Wednesday 8/24/11 Updates

Second-place AZL Reds taking on the division-leading AZL Dodgers today. Five games left and they trail by two games. AZL Reds are in position to make the playoffs as the wildcard entry. They play the Dodgers three times in the last five games so they could take the crown. They are also only two games ahead of the AZL Indians in the wildcard race. So they could fall out of the playoffs as well.

Justice French on the mound today. He has 50 Ks and only 5 BBs on the season. :eek:
Matthew Laney takes the mound for the opposition. In 21.1IP he has given up just 8 hits and 6 walks, walking striking out 22. His ERA for the season is 0.00. :eek:

French gives up a run in the top of the first. AZL Reds come back to load the bases in the bottom but can't push across a run. After an inning and a half they trail 1 zip. Reds come back with two in the bottom of the second. Rosa triples, Morillo walks, Dailey grounds into a force which scores Rosa, Dailey advances to third on a wild pickoff attempt and scores on a single by Humberto Valor.

French sets them down 1-2-3 in the top of the third. 2-1 AZL Reds. French has settled down after yielding singles to the first two batters he faced. He now has 5 Ks in 3IP.

Two more in the third put the Reds up 4-1.

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Originally Posted by mace

Two more in the third put the Reds up 4-1.

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Play-by-play for the AZL Reds two runs suggest a wild play.

With two out and nobody on Matthews singles and then steals second.
With a runner at second Matt Lentz singles and somehow they both end up scoring. A throwing error by the third baseman was mixed in there.

Dodgers come back with two runs in the top of the fifth to make it 4-3. You must see some strange plays in rookie ball.
Dodger runner on third with one out when a ball is hit to the second baseman. They retire the runner 4-2-5-1. Bryant Hernandez, the batter, makes it all the way around to third on the rundown. Bryant Hernandez must be really, really fast or that was the slowest rundown (bordering on a walkdown) in history.

The sixth was an inning too many for French. Now 6-5 Dodgers.

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Originally Posted by mace

The sixth was an inning too many for French. Now 6-5 Dodgers.

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Reds score a run in the bottom of the fifth on three walks, a stolen base, a wild pitch and a throwing error.

Dodgers come back with 3 in the top of the 6th with a walk, two HBPs and a bases-clearing double.

Brennan May homered in the home half of the 7th, following an error, to give the AZL Reds a 7-6 advantage.

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Originally Posted by texasdave

Brennan May homered in the home half of the 7th, following an error, to give the AZL Reds a 7-6 advantage.

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Undrafted free agent is having a nice debut season.

Sorry for throwing French under the bus. The box score has been changed to show Carlos Ramos having pitched the sixth.

Theoretically, the Reds should be able to slam this one shut with Chris Joyce and Alejandro Chacin. We shall see.

7-6 Final. AZL Reds now just a game out of first in the division with four games left to play.

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Originally Posted by texasdave

7-6 Final. AZL Reds now just a game out of first in the division with four games left to play.

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Chacin went the final 1.2, with 3 K. Young stud.

Rosa: 3-4. Young stud?

At the Dayton game...my observations:

Hamilton already with a single and SB on a pitchout...it doesn't look like he is even running hard because he is so smooth.

Mitch Clarke has a big frame and a really easy delivery to the plate....consistently 89-91 with the FB.

Really like Tucker Barnhart. Seems to have a good feel for catching and seems to have a compact stroke from the left side. Hit a foul ball to the opposite field with some power.

Theo Bowe just looks like an athlete.

Donald Lutz looks like a man among boys....big frame.

Dayton trails 2-0 in the second.

Villarreal starting for Carolina tonight. Two starts ago this guy pitched a 106 pitch complete game. Through three innings tonight he has 3 Ks and has given up one hit.