Series 10: Part 1

MMD - 5   MEL - 0   F
W - Schilling (4-1)   L - Beckett (1-3)
MMD: Schilling: CG (1), 0 ER, QS (4)
MEL: Beckett: 7 IP, 5 ER
MMD: Chavez: 1-5, HR (6), RBI (11)
MMD: Zaun: 1-3, 2 BB, RBI (14)
MMD: Tejada: 2-4. RBI (7)

With a five game losing streak, there is perhaps no better person to turn to than MMD starter Curt Schilling, who is one of the leading contenders in the Cy Young award discussion. He took to the mound in this one and delivered one of his best starts of the year, clearly miffed a bit after his previous performance against the Spartans. Throughout the course of the entire evening, the Marauder bats were helpless against Schilling, who cruised through the early and middle innings. The Marauder starter, Josh Beckett, also was pitching quite well until he had a bit of a breakdown in the fifth. Eric Chavez kicked things off with a solo homerun, his sixth of the year which leads all MMD hitters and ties him for second place in the league. After Chavez followed a series of seven walks and singles, punctured only once by a strike out. Eventually Eric Chavez himself came to bat again in the same inning with the bases loaded. He grounded out into a double play to end the inning, but by then the damage had been done, as MMD had run up the score to 5-0. That was really more than enough for Schilling, who went the distance, completing the game and shutting out Dr. Vindaloo entirely. This was a much needed win for Meow Meow Dui, who finally snap a five game losing streak and give them a little breathing room from the three teams chasing them for a playoff spot. As for the Marauders, they are approaching do or die territory. Game 2 won't be any easier for them when MMD sends Kenny Rodgers to the mound, who has had quite a good season thus far.
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STL - 3   QEY - 6   F
W - Wickman (2-0)   L - Springer (1-2)
QEY: Rodgers: 7 IP, 3 ER, QS (4)
STL: Oliver: 7 IP, 3 ER, QS (3)
QEY: Alfonzo: 1-3, BB, GW 2B, 2 RBI (9)
QEY: Burks: 1-4, BB, HR (6), 2 RBI (18)
STL: Walker: 2-3, 2 BB, HR (5), 2 RBI (14)

The reeling Cardinals scored first with Ray Lankford popping his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the second. Queynos starter Kenny Rodgers settled down after that and pitched decently until the middle innings. His offense backed him up with some run support, with centerfielder Ellis Burks crushing his sixth homerun of the year, as well as tacking on another RBI single during a Warriors two run rally in the fifth. However, the run support was squandered almost immediately; in the top of the sixth, Larry "Weapon of Mass Destruction" Walker awoke from his slumber and tied the game up with his fifth homerun of the year. Both starters put in seven quality innings, allowing three runs a piece before turning things over their respective bullpens. Bob Wickman pitched a scoreless eighth for the Warriors; Cardinals reliever Russ Springer ran into some trouble. With two outs and a man on first, he surrendered a double to Sean Casey, bringing the go ahead run to third base. Third baseman and very clutch hitter Edgardo Alfonzo stepped to the plate and delivered with a 2 RBI double. Catcher Michael Barrett followed with a double of his own to bring the score to 6-3 before the ecstatic Queynos crowd. Bob Wickman completed his second inning of work in the top of the ninth to earn the Warrior's 8th win of the year. As for the Cardinals, this represents their third straight loss, awful timing for a team in a desperate playoff push. Although they are only one game out of third place, they are also only one game up on the last place team.
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AXN - 8   TEN - 7   F
W - Nunez (1-1)   L - Ishii (1-3)   S - Kolb (6)
AXN: Zito: 6 IP, 3 ER, QS (4)
TEN: Ishii: 7 IP, 6 ER
AXN: Griffey Jr. 04: 1-4, GS (1), 4 RBI (6)
TEN: Ortiz: 3-4, 2 HR (8), 2B, 4 RBI (19)
AXN: Blalock: 3-4, 2B, Sac Fly, RBI (9)

You could tell that this was going to be a wild one from the get-go. Tenbil Town kicked things off by loading the bases in the bottom of the first, and then having David Ortiz smash a 2 RBI double. Darkpaw starter Barry Zito managed to get out of the inning without bleeding further, but gave up another run in the second off of an Edgar Martinez Jr. double. Tenbil Town starter Kaz Ishii also didn't look his best, as he was working in and out of trouble for most of the night. He surrendered a two run rally in the third, but otherwise managed to keep the Darkpaws off the board, with many thanks given to the Tenbil Town defense that stepped up in this one in a major way. They had the notable achievement of turning a triple play in the top of the sixth. However Kaz Ishii ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh. With two outs and the bases loaded, Green Sox coach Rex Loudsnore clearly was conflicted about going to the bullpen. He made a visit to the mound in which there seemed to be an animated discussion, but went back to the dugout without pulling Ishii from the game. What a fatal mistake; the next batter was Ken Griffey Jr. 04 (not the Super Season edition that most know) who crushed Ishii's changeup over the centerfield wall for a grand slam. The Darkpaws offense flexed their muscles again in the eighth with a Luis Rivas triple, and a subsequent Mike Cameron single to make the score 7-3. But the Green Sox weren't about to take this lying down. In the bottom of the eighth they struck with two homeruns, a two run shot from Magglio Ordonez and a solo homerun from David Ortiz. In the top of the ninth, Darkpaws second baseman Luis Rivas led off with another big hit, a lead off double. Ken Griffey Jr. then hit a sacrifice fly that moved the speedy Rivas to third. Hank Blalock then stepped up to the plate and hit a deep fly ball to right field, which was caught by J.D. Drew. Rivas tagged again and ran for his life towards home. The throw came into home and there was a collision at the plate; the umpire shouted "SAFE!" which instantly brought on a torrent of boos from the Tenbil Town crowd. Coach Rex Loudsnore immediately came out of the dug out and things got nasty right away, with Loudsnore shouting in the umps face. Eventually the umpire ejected him, to which Loudsnore responded by spitting tobacco juice on the umpire's shoes. Video replay afterward showed that Rivas was clearly safe, as catcher Brent Mayne was unable to physically apply the tag. The Darkpaws brought in league saves leader Danny Kolb to protect the 8-6 lead in the bottom of the ninth. David Ortiz hit his second homerun of the night, but alas for the Green Sox it was only a solo shot. Kolb was able to otherwise protect the lead and secure his team's third straight win as well as his sixth save. Take this game as yet another bizarre example of the dominance of Division 1 over the Pee Wee League. Although the Darkpaws are 0-7 against other Division 1 teams this year, they are a very respectable 7-4 against Pee Wee League opponents.