MSL Newspaper

Weeks & Pence go to Texas for Roberts & Bourn

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:43:39 +0000

Hunter Pence

May 5, 2008 – In the first trade of the season the Yuma Scorpions sent the under achieving Rickie Weeks to Texas for a more solid professional player in Brian Roberts and it cost them their starting centerfield Hunter Pence. Weeks was taken in the draft with the understanding that he will grow into a good player soon but when Weeks started the season with only 5 hits in 58 at-bats and the teams patience quickly ran out so when the Yuma GM Bob Watson started to look for a solution he remembered that Brian Roberts lost the job in Texas to Ian Kinsler and only had 10 at-bats this season and would be a great player to plug in and give the team a true leadoff hitter. In Texas Bill Hall had been starting in centerfield and doing very little at the plate going for .228 average and is less than good in centerfield so when Watson called it didn’t take long to ask for Hunter Pence who is a little better in centerfield but is hitting .283 and 6 homeruns on the season in 27 games. The final player in the trade was Michael Bourn who will be the defensive outfielder in Yuma. On the day that Texas agrees to send Brian Roberts to Yuma Ian Kinsler got hurt and has been put on the 15 day DL so Weeks might get some playing time earlier then later.

Ellsbury and Jacobs go to Cambridge for Alex Gordon!

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:41:20 +0000

Alex Gordon

May 5, 2008

– Myrtle Beach has grown impatience with their high priced thirdbasemen Adrian Beltran who is making over 13 million this year but is only hitting .143 on the season with no homeruns and only 6 runs driven in so they traded away some of thier future for a solid young thirdbasemen in Alex Gordon. Gordon should blossom now that mega-hype is in the rear view mirror in Cambridge. Myrtle did give up alot for Gordon in Jacob Ellsbury who is a dynamic, slashing type player who could be in Cambridge’s outfield for many years to come. Mike Jacobs was also in the deal but is not much more than a throw in player in this deal as a power hitting firstbasemen in case of an injury in Cambridge to Helton.

James Shields enjoys the run support!

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:31:57 +0000

James Shields

Smallville Crows At Orlando Renegades 3/31/2008

Crows………….. 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 2 0 - 7 12 1
Renegades……. 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 2 6 0

In a lop-sided win the Smallville Crows ripped the Orlando Renegades by a 7 to 2 count.

Smallville had 3 runs cross the plate in the 3rd inning with the help of 3 hits. That was all the runs James Shields(1-0) needed. Smallville ended up with 12 hits for the game while Orlando had 6.

Rafael Betancourt recorded his 1st save. Jake Peavy(0-1) was the losing pitcher. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings.

Apaches score early then hold on late!

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:28:20 +0000

Alfonso Soriano

Durham Bulls At Apache Junction Apaches 3/31/2008

Bulls…………… 0 0 2 0 0 2 3 0 1 - 8 13 0
Apaches……… 6 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 – 10 12 1

Alfonso Soriano slammed 2 homeruns and had 3 RBI as the Apache Junction Apaches topped the Durham Bulls by a score of 10 to 8 at Chase Field.

Soriano helped send the fans home happy. He doubled in the 1st inning, lofted a solo-blast ‘downtown’ in the 5th inning and popped a two-run clout over the fence (his 2nd of the season) in the 6th inning. Durham had a chance to come back in the 9th but they came up short.

The victory went to Scott Kazmir(1-0) who went 6 innings, allowing 7 runs. Jose Valverde recorded his 1st save. Johan Santana(0-1) ended up with the loss. He served up 5 gopher balls in 5 innings.

The Koz starts the season in Grand Fashion

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:21:49 +0000

Kevin Kouzmanoff

California Rockets At Myrtle Beach Mauraders 3/31/2008

Rockets……….. 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 - 5 10 0
Mauraders……. 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 - 4 9 0

35,654 fans watched an exciting game at Wrigley Field. The California Rockets topped the Myrtle Beach Mauraders by the slimmest of margins, 5 to 4.

California had 4 runs cross the plate in the top of the 4th inning with the help of 4 hits. The big moment was provided by Kevin Kouzmanoff who deflated the spirits of the home town crowd when he cleared the bases with a Grand Slam homerun (his 1st of the season). The Myrtle Beach bats were silent in the bottom of the 9th.

Jose Contreras(1-0) picked up the victory, allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. Luis Vizcaino was credited with his 1st save. Roy Oswalt(0-1) was hit with the loss.

‘He gutted it out’ Joe Torre said of Contreras. ‘I was very impressed by his tenacity.’

Angels win in extra innings!

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:16:48 +0000

Alex Rios

Asheville Angels AT Cleveland Roughnecks 3/31/2008

Angels…………… 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 3 9 0
Roughnecks…… 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 2 6 0

The Asheville Angels edged the Cleveland Roughnecks in 10 innings at Jacobs Field by the score of 3 to 2.

Both teams were tied at 2 runs apiece after nine innings. Asheville came out the victor in the 10th inning. Alex Rios smashed a solo-shot out of the park (his 1st of the season). Cleveland was out-hit by Asheville, 9 hits to 6.

The win was credited to Zack Greinke(1-0) who went 1 inning allowing no runs.Takashi Saito got the save, his 1st. Francisco Rodriguez(0-1) was the loser in relief.

Brandon Webb runs thru Gray’s Hitters

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:07:58 +0000

Brandon Webb

Denver Rockies At Texas Grays 3/30/2008

Rockies……… 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 6 11 3
Grays…………. 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 3 8 1

Brandon Webb struck out 12 batters at Ameriquest Field where the Denver Rockies beat the Texas Grays by the score of 6 to 3.

Webb(1-0) gave Denver a solid outing. He was stingy on the mound, allowing just 8 hits and 1 walk in 8 and 1/3 innings. Denver had 11 hits for the night while Texas had 8.

Bobby Jenks was credited with his 1st save. The loss was charged to Carlos Zambrano(0-1). He was touched for 4 homeruns in his 9 innings of work.

‘He was really impressive tonight,’ Zambrano said of his counterpart. ‘Our guys were just swinging at air.’

Yuma loses the opener in the defense of Title!

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:59:22 +0000

Brandon Phillips

Cambridge Reapers At Yuma Scorpions 3/30/2008

Reapers……….. 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 3 – 11 10 2
Scorpions…….. 0 0 4 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 8 11 0

Second baseman Brandon Phillips hit a homerun and had 4 RBI at Citizen’s Bank Park as the Cambridge Reapers beat the Yuma Scorpions in 12 innings by the count of 11 to 8. Both teams were tied at 8 runs apiece after nine innings. Cambridge was victorious in the 12th inning. Todd Helton led off and started the attack as he drew a walk. Phillips was next to the plate, but was promptly struck out. Matt Holliday then doubled. Chipper Jones stepped in and he was walked intentionally to load the bases. Matt Diaz got his turn next, but he was a strikeout victim. Torii Hunter continued the rally and doubled plating three runs. Cambridge finished with 10 hits in the victory.

The win was credited to Kevin Gregg(1-0) who went 2 and 2/3 innings allowing no runs. Huston Street(0-1) was given the loss in relief. He allowed Cambridge 5 runs in 3 and 2/3 innings of work.

First baseman Paul Konerko rocketed 3 homeruns and had 4 RBI for Yuma but his effort was wasted in the loss.

Harang shows he can be an ace!

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:54:52 +0000

Aaron Harang

Brooklyn Brawlers At Great Barringto Bashers 3/30/2008

Brawlers…….. 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 3 0
Bashers……… 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 - 2 5 0

Aaron Harang tossed a fine 3 hitter as the Great Barringto Bashers pulled out a win over the Brooklyn Brawlers by a score of 2 to 1 at AT&T Park.

Great Barringto scored the deciding run in the 9th inning. After an out was recorded, Alex Rodriguez ripped a solo home run (his 1st of the season) resulting in an exciting win for Great Barringto and a wild post-game celebration by the home town fans. Great Barringto finished with just 5 hits in the victory.

The winning pitcher was Harang(1-0) who allowed 1 run for the game. Chad Qualls(0-1) was the loser in relief. Willie Randolph was obviously impressed with the pitching of Harang, ‘That guy made us look a little silly out there tonight. We just couldn’t get to him at all – everything was working for him. I just hope that he got that kinda performance out of his system.’

Expansion Bombers get off on the right foot!

mag111468 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:48:58 +0000

Corey Patterson

Boston Bombers At Springfield Bunch of Bums 3/30/2008

Bombers…………. 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 - 6 13 1
Bunch of Bums… 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 3 8 3

Center fielder Corey Patterson had 4 hits as the Boston Bombers outscored the Springfield Bunch of Bums 6 to 3.

Springfield never recovered after Boston took the lead in the top of the 2nd inning scoring 2 runners on 3 hits. Boston had 13 hits overall, while Springfield had 8.

The winning pitcher was Carlos Silva(1-0) who allowed 3 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. Trevor Hoffman was credited with his 1st save. The loss was charged to A.J. Burnett(0-1). He allowed 5 runs and 10 hits in 5 innings.