Williamsburg Gazette
Late May 2003
Silver
@ Williamsburg
A
string of 2 outs hits in 3rd inning climaxed by a 2 run bomb by
Thome (11) propels Burgesses to victory. Odalis Perez (3-4, 3.31) sparkles with
4 hit shutout. He struck out side in 9th as if for emphasis. No
bases on balls. Sele (2-3, 4.09) pitches well; Burgesses lose 3 BP HR to long
left field.
#2
Sluggers 11-13-1, Burgesses 7-12-1
Sluggers
and Burgesses trade punches till Silver explodes for 5 in 8th. The
home team loads bases in 8th and 9th but can squeeze out
one more run.
WP-Alvarez
1-0, 0.00 Save-Hernandez (5) 6.75 LP-Santana 0-1, 5.40
HR-Alomar
(2) Beltran (2) Barrett (3) Burnitz (7)
#3
Burgesses 6-12-2, Sluggers 4-7-1
Jim
Thome cracked 2 HRs (13), the second a walk-off 2 run jack in the bottom of the
9th off Ascensio (L,1-1, 6.20). There were 8 DPs in the game, maybe
the most I’ve seen, 5 turned by Wburg. Burgesses were down 4-1 but slowly came
back and Johan Santana hurled 4 no-hit innings with 7 Ks in relief of the
much-abused Jimmy Haynes (ERA now 7.94). Barrett hit HR (4). WP-Cornejo (1-0, 4.38) an R7L who pitched 9th
against SS switch-hitters Alomar and Beltran.
The home team paper predicted that the Burgess starters had the right stuff to be No. 1 in its division; while park effects should be considered, the Burgess hurlers are currently dead last in starters’ ERA in Ruth with 5.37 mark compared to Toontown’s 3.46. The Rabbits were predicted to be No. 2 so that should restore a little credibility. Further scrutiny shows that we do have bragging rights to best bullpen with ERA of 2.67. Toontown is nipping at our heels with relief ERA of 2.84. San Bernadino and Plum Island have gotten essentially equal performances from starters and relivers. If you can knock out Portland’s starters, their current relief ERA of 5.81 suggests it will only get easier for you.
The other obvious problem is this team can not hit LHP;
our OPS is 509. We do very well vs RHP; our OPS of 763 in 2nd in
Ruth only to Toontown and Bonds’ 787. Our lefty-tilted staff will look forward
to Portland because they likewise have managed a pitiful 525 OPS to this point.
Nip
and tuck game goes awry for visitors when in 8th lefty Myers yields
a double off his own card to Thome; a righty is brought to face Bret Boone but
in a reprise of last month’s newsletter, Boone foils the strategy and singles
in Thome to give Williamsburg a 3-2 win. WP-Sosa 1-2, 6.17
LP-Myers 0-2, 6.23 Save-DeJean (3) 1.99
Plum Island buries home team under a boatload of early runs leading at one point 12-4 before Burgesses rough up Mulder some. Mark Kotsay was big bopper with 2 jacks (5) and 5 rbi. Barajas hit his first HR and Thome clobbered no. 16 before being lifted due to the slaughter.
WP-Mulder
5-1, 4.31 LP-Sparks 2-5, 7.39
Plum
Island jumped on Odalis Perez for 3 in 1st, and one in 2nd
and 3rd as all the rolls seemed to find hits mostly on PIG’s cards
but a few on Odalis’ as well. If not hits, then X chances “successfully”
converted to hits/errors by the bumbling Burgesses. WP-Rueter 4-2, 2.98
LP-Perez 3-5, 4.01
HR-Sweeney
(4) Inge (1)
Interesting line score courtesy of Matt Clement who walked 10 in 5+ innings; 3 Burgess runs scored on bases loaded BB. Thome jerked one (17) to pull us to within 8-7, but Cornejo lost gas early and the Mounders put us away. WP-Clement 4-2, 5.67 HR-Helton (3) Woodward (2)
LP-Dessens
2-4, 6.39
Bill has no one but himself to blame for this one; after bragging about how great MMM fielding is in his last newsletter J, they proceed to botch 4 plays. Two errors in one inning allow 2 unearned runs to score and Jimmy Haynes to earn his first victory; he’s 1-4, 6.62. LP-Redman 4-2, 2.28.
Save-Santana
(2) 4.60
Corey
Koskie’s 3 run HR (3) staked MMM to a 5-1 lead; a flurry of 2 out hits by WIL
in 6th knocked out Radke and tied it at 5-5. A battle of bullpens
ensued and WIL’s blinked first as Mounders scored off DeJean (L,1-1, 2.06) in 8th.
Holmes won it (2-1, 0.00) and Smoltz with save (5).