The Snooze Button: 5/21
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• Behind a hat trick by Yann Ekra and a shutout by Nick Noble, the City Islanders topped the Dayton Dutch Lions 4-0 (P-N [Bullock], USL PRO) |
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• Congratulations to Tommy Olcyzk who was named ACHA Rookie of the Year (TYT) |
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• Rumors have Rob Bolden again considering a transfer and Curtis Drake dismissed from the team (BSD [Pettigano], VBR [Tolley]) |
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• Senators Notebook looking at Danny Rosenbaum's impressive start to the season, 2013 schedule questions, and an organizational look at the closers (P-N [Morrow]) |
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Game 41: Baysox 2, Senators 1
Photo courtesy Harrisburg Senators
In both the seventh and eighth innings Harrisburg had the tying run on third base with one out and couldn't get him home as Devin Ivany grounded out to the drawn in infield and Jesus Valdez popped up to the catcher in foul territory. The Baysox also committed a grand total of four errors and the Senators could only capitalize once when Destin Hood scored the lone run after a Chris Rahl groundball trickled past Bowie third baseman Zealous Wheeler.
A night of "what might have beens" overshadowed the outstanding game Mike Ballard threw as he went seven strong innings. Ballard's only blemish on the night was a two-run home run to Caleb Joseph in the fourth inning that proved to be too much to overcome. After that he retired the next 11 batters before yielding to Erik Davis for the final two innings.
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• The 2-1 final marked the eighth loss in the Senators' last nine home games
• Eury Perez was hit on his glove hand with a pitch and the staff will re-evaluate his status tomorrow
• Congratulations if you had home plate umpire Andy Dudones in your Eastern League Ejection Fantasy League as he tossed Baysox manager Gary Kendall in the eighth inning
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...on their recent offensive struggles
"You've got to score more than one run a game and we haven't been able to do that lately."
...on their lack of clutch hitting
"In order for us to be successful, we have to situational hit. We haven't been good here lately getting guys in from third. We put ourselves in a situation to tie the ballgame up and if we execute those two plays we are up a run...Hitting-wise we had the right guys up and didn't execute and that's part of this game that you have to figure out to get the stuff done and if you can't, you got to let somebody else give it a chance...That's the beauty of this ballgame that you have to get it done even if you're not hitting well."
...on starter Mike Ballard
"He's a big asset to our club because he's got a chance to run through lineups because he's a soft thrower that can command the ball...He gave us a chance to win the ballgame. A solid, solid, solid effort. I was very proud of him especially after he exited early against Akron."
The Sports 'Burger Star of the Game: Mike Ballard
Game 40: Baysox 9, Senators 3
Photo courtesy @mtorio2014
Whoever came up with the phrase "Home Sweet Home" never met the 2012 edition of the Harrisburg Senators. For a team that has played to a league-best 16-7 on the road, it's difficult to explain how poorly this Harrisburg team has played at home on City Island this season.
Friday night their troubles at Metro Bank Park continued as the Bowie Baysox topped the Senators 9-3 in front of a season-high 6,872 fans. The game marked the seventh loss out of the last eight home games for the Senators in a stretch that has seen them outscored 43-22.
The Baysox jumped on starter Rob Gilliam early as they plated a run in each of the first three innings. After that he managed to put goose eggs up on the board for the middle three innings, but Bowie continued putting good swings on his pitches and hitting the ball hard. That offensive energy carried over and steamrolled Ryan Tatusko's relief appearance for six runs in the final three frames and put the game out of reach.
Harrisburg would plate two runs in the ninth inning, but by then those did very little to cut into the deficit or to soften the blow of another mediocre performance at home.
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• Manny Mayorson was activated off the DL and made his Senators' debut after missing the first 39 games of the season
• The Baysox two home runs brings their season total to 31 with an astounding 23 of them being solo shots
• Apparently there is lots of Bawlmer love for the Flacco family as Joe's brother, Mike, pinch hit in the top of the ninth inning for Bowie
• Pitching coach Paul Menhart is away from the team over the weekend to celebrate his daughter's graduation at home
The Sports 'Burger Star of the Game: Jesus Valdez
May 18-May 20 Homestand: Bowie Baysox
Photo courtesy Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators (22-17) vs. Bowie Baysox (15-24)
The Senators have issued an advisory that parking will be extremely limited on City Island this weekend, so they are encouraging fans to show up early or plan on parking elsewhere (just not at Duke's or Dockside Willie's) and walk to the game.
Friday 7PM
Rob Gilliam (1-3, 4.70) vs. RH Zach Clark (2-3, 4.12)
40-inch Flatscreens & Fireworks Friday Night
Halloween Night - The Senators will sport the Halloween-themed uniforms (above) which will be auctioned off after the game to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network
Saturday 7PM
Mike Ballard (1-2, 3.44) vs. RH Tim Bascom (2-2, 4.87)
Bryce Harper Youth Jersey Giveaway to the first 1,000 kids (12 and under)
Sunday 2PM
Paul Demny (2-2, 4.91) vs. RH Bobby Bundy (2-6, 5.27)
Pre-game catch on the field prior to the game
Kids (12 and under) eat free
Senators' Offensive Leaders
Chris Rahl .289/.338/.489, 28 R, 24 RBI, 5 HR, 12 SB
Tim Pahuta .275/.331/.463, 17 R, 19 RBI, 3 HR
Jeff Kobernus .303/.333/.358, 25 R, 7 RBI, 25 SB
Baysox Offensive Leaders
Brandon Waring .281/.399/.523, 25 R, 16 RBI, 6 HR
Antoan Richardson .313/.429/.375, 12 R, 5 SB
L.J. Hoes .286/.379/.395, 19 R, 14 RBI
Game 39: Flying Squirrels 1, Senators 0 (14)
Photo courtesy Richmond Times-Dispatch
In a matchup that didn't disappoint between arguably the best two pitchers in the Eastern League, Thursday night's 14-inning game ultimately came down to a reliever (Marcos Frias) who couldn't find the strike zone. Frias, the Senators' fourth pitcher of the night, walked the winning run home to give Richmond the 1-0 victory after already surrendering three free passes earlier in the inning.
Billed as a heavyweight pitcher's duel between the league's best two ERAs, Harrisburg's Danny Rosenbaum and Richmond's Chris Heston traded zero for zero until both starters were pulled for pinch hitters in the eighth inning. From there it was more of the same from both bullpens as they held the game in a 0-0 deadlock until the meltdown in the bottom of the 14th inning.
The scorecard on the night was dominated with lots of 0-fers as the Senators only managed six hits and Jesus Valdez was the lone batter to register two.
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• A walkoff walk? That can only mean a shrimp running on a treadmill.
• The Senators are now winless in four extra-inning games this season
• Beau Seabury made his Senators' debut for the last two pitches after Devin Ivany was ejected
• Neither team advanced a runner to third base all night until Eury Perez was stranded there in the top of the 14th inning
• The New York Yankees claimed one-time Senator Matt Antonelli who had been placed on waivers by the Orioles' organization
The Sports 'Burger Star of the Game: Danny Rosenbaum
The Snooze Button: 5/18
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• Congratulations to Butch Hobson who notched his 1500th victory in his managerial career (Barnstormers) |
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• Q&A with Cedar Cliff's Adam Brenaman (P-N [Shay]) |
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• At the Senators' game tonight, Andy Linker will be signing copies of his great new book, One Patch of Grass, documenting the rich history of baseball on City Island (P-N [Morrow]) |
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Mayflies & Big Flies: Out of Left Field with Tyler Moore
Photo courtesy Toni L. Sandys / The Washington Post
We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Tyler Moore one week after the former Senator made his Major League debut against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. We spoke with him the day after the Nationals defeated the Phillies 4-3 with a walk-off single by Wilson Ramos in the 11th inning in the first game of their Take Back the Park weekend.
The Sports 'Burger: When did you find out you were getting the call? Take me through that whole process.
Tyler Moore: Man, it was crazy. Tony Beasley called me about 12:30 at night and said, "Hey, T-Mo, you're going up. Congratulations! But you need to pack all of your stuff because you're making a flight at 6 AM to California." So, I pack up all of my stuff and I have to meet a cab driver at 4 am at the Chiefs' field. I don't get done packing until around 3, so I don't even attempt to go to sleep. Get to the airport and I can't sleep on the plane because I really don't like to fly. Finally, I get to California without any sleep that night and I text Lombo to make sure I'm not in the lineup. I'm probably not playing but just check because I'm not be there for the first pitch. I show up and I got about 30 minutes until the game starts. Right when I walked out of the dugout they said, "Hey you're probably starting in left." And I said, "You got to be kidding me." I was very happy to start but at the same time nerve-racked. I was able to actually hit a couple of rounds of BP, play the game, and after I caught one flyball out in left I was fine. It was just an unbelievable experience. The crowd there was great. A bunch of history in that stadium and I'm just blessed to be a part of that.
TSB: Did you have enough time to get any family out there?
TM: No, I barely had time to fill them in that I was even playing. But I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm glad they just kind of threw me out there, so I didn't have really any time to think about it.
TSB: Any different than the same baseball you've played since you were eight years old?
TM: Same baseball. Just a lot, a lot more people. As you saw last night, it was a packed house like 40,000 and it was great. It just makes the excitment a little more.
TSB: Talk a little bit about Beas and Troy (Gingrich) being at Syracuse this year and how it helped you getting continuous guidance with those guys as you moved up to that level.
TM: Oh yeah, it helped. I think me and Harp and couple of more guys came from Double-A to there. It just helps the adjustment process go a lot easier. I know what Troy is going to do and he probably knows my swing better than I do. You couldn't ask for two better people on the coaching staff and I get to work with them everyday and it was great. That's something that I'll never forget.
TSB: If eyes weren't already opened, you did that in spring training and that's probably why you got the call now. What was that experience like to prove to yourself that you belonged?
TM: It was great. It was my first time to be around big leaguers everyday and getting the gist of everything that was going to happen and that needs to happen. It was great for me to see that everyday, day in and day out. It was great exposure and I was fortunate enough to play in some games before getting sent back down to Triple-A.
TSB: You mentioned earlier about playing left field and you had three games out there under your belt in Syracuse before you got the call in Washington. Talk about the work that Bo (Porter) and Tony (Tarasco) have done with you in terms of your transition.
TM: They've been great. They've been very patient with me. I probably ask them all kinds of questions all of the time. They've been unbelievable to me. I get more comfortable every time I get out there and I'm not going to make the unbelievable Sportscenter play but I'll try to make the routine. Just knowing where to go with the ball and knowing lefty slices coming off the bat to get a better read instead of just jumping towards the ball...that's what I'm leaning towards getting better at.
TSB: What about this core group that is here now? For the most part it's all guys that have come up through the minors...Desmond, Espinosa, Lombo, Harper. This is a team that has kind of grown up together.
TM: Our minor league system I would put it up against anyone else. They draft good and once they get drafted they teach them everything. The guys down there are unbelievable as people and as coaches. It's just fun to be a part of. It's fun to be a Nat right now. You can just tell that this city is starting to turn it on.
Thanks to Tyler for taking the time out of his busy schedule to talk with us and to Terry Byrom and John Dever for arranging the interview.
The Snooze Button: 5/17
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• The City Islanders and Pittsburgh Riverhounds played to a scoreless draw despite a bunch of second-half chances (P-N [Bullock]) |
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• Hersheypark Stadium was announced as the venue for the annual exhibition game against the Philadelphia Union on June 12th (Upper 90 [Meluzio], CBS 21 [Bristol]) |
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• At the Pittsburgh stop of the Coaches Caravan, both Bill O'Brien and Guy Gadowsky backed an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium (Daily Collegian [Bittner]) |
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• Quarterback EJ Nemeth is cutting off all of his hair with the proceeds from the auction going to the Easter Seals of Central PA (Stampede) |
Game 38: Senators 3, Flying Squirrels 1
Photo courtesy Joe Mahoney / Richmond Times-Dispatch
Good teams execute the fundamentals and usually come out on top because of it. On Wednesday night at The Diamond in Richmond, the Senators turned three double plays while the Flying Squirrels committed three errors. When the Senators needed to drop a sacrifice bunt down in the ninth inning, Chris McConnell did it perfectly and advanced Stephen King into scoring position. Good teams do the little things well and the Senators were the better team on Wednesday night.
Sure, outhitting the Flying Squirrels 11 to 4 didn't hurt either.
Behind another double-digit outburst of hits and a stellar start by Jeff Mandel, the Senators won their fifth straight game, a 3-1 victory over Richmond. Eury Perez was the offensive hero of the night as he stroked four hits and drove in two runs. Hector Nelo notched his third save of the season.
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• In his last six games, Perez is 11 for his last 22 with six RBIs
• Former Senator Claudio Vargas is coming out of retirement to pitch for the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate in Nashville
The Sports 'Burger Star of the Game: Eury Perez
Game 37: Senators 4, Flying Squirrels 2
Photo courtesy Richmond Times-Dispatch
I love watching National League baseball for the cat and mouse games that managers have to make with the pitcher hitting ninth in the batting order. Rarely do you see those kinds of moves in the second inning of a game, but that's exactly what happened Tuesday night in Richmond as Senators' manager Matt LeCroy and Flying Squirrels' manager Dave Machemer tried to outthink the other.
Hitting out of the number six spot in the lineup, Devin Ivany led off the inning with a standup double to right field. LeCroy chose to next bunt Jose Lozada to get Ivany to third base with one out, but Machemer countered with an intentional walk to Sean Nicol to bring up the pitcher's spot with men on first and third.
From the third base coaches' box, LeCroy quickly spoke with hitting coach Eric Fox who passed the message on to Paul Demny before he took his place at the plate. What would LeCroy have Demny do in this situation? Bunt? Leave the bat on his shoulder to avoid the double play? Make sure he ran his ass off if he did hit it?
LeCroy chose option A, the sacrifice bunt. And I would say he was committed to his choice because he stuck with it even after Demny fouled the first two pitches off. Fortunately, Demny was able to get his next attempt down and he successfully moved Nicol into scoring position at second base.
There's a thin line as a manager looking like a genius and looking like a doofus. In this case, it came down to one batter (Eury Perez) and one pitch (an 0-2 offering from Richmond starter Craig Westcott) that determined which group LeCroy fell into on this night. Perez dumped a single into right field that scored both runs, staking the Senators to an early 2-0 lead, and giving LeCroy the upper hand on the managerial battles that would eventually win the war game, 4-2.
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• Paul Demny took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and at point retired 13 in a row before being touched up for two runs in the inning.
• Tim Pahuta collected his 18th and 19th RBIs of the season when he plated the winning runs on a one-out triple into the right-centerfield gap in the eighth inning.
• There was a delay in the ninth inning with two outs as the bank of outfield lights went out at The Diamond. 14 minutes later, Christian Garcia struck out Chris Dominguez on three pitches to seal his fifth save of the season.
• Prior to the game, James Skelton was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse and catcher Beau Seabury was called up from Potomac to take his place on the roster.
The Sports 'Burger Star of the Game: Paul Demny
