 R's, team high 9-hits.
(think Tucker Barford got robbed of this award. He went 2-0 1.73 and won the big game 7 (and game 3), he deserved the award just as much as Coates. Sometimes pitchers get the raw end of the deal)

Other Series:
Delaware Conference:
Game 1: Seaford 2, Georgetown 8 (Sixteens lead 1-0)
W: Chris Brock, L: John Smith
POG: Naoaki Okubo (GEO)

Game 2: Seaford 8, Georgetown 3 (Series is tied 1-1)
W: Donald Bender, L: Ernie Kennedy
POG: Donald Bender

Game 3: Georgetown 1, Seaford 5 (Seaford leads 2-1)
W: Chris Courtney, L: Antonio Cortes, S: Cy Head
POG: Chris Courtney (SEA)

Game 4: Georgetown 1, Seaford 4 (Seaford leads 3-1)
W: Owen Cobb, L: Jose Lopez, S: Cy head
POG: Owen Cobb (SEA)

Game 5: Georgetown 2, Seaford 7 (Seaford wins series 4-1!)
W: John Smith, L: Crish Brock
POG: John Smith (SEA)

MVP: Seaford, Catcher Elwood Krause: .400-1-6 (6-15), .400/.524/.667, 5 R's, 2B

MarVa Conference:
Game 1: Norfolk 1, Washington 3 (Washington Leads 1-0)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Julio Rocha (WAS)

Game 2: Norfolk 8, Washington 7 (Series tied 1-1)
W: Brad Olson, L: Edmond Scott, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Jesus Hernandez (WAS)

Game 3: Washington 1, Norfolk 1 (Norfolk leads 2-1)
W: Bob Davis (1-0), L: Andrew Clark (0-1)
POG: Bob Davis (NFK)

Game 4: Washington 4, Norfolk 8 (Norfolk leads 3-1)
W: Scott Stephenson, L: Whit Nelson, S: Jonahtan Loeffler
POG: Abraham Towns (NFK)

Game 5: Washington 11, Norfolk 6 (Norfolk leads 3-2)
W: Julio Rocha, L: Sergio Gallegos
POG: Gabriel Castellanos (WAS)

Game 6: Norfolk 3, Washington 4 (Series is tied at 3)
W: Anthony Sinclair, L: Mark Peterson, S: Travis Abadee
POG: Gabriel Garcia (WAS)

Game 7: Norfolk 8, Washington 9 (Washington wins the series 4-3)
W: Melvin Gray, L: Jonathan Loeffler
POG: John Minor (WAS)

MVP: Washington, CF Salvador Espinoza: .519-1-3 (14-27), .519/.618/.667, 2B, 7 R's, 3 SB's

Game 1: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 1 (Martinsburg Leads 1-0)
W: Hugh Duncan, L: Tadasuke Uenohara
POG: Hugh Duncan (MMM)

Game 2: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 2, 11 Innings (Martinsburg Leads 2-0)
W: Nori Suzuki, L: Jose Ruiz
POG: Sancho Castro (MMM)

Game 3: Chesapeake 5, Martinsbug 4 (Martinsburg Leads 2-1)
W: Cesar Berau (1-0), L: Nori Suzuki (1-1), S: Jose Ruiz (1)
POG: Robinson Alaniz (CPK)

Game 4: Chesapeake 14, Martinsbug 7 (Series is tied 2-2)
W: Zach Harris, L: Eric Thomas, S: Emilio Leon
POG: Logan Richardson (CPK)

Game 5: Chesapeake 4, Martinsbug 2 / 13 Innings (Chesapeake leads 3-2)
W: Joel Bolick, L: Nori Suzuki
POG: Tadasuke Uenohara (CPK)

Game 6: Martinsbug 3, Chesapeake 4 (Chesapeake wins the series 4-2)
W: Jose Ruiz, L: Nori Suzuki
POG: Aaron McComb (CPK)

MVP: Chesapeake, 2B Logan Richardson: .400-2-6 (8-20), .400/.478/.900, 4 R's, 2 2B

[illeracula]

The Conference Championships came down to divisional rival Seaford Blue Jays and the Milford Clippers in the Delaware Side of things and the Washington Senators and the Chespeake Blue Crabs in the MarVa Conference. These series should be good battles.

Clippers Prevail, as Conference Championship Goes to the Wire:
A classic and dramatic Conference Championship has wrapped up, with the Milford Clippers outlasting the Seaford Blue Jays to advance to the League Championship. Milford won the final game by a score of 4-3 and took the series 4-3. "We can enjoy this one tonight, but then it's back to work and thinking about the next win," said Milford third baseman Glenn Velasco, whose standout performance earned him the nod as series MVP. Velasco hit .391 with a .500 on-base percentage. He had 0 home runs, drove in 1 RBI and scored 6 runs. The Milford Clippers will play against the Washington Senators in the next round. Washington won their series against the Chesapeake Blue Crabs 4 games to 1. The League Championship schedule will be announced after the Conference Championship finishes.

MVP: Clippers 3B Glenn Velasco: .391-0-1, 9-23, .391/.500/.435, 1 2B, 6 R's
Runner-up: Clippers closer Michael White: 3 G, 2-0 0.00, SV, 6.0 IP, H, 3 BB, 8 K

Senators on to League Championship:
It's not often a losing player is named MVP of a series, but that's the situation Steven Hodge found himself in tonight, as the Washington Senators beat his Chesapeake Blue Crabs to advance to the League Championship. Washington won the final game by a score of 5-4 at Blue Crabs Ballpark and took the series 4-1. Despite his strong performance, Hodge was not taking many positives away from the series. "I'm glad I played well, sure, but what good does it do us now?" The Washington Senators don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Seaford Blue Jays - Milford Clippers series. Seaford leads the series 3 games to 1. The League Championship schedule will be announced after the Conference Championship finishes.

MVP: Blue Crabs 3B Steven Hodge: .474-5-7, 9-19, .474/.565/1.263, 7 R's
Runner-up: Senators SS Stephen Bentall: .445-1-4, 10-22, .455/.458/.682, 2 2B, 2 R

The Clippers are aiming to win their 4th title, winning in 2021, 2022 and 2035, while the Senators are trying to win their second title, their first was won in 2013 in 1st year of the DBL.

These two teams did not face each other during the regular season, so it should be an interesting match-up. The Clippers are coming off back-to-back 7-game series, while the Senators had a few days to rest. Does that matter? Are the Senators in essence "healthier" or are the Clippers in a better spot because they are "fresh" and on a roll? I guess we will find out.

On a personal level, I don't care who wins, but maybe the Senators will take home the title so Ricardo Hidalgo one of the games top all-time players can add a Championship trophy to his already impressive resume, at 40-years-old this might be his final chance. It is possible he will be hanging them up after this season after playing only 60-games due to a variety of injuries.

[illeracula]

Washington 2038 League Championship Champions:
It was a hard-fought battle for both teams to make it this far. But as the saying goes, "to the victors go the spoils." For the victorious Washington Senators, that meant the DELMARVA Baseball League League Championship trophy. The Senators took a 2-0 victory over the Milford Clippers at Clippers Ballpark, winning their 2nd championship after taking the series 4-1. "We've got grit," said Senators catcher Gabriel Castellanos, who was named MVP of the series. "We know how to win when we have to." The new titleholders completed the regular season with a first-place finish in the MarVa Conference Beltway Division and a 106-56 record.

Game 1: Clippers 3, Senators 15
W: Julio Rocha (1-0)
L: Ricardo Gonzalez (0-1)
HR: MFD: Felipe Pagado (1), WAS: Gabriel Castellanos (1), Stephan Bentell 2 (2)
POG: Stephen Bentall (WAS)

Game 2: Clippers 1, Senators 11
W: Anthony Sinclair (1-0)
L: Tucker Barford (0-1)
HR: MFD: Mark Hayes (1), WAS: Rob Miles (1), Stephen Bentall (3), Manuel Miranda (1), Gabriel Garcia (1)
POG: Anthony Sinclair (WAS)

Game 3: Senators 1, Clippers 4
W: Tim Lynch (1-0)
L: Andrew Clark (0-1)
S: Michael White (1)
HR: MFD: Patrick Coates (1), Artie Hamilton (1), Glenn Velasco (1)
POG: Patrick Coates (MFD)

Game 4: Senators 7, Clippers 4
W: Jorge Gonzalez (1-0)
L: Leland Baker (0-1)
S: Travis Abadee (1)
HR: MFD: Artie Hamilton (2), Mark Hayes (2)
POG: John Minor (WAS)

Game 5: Senators 2, Clippers 0 (10 Innings)
W: Julio Rocha (2-0)
L: Michael White (0-1)
S: Travis Abadee (2)
POG: Julio Rocho (WAS)

Note: On a positive note Ricardo Hidalgo hit .227-0-3 during the series, and will be his first title in 20 seasons. A nice trophy to go along with his 5-MVP's.

History of Series MVP's:
2013 MVP of Series: Javier Uberuaga, Washington Senators, SP. 2-0, 15 IP 13 H, 3 BB, 9 K, 2.40 ERA
2014 MVP of Series: Carlos Rodriguez, Norfolk Cavaliers, RP. 1-0, 3 G, 2 SV, 5 K
2015 MVP of Series: Bruce Walker, Lewes, .450-2-10
2016 MVP of Series: Jose Rodriguez, Norfolk Cavaliers, OF. .240-3-10, 5 R's
2017 MVP of Series: Miguel Contreras, Norfolk Cavaliers, SP. 2-0 16 IP, 8 H, R, 5 BB, 18 K
2018 MVP of Series: Derek Campbell, Norfolk Cavaliers, OF. 11 H, 3 R, 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI's
2019 MVP of Series: Matt Hollis, Norfolk Cavaliers, SP. 1-0, 9 IP, 9 K
2020 MVP of Series: Leonard Davis, Lewes Braves, OF. .481-2-4
2021 MVP of Series: Jamie Trulilio, Milford Clippers, SP. 2-0, 15.1 IP, 7 H, 9 BB, 8 K, 0 R
2022 MVP of Series: Seth Bennett, Milford Clippers, SP. 2-0, 1.42 IP, 9 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 R; 1-2 2B, 2 RBI
2023 MVP of Series: Cristobal Diaz, Lewes Braves, SP. 2-0, 13.2 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 16 K's, 0 R
2024 MVP of Series: Totoya Ogawa, Lewes Braves, 1B. 6 H (6-13), 2B, HR, 5 R, 2 RBI
2025 MVP of Series: Bob Short, Norfolk Cavaliers, OF, .533-2-4 (8-15), 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R
2026 MVP of Series: Bob Short, Norfolk Cavaliers, OF, .333-1-5 (7-21), 4 2B, 5 RBI, 4 R
2027 MVP of Series: Bob Short, Norfolk Cavaliers, OF, .333-0-5 (5-15), 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI
2028 MVP of Series: Cornell Pearson, Norfolk Cavaliers, P, 2 GS, 2-0, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 2 BB, 13 K, 4.26 ERA
2029 MVP of Series: Blake Quirke, Georgetown Sixteens, OF, .529-1-6 (9-17), 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, 4 R
2030 MVP of Series: Trevor Parker, Norfolk Cavaliers, OF, .389-2-4 (7-18), 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
2031 MVP of Series: Tom Brown, Dover Generals, C, .400-2-8 (10-25), 2 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R, 4 multi-hit games
2032 MVP of Series: Bryant Frank, Lewes Braves, 2B, .391-1-3 (9-23), 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R
2033 MVP of Series: Ramon Lorezno, Norfolk Cavaliers, SS, .417-1-6 (10-24), 2 2B, 3 R, hit in every game
2034 MVP of Series: Ray Crowe, Lewes Braves, RF, .333-1-6 (8-24), 2 2B, 3B, 4 R, 3-multi hit games
2035 MVP of Series: Pedro Cantu, Milford Clippers, C, .357-2-7 (5-14), 2B, 3 R's, hit in every game. 3 RBI's in G2 and G4
2036 MVP of Series: John Minor, Washington, 3B, .526-1-3 (10-19), 3 2B, HR, 5 R's, 3 RBI's, hit in every game, 2 hits in 4 of the games.
2037 MVP of Series: Carl Oulton, Martinsburg, SP, 2 GS, 2-0, 15.0 IP, 15 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.20 ERA, Won games 2 and 6
2038 MVP of Series: Gabriel Castellanos, Washington, C, .579-1-8 (11-19), 6 BB, 2 K, 4 BB, multiple hits in every game but game 5


During their existence the Senators have an overall record of 2264-1950 (.537), winning the division in 2013, 2015, 2036, 2037 and 2038. They have made the playoffs 8-times (3 wild-cards) and the title 2 times, their first was during the inaugural season 2013 and this year 2038.

[illeracula]

DE Conf Glove Wizard Award Winners Announced:
It's been said that the best offense is a good defense. That's why contending teams are always looking to improve on the defensive side of the game. Keeping runs from scoring is just as good as driving them in. The top fielders have been chosen in the Delaware Conference for 2038. Here are the Glove Wizard Award winners:

Pitcher
Greyson Jacques (Newark Millers)

Catcher
Elwood Krause (Seaford Blue Jays)

First Baseman
Fred Harmon (Christiana Blue Hens)

Second Baseman
César Freitas (Milton Brewers)

Third Baseman
Pete Jones (Milton Brewers) (5)

Shortstop
Jim Stephens (Seaford Blue Jays) (3)

Left Fielder
Felipe Quintana (Georgetown Sixteens)

Center Fielder
Octávio López (Seaford Blue Jays)

Right Fielder
Phil Davis (Chadds Ford Cannons)

MV Conf Announces 2038 Top Gloves:
Good defense can be the difference between taking the championship and coming in second. The MarVa Conference announced its top defenders at each position today. Here are the Glove Wizard Award winners for 2038:

Pitcher
Sancho Castro (Martinsburg Mountaineers)

Catcher
Gabriel Krook (Baltimore Barons) (3)

First Baseman
Manuel Miranda (Washington Senators) (5)

Second Baseman
Godofredo Queirs (Washington Senators)

Third Baseman
Peter Harvey (Norfolk Cavaliers) (2)

Shortstop
António Guillén (Ocean City Tourists) (2)

Left Fielder
Lou O'Rorke (Norfolk Cavaliers)

Center Fielder
Luis Suárez (Ellicott City Express)

Right Fielder
Ron Turney (Chesapeake Blue Crabs) (3)



---
Another batch of first timers in 2038. So I decided to put together a list of record winners by position.

List by Position:
Pitcher: Four tied w/ 2
Catcher: Alejandro Diaz (4, 1 in MC, 3 in DC)
1B: Richard Forbes (6), Enzo Alalr (6, 2 in MC, 4 in DC)
2B: Justin Collins (4), Mike Thompson (4, 3 in MV, 1 in DC)
3B: Tom Armstrong (7, 2 in MC, 5 in DC)
SS: Anthony Lucarelli (7, 2 in MC, 5 in DC)
LF: Mike Simmons (7, 5 in MC, 2 in DC)
CF: Kent Davis (7, 7 in MC)
RF: Peter Peters (7, 7 in DC)

Overall:
Richard Forbes (7, 6 @ 1B, 1 @ LF)
Tom Armstrong (7 @ 3B)
Anthony Lucarelli (7 @ 3B)
Mike Simmons (7 @ LF)
Kent Davis (7 @ CF)
Peter Peters (7 @ RF)

[illeracula]

Head Named Top Reliever for DE Conf:
At the young age of only 25, Cy Head has been named the Delaware Conference Reliever of the Year Award winner for 2038. The future appears bright for the Seaford Blue Jays relief ace, who captured the award with 36 saves in 66 relief appearances, 91 strikeouts in 80.1 innings and a record of 4-7 to go with his 1.46 ERA.

Robert Galloway of the New Castle Colonials finished second in voting, while Aaron Reynolds of the Lewes Braves finished third.

Loeffler Gets Award for Relief Work:
Jonathan Loeffler appears headed for a big payday. The impending free agent turned in a dominant season with the Norfolk Cavaliers in 2038 and has won the MarVa Conference Reliever of the Year Award. With his contract situation unclear for next season, it appears his dominant performance will have him poised to command big money. For the year, the 29-year-old native of Bronx, New York put up a 1.26 ERA, over 71.2 innings of work. He made 65 relief appearances and had 35 saves, 99 strikeouts, 25 walks and a record of 5-3.

Travis Abadee of the Washington Senators finished second in voting, while Cullen Wilder of the Annapolis Admirals finished third.

---

Cy Head wins for the first time, and Jonathan Loeffler the second time. Loeffler also becomes the first reliever to win the award in each conference. He won for his work with Chadds Ford in 2036... Miguel Angel Gonzalez holds the record with the most awards with 5. Interestingly enough Loeffler replaced Gonzalez as the closer for the Cavaliers in 2038.

[illeracula]

Top Sluggers Win DE Conf Platinum Stick Award Honors:
For their standout offensive performances, the Delaware Conference today announced the winners of the Platinum Stick Award. The winners for 2038 are:

Catcher
Chris Watson (Harrington Ponies)
.286/.398/.487, 462 AB, 19 HR, 1 SB, 140 wRC+, 5.0 WAR

First Baseman
Artie Hamilton (Milford Clippers)
.303/.410/.522, 575 AB, 35 HR, 111 RBI, 5.3 WAR

Second Baseman
Patrick Coates (Milford Clippers) (2)
.383/.492/.694, 572 AB, 39 HR, 5 SB, 126 R, 121 RBI, 11.8 WAR

Third Baseman
Logan McJannett (Wilmington Iron Pigs) (2)
.266/.433/.515, 493 AB, 35 HR, 16 SB, 113 R, 159 wRC+, 8.0 WAR

Shortstop
Chris Mildmay (Chadds Ford Cannons)
.318/.386/.467, 582 AB, 18 HR, 58 SB, 117 R, 130 wRC+, 6.3 WAR

Left Fielder
Felipe Quintana (Georgetown Sixteens)
.288/.342/.523, 635 AB, 35 HR, 2 SB, 115 RBI, 5.3 WAR

Center Fielder
Mikel Wallstreet (Chadds Ford Cannons)
.318/.403/.551, 554 AB, 28 HR, 30 SB, 104 R, 113 RBI, 6.0 WAR

Right Fielder
Mark Hayes (Milford Clippers)
.302/.348/.586, 590 AB, 46 HR, 140 RBI, 3.1 WAR

Designated Hitter
Lorenzo Montoya (Christiana Blue Hens) (2)
.262/.345/.590, 625 AB, 61 HR, 47 SB, 113 R, 134 RBI, 5.3 WAR

Platinum Stick Award Winners Named for the MV Conf:
There was no shortage of offensive contribution from this year's MarVa Conference Platinum Stick Award honorees.

The winners were recognized today for their solid offensive contributions in 2038:

Catcher
Gabriel Castellanos (Washington Senators)
.282/.438/.536, 444 AB, 32 HR, 2 SB, 101 R, 162 wRC+, 7.4 WAR

First Baseman
Manuel Miranda (Washington Senators) (5)
.322/.371/.647, 584 AB, 53 HR, 102 R, 131 RBI, 6.9 WAR

Second Baseman
Melvin Hall (Richmond Cardinals) (2)
.337/.446/.473, 537 AB, 7 HR, 154 wRC+, 5.6 WAR

Third Baseman
John Minor (Washington Senators)
.298/.419/.557, 433 AB, 28 HR, 9 SB, 161 wRC+, 5.5 WAR

Shortstop
Ryan Hunt (King George Royals) (4)
.289/.408/.477, 560 AB, 28 HR, 31 SB, 103 R, 137 wRC+, 6.1 WAR

Left Fielder
Allan Cameron (Annapolis Admirals) (3)
.293/.390/.494, 573 AB, 29 HR, 8 SB, 141 wRC+, 5.3 WAR

Center Fielder
Tyrone Jackson (Martinsburg Mountaineers) (4)
.336/.479/.639, 327 AB, 28 HR, 19 SB, 195 wRC+, 6.9 WAR

Right Fielder
Jesús Hernández (Washington Senators)
.331/.401/.640, 550 AB, 40 HR, 7 SB, 114 R, 126 RBI, 6.8 WAR

Designated Hitter
Yasushi Fujimoto (Norfolk Cavaliers) (2)
.285/.338/.518, 655 AB, 42 HR, 112 RBI, 3.1 WAR

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The league record for platinum sticks is 5, which is held by multiple players. Jimmy Moore (1B in MC), Manuel Miranda (1B in MC), Luico Pena (RF in MC), Edward Barnes (1B in DC), and , Mike Johnson (5 / 4 in DC, 1 in MC).

Two Cannons brought them home this year, Chris Mildmay and Mikel Wallstreet... and as you can tell Wallstreet is no longer with us, more information coming on that in my first off-season update.