Beaver Times Edition 14

First of all, yes, I am a slacker. Here it is six full nights after the last Beaver games and I am just now starting to write this blog. I blame my two weeks off for getting me out of the rhythm. No more excuses, time to bust into week 14 of the 2009 season.

Gap Finders were our opponent again. If you look back to Edition 11 you will see that we split with them last time. They started this game off just as they did 3 weeks ago - abusing our rightfield. Damn, do they love to hit to right! So off they went. Liners to right and right center. Many of them, some caught, some not. When we finally were able to secure 3 outs we were down 4. Our outfield has a hole. Sorry fellas, but OF practice needs to be in the agenda. But who are we kidding?

So how do Beavers answer 4 runs? Well, this time we came roaring back. Well, kind of. Belle started the game with a single (have I mentioned how hot he has been?), Santo then killed that hit with a DP (wait until you hear how cold he is). Then came the hits. Kid, Big John, Mobilly, Sabo, Sonoma, Rake and Jake all reached safely. Capped by HRs by Kid (solo shot - should be a fine) and Sonoma. Beavers plated 5. We had a game on our hands.

The Gap Finders were not done, however. They added 3 in the 2nd, 3rd and in the 4th, then only managed 2 in the 5th. All this time the Beavers bats went cold. For instance, the second trip through the Beavers' lineup produced but 2 singles (Belle and Gee).

In the field the Beavers continued to struggle. Dropped flyballs in the OF stung us hard this game. But there was one flyball that stung especially hard. The SS for the Gap Finders came up for the second time. The first time up he laced a single between 3rd and short. Sabo even commented "you know it is hit hard when you hear it go past you". His second time up he hit one every bit as hard. This one though with a little higher trajectory. It was lined directly at Belle in LC. Belle had but two choices; pray like hell he got his glove in the way of the ball or let this ball light him up in the chest like a Christmas Tree. Luckily the glove found the ball and Belle did all he could do to not fall backwards after catching the ball.

At bat Big John was hitting into some bad luck. After walking in the first (his team-leading 11th walk on the fall season already) he grounded a ball back up the middle. In his mind this ball was going to find its way into centerfield. In everyone else's mind he had better hustle his arse off to make it to first to beat a possible throw by the shortstop. There were not many that the SS missed, and this one fit that category. Big John could not believe that he got to it and about 2 steps out the batters box he turned for the bench already congratulating the SS on his fine play. Later in the game, after the Beavers had already launched their 3 allowed HR, Big John let one fly, only to be recorded as an out. Over the past few weeks it seems like this has been happening a few times. Looks like some of the Beavers have found their power strokes.

The Beavers were able to scratch together runs in the 2nd, 6th and 7th but not enough to compete. Final score Gap Finders 15, Beavers 8. We were now 1-2 against them. Before the game Mobilly suggested that there were a few people in the lineup that were in need of a swap. Let's see how that lineup swap worked out. Sabo went 2-2 with 2 RBI and a walk. Sonoma (or Sanoma as Molbilly wrote it down) went 2-3 with a HR and 2 RBI. Good production from both, unfortunately not enough to keep us in the game.

Beaver of the game goes to Sabo. Reaching base all three times (other plate appearance was a walk). Honorable mention goes to Kid who was 2-3 with 2 HR. Only problem was both HR were solo shots. We need to get some baserunners!

Now, with a losing record for the fall season, we started game 2. It was apparent to the manager (and your blogger, who is one and the same this week) that the lineup and defense needed to be juggled to get something going on this team. I don’t fashion myself to be Tony LaRussa, Tommy Lasorda, Earl Weaver or Casey Stengel, but I do feel that I can juggle a lineup to get some production. This juggling was more defensive than offensive. Kid was shifted to LC, Santo to RC, Belle to RF and Rake to SS. We needed more D in the outfield, I hoped this would do the trick.

Before we expose what happened with that “D”, the Beavers were Visitors so we took our hacks in the top of the inning. We got lucky. Belle reached on an error, Kid did the same. After a K by the slumping Santo and a fly out by Big John, Dupper drove one deep to left for a 3-run dinger.

Now to the defense. The one other change was on the mound. Big John took the hill instead of Keith. And what do you know? No runs allowed (earned or unearned). That was in spite of an alligator-armed attempt at a ball by the new (actually old) shortshop, Rake. The Beavers went down quietly and quickly in the 2nd. The Gap Finders did just that in their half of the 2nd. Plating five runs by some well hit drives to the gaps and over the fence. One of those drives going off Big John’s glove and dislocating his finger. For those of you who know Big John, you know that each of his fingers has been dislocated before. Not one of those digits can point straight. Add another to the list. He removed himself from pitching to deal with the pain and Mobilly took over for a few pitches.

The Beavers responded well this time, however. The bottom of the lineup fueled the out-burst. Gee, Keith, Jake, Jimmy-D, Belle, Santo all reached safely before an out. Jake’s 3-run HR being the big blow. Beavers had scored 5 of our own and were back on top 8-5. Another quick inning for Big John back on the hill. Beavers kept hitting. This time Sonoma cranked a 2-run HR and a series of singles and errors added two more runs. Beavers were up 12-5 going into the bottom of the 4th.

Don’t expect the Gap Finders to go quietly. And they didn’t…racking up another 5 runs of their own with more line drives and another HR. The good news for the Beavers was that the “D” was improving. They were just hitting. When we lose, we usually lose because we give the other team too many outs. If this defense stays tight, we had a chance for the sweep.

Beavers kept adding to the lead in the 5th and 6th innings. Mobilly chased in two with a fly ball error to right field. That scored two runs. In the sixth the bases were loaded with no one out. Only one run was able to score on a force out. It was enough, the pitching and D held up and the Beavers took the game and the night split 15-11.

Beaver of the game goes to Jake. He went 2-3 with the big 3-run HR in the 3rd, adding a 4th RBI on a single in the 4th.
Other stats to mention; Jimmy-D has improved his average all the way up to .190 for the season. Santo is rivaling him for the low average on the team. His 1-3 second game kept him above the Mendoza line at about .210. Sonoma has a comfortable HR lead. Jake leads the team in SLG %. Big John has a slim 1 walk lead over Sabo. Jimmy-D leads the club with 5 K’s.

Next game is Sept 16 at 6:30 & 7:30 against the Nationals.