2081: Desperation in Denver

[jamus23]

Time for a standings update:

National League Standings 
 
West Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away XInn  1Run M# 
San Jose     86 48 .642  -   91-43   -5   41-26 45-22 10-7 23-22 16 
San Diego    73 61 .545 13   74-60   -1   32-35 41-26  5-6 20-16  - 
Sacramento   65 69 .485 21   66-68   -1   33-35 32-34  5-6 18-21  - 
Portland     61 73 .455 25   61-73    0   35-31 26-42  6-7 16-26  - 
Phoenix      57 77 .425 29   55-79    2   29-38 28-39  4-8 18-24  - 
Los Angeles  56 78 .418 30   59-75   -3   32-35 24-43  7-4 19-27  - 
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away XInn  1Run M# 
Pittsburgh   85 49 .634  -   84-50    1   43-24 42-25  6-5 16-16 24 
Rochester    80 54 .597  5   79-55    1   43-24 37-30  6-5 23-17  - 
Buffalo      66 68 .493 19   70-64   -4   32-35 34-33  7-7 22-15  - 
Harrisburg   64 70 .478 21   63-71    1   32-35 32-35  9-9 20-21  - 
Hartford     57 77 .425 28   58-76   -1   33-35 24-42  3-6 23-18  - 
New Jersey   54 80 .403 31   49-85    5   21-45 33-35  5-3 19-14  - 
 
American League Standings 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away XInn 1Run  M# 
Miami        84 50 .627  -   86-48   -2   41-25 43-25 10-3 17-20 22 
Washington   77 57 .575  7   75-59    2   35-32 42-25  3-4 17-11  - 
Knoxville    70 64 .522 14   71-63   -1   36-32 34-32  4-3 16-11  - 
Nashville    64 70 .478 20   64-70    0   32-36 32-34  5-6 13-16  - 
Atlanta      58 76 .433 26   58-76    0   29-39 29-37  2-8 13-15  - 
Charlotte    51 83 .381 33   44-90    7   27-40 24-43  4-4 13-17  - 
 
Central Division 
 
Team          W L   PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away XInn  1Run M# 
Tucson       80 54 .597  -   78-56    2   40-27 40-27  4-2 23-07 26 
Denver       77 57 .575  3   84-50   -7   44-23 33-34  5-5 15-16  - 
Memphis      76 58 .567  4   76-58    0   38-29 38-29  5-3 14-18  - 
Kansas City  66 68 .493 14   67-67   -1   32-34 34-34  4-9 16-16  - 
Grand Rapids 60 74 .448 20   57-77    3   29-37 31-37  7-3 14-12  - 
Green Bay    41 93 .306 39   46-88   -5   20-47 21-46  5-8 11-23  -

[jamus23]

Denver's batting stats so far:

Name         G  AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI   R BB  K  AVG  OBP  SLG SB CS
R. Thomas  125 543 190 23  8 10  80 113 57 39 .350 .413 .477 25  7
A. Fuentez 125 518 183 33 13 12  65 127 57 26 .353 .414 .537 31  8
E. Bolling 126 513 144 42  8 36 139 109 63 76 .281 .354 .604  3  1
A. Vasquez 126 493 136 19  1 20  76  79 35 76 .276 .325 .440 17  2
T. Sato    121 475 157 23  8 14  93  75 33 21 .331 .385 .501  1  4
J. Swayze  119 469 136 20  2 35 103  85 18 70 .290 .316 .565  1  0
L. Chappel 110 432 154 54  8 31 122 112 75 28 .356 .453 .734  4  0
M. Bakke   110 413 130 18  1 22  78  72 23 27 .315 .356 .523 11  5
B. Romero   85 316  81 22  7  5  41  45 21 90 .256 .302 .418  3  4
P. Chason   53 129  33 10  0  2  20  20 10  9 .256 .314 .380  0  0
A. Navarro  43  86  24  6  1  3  14  15 11  9 .279 .364 .477  8  2
J. Cordero  26  73  12  4  0  1   6   7  4 20 .164 .228 .260  0  0
J. Rumfelt  25  66  15  4  0  0   7  11  8 11 .227 .320 .288  1  0
M. Stennis  18  50  11  6  1  2  10   6  7 12 .220 .316 .500  0  0
M. Grace    11  42  14  3  0  3  12   5  2  6 .333 .364 .619  0  0
M. Phillips 11  35   9  0  0  0   0   4  7  7 .257 .381 .257  1  0
J. Sermons   6   7   1  0  0  0   0   1  0  3 .143 .143 .143  0  0
C. Hosler    1   3   1  0  0  0   1   0  1  0 .333 .500 .333  0  0

[jamus23]

And, Denver's pitching stats:

Name          G GS  W L SV   ERA    IP  HA   R  ER BB   K
K. Pillsbury 29 29 15 9  0  3.89 224.2 226 107  97 57 162
C. Kirk      29 29 17 8  0  4.51 217.2 245 117 109 39 123
R. Mcnett    30 29 17 7  0  4.28 195.2 203 100  93 42 132
R. Lockridge 25 25  6 7  0  4.67 146.1 151  83  76 30 105
L. Waltz     18 11  4 7  0  3.69  92.2  96  46  38 15  49
J. Virgen    34  0  8 3  7  2.77  65.0  68  23  20 19  41
S. Andrade   42  0  2 2  3  4.31  56.1  69  34  27 16  23
L. Salguero  29  0  2 1  1  3.89  41.2  46  21  18 15  28
R. Gomez     37  0  1 8 12  5.66  41.1  59  28  26  4  38
F. Lemire    20  0  1 1  0  8.58  35.2  45  37  34 11  40
V. Mcgurk     3  3  1 1  0  7.07  14.0  20  16  11 11   4
D. Pasco      7  0  0 0  0  4.50  10.0  13   9   5  5   5
R. Soto       6  0  0 0  0  3.24   8.1  11   5   3  3   2
G. Buentello  1  1  1 0  0  3.86   7.0  10   3   3  2   4
O. Lopez      2  0  0 0  0 12.00   3.0   5   4   4  0   1

[jamus23]

9/1/2081 to 9/3/2081


The Denver Broncos (77-57)





AT


The Tucson Diamondbacks (80-54)





Pitching Matchups:

RH Larry Waltz (4-7, 3.69 ERA) VS. RH Cleveland Lauria (15-9, 4.37 ERA)
RH George Buentello (1-0, 3.86 ERA) VS. RH Paul Reyes (13-10, 5.60 ERA)
RH Christopher Kirk (17-8, 4.51 ERA) VS. RH William Bergan (7-13, 6.45 ERA)



The Broncos entered the final month of the season three games out of first place, and facing the first place team in a three game series. They opened the series by jumping all over Cleveland Lauria. Joseph Swayze ripped a solo homer in the second inning to get things started. Russell Thomas and Lee Chappel went deep in consecutive at bats in the third inning to give the Broncos a 3-0 lead. The Diamondbacks scored a run in the fourth inning, but in the fifth, the Broncos put the game out of reach. Thomas followed an Asbel Fuentez leadoff double with a doubleof his own to score him. Chappel followed that with his second homer of the game. Later in the inning, Booker Romero knocked Lauria out of the game with a two run double to put Denver on top 8-1. Tucson kept hope alive with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning, but the Broncos pulled away again. Denver scored a run in the 7th inning, and then erupted for 6 runs in the ninth inning to finish off the Diamondbacks by a score of 15-3. Chappel hit his third home run of the game, a three run blast, in that final explosion.

Larry Waltz pitched 8 innings with 3 runs allowed and 4 strikeouts. Thomas finished with 3 hits, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Chappel had 3 hits, 6 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Swayze had 3 hits, 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored.



******



Tucson grabbed an early lead in the second game, but it didn't last long. The Diamondbacks scored 2 runs in the 3rd inning, but the Broncos took a 3-2 lead in the fourth, getting a 2 run homer from Ellis Bolling. Tucson went back on top, 4-3, in the sixth inning. Once again, however, the Broncos rallied. Denver scored 3 in the seventh inning to take a 6-4 lead. They hung on to the lead, and with the victory, moved to just a game back of the first place Diamondbacks.

George Buentello pitched 7 1/3 innings, with 4 runs allowed. Tomas Sato had 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Joseph Swayze had 2 hits and 3 RBI. Bolling had 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored.




******


Standing on the brink of first place, the Broncos faltered. Lee Chappel gave Denver an early lead, smacking a first inning home run. But Christopher Kirk proceeded to get bombed. Tucson scored 2 runs in the first inning and 3 more in the second inning to go up 5-1. When the Diamondbacks opened the fourth inning with back to back home runs, Kirk was immediately yanked. Things didn't get much better, and after 6 innings, the Broncos trailed 10-1.

Denver staged a late rally, but it would come up short. Two run doubles from Asbel Fuentez and Joseph Swayze contributed to a 5 run eighth inning. The Broncos got one more in the ninth, but fell 10-7.

Kirk gave up 10 hits and 7 runs in 3 innings of work. Fuentez had 2 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Swayze had 2 hits and 2 RBI.

[jamus23]

9/4/2081 to 9/6/2081

The Green Bay Packers (41-96)





AT


The Denver Broncos (79-58)





Pitching Matchups:

RH Raymond Labat (9-5, 4.25 ERA) VS. RH Kenny Pillsbury (15-9, 3.89 ERA)
LH Keven Landon (4-12, 6.46 ERA) VS. LH Robert McNett (17-7, 4.28 ERA)
RH Daniel Jackson (6-12, 6.35 ERA) VS. RH Larry Waltz (5-7, 3.67 ERA)


Kenny Pillsbury entered this game having pitched three consecutive shutouts and the owner of a 29 inning scoreless streak. That streak ended two batters into the series opener against the Packers, as Pillsbury gave up back to back doubles to start the game, and Green Bay drew first blood. Lee Chappel ripped a two run homer in the bottom of the first to give Denver a 2-1 lead. That lead was short-lived; the Packers tied up the game in the third inning.

In the sixth inning, Green Bay went ahead 4-2, but Chappel tripled and scored in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 4-3. In the seventh inning, the Denver offense erupted, methodically bringing home seven runs to take a 10-4 lead. The Packers scored a run in the eighth inning, but Alexis Vazquez and Asbel Fuentez hit back to back homers in the bottom of the inning to push Denver's lead to 12-5. Green Bay managed to get two more runs in the ninth inning, but it was too little, too late, and the Broncos won 12-7.

Pillsbury gave up 4 runs in 7 innings, and struck out 8 batters. Fuentez had 3 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Chappel, Tomas Soto, and Vazquez all had 2 hits and 2 RBI.




******



For six innings, Robert McNett's knuckleball had the Green Bay hitters looking foolish. By the time they finally figured it out, it was too late. The Broncos jumped on Packers' starter Keven Landon quickly, with a run in the first inning and two runs in the second inning. In the third inning, Michael Stennis smacked a two run homer to put Denver up 5-0. Joseph Swayze continued the onslaught with a grand slam in the fourth inning, and Stennis added his second home run of the game in the fifth inning to put the Broncos up 10-0.

McNett, meanwhile, mowed down the Packers' lineup, en route to a career high 12 strikeouts, for six innings. In the seventh, the Packers finally got to him, scoring five runs. Mark Bakke hit a solo homer in a three run eighth inning to give Denver a 13-5 lead. Green Bay managed only one more run, and Denver prevailed 13-6.

McNett finished with 5 runs allowed and 12 strikeouts in 7 innings of work. Russell Thomas had 2 hits, a walk, and 3 runs scored. Bakke had 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and a run scored. Stennis had 2 hits, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored.




******



In his previous start, Larry Waltz went 8 strong innings against the first place Diamondbacks. Facing the worst team in the league, Waltz crumbled. Green Bay scored a run in the first, a run in the second, and a run in the third. After Denver got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, Green Bay struck for three runs in the fourth inning to go up 6-1. The Broncos kept themselves in the game with a three run fifth inning, but Waltz collapsed once again; the Packers scored 3 runs in the sixth inning. The Broncos crept back into the game, with a run in the sixth, a solo homer from Ellis Bolling in the seventh inning, and a run in the ninth inning, but were unable to complete the comeback, falling 9-7.

Waltz lasted 6 innings, with 15 hits and 9 runs allowed. Asbel Fuentez had 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored. Russell Thomas had 3 hits, 2 RBI, and 1 run scored. Michael Phillips doubled twice, walked once, and scored two runs.





******





Lee Chappel: Player Of The Week
9/7/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Denver catcher Lee Chappel was named the American League Player of the Week today. Chappel went 9 for 21 in the past week, with a triple, 5 home runs, 11 runs batted in, 9 runs scored, and 7 walks against one strikeout.

[jamus23]

9/8/2081 to 9/11/2081

The Denver Broncos (81-59)




AT


The Charlotte Panthers (53-87)





Pitching Matchups:

RH George Buentello (2-0, 4.40 ERA) VS. LH Burl Nease (13-11, 4.74)
RH Christopher Kirk (17-9, 4.73 ERA) VS. LH Jacob Barros (13-12, 4.59 ERA)
RH Kenny Pillsbury (16-9, 3.92 ERA) VS. RH Kenneth Olivera (6-14, 6.07 ERA)
LH Robert McNett (18-7, 4.35 ERA) VS. RH Amadeo Carrera (10-12, 5.69 ERA)


Starting pitcher George Buentello had another effective start for the Broncos, with just 2 runs allowed in 6 1/3 innings, as Denver opened a four game series with Charlotte by beating the Panthers, 5-3.

The game was tied at 1 run until the sixth inning. The Broncos went ahead 2-1, and then, in the seventh inning, went ahead 4-1 on a two run single by Russell Thomas. The Panthers kept things close with a 2 run seventh of their own, but Ellis Bolling helped to keep them at bay by leading off the eighth inning with a home run.

Ramon Gomez notched his 14th save of the season by pitching 2 scoreless innings of relief.

Thomas finished with 3 hits and 2 RBI, while Bolling drove in two runs also. Alexis Vazquez and Mark Bakke combined for 4 hits and 5 stolen bases in the game.



******



Ellis Bolling's 40th home run of the year gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead after one inning in the second game of the series, and Alexis Vazquez added a second inning homer to put Denver up 2-0. That lead quickly evaporated. Charlotte put home a run in the second inning, and a Vazquez error led to two unearned runs scoring in the third. The Panthers added two more runs in the sixth inning to lead 5-2. Patrick Chason delivered a pinch hit RBI single in the seventh inning, but the Broncos could come no closer in a 5-3 defeat.

Christopher Kirk pitched 7 innings and gave up 5 runs (3 earned). He struck out 4 batters. Vazquez finished with 2 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored. And, of course, the costly error.




******


The third game of the series proved to be the wildest. With two outs in the first inning, Denver starter Kenny Pillsbury imploded and gave up 4 runs. In the second inning, Alexis Vazquez ripped a two out, three run homer to make the score 4-3. In the third inning, Charlotte's Juan Ibarra, who had homered in the first inning, hit another home run to give the Panthers a 5-3 lead. They extended that lead to 6-3 with a run in the fifth inning. Both teams scored two runs in the sixth inning, and Charlotte led 8-5. The Broncos took control of the game. They scored two more runs in the seventh inning, to get within a run, and then erupted for five runs in the eighth inning- 3 from a Mark Bakke home run- to take the lead. They hung on to that 12-8 lead for the victory.

Pillsbury pitched 6 innings and struck out 6 batters, but also gave up 8 runs. James Virgen and Ramon Gomez locked down the final 3 innings, with no runs allowed and 4 strikeouts. Virgen picked up his 9th win of the season, and Gomez recorded his 15th save.

Russell Thomas had 2 hits, 2 walks, and 2 RBI. Bakke had 2 hits, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Vazquez collected 1 hits, 2 walks, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, and stole 2 bases.




******



The final game of the Denver-Charlotte series was much less nerve-wracking than the first three were. The Broncos scored a run in the first inning, and then broke the game open with a 4 run second inning. Alexis Vazquez and Asbel Fuentez hit back to back homers, and Lee Chappel added a home run as well. Charlotte got on the board with a run in the second inning, but Joseph Swayze smacked a two run homer in the third to give Denver a 7-1 lead. The Panthers kept some hope alive with two runs in the bottom of the third inning, but the game remained 7-3 in favor of Denver until the Broncos scored two runs in the seventh inning. Juan Ibarra ripped a solo home run in the ninth inning off of rookie reliever Lyndon Gwinn, making his major league debut, but that was the last of the scoring in the 9-4 Broncos victory.

Robert McNett pitched 8 strong innings, with just 6 hits and 3 runs allowed. He struck out 6 batters. Fuentez had 3 hits, 2 walks, 3 RBI, and 1 run scored. Russell Thomas had 4 hits, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored. Mark Bakke had 3 hits and 2 runs scored.

[jamus23]

9/13/2081 to 9/17/2081

The Memphis Grizzlies (82-62)




AT


The Denver Broncos (84-60)





Pitching Matchups:

LH Thomas Fruge (0-2, 17.61 ERA) VS. RH Larry Waltz (5-8, 4.19 ERA)
RH Edgar Molina (23-4, 3.21 ERA) VS. RH George Buentello (3-0, 3.92 ERA)
RH Jose Padula (14-13, 6.38 ERA) VS. RH Christopher Kirk (17-10, 4.70 ERA)
RH Jonathan Zinn (7-7, 6.36 ERA) VS. RH Kenny Pillsbury (16-9, 4.09 ERA)



The second place Broncos entered a four game series against the third place Grizzlies with an excellent opportunity to further the distance between the two teams. Smelling the blood in the water, Denver jumped on Memphis in the third inning of the first game. After Mark Bakke drew a bases loaded walk, Joseph Swayze smashed a grand slam to put the Broncos up 5-0. The Grizzlies got two runs in the sixth inning, but Bakke got one of the runs back with an RBI double in the seventh. Larry Waltz did the rest, throwing a complete game in Denver's 6-2 victory.

Russell Thomas contributed with 2 hits, one walk, and 2 runs scored.




******



Was George Buentello up to the task of facing off against Memphis' ace, Edgar Molina? Yes. Buentello, like Waltz in the first game, went the distance against the Grizzlies, with just 5 hits and 1 run allowed, and the Broncos defeated Memphis, 6-1.

Memphis drew first blood in the second inning, but the Broncos grabbed the lead with two runs in the bottom half of the second. Denver added one run in the sixth inning, and three more runs in the eighth, to secure the victory.

Mark Bakke delivered 4 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Asbel Fuentez and Joseph Swayze each had 2 hits. Booker Romero drove in 2 runs.




******



The Broncos took control of the third game quickly. They picked up one run in the first inning and two in the second(one from a Mark Bakke solo homer). The Grizzlies got a run in the fourth inning, but the Broncos went ahead 5-1 with two runs in the fifth. Ellis Bolling hit a solo homerun in the eighth to provide the final margin of victory: 6-1, Broncos.

Christopher Kirk was unable to match the complete games of Waltz and Buentello, but still managed to pitch 8 innings, with just 6 hits allowed. He did walk 4 batters, however.

Bakke and Russell Thomas each had 3 hits; Bakke also drove in one run and scored two. Asbel Fuentez had 2 hits and 2 runs scored. Lee Chappel and Tomas Sato both had 2 hits and 1 RBI.




******



The Broncos could not come up with the sweep, however, as Kenny Pillsbury put the Denver in an early hole in the final game of the series. Memphis scored a run in the first inning, a run in the second, 3 runs in the third inning, and a run in the fourth to lead 6-0. The Broncos scratched out runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but could not muster any more in a 6-2 defeat.

Manager John Wilkerson said after the game, "Kenny's problem in this game was leaving the ball up in the zone. A team like Memphis will tee off on pitches hanging over the plate." That was precisely the case, as Pillsbury coughed up 5 home runs in 8 innings of work. Overall, he gave up 7 hits and struck out only 3 batters.

Joseph Swayze had 2 hits in the game and Mark Bakke drove in both of Denver's runs.

[jamus23]

9/19/2081 to 9/20/2081


The Denver Broncos (87-61)





AT


The Kansas City Royals (73-75)






Pitching Matchups:

LH Robert McNett (19-7, 431 ERA) VS. RH Jaime Alemany (9-14, 4.55 ERA)
RH Larry Waltz (6-8, 3.97 ERA) VS. RH Edward Chambliss (9-13, 4.78 ERA)



Most of the scoring in the first game of this two game series with the Royal came in the later innings. Joseph Swayze gave Denver an early lead with a solo homer in the second inning. It remained 1-0 until the Royals tied the game in the fifth inning, but the Broncos retook the lead in the seventh on a solo home run from Lee Chappel. The Broncos added to their lead with a three run ninth inning, getting a 2 run double from Swayze. The Royals garnered one more run, but it was not enough to prevent Robert McNett from winning his 20th game of the year, and the Broncos won, 5-2.

McNett pitched 7 2/3 innings, with one run allowed, and 7 strikeouts. Swayze had 2 hits, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Chappel had 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored.




******




The second game of the series will be one that stings for awhile. After falling behind 2-0 in the third inning, the Broncos staged a 5 run outburst with two outs in the sixth inning. Alexis Vazquez hit a two run double, Russell Thomas followed with an RBI single, and Lee Chappel ripped a two run double of his own. The Royals immediately got two of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 5-4.

In the eighth inning, disaster struck for Denver. A tiring Larry Waltz started the inning, but put a runner on. Ramon Gomez came in, but was ineffective, retiring only one of five batters and allowing two runs to score. James Virgen came in to try and get out of Gomez's jam, but after getting the second out of the inning, he gave up a two run single to give the Royals a comfortable three run lead. Kansas City hung to that lead in an 8-5 win over Denver.

Waltz finished with 7 innings pitched, 5 runs allowed, and 5 strikeouts. Gomez pitched 1/3 of an inning, and gave up 3 hits, 1 walk, and 3 runs, to lose his 9th game of the season.

Thomas, Vazquez, and Joseph Swayze all collected two hits in the game.





***********************
***********************



9/21/2081 to 9/22/2081


The Atlanta Braves (69-81)





AT



The Denver Broncos (88-62)






Pitching Matchups:

RH Jack Patrick (5-18, 6.33 ERA) VS. RH George Buentello (4-0, 3.03 ERA)
RH Orestes Fernandez (3-7, 5.99 ERA) VS. Christopher Kirk (18-10, 4.58 ERA)



One night after an eighth inning collapse, things did not look much better after the top of the first inning againt Atlanta. Lawrence Sica led off the game for the Braves with a home run, and Atlanta added two more runs in the inning to lead 3-0 before Denver had even gotten a chance to bat. Mark Bakke erased the early fears, however. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Bakke belted a three run homer to tie up the game. The Broncos went ahead with two runs in the second inning, but the Braves tied it back up in the fourth.

The Broncos erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fourth, however, and then tacked on two more in the seventh inning. The Braves managed to score three runs in the ninth inning, providing a final score of 13-8, in favor of the Broncos.

George Buentello wasn't great, but he did enough to remain undefeated on the year. He finished with 7 innings pitched, 9 hits allowed, 2 HR allowed, and 5 runs allowed.

Bakke was the offensive hero, banging out 4 hits, driving in 4 runs, and scoring 2 runs. Russell Thomas, Tomas Sato, and Joseph Swayze all managed 3 hits and 1 RBI. Thomas and Sato each scored two runs, as well. Asbel Fuentez and Alexis Vazquez each managed 2 hits and 2 RBI; Fuentez also scored 2 runs and stole two bases.




******



The Broncos quickly took control of the second game against the Braves, going ahead 1-0 in the first inning on a home run by Lee Chappel. In the third inning, Ellis Bolling ripped a two run double and Denver scored 4 runs to take a 5-0 lead. After the Braves got on the board in the top of the fourth inning, Joseph Swayze slammed a two run homer in the bottom half of the inning. Tomas Sato hit a run scoring triple in the seventh inning to complete the scoring in an 8-1 victory for the Broncos.

Christopher Kirk wasn't particularly sharp, giving up 9 hits in 6 innings, but he managed to get out of trouble and allow just the one run.

Sato had 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 RBI. Chappel had 2 hits, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Bolling had 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Mark Bakke had 2 hits and scored a run.

[jamus23]

9/23/2081 to 9/24/2081



The Knoxville 79ers (80-72)





AT


The Denver Broncos (90-62)





Pitching Matchups:

RH Clarence Kahn (11-4, 5.45 ERA) VS. RH Kenny Pillsbury (16-10, 4.18 ERA)
RH Edward Headrick (15-15, 4.32 ERA) VS. LH Robert McNett (20-7, 4.20 ERA)



The Broncos raced to a quick lead over the 79ers, scoring two runs in the first inning. In the second inning, Alexis Vazquez and Booker Romero led off with back to back homeruns to put Denver up 4-0. Joseph Swayze smacked a two run homer in the third inning, and the Broncos led 6-0. Ellis Bolling made it 7-0 with a homerun in the fifth inning. The 79ers finally got on the board in the sixth inning, mustering two runs, but that would be all that they could manage, and the Broncos prevailed 7-2.

Kenny Pillsbury pitched 7 innings and struck out 6 batters. Swayze, Asbel Fuentez, Russell Thomas, and Mark Bakke all collected two hits apiece.




******




Edward Headrick and Robert McNett opened the second game of the series with three scoreless innings each. In the fourth inning, both Knoxville and Denver scored one run. In the eighth inning, Knoxville went ahead 2-1, but Russell Thomas led off the bottom of the eighth with a game-tying homerun. In the bottom of the ninth, Ellis Bolling stepped to the plate with a runner aboard and promptly deposited a pitch into the stands to win the game 4-2 for the Broncos.

McNett pitched 8 innings, surrendered 7 hits, and struck out 3 batters. Reliever James Virgen picked up his 10th victory of the season.






************************
************************





9/26/2081 to 9/27/2081


The Denver Broncos (92-62)





AT


The Grand Rapids Tigers (67-87)






Pitching Matchups:

RH Larry Waltz (6-8, 4.11 ERA) VS. RH Dennis Kenzo (18-11, 3.39 ERA)
RH George Buentello (5-0, 3.68 ERA) VS. LH Norman Dale (6-18, 8.35 ERA)


Denver buried Grand Rapids' ace Dennis Kenzo in an avalanche of runs. The Broncos got two in the first inning, and then exploded for eight runs in the third inning. Lee Chappel contributed to that outburst with a three run homer. Mark Bakke made it 11-0 with a homerun in the fourth inning.

The Tigers prevented a shutout with a two run sixth inning, then picked up another run in the eighth to make the score 11-3. That set the stage for a near comeback in the ninth. With rookie Lyndon Gwinn attempting mop things up for the Broncos, suddenly the Denver fielders imploded. Multiple errors led to four unearned runs scoring, cutting the Broncos' lead to just 4 runs. With two outs, the Tigers had the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate. But James Virgen came in to get the final out of the game, notching his 8th save, and preserving an 11-7, Denver victory.

Larry Waltz pitched 7 innings, allowed 2 runs, and struck out 4 batters. Chappel had 1 hit, 1 walk, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Bakke had 3 hits, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Booker Romero had 2 hits and drove in 2 runs.





******



Once again, the Broncos jumped on Grand Rapids, scoring 4 runs in the second inning. Ellis Bolling ripped a two run homer, and the Broncos scored 3 runs altogether in the fifth inning to go up 7-0. The Tigers made things interesting with a 4 run sixth inning, but the Broncos got one more run in the ninth inning, and hung on for an 8-4 victory.

George Buentello was shaky, with 7 hits, 4 walks, and 4 runs allowed in 6 1/3 innings pitched. He did strike out 5 batters. Ramon Gomez picked up his 16th save, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. Russell Thomas had 3 hits, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Mark Bakke had 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 RBI, and 1 run scored.

[jamus23]

9/29/2081


The Denver Broncos (94-62)





AT



The Washington Senators (87-69)






Pitching Matchup:

RH Christopher Kirk (19-10, 4.51 ERA) VS. LH Kenneth Thurman (23-10, 4.38 ERA)




The Broncos closed out the month of September with a game against the Senators. Facing 23-game winner Kenneth Thurman did not faze the Denver lineup in the slightest. A run in the second inning gave them the early lead, and Lee Chappel's three run homer in the third made it 4-0. In the fifth inning, Alexis Vazquez belted a two run homerun, and the Broncos scored 3 runs in total to open up a 7-0 lead. The Denver onslaught continued relentlessly, with another run in the seventh inning and a solo homer from Ellis Bolling in the eighth, making the score 9-0. In the ninth inning, reserves Norman Cadet and Ronald Matamoros each provided two run singles to cap the scoring in Denver's 13-0 triumph.

Christopher Kirk pitched 8 strong innings, allowing only 2 hits. Vazquez and Booker Romero each had 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs batted in; Vazquez also scored 3 runs. Michael Stennis collected 1 hits, 3 walks, and 2 runs scored.

With the victory, the Broncos moved into a tied for first place with Tucson with only five games remaining in the season.





*******
*******




Still A Little Left in the Tank for Batter of the Month Bakke
10/1/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

At 37 years of age, Denver designated hitter Mark Bakke was predicted by most pundits to have a mediocre season as his skills eroded. Bakke had other plans. After a brief slump early in the season, Bakke has hit extremely well for several months, the month of September being his best yet, as he was named the American League Batter of the Month- the 4th time in his career he has earned a BotM award. Bakke batted a torrid .466/.520/.727 with an OPS of 1.247 in the past month. He ripped 6 doubles, 1 triple, and 5 homeruns, while driving in and scoring 22 runs apiece. He also drew 10 walks, and went 8 for 8 stealing bases.

"Everybody is ready to put you out pasture once you get to be this old," Bakke commented, "This is just my way of proving everyone wrong. I can still hit."

*******
*******





10/1/2081


The Nashville Predators (76-81)





AT


The Denver Broncos (95-62)







Pitching Matchup:

RH Tony Rivera (9-11, 5.09) VS. RH Kenny Pillsbury (17-10, 4.13 ERA)




The Broncos opened the month of October in a tie for first place, and facing a familiar face, Tony Rivera. Denver jumped on Rivera for two runs in the first inning, one coming from a solo homer by Ellis Bolling. The Predators got a run in the top of the second inning, but the Broncos scored two more in their half of the second. The game remained 4-1 in favor of Denver until the seventh inning, when both teams exchanged runs. The Broncos opened up a big lead in the eighth inning, scoring three runs, two from back to back solo homers by Mark Bakke and Joseph Swayze. Nashville got one more run, but no more, in Denver's 8-3 victory.

Kenny Pillsbury went 8 innings, gave up 5 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 7 batters. Russell Thomas banged out 5 hits, and drove in 3 runs. Bolling, Swayze, and Alexis Vazquez all had two hits apiece.

Denver's victory, combined with Tucson's 7-0 loss to last place Green Bay, put the Broncos in sole possession of first place in the division for the first time all year.





*******
*******





10/2/2081


The Denver Broncos (96-62)






AT



The Green Bay Packers (46-112)






Pitching Matchup:

LH Robert McNett (20-7, 4.14 ERA) VS. RH Raymond Labat (9-7, 4.80 ERA)


It's hard not to take a team as bad as Green Bay lightly, but the Broncos players knew full well that the only reason that they were all alone in first place, was because this same hapless Packers squad had routed the Diamondbacks the day before. With the playoffs so close in sight, there would be no chance of the Broncos falling prey to a "trap game." They quickly took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, and then Lee Chappel crushed a 3 run homer in the third. They held that 4-0 lead until the sixth inning, when the Packers started make things dangerous. Green Bay managed one run in the sixth, and then another two runs in the seventh inning, cutting the Denver lead to just one run.

The Broncos emphatically ended any further discussion by exploding for eight runs in the eighth inning. Asbel Fuentez belted a two run homer, and Mark Bakke had a two run double in the eruption. The Packers tried to keep up the debate, with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but once again the Broncos shut them up. Denver scored three runs in the ninth inning to cap a 15-6 rout of Green Bay. Javier Cordero contributed to the ninth inning by delivering a pinch hit, two run double.

Robert McNett pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed 3 runs, and struck out 5 batters. Fuentez produced 3 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Bakke drove in another run in addition two his two run double in the eighth, giving him 3 RBI in total. Booker Romero drove in a pair of runs, as well.

The third place Memphis Grizzlies lost to Knoxville, so Denver clinched a playoff spot with the win. They also opened up a two game lead on Tucson, as the Diamondbacks fell to Miami 1-0 on a Thomas Fuentes, Jr. run scoring single in the ninth inning.






************
************







Playoffs!
10/3/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

It has been a long, strange season- one filled with quite a bit of doubt at many points along the way- but the Denver Broncos are in the postseason again. Their 15-6 win over the Packers yesterday, coupled with third place Memphis' loss to Knoxville, clinched at least a playoff spot for the Broncos. They also currently hold a two game lead on Tucson for first place with three games remaining- one of them against the Diamondbacks.

Manager John Wilkerson admitted that it was not the same team that began the season, and not just because there are new faces. "Sure, you've got some guys that were picked up along the way, but there are quite a few, I think, that were here at the beginning, but are not the same. There are several players who grew quite a bit this year." Wilkerson also said that just reaching the playoffs is simply not enough. "We've been here before, many times. There's still something missing. The job is not finished."

The players are also aware of the task that remains ahead of them. "We're tired of just reaching the playoffs. We've done that before. We want more," Ellis Bolling said.

[jamus23]

10/3/2081

The Miami Dolphins (97-62)





AT


The Denver Broncos (97-62)





Pitching Matchup:

RH Christian Hokusai (20-5, 2.64 ERA) VS. RH Larry Waltz (7-8, 4.03 ERA)




The Broncos entered their game against the Dolphins with a chance to clinch the division; a win and a Tucson loss would have done the trick. Neither happened. The game began well for Denver, as they struck for three runs in the first inning. That lead did not last even an inning, as the Dolphins, aided by a solo homerun from Thomas Fuentes, Jr., tied up the game in the second. In the sixth inning, Fuentes struck again, this time with a two run homer. With another run in the ninth inning, Miami sealed up the 6-3 win over Denver.

Larry Waltz gave up 5 runs in 7 1/3 innings pitched. Russell Thomas and Mark Bakke each collected 2 hits. Tomas Sato drove in 2 runs.





*******************
*******************




10/4/2081


The Denver Broncos (97-63)





AT


The Tucson Diamondbacks (96-64)




Pitching Matchup:

RH George Buentello (6-0, 3.98 ERA) VS. RH Paul Reyes (16-13, 5.51 ERA)



Well, this was it. Denver versus Tucson. If Denver won, they captured the division title. If Tucson won, they gave themselves a chance to win the division in the regular season finale.

The Broncos smelled blood in the water, and quickly took control of the game. A run in the first inning gave them the early lead. A three run second opened up a commanding 4-0 lead. Lee Chappel ripped a two run double in the fourth inning to make it 6-0. The Diamondbacks inched back into the game with two runs in the sixth inning, and another run in the seventh. Mark Bakke brought the debate to a screeching halt by blasting a three run homerun in the ninth inning, and the Broncos clinched the division with a 9-3 bludgeoning of the Diamondbacks.

George Buentello improved his record to 7-0 by pitching 8 innings with only 6 hits and 3 runs allowed. He struck out 5 batters. Chappel had 3 hits and 3 RBI. Russell Thomas finished with 2 hits, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored.





****************
****************




10/5/2081


The Grand Rapids Tigers (67-94)





AT


The Denver Broncos (98-63)





Pitching Matchup:

RH Thomas Plemons (2-11, 6.86 ERA) VS. LH James Myatt (0-0, 0.00)





With the final game of the season being meaningless for the Broncos, their lineup was filled mostly with reserves, and James Myatt made his first career start. The two teams see-sawed for most of the game. The Tigers scored a run in the first inning, but Denver followed with two runs in the bottom half. Grand Rapids went ahead 3-2 in the second, but the Broncos tied it up in the fifth inning. The Tigers then took control of the game, and knocked out Myatt with a three run sixth inning. The teams traded runs in the ninth inning, and the Broncos lost 7-4.

Myatt pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up 8 hits, and 6 runs. He walked 4 and coughed up 2 homeruns. He did strikeout 5 batters, however. Asbel Fuentez, one of the few regulars who did start the game, collected 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run scored.

[jamus23]

The final regular season standings:

National League Standings 
 
West Division 
 
Team           W   L  PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away  XInn  1Run
San Jose     103  59 .636  -  106-56   -3   50-31 53-28 11-07 27-24
San Diego     87  75 .537 16   89-73   -2   41-40 46-35 06-06 26-20
Sacramento    79  83 .488 24   82-80   -3   39-42 40-41 05-08 22-25
Phoenix       72  90 .444 31   67-95    5   35-46 37-44 05-08 23-26
Los Angeles   71  91 .438 32   72-90   -1   39-42 32-49 07-05 24-31
Portland      70  92 .432 33   71-91   -1   40-41 30-51 07-07 18-32
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team           W   L  PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away  XInn  1Run
Pittsburgh   104  58 .642  -  100-62    4   52-29 52-29 09-05 21-18
Rochester     95  67 .586  9   95-67    0   53-28 42-39 08-05 28-21
Buffalo       81  81 .500 23   87-75   -6   41-40 40-41 08-10 24-22
Harrisburg    73  89 .451 31   72-90    1   38-43 35-46 09-10 22-23
Hartford      69  93 .426 35   70-92   -1   38-43 31-50 05-07 25-21
New Jersey    68  94 .420 36   63-99    5   29-52 39-42 05-07 22-19
 
American League Standings 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team           W   L  PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away  XInn  1Run
Miami         99  63 .611  -  102-60   -3   52-29 47-34 11-03 23-27
Washington    91  71 .562  8   91-71    0   42-39 49-32 05-05 19-18
Knoxville     83  79 .512 16   82-80    1   42-39 41-40 04-04 22-13
Nashville     76  86 .469 23   76-86    0   38-43 38-43 05-08 16-20
Atlanta       72  90 .444 27   74-88   -2   34-47 38-43 04-11 17-18
Charlotte     63  99 .389 36  56-106    7   31-50 32-49 05-07 17-22
 
Central Division 
 
Team           W   L  PCT GB  Pyt.Rec Diff   Home  Away  XInn  1Run
Denver        98  64 .605  -  105-57   -7   54-27 44-37 05-05 15-16
Tucson        97  65 .599  1   93-69    4   47-34 50-31 07-03 29-10
Memphis       95  67 .586  3   95-67    0   47-34 48-33 07-03 19-20
Kansas City   83  79 .512 15   80-82    3   39-42 44-37 06-09 22-17
Grand Rapids  68  94 .420 30   66-96    2   32-49 36-45 09-04 15-15
Green Bay     47 115 .290 51  55-107   -8   22-59 25-56 05-11 12-30

Also, I don't remember if I brought it up before, but the current playoff format allows the top two teams in each division to make the postseason.

[jamus23]

What You Don't Know About This Year's Playoffs
10/8/2081
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

Sports fans have a tendency to focus so intently on their own team, especially during a postseason run, that they sometimes miss all the other interesting things going on around the league. Every group of playoff teams has all kinds of neat bits of trivia that many people are unaware of.

For example, consider this year's crop of playoff teams:

1. You have the highest payroll in baseball in the Rochester Rhinos and the seventeenth highest payroll in the San Diego Padres.

2. You have the last four World Series winners- Pittsburgh in 2080, Miami in 2079, Rochester in 2078, and Washington in 2077. Two other teams have won it within the last ten years- San Diego in 2073 and San Jose in 2072. Of the remaining two teams, the Broncos have never won the World Series (they reached in 2058 but lost), and the Tucson Diamondbacks have gone 43 years since winning it last(2038), though they have reached four since then, including last year. The Broncos were in just their first year of existence the last time Tucson won it all.

3. All but one team was in the playoffs a year ago. The exception is San Diego, who is making its first postseason appearance since 2075.

4. You have the top five scoring teams in the league. In order, they are: Denver, Pittsburgh, Washington, San Jose, and Tucson.

5. You have the top three teams at preventing runs- Miami, San Jose, and Rochester.

6. You have each league's batting title winner, San Diego's Andrew Burdick and Denver's own Russell Thomas.

7. You have the National League leader in homeruns, San Jose's Ugo Momoru. Momuru, by the way, achieved a feat this season that did not attract as much notice as it should have. By hitting exactly 60 homers this year, Momoru became only the second player in league history to hit 60 or more homeruns in more than one season. Momoru also hit 61 in 2077. The previous player to achieve this feat is, of course, the legendary Scott Border.

8. You have a player who may become the all time leader in hits next season. Rochester's Santiago Serrato is only 36 hits behind all time leader Felipe Mira. In addition, Serrato is one of two players in the playoffs to have 500 career homeruns, and one of two to have 3,000 career hits. Washington's Leon Pino is the other 500 HR man, and Miami's Ulises Menendez is the other 3,000 hit man.

9. Lastly, you have the great Segundo Narbaiza, ace for Rochester. Narbaiza currently ranks tied for 4th with Jeremy Poss in career wins with 295. Twenty six wins next season, not an impossible accomplishment for Narbaiza, who won that many this year, would tie him at third with Robert McComas. If he could reach that level, 14 wins would then tie him with Robert Jordan for second place, and then another four would bring him to all time leader Robert Padgett. Does Narbaiza have 44 more wins left in him? It is certainly not out of the question.

10. Narbaiza is also the all time leader in shutouts with 59; he passed up Hector Soriano's 57 this year.

These are just a few of the interesting aspects to the 2081 postseason. However it shakes out, this postseason promises to be an exciting one, with all kinds of storylines.

[jamus23]

VS.


After a season long marathon between these two teams to decide the division winner, finally decided with only one game remaining, they get to face each other right away to kick off the postseason.

Tucson's biggest strength is their hitting, as they finished fifth in baseball in runs scored. Their pitching, though, is still pretty good; they finished eighth in runs allowed. The strength of the Diamondbacks' lineup lies not in hitting homeruns- they finished 15th out of 24 teams- but in getting plenty of hits and walks- sixth in batting average and fourth in walks drawn. They do have one true slugger, though, in 1B Israel Kutz, who smacked 38 HR this year.

Their rotation is largely top heavy, with Peter Boughner and [b]Cleveland Lauria combining to go 42-15 this year. Scott Council is a capable third starter, but beyond that, things are much more questionable. In a short series, however, that may not matter much.

Closer Oren Yother is the only relief pitcher that stands out from Tucson's bullpen, so Denver's best path to victory may be in getting to that bullpen as quickly as possible.

Here are Tucson's hitting and pitching stats:

Name          G  AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI   R BB   K  AVG  OBP  SLG SB CS
I. Kutz     152 571 169 27  2 38 113 110 82 153 .296 .382 .550  3  3
O. Santos   150 535 134 24  5 26  78 111 78 123 .250 .344 .460 12  7
E. Giancola 144 530 156 20  5 25 115  88 57  79 .294 .366 .492  7  2
R. Stair    153 524 120 36  0 24  86  82 70  93 .229 .322 .435  0  0
B. Carley   130 503 164 45  7 10  79  85 41  27 .326 .375 .503  1  8
A. Ramirez  130 481 144 28  2 15  74  88 63  37 .299 .393 .459 10  4
J. Morales  148 472 132 24  2  5  74  82 90  66 .280 .393 .371 13  5
C. Diemer   127 467 123 36  0  6  59  70 38  41 .263 .331 .379  3  1
R. Takanori  98 312  92 17  2  4  45  48 21  44 .295 .335 .401 23  6
B. Stocks   120 282  74 17  4  5  38  35 32  67 .262 .340 .404  2  2
B. Wilson    68 164  31  8  4  0  10  22  8  37 .189 .236 .287  5  3
J. Seldon    59 152  42 12  3  2  19  19 24  39 .276 .375 .434  1  0
L. Hawn      62 121  27  8  0  3   8  14  6  33 .223 .271 .364  1  0
B. Cousin    51  75  21  2  1  2  15  10  4  17 .280 .321 .413  0  0
A. Henrich   32  56   9  4  0  0   8  11  1  13 .161 .169 .232  2  2
J. Osborn    11  28   7  1  0  2   6   9  8   7 .250 .417 .500  0  0
D. Paiva     13  23   3  1  0  0   2   6  6   5 .130 .333 .174  0  0
J. Ruelas    15  21   4  1  0  1   2   2  1   7 .190 .227 .381  0  0
M. Serrano   10  17   2  0  0  0   0   1  1   5 .118 .167 .118  0  0 
J. Evans      4   6   0  0  0  0   0   0  2   1 .000 .250 .000  0  0
L. Buttram    4   2   0  0  0  0   0   0  0   0 .000 .000 .000  0  0

Name         G GS  W  L SV  ERA    IP  HA   R  ER BB   K
C. Lauria   37 37 20 12  0 4.58 286.2 260 160 146 55 190
P. Boughner 30 30 22  3  0 3.01 245.0 239  90  82 49  89
P. Reyes    36 36 16 14  0 5.62 225.2 233 146 141 87 167
W. Bergan   31 31  9 13  0 6.03 195.2 213 140 131 77 147
S. Council  25 25 12  7  0 4.11 175.1 180  84  80 34 124
W. Braun    42  3  4  3  0 5.44  84.1  86  52  51 26  59
P. Reyes    44  0  2  2  0 5.75  67.1  75  44  43 16  39
C. Fleitas  44  0  4  2  1 4.63  58.1  65  35  30 31  42
O. Yother   58  0  7  3 41 2.89  56.0  53  18  18 14  58
B. Johnson  27  0  1  4  0 5.35  33.2  36  27  20 11  15
N. Parrino   8  0  0  2  0 9.24  12.2  19  13  13 15   1
R. Ugarte    5  0  0  0  0 8.68   9.1  13   9   9  6   7

Like Tucson, Denver's strength is obviously the offense. The Broncos finished first in AVG, first in runs scored, and second in HR. Of course, those numbers are inflated somewhat by an extreme hitter's park. Many of the Broncos' hitters are well rounded enough to not be affected much by leaving the friendly confines of Denver, but some of the more flawed hitters could have some problems, most notably Joseph Swayze, Alexis Vazquez, and Booker Romero.

Surprisingly enough, despite the early season struggles of the pitching staff, their final ranking in ERA is 8th, and in runs allowed, 10th. The pitching really came on from the middle of the season to the end, and that could be an important key to winning in the postseason. The bullpen remains unreliable to a large extent, however, and it seems as though both teams will be taking the same offensive strategy: Get to the bullpen early.

One other thing to note is that Tucson's catcher, Christopher Diemer, has a strong arm. This will likely serve to check any aggressiveness that Asbel Fuentez or Russell Thomas might want to show. The question is, will this be a positive or a negative for the Broncos?

Here are Denver's hitting and pitching stats:

Name         G  AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI   R BB   K  AVG  OBP  SLG SB CS
R. Thomas  153 662 247 29 10 12 102 144 64  44 .373 .432 .502 29  9
E. Bolling 154 615 166 49  8 46 160 133 79  95 .270 .351 .600  4  1
A. Fuentez 149 613 222 40 15 15  82 150 70  27 .362 .424 .550 39 14
A. Vasquez 152 582 163 21  1 26  94  99 45  89 .280 .333 .454 24  2
J. Swayze  146 580 177 29  2 43 133 106 22  81 .305 .330 .584  2  0
T. Sato    147 565 190 28  9 14 108  94 42  28 .336 .394 .492  1  5
L. Chappel 138 535 183 60  9 42 158 135 92  33 .342 .439 .723  4  0
M. Bakke   138 517 176 25  2 29 108  97 33  32 .340 .383 .565 19  5
B. Romero  110 396  98 25  8  6  53  57 28 112 .247 .297 .396  8  5
P. Chason   56 135  36 10  0  2  21  21 11   9 .267 .327 .385  1  0
A. Navarro  52 103  28  8  1  3  14  17 12  13 .272 .350 .456  8  2
J. Cordero  32  82  14  5  0  1   8   7  4  24 .171 .227 .268  0  1
J. Rumfelt  33  78  20  4  0  0   9  13 10  11 .256 .348 .308  1  0
M. Phillips 22  63  16  2  0  0   1   9  8  12 .254 .338 .286  1  0
M. Stennis  25  61  16  8  1  4  14  12 11  15 .262 .375 .623  0  0
M. Grace    15  48  15  3  1  3  13   6  2   8 .313 .340 .604  0  0
J. Sermons  14  17   4  0  0  0   1   2  1   5 .235 .278 .235  0  0
P. Powell    5   6   1  0  0  0   1   1  1   1 .167 .286 .167  0  0
R. Matamoros 6   5   1  0  0  0   2   0  0   2 .200 .200 .200  0  0
N. Cadet     5   5   1  0  0  0   2   1  0   1 .200 .200 .200  0  0
S. Andrade  32   5   1  0  0  0   0   1  0   1 .200 .200 .200  0  0
L. Twigg     5   5   0  0  0  0   0   1  0   4 .000 .000 .000  0  0
G. Kibby     6   4   0  0  0  0   0   1  0   1 .000 .000 .000  0  0
C. Hosler    1   3   1  0  0  0   1   0  1   0 .333 .500 .333  0  0

Name          G GS  W  L SV  ERA    IP  HA   R  ER BB   K
K. Pillsbury 34 34 18 10  0 4.04 260.2 260 129 117 63 192
C. Kirk      34 34 20 10  0 4.36 249.2 278 131 121 46 135
R. Mcnett    35 34 21  7  0 4.14 232.2 239 114 107 48 165
R. Lockridge 25 25  6  7  0 4.67 146.1 151  83  76 30 105
L. Waltz     24 17  7  9  0 4.07 137.0 149  72  62 20  69
J. Virgen    42  0 10  3  8 2.53  74.2  74  24  21 20  46
S. Andrade   43  0  2  2  3 4.17  58.1  70  34  27 16  23
G. Buentello  7  7  7  0  0 3.88  51.0  52  22  22 13  23
R. Gomez     43  0  1  9 16 5.19  50.1  66  31  29  5  48
L. Salguero  32  0  2  1  2 3.89  44.0  50  23  19 16  28
F. Lemire    24  0  1  1  0 8.48  40.1  52  41  38 13  45
V. Mcgurk     3  3  1  1  0 7.07  14.0  20  16  11 11   4
D. Pasco      9  0  0  0  0 7.07  14.0  21  15  11  8   9
R. Soto      11  0  0  0  0 2.77  13.0  15   6   4  3   5
O. Lopez      6  0  0  0  0 5.63   8.0  13   8   5  0   2
L. Gwinn      7  0  0  0  0 2.35   7.2   7   6   2  2   3
J. Myatt      2  1  0  1  0 8.10   6.2   8   6   6  4   5

Next up, the other American League matchup: Washington VS. Miami