The Pastime Baseball League

[EMSoccerCoach]

Gotcha!
Webb, 3 New Orleans errors help Sheriffs catch Arizona to tie division race

SAN ANTONIO -- Brandon Webb knew the importance of his effort last night before the game ever started. "There's time left," he noted of the 36 games remaining. "But getting even with Arizona would sure ratchet up the pressure."

And with that, Webb hurled 8 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, scattering nine hits and walking five in a far from masterful performance, but one that saw him nimbly escape any jam in which he found himself.

The Knights, however, couldn't get out of their own way. Two unearned runs in the third inning on a pair of errors and another unearned run in the fifth on another error left pitcher Nick Altrock baffled and New Orleans unable to get the big hit to get back in the game.

With one out in the third, Rafael Furcal reached when Knights first baseman Prince Fielder simply dropped a throw to first from shortstop Ross Barnes. Jimmy Williams would double Furcal home for the game's first run. Then, after Hugh Duffy popped up, Fred Parent hit a comebacker to Altrock that he promptly threw down the rightfield line, allowing Williams to score.

The fifth inning saw Williams hit a two-out double that was followed by Lave Cross letting a Duffy grounder go through the wickets to give San Antonio a 3-0 lead. The Sheriffs would gain another run in the fourth after Tommy McCarthy doubled, stole third and then was balked home by Altrock.

Baserunning hurt the Knights, too, as Sam Thompson was thrown out in the 8th trying to stretch a double into a triple, and Lave Cross was thrown out with no outs in the 9th trying to go from first to third on a single in a 4-0 game.

"We shot ourselves in the foot a lot today," Altrock said after the game. "We can't afford to do that anymore."

Alston's notoriously crisp team was anything but last night, and their loss combined with Memphis' 13-inning win over Arizona put the Knights back to 9 1/2 games out of first.

The Sheriffs capitalized on the mistakes, and left the rest in Webb's hands. After stranding a runner on third in the first and runners on second and third in the second, Webb cruised until the 7th, when he got into a bases loaded jam. But Webb's signature sinker got Jack Rowe to ground to Furcal for a force to end the threat.

After Cross was thrown out at third in the ninth, Kyle Lohse relieved Webb to record the final two outs for the win, and a share of first place.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Wright On!
2-run homer in 11th carries Heroes to win
Sept. 10, 2009

WICHITA -- His .097 average for September vanished for a moment.

"All it takes is one big hit to get you on track," New York third baseman David Wright said after last night's win. "Hopefully this is that hit for me so I can help down the stretch."

Wright broke a 1-1 tie with a 2-out, 2-run homer in the top of the 11th off Wichita reliever Brandon Medders to give the Heroes a 3-1 win and raise their division lead to six games over the Charlotte Cougars.

New York managed only three hits over nine innings off of Pitcher of the Year candidate Rube Waddell. The only run came in the top of the 7th, when Jesse Burkett and Dick Higham hit back-to-back doubles.

Meanwhile, New York starter Jim McCormick matched Waddell zero for zero. But he would lose the lead and the decision one out away from a shutout, giving up a pinch-hit double to Hub Collins and an RBI single to Sammy Strang to tie it.

That's how it would stay until Wright's 411-foot blast to left center in the 11th, his 8th of the season.

"I left a slider up and he tagged it," Medders said afterward. "It was a horrible pitch."

The Brigade had a chance, though. Closer Jonathan Papelbon, in his second inning of work, loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th. But Doggie Miller would lift a lazy fly to left for the final out and the Heroes victory.

"These guys are an elite team," Heroes skipper Pat Moran said of the West Division-leading Brigade. "If we win this division, we'll be locked up with them in the playoffs. Beating Waddell and getting it done here in Wichita can only serve to help us."

After dropping the series opener, New York has now won the last two. The finale is tonight, with Jack Taylor (5-5, 4.10) throwing for New York and Al Orth (15-3, 2.87) going for Wichita.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Slipping Away
Knights lose for fifth time in six games as gap opens to 10 1/2
Sept. 10, 2009

SAN ANTONIO -- Knights are so often the stuff of fairy tales. But it is beginning to seem as though New Orleans' storybook ending is not to be.

While the Memphis Strummers continue to help the San Antonio Sheriffs by pounding on the Arizona Sandmen, the Sheriffs are returning the favor by dispatching the Knights in every way imaginable.

San Antonio made the lone error last night, and New Orleans hit bother of the game's home runs. But in the end, neither mattered, and the Sheriffs had beaten the Knights 6-4. Combined with Memphis' 10-8 win over Arizona, San Antonio assumed sole possession of first place in the Southern League West by a game, while Memphis opened up its lead over New Orleans to 10 1/2 games with 36 to play.

"We know we have that surge in us, because we've done it," a dejected Curtis Granderson said in front of his locker - his leadoff homer to start the game not enough for the Knights last night. "But time isn't our friend right now. We gotta get out of this."

Granderson's first inning homer, his 14th of the year, was answered quickly by San Antonio, which saw Rafael Furcal double, steal third and score on a Jimmy Williams sac fly.

It would stay that way until the bottom of the fourth, when Jack Chesbro would walk three batters, surrender a sac fly to George Pinkney and an RBI single to Jack O'Brien to give the Sheriffs a 3-1 lead.

Sam Thompson would trim the lead to 3-2 with his 35th homer of the year in the top of the 6th, but would give it right back in the bottom of the inning when Chesbro gave up three straight singles to Williams, Buck O'Neil and Hugh Duffy, the latter scoring Williams for a 4-2 Sheriffs lead.

"I gave momentum back right away," Chesbro said afterward. "Sam's homer had us feeling good, and I just couldn't hit my spots. That was the game."

Chesbro would start the 8th the same way - exactly, allowing three consecutive singles to Williams, O'Neil and Duffy again. It could certainly be argued that Chesbro shouldn't have been out there are that point. But Alston believed in Chesbro. Perhaps too much.

George Pinkney grounded into a force, scoring Williams, and O'Brien would hit an RBI single to make it 6-2.

The ninth was set up for heroics. Off Justin Duchscherer - who replaced starter Jim Whitney (8 IP, 2 R, 6 H) - Jack Burdock singled and Lave Cross worked out a 10-pitch walk. A Granderson groundout moved the runners up, and a Rowe single plated Burdock to make it 6-3. Ross Barnes then singled to score Cross and make it 6-4.

B.J. Upton ran for Barnes, and Topsy Hartsel singled to put runners on first and second.

Prince Fielder came up as the lead run, and San Antonio skipper Bobby Cox summoned closer Hideki Okajima to face him. Fielder would slam a 1-1 fastball off the facade of the upper deck...but foul.

He would strike out two pitches later, giving Okajima his 22nd save, putting the Sheriffs in first and the Knights on the brink of desperation.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Race For The Top
First five in order 8-23, 6 runs as Charlotte cuts deficit to 4 1/2
Sept. 11, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS -- It wasn't dominant, but it was impressive.

Charlotte starter Silver King scattered 12 hits over 8 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs, striking out 8 and going 2-for-3 with an RBI double in leading the Cougars to a 7-3 win over the Indianapolis Engines.

First baseman Tommy Tucker had three hits and Fred Dunlap and Mark Reynolds each drove in a pair as the Cougars put up 3 in the first and 3 in the 8th.

Tucker hit an RBI double in the first, followed by a pair of RBI groundouts from Dunlap and Reynolds to stake King to a 3-0 lead over Indianapolis' Pud Galvin.

Dunlap would tack on an RBI single in the third and threatened with more, but John McGraw grounded out with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Indianapolis would pick up runs in the sixth and seventh on RBI singles from Abner Dalrymple and Jake Beckley, respectively. But Charlotte would tack on three more in the top of the 8th off Engines reliever Victor Zambrano to make it a 7-2 game.

The Engines would pick up a run in the 8th and leave two on in the ninth, when Charlotte manager Tommy LaSorda brought on Josh Johnson to retire Elmer Flick for the final out, picking up his 10th save.

New York fell to Wichita, as Al Orth and three relievers held the Heroes to a single run in a 4-1 victory. That result let Charlotte close New York's division lead to 4 1/2 games.

The pair each have a game left in their respective series before meeting for a crucial two-game set in New York this weekend.

[EMSoccerCoach]

End of the Show
Strummers win, Knights lose, perhaps ending anticipated race
Sept. 11, 2009

MEMPHIS -- Saying "it's over" is a dangerous endeavor. But after last night, the Memphis Strummers may be able to do just that.

The Strummers trailed 5-0 before they ever came to bat. They tied it. They trailed 6-5. They tied it again. They trailed 8-6. They blew past that to go on to win a 12-8 slugfest.

Meanwhile, their perceived nemesis, the New Orleans Knights, were shut out 5-0 by Noodles Hahn and the San Antonio Sheriffs, who at this moment look to be Memphis' Southern League Championship Series opponent. Memphis now leads New Orleans by 11 1/2 games.

"We truly have a ton of respect for what Alston and those guys in New Orleans have done," Memphis stalwart Oscar Charleston said after last night's win. "But we've always felt all we needed to do was take care of our business."

And Memphis has done exactly that, going 6-2 during a stretch where New Orleans has gone 2-6.

Five Memphis players had multi-hit games, Ichiro Suzuki scored four runs and Cap Anson drove in four - including a 3-run homer, his 18th of the season - in a thorough and balanced attack. Charleston was 3-for-4 with 3 runs and an RBI.

Recently called up Chris Capuano, who made a couple of spring appearances but has been on the reserve squad since, threw 1 2/3 perfect innings for the save.

[EMSoccerCoach]

I will stop doing Memphis/New Orleans updates for now with the division in double digits. Should New Orleans close the gap down to 7 or so I'll resume. But for now I'll update New York/Charlotte and Arizona/San Antonio.

[kenyan_cheena]

Great stuff, EM. Damn, you punched out a bunch of articles today.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

Great stuff, EM. Damn, you punched out a bunch of articles today.

Thanks. Just trying to get through it. Eager to get into the playoffs and the draft as well, but want to detail the pennant races well for as long as they last. New Orleans/Memphis isn't a real race anymore, as cool as it would've been.

I think I've figured out my format for next season, which should make it go much more quickly.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Wasted Opportunity
Sandmen blow 2-run lead to Idols in 8th
Sept. 11, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- First it was New Orleans. Now, the Los Angeles Idols apparently want to spoil the Arizona Sandmen's season as well.

Arizona starter Bronson Arroyo left after 7 innings with a 5-3 lead. He would watch Mike Koplove and Cherokee Fisher squander it in an 8th inning that saw two doubles, two singles and a walk.

Koplove walked Mike Donlin, the only batter he faced. Fisher then fell behind Harry Stovey 3-0 before giving up an RBI double, and followed that by falling behind Adrian Gonzalez 2-0 before he yanked an RBI double down the first base line.

"Walks, pitching behind guys," Arizona manager Patsy Tebeau mused afterward. "That's how you blow ballgames."

Sensing Fisher would be trying to get ahead, George Scales pounced on a first pitch fastball and drilled it into left to score Gonzalez for the lead run.

Idols closer Chad Qualls gave up a leadoff single to Pete Hill in the top of the ninth. But he struck out Jose Reyes and induced a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Nap Lajoie to end it.

Stephen Drew had led off the game for Los Angeles with a homer to right to put the Idols up 1-0. An RBI single from Mike Donlin and an RBI groundout from Adrian Gonzalez in the third would make it 3-0.

But Arizona showed the heart of a champion, coming back with a four-run fifth, aided by two Los Angeles errors. And that is what made the loss so hard to take.

"When you battle back and then essentially give it up, it hurts a bit more," Arizona catcher Russell Martin said afterward. "But we need to be resilient. It [the division] is very much in our reach."

[EMSoccerCoach]

Pleading His Case-y
Struggling starter returns to form; brings Sandmen back within 1
Sept. 12, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- In his last seven starts, Dan Casey was 0-5 with a 5.38 ERA. Early in the year, he'd been unlucky, getting virtually no run support as he pitched solidly, if not spectacularly. But this spell was different.

"Too many hits, too many walks," Casey simplified. "Not enough strikeouts. Pretty simple formula."

So Casey changed the equation, throwing more fastballs and pitching more aggressively. And in so doing, he not only struck out a season-tying high of 7, but hurled a complete game, 1-run effort as Arizona coasted to a 6-1 victory over Los Angeles to pull the Sandmen back within a game of first place.

A pair of doubles in the fourth to Benjamin Boyd and Harry Stovey were Casey's only blemish on the day.

"What a boost," third baseman Billy Nash said. "Danny gave us everything we needed today."

Nash gave three hits, including a leadoff single that sparked Arizona's four-run first inning. George Gore hit a 2-run single and Russell Martin banged a 2-run double in the inning, staking Casey to a 4-0 lead before he ever left the dugout.

Gore would add a fifth-inning solo homer, his ninth of the season.

But the day belonged to Casey.

"Momentum is only as good as the next starter," skipper Patsy Tebeau said, dipping into cliche. "We were miserable after giving that game away the other night, but Dan turned that on its head."

Tebeau and the Sandmen hope he can continue to do so the rest of the way.

[EMSoccerCoach]

In The Driver's Seat
Wright's 4 hits, 3 RBI help Heroes take first game from Charlotte
Sept. 13, 2009

NEW YORK -- Jake Peavy and Red Ehret were locked in a 2-1 pitcher's duel when the Heroes' David Wright stepped in to face Peavy with two out and a man on in the sixth. Peavy was protecting a 1-run lead. Wright was protecting first place.

On a 2-1 slider, Wright won, blasting a 2-run homer into the left field bleachers to give the Heroes a 3-2 lead in a game they would go on to win 6-3. In so doing, New York extended its division lead to 5 1/2 games.

Wright said a few nights ago after his game-winning homer against Wichita that he hoped that hit would break his slump. If last night is any indication - 4-for-4 with a double, homer, 2 runs and 3 RBI - Wright is over his slump.

"We're trying to hold off a good team here in Charlotte," a respectful Wright said afterward. "It's an all hands on deck situation, so I hope I'm answering that call and can keep producing."

Peavy's line looks unfairly pitiful (7 1/3 IP, 6 R), but that's because he was left in by manager Tommy LaSorda even after he seemed to be losing it. A two-run shot by Fielder Jones would join a three-run shot by Kosuke Fukudome, both in a 6-run eighth, to lift New York to victory.

Harry Howell (14-8, 3.24) starts for the Heroes tonight against Tim Keefe (8-9, 3.28).

[kenyan_cheena]

You must be happy seeing Wright contribute. He's one of your favourite players isn't he?

[EMSoccerCoach]

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

You must be happy seeing Wright contribute. He's one of your favourite players isn't he?

Yeah, he's turned it on late. He was abyssmal for the first half of the season. His patience hasn't developed yet, as remember all these imported in their first regular season. After hitting .217 for the first two months, he's hit .292 since then. Funny that he's playing for New York, too.

If things hold, the playoff matchups should be very interesting. New York has a winning record against Wichita this season, and San Antonio brings the PBL's best starting rotation against the PBLs best lineup, which has scored more than 100 runs more than the second-best team in the Southern League.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Better Late Than Never
Resurgent Duffy Hits Walkoff Homer in 9th
Sept. 13, 2009

SAN ANTONIO -- The numbers weren't pretty.

Hugh Duffy was drafted in the second round of the inaugural PBL draft, the 32nd selection overall. And three months into the season, he was batting .191.

He hit .257 with 4 homers in July, and the San Antonio Sheriffs were thankful. It wasn't what was expected, but at least it was something.

Since then, he's been something else, and last night was perhaps his embrace into the hearts of San Antonio fans.

Tied at 6 against the Las Vegas Bosses, Duffy slammed a two-out solo shot to win the game for San Antonio, letting the Sheriffs keep a hold on their narrow lead over the pursuing Arizona Sandmen.

"I owe these fans," Duffy said after the game. "That they've stuck with me after how I've played means a lot."

It hasn't been hard the past 7 weeks, as Duffy has batted .311 with 3 homers and 19 RBI.

"Duff works hard," teammate Buck O'Neil said. "We all know that. It's good seeing him praised like tonight."

The Sheriffs weathered a poor start from Ted Trent, who after a brilliant August in which he posted a 1.91 ERA, has struggled in his first two starts in September. Last night, he allowed 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings, leaving down 6-2.

But the Sheriffs got three in the bottom of the sixth to bring the game to 6-5, and a clutch two-out RBI single from Jimmy Williams - who drove in 3 on the night - to tie it in the 8th. The tie was made possible by stellar relief work from Jason Marquis, who tossed two hitless innings.

That set the stage for Duffy, who led off against Las Vegas' Scott Stewart and took him deep into the seats in right for his 12th homer of the year, and a mob scene at home plate.

"We feel great," leadoff man Scott Podsednik said. "We think we can win at any point until the game's over."

That's what championship teams must do.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Giant Killers
Cellar-dwelling Los Angeles hurls another monkey wrench at Sandmen
Sept. 13, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- If you're playing good ball or, more importantly, in a pennant race, stay out of Los Angeles.

A week after starting the demise of the New Orleans Knights, the Los Angeles Idols threaten to do the same to the Arizona Sandmen.

The sub-.400 Idols - protected from baseball's worst record only be the debacle that is the Chicago Hitmen - have taken 2 of 3 from Arizona here, the latest last night's 4-1 victory that put the Sandmen back 2 in the division.

Idols starter Ervin Santana largely stopped Arizona through four innings before leaving with a hamstring pull suffered running the bases. The Sandmen trailed 3-1 at that point on a sac fly from Russell Martin that scored Frog Redus, who had doubled for the team's only hit before stealing third.

But Santana being ousted didn't matter, as the Sandmen would must only two hits over five innings off Los Angeles relievers Carlos Silva, Mark Buehrle and Jesus Colome.

"Pathetic," Nap Lajoie said succinctly after the game, during which he went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts.

Arizona starter Anibal Sanchez allowed 4 runs on 9 hits over 7 innings, striking out 5 but walking 4 in the loss, dropping him to 10-6, 4.01. Santana's injury meant Carlos Silva got the win to improve to 3-3, 3.33.

Colome got the final five outs for his first save.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Duel Goes To New York
Heroes Win Pitchers' Duel, Sweep 2-Game Set To Extend Lead
Sept. 14, 2009

NEW YORK -- Tim Keefe was good. Very good in fact. Unfortunately for him and the Charlotte Cougars, New York's Harry Howell was better.

The Cougars now trail the first-place Heroes by 6 1/2 games after New York took the finale of a two-game set 3-2 last night. Harry Howell allowed 2 runs and 5 hits over 8 innings for the win, defeating Tim Keefe - who allowed 3 runs, 1 earned, on 9 hits over 8 innings.

A Mark Teahen error in the first inning led to two unearned runs for New York. Teahen dropped a fly ball from Jesse Burkett that would have ended the inning, but instead allowed John Cassidy to score the game's first run. Burkett would then score on a Dick Higham single.

Charlotte answered the next inning when Elmer Smith smacked an RBI double to score Mark Reynolds and make it a 2-1 game.

New York would make it 3-1 in the bottom of the third, when Higham hit another RBI single to score Burkett again. But Charlotte would answer in the fourth, when a Clint Barmes groundout scored Tommy Tucker.

That would be it, though, as Howell and Keefe were both brilliant. Charlotte threatened in the sixth when Elmer Smith hit a one-out triple. But Austin Kearns would strike out and Barmes would ground out to second to end the threat.

Howell would finish the 8th before giving way for Jonathan Papelbon to close it out for his 24th save of the season.

"Harry gave us what we needed today," New York slugger Roger Connor said afterward. "We gave him a lead and he made it stand up."

Both teams have a day off today, before Charlotte starts a four-game set in Louisville. New York hosts the Philadelphia Ringers for four as well. After that, New York goes to Memphis for two while Charlotte hosts San Antonio. These next six games could set the stage for the final run.

Right now, New York is in the driver's seat.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Enter Sandman
Ace Sanders shuts out Los Angeles as Arizona Cuts Deficit Back To 1
Sept. 14, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- Ben Sanders picked up his 16th win of the season, added two hits and carried the Arizona Sandmen back to a game behind the San Antonio Sheriffs for the division lead.

Sanders improved his September mark to 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA, scattering five hits in the complete game shutout victory.

Arizona scored three in the third inning off Los Angeles starter John Clarkson. A Frog Redus groundout scored a run before a Carl Crawford single plated two more. Sanders would add an RBI double in the sixth.

One lowlight was Nap Lajoie, who is mired in a 1-for-18 spell after last night's 0-for-5. As the team's most formidable offensive threat, Arizona needs Lajoie to rebound, and quickly.

The Sandmen gained ground thanks to the Las Vegas Bosses' 2-0 win in San Antonio. Charlie Sweeney picked up his 15th victory with the complete game shutout for Las Vegas. He outdueled Joe McGinnity, who falls to 13-13 despite a strong 3.16 ERA.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Penning a Tragedy
Arizona bullpen throws gas on fire in loss
Sept. 15, 2009

LAS VEGAS -- Arizona starter Clark Griffith didn't have his best stuff. Nevertheless, he kept his team in the game. The Arizona bullpen took them out of it.

Grffith allowed 4 runs over 6 innings, leaving down 4-3 after six. Then things went from bad to worse. And Arizona's bullpen, which had been the Southern League's best a mere three weeks ago, was torched.

Mike Koplove retired Juan Uribe and Jason Tyner to start things off. But in a span of four batters he walked Cesar Izturis, allowed Las Vegas pitcher Tommy Bond to double, surrendered a two-run double to Tom Daly and then gave up a first-pitch two-run blast to left to Lip Pike, his 21st of the season.

Koplove entered with a 2.92 ERA. He departed at 5.40.

Arizona, to its credit, battled back in the top of the 8th, as Gerald Laird smacked a two-run double to plate Frog Redus and George Gore - both of whom had singled off Bond.

Webster McDonald relieved Koplove for the Sandmen, and had nothing. Jimmy Ryan, who had hit his 16th homer off Griffith in the 6th, launched number 17 to lead off the 8th, the last of four homers the Bosses would hit on the day (the other coming from Alejando Oms, also in the 6th).

After retiring Grant Johnson and Juan Uribe, it seemed McDonald would minimize the damage. Not so.

Jason Tyner walked. Cezar Izturis singled. Wily Taveras singled to score Tyner. Then Tom Daly tripled to score Izturis and Taveras, giving Vegas a 12-5 lead, which is how it would end.

At the end of August, Arizona's bullpen was baseball's best, boasting a cumulative 2.65 ERA for the season. But September hasn't been kind, seeing the bullpen go 1-4 with 3 blown saves and a 9.59 ERA. The pen has appeared in 11 games this month, and has been scored upon in 8 of them.

As disconcerting is Clark Griffith's failure this month, particularly in his last two starts. He lasted only an inning in his last start, against Memphis, surrendering four runs. He has a 7.43 ERA on the month and has now given up 6 homers in 13.1 innings this month.

Arizona needs both of these issues fixed if they are to catch San Antonio. The Sheriffs, who were idle yesterday, now lead the division by a game and a half.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Not This Time
San Antonio survives L.A.'s attempt to wreck pennant hopes
Sept. 16, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- They knocked off New Orleans and derailed Arizona. Now, the Los Angeles Idols, relishing the role of spoiler, had the Sheriffs in their sights.

San Antonio had ace Noodles Hahn on the mound, he of the 17-6 record and stellar 2.31 ERA. The Idols, possessing a middling offense and the Southern League's worst pitching staff shouldn't match up.

Ryan Spillborghs of the Sheriffs led off with a triple, scoring on Rafael Furcal's sacrifice fly. Two batters in, San Antonio led 1-0. But Los Angeles scored two, a double from Cal McVey scoring Benjamin Boyd and Harry Stovey. Hahn wasn't intimidating the Idols.

"I was shocked how patient they were," Hahn said after the game. "Their season is over, and you expect a team in that spot to be overaggressive, just trying to end the game. But they had good at bats."

Hahn needed 31 pitches to get through the first inning, but after he needed only five to get through the second, it seemed he'd roll the rest of the way. Yet Los Angeles would get another run in the third, a Joe Crede double scoring Harry Stovey.

San Antonio tied it up in the fifth. Jimmy Williams grounded out, scoring Spillborghs, who had singled two batters earlier. Buck O'Neil would that smack a double down the third base line, rattling in the corner to allow Rafael Furcal to score.

After a disappointing August in which he hit .241, O'Neil has recovered well, batting .357 so far in September.

Hahn settled in, but so did Idols starter Brian Lawrence. Mike Donlin would hit a Hahn mistake over the rightfield wall in the bottom of the seventh, a solo shot and his 15th homer of the year to put Los Angeles in front 4-3.

The Sheriffs, though, would not be denied. Hugh Duffy reached when Hank Blalock booted a grounder to lead off the top of the 8th. Two pitches later, George Pinkey hammered a straight change over the wall in left for his 8th homer of the year to give the Sheriffs a 5-4 lead.

A pumped up Hahn dynamically struck out the side in the 8th, raising his PBL-leading total to 330. But closer Hideki Okajima would come in to close it out in the ninth.

Miguel Cabrera would single and Benjamin Boyd would walk, bookending a Jorge Cantu popup. But Okajima would get George Scales to ground out and Mike Donlin to fly weakly to center to wrap up a hard-fought win for San Antonio.

The Sheriffs extended their division lead to 2 1/2 games, as Arizona lost in Las Vegas 4-3, when weak-hitting Ed McFarland doubled off struggling reliever Mike Koplove and Cesar Izturis hit an RBI single to break the tie in the bottom of the 8th.

[EMSoccerCoach]

Cougars' Bats Missing in Action
Charlotte shutout as offense continues to sputter
Sept. 16, 2009

LOUISVILLE -- Kid Nichols allowed 1 run and 3 hits in a complete game effort for Charlotte. By anyone's reasoning, that should have been enough.

It wasn't, though, as Charlotte was blanked by Louisville's Will White, who struck out 10 Cougars while scattering five hits in his own complete game effort.

Charlotte's punchless offense mixed things up, though that meant Elmer Smith was the only starter with double-digit homers on the season (10). It didn't help. John McGraw led off the 5th with a double but was stranded. He was the only Cougar to reach second base. Tommy Tucker had two hits, and Nichols himself contributed one as well. But Charlotte was overmatched by White - a decent pitcher, no doubt, but one a team in a pennant race who gets the start Nichols provided must defeat - all night long.

Some may see it as a saving grace for Charlotte that New York lost as well, 6-1 to the Philadelphia Ringers, keeping Charlotte's deficit at 6 1/2 games. But others will see it something more, a missed opportunity in a race that has shown signs of slipping away from them.

The Cougars have now lost four straight, hitting .204 during the stretch. They need more, and they need it quickly.