SERIES #2 @ MILWAUKEE PHANTOMS - Carlos Delgado Goes Berserk

Coming off their brutal sweep at the hands of Walt and his Minnesota Millers squad, the Stouts head to Milwaukee to face Shannon and the Phantoms.  Let's get to the action.

Game 1

Miller Park

April 4, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-4)	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	2	0		6	10	0
Milwaukee Phantoms (3-1)	2	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	X		7	9	1
	W: C. Finley (1-0)   L: T. Stottlemyre (0-1) SV: R. King (2)

Phantoms start out fast in this one, scoring two in the 1st inning and chasing Stouts starter Todd Stottlemyre by posting a five spot in the 3rd.  Up 7-1 after three, things began to get interesting in the 6th when Baltimore strikes for three in the inning to make the score 7-4.  Shannon tried to stick with his starter Chuck Finley as long as he could, but after giving up a Garrett Anderson homer with one out in the 8th, cutting the lead to two runs, in comes the bullpen.  Tim Crabtree takes the hill and proceeds to give up a single to Bill Mueller, the first batter he faces.  After striking out Ricky Gutierrez, Jay Bell raps another single, sending Mueller to second.  Lance Berkman pinch-hits for the pitcher and strokes a double to deep right field, plating Mueller, but Bell is gunned down at the plate trying to tie the game on a strong throw by Russell Branyan.  Ray King pitches a 1-2-3 9th inning for the Phantoms and that's the ballgame.

Stouts outhit Milwaukee 10-9 but lose yet another one run game.  Finley goes 7.1 to pickup the win, striking out eight.  King notches the save.  Carlos Delgado the hitting star going 2-4 with a 2B, HR and three RBI.

Game 2

Miller Park

April 5, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-5)	1	0	0	0	0	2	1	5	0		9	13	0
Milwaukee Phantoms (4-1)	1	2	1	0	3	0	2	0	1		10	13	2
	W: T. Crabtree (1-0)   L: L. Hawkins (0-1)

Baltimore strikes first in this one with a run in the 1st, but Milwaukee counters with seven unanswered to take a 7-1 lead heading into the 6th.  Stouts come roaring back, scoring two in the 6th and another in the 7th to make it 7-4.  Carlos Delgado, continuing his torrid hitting, belts his second homer of the game in the bottom half of the inning to extend the lead to a comfortable 9-4 heading into the 8th.  Shannon once again tries to stick with his starter as long as possible, but after the first two batters to reach base in the 8th, he brings in BJ Ryan to relieve Kris Benson.  Ryan proceeds to walk five and allow a hit.  Throw in an error by defensive replacement Randy Velarde and the Stouts bat around and score five in the frame, tying up the ballgame at nine apiece.

Phantoms fail to score in the bottom half off Baltimore reliever LaTroy Hawkins, while Tim Crabtree comes in and shuts down the Stouts in the top of the 9th.  Hawkins takes to the hill in the bottom half looking to extend the game, but in the blink of an eye, the game is over.  Doug Glanville strokes a single to left to leadoff the inning, then Jeff Cirillo knocks him home with a double to deep right.  Bing, bang, boom.  Game over.  Phantoms win.  Delgado with another huge game at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a walk, two homers, three runs scored and four RBIs. 

So for those keeping score at home, that's five games up for the Stouts and five one run losses.  The bullpen has four of the five losses, blowing all four save chances in the process.  The team has left 61 runners on base through five games.  While the team is scoring runs (30), they are leaving a lot left on the basepaths.  Not good.

Game 3

Miller Park

April 6, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-6)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	5	1
Milwaukee Phantoms (5-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	X		7	10	0
	W: J. D'Amico (1-1)   L: K. Rueter (0-1)

This game was all about the pitching.  Starters Jeff D'Amico and Kirk Rueter waged an artful duel for the first six innings.  Neither team earned a hit in this one until the 4th when Todd Helton knocked a two out single for the Stouts.  Rueter carried a no-hitter into the 5th inning.  Carlos Delgado (yes him again) broke it up with a leadoff double.  Through six innings, only four hits combined between the two teams.  Baltimore mounted a threat in the top of the 7th, getting their first two batters on base.  But D'Amico closed the door, coaxing a couple lazy flies before striking out pinch-hitter Rondell White to end the inning.

The Phantoms got the scoring going in the bottom half as Delgado once again strikes, doubling with one out and scoring two batters later when Matt Lawton knocks him home with a single to right.  Stouts go down in order in the top of the 8th, losing Rueter in the process to a pinch-hitter.  That was the death knell for Baltimore as the bullpen, specifically Steve Kline, once again fails to do anything productive, allowing six runs in the bottom half to seal the deal.  D'Amico calmly retires the Stouts in the 9th for the complete game shutout.

Milwaukee secures the series sweep.  Carlos Delgado had a monster three games, going 7 for 9 with seven runs scored, seven RBIs, two doubles and three HRs.  The Phantoms now sit atop the division with a 5-1 mark.  Baltimore yet to crack the win column, sitting at 0-6 after their first two series.