Yes. Even you, Magpie.
Let's start where we always start, with the AAA game. It was 2-1 Syracuse for the longest time, then Lee Gronkiewicz came in for his now-customary 8th inning stint. He blew it. Bizarro Moment #1. Well, that's fine. Syracuse took the lead again. Matt Whiteside blew a AAA save. There's Bizarro #2.
There were only five hits by the SkyChiefs in this game. Kevin Barker was the only one to collect more than a single (he had a homer). But Shaun Marcum was the man last night. He entered the game with a 5.59 AAA ERA and gave up just one run in seven innings. Bizarro Moment #3? Nah, he was due. He had 9 strikeouts, which might be a career high for him, and 15-1 odds say it's a high for him since Little League.
A doubleheader! Two seven-inning wins for the Fisher Cats, and here's how they did it:
Game One saw Casey Janssen give up eleven hits in six innings. He still got the win, though. His ERA rose to 1.39. Yes, it rose to 1.39. His G/F ratio was 9:1, which is really nice. He'd fit in well with a Koskie-Hudson infield.
Rob Cosby had a three-run homer and another single, along with Curtis Thigpen who had his own three-run shot. Cosby gets extra credit for starting a 5-4-3 double play, one of my favourite plays in baseball. (It's a Pythagorean thing, don't ask.)
Okay, Game Two: Six runs for the Fishers this time, which means they had 16 runs in one day. Bizarro Moment #3. This time, Ron Davenport was the offensive star, with a double and a solo shot in the first. Not much else to talk about, except Jesse Carlson's back to his old ways: less than an inning pitched, no runs, two inherited runners stranded.
Adam Lind is now batting .326. Oh, and some other guys played in Lakeland last night. Only 350 were in attendance, though, and I bet the real value was about a hundred. This is kind of an uninspiring game to report on -- even the three players involved in a 5-4-3 went 0-for-11. So I can't mention them just for the double play.
On-Base Jayce Tingler update: .350 OBP going into the night, and he had a 1-for-4. So...he's down a bit and he has little power. Still interesting to watch, though.
Lansing never had the lead last night. All I will cover is Eugenio Velez's fourth homerun of the year. I did not know he was hitting .308 on the year, though. See, you learn things everywhere. Did you know Barry Kelley had an uncredited role as a police chief in the 1964 Frank Sinatra musical Robin and the Seven Hoods? Bizarro Moment #4.
In the NY-Penn league, a blown save led to extras, which led to a 6-5 win for Batavia over the Doubledays. I guess that's what happens in a 12 inning game when Auburn stops scoring after the sixth...
Brian Pettway's woes continue, as he gets a now-rare start and promptly goes 1-for-5 with a Golden Sombrero. Manny Sena was also wearing that headwear after his hitless night. Cory Patton was just about the only player to do anything significant at the plate, with two hits and two RBI. Nobody's line looks good in an extra-inning game.
Hey, a new name! Chris Gutierrez, who was called up from Pulaski recently. I must have missed this move; who was sent down or placed on the disabled list to make room? Did they have to make room? Anyone? Bueller?
Finally, Pulaski. They lost 11-9. Anthony Hatch hit a single. And a double. And another double. And a triple. Jon Grijalva had some nice relief innings. Cory Hahn pitched too, but he gave up four runs and his name is just begging for a Jobu-like joke.
The really important story was this: Batting sixth and third for the opposing Greeneville Astros, giving us Bizarro Moments 5 and 6 and collecting a combined five RBI on the night? Eli Iorg and Koby Clemens. Yes, that Iorg. And yes, that Clemens. I remember dad Roger insisting that he be able to hit groundballs to his children at SkyDome. One of them was Koby. How fast they grow up...
Three Star Selection:
3. Anthony Hatch
2. Rob Cosby
1. Shaun Marcum
