[jmm8356]

Flyers Weekly, Volume XXIV, Issue 11 - May 31, 1971

Our Flyers gain ground yet fall in the standings, now in third place, 2 1/2 games back. The club completes its Western trip with three at Houston, followed by four at State Fair Park against Atlanta.


Last Week's Results

May 24 - OFF

May 25 - at DAL - L 3-6

John McMasters (W, 2-4, 8 1/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 9 K) no-hits the Flyers through five, while Roger Coomes (2 1/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 1 K) makes an early exit. Frank Thomas hits a pinch-hit two-run homer in the 8th, his first big league homerun.

L - Coomes (3-4)
HR - Thomas (1)

May 26 - at DAL - W 10-4

Matt Kirk (5 RBI) is the first Flyers batter to hit three homers in a game since Randy Brewer on July 11, 1959, while Bill Morgan (6 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 7 BB, 9 K) takes a no-hitter into the 7th. Dave Powell goes 2 for 5 with a double and two RBIs, along with his seventh error of the season at short.

W - Morgan (5-1)
HR - Kirk 3 (3,4,5)

May 27 - at DAL - W 5-2

Steven Robinson (2 for 5) doubles in two and scores in a four-run Flyers 1st, while Matt Halstead (7 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 3 K) throws just 85 pitches in his seven innings of work.

W - Halstead (4-3)
SV - Hodgkins (14)

May 28 - at MEM - L 4-7

Blues LF Barney Sonnier hits a two-run homer in the 1st off Keith Becker (3 IP, 6 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K), then SS Ed Dinsmore hits a grand slam in the 3rd to send Becker to the showers. A pinch-hit double by Mark Johnson scores three in the 4th, but the Flyers do not score again despite having the bases loaded with no outs in the 6th. A frustrated Jeremy McGrath is ejected in the 9th for arguing balls and strikes.

L - Becker (4-3)

May 29 - at MEM - W 8-4

Kirk (2 for 5, R) triples in two runs and scores in a three-run Flyers 5th, and Johnson scores two with a pinch hit and plates a third with a sacrifice fly. Coomes (5 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 7 K) throws a good game on three days rest.

W - Coomes (4-4)
SV - Hodgkins (15)

May 30 - at MEM - W 10-8

Mike Weber (4 for 4, 3 R) is one of three Flyers who homer and four Flyers with two RBIs as Carolina wins a wild one at The Fabulous Avalon. Chris Wayman (2 R, 2 RBI) doubles and homers, while Johnson again scores two, the tying and winning runs, with a key pinch hit in the three-run 9th. Justin Randolph (2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 K) gets his fifth win despite allowing the go-ahead run in the 8th for an 8-7 Blues lead. Russ Roderick leaves the game in the 5th with a blister on his throwing hand and is listed as day-to-day.

W - Randolph (5-1)
SV - Hodgkins (16)
HR - Wayman (2), Weber (3), S. Robinson (6)

Last week: 4 - 2
This month: 12 - 13
Overall: 29 - 21, 3rd, -2 1/2 of Jacksonville


Who's Hot

Mike Weber
Last 5 games: 8-16 (.500), 1 HR, 4 RBI

Mike Sutton
Last 5 games: 6-15 (.400), 0 HR, 3 RBI

Matt Halstead
Last 3 games: 3-0, 2.37 ERA, 19 IP

Who's Not

Russ Roderick
Last 5 games: 3-20 (.150), 0 HR, 0 RBI

Keith Becker
Last 5 games: 0-2, 7.96 ERA, 26 IP

Roger Coomes
Last 3 games: 1-2, 6.75 ERA, 13 1/3 IP

Gene Arndt
Last 3 games: 0-2, 5.93 ERA, 13 2/3 IP


A Closer Look - Carolina

The Flyers are second in batting (.284) but fifth in scoring (245). CF Matt Kirk (.357, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 29 R, 5 2Bs, 4 3Bs) has been stellar from the leadoff spot, while C/1B Mike Weber (.327, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 39 R, 30 BB, 16 2Bs) and LF Steven Robinson (.315, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 29 R, 6 2Bs, 7 SB) form the heart of the order. 1B Chris Wayman (.336, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 23 R, 5 2Bs) was just moved up to the second spot, and C Mark Johnson (.330, 3 HR, 21 RBI) is 12 of 23 with 16 RBIs as a pinch hitter.

Carolina pitchers still have the best ERA in the league (3.50) but poor defense (33 unearned runs, T-2nd most) has the team fifth in runs allowed (209). Bill Morgan (5-1, 2.82, WHIP 1.05, OAVG .182) and Matt Halstead (4-3, 2.84, WHIP 1.16, 4 BBs in 57 IP) lead the starting staff, and Kevin Hodgkins (16 SV, 1.98 in 27 1/3 IP, WHIP 0.99) continues to lead the CBA in saves.


The View From The Top (The Manager's Column)

So far, so good, for this road trip. We've gotten our road record back to a respectable 10-13, to go with a 19-8 mark in Charlotte.

The pitching has been good, despite those high ERAs from the starters the past couple weeks. Evan Becnel is driving me crazy with his low endurance (20 IP in 24 games) and poor control (17 BBs), so you might be seeing a new face in the fifth reliever slot fairly soon.

The other guy who's driving me nuts is Darrel Robinson, who hasn't gotten a hit since May 16. He'll be in Winston-Salem just as soon as he clears waivers, and we just picked up another third baseman, Jeremy Coon [6/5/3] , from New Orleans via waivers. Coon has five doubles and eight taters in 101 at-bats at AAA so far this year, so between him and Gruns, we should be able to make something work until the trade deadline.

Russ Roderick needs a couple days for his blister to heal, so Jeff Harvey will get a chance to start. Meanwhile, the amateur draft is tomorrow, so it's time to weed the minor leagues! See you next week!