[mikev]

Sim 1 Recap: 4/11/2013

The Crusaders started off the season with a solid 6-3 sim, highlighted by a 3-1 series victory over the natural disasters.

The season opening series, a 2-1 series win over Long Beach, featured an extra inning W in game 1, then an 8-4 loss and an 8-2 victory to take the series.

Bookending the LA series, the Crusaders split the first two (of three) against Vegas, losing game 1 in 14 innings before rebounding with a 5-3 victory.

Small sample size, but the Yoelbi Barro second base experiment has started off okay - the 36 year old made one error over the first 9 games.

Jakob Forest started off the season by going totally crazy at the plate, with a .452/.468/.976 line. Yes, he slugged nearly 1.000, drove in 21 runs in 9 games and has 41 total bases. God I love this guy.

On the mound, Lindsay Blackley got off to a solid start, earning wins in both of his starts. The left handed control specialist tossed 14.1 innings, gave up a total of 5 runs (all earned), and allowed only 13 hits and 2 walks. Also, special shout out to closer Luis Vargas, who earned a win and notched a save in his 4 appearances, not allowing a run in his 9.1 innings while striking out 9 batters and walking only 2.

However, on a bit of a down note, Griz seems to have - finally - proven that he's not the caliber of pitcher that belongs in the Crusaders rotation. He'll likely be moved to a spot start/mopup role, and the team will utilize a 4 man rotation as they for the majority of last season.

The Next Crusade

4/11 - @ Las Vegas

4/12 - v. Green Bay
4/13 - v. Green Bay
4/14 - v. Green Bay

4/16 - v. Louisville
4/17 - v. Louisville
4/18 - v. Louisville

4/19 - @ Baltimore
4/20 - @ Baltimore