SERIES #9 @ ARIZONA APACHES - Baltimore Bullpen Implodes Once, No Twice Again!

A trip to the desert for Baltimore as they head west to take on the Arizona Apaches.  Tom has his team sitting atop the Western Division with a 14-10 mark.  They are hot of late, winners of three in-a-row and six of their last eight.  The Stouts come into the series two games under .500 at 11-13.  These are the top two hitting teams in the entire Millennium League so the offenses should be on display.  Let's get to the action.



Game 1
Chase Field

April 27, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (11-14)	0	1	3	1	0	2	0	0	0		7	14	0
Arizona Apaches (15-10)	0	1	1	0	0	1	8	0	X		11	16	1
	W: J. Nelson (2-1)   L: S. Kline (0-1) SV: M. Rivera (8)

HR: L. Berkman (4, 3rd inning off M. Gardner 0 on, 1 out), T. Helton (7, 4th inning off L. Barcelo 0 on, 2 out)
HR: M. Quinn (7, 2nd inning off B. Rekar 0 on, 2 out), E. Martinez (11, 6th inning off B. Rekar 0 on, 0 out), E. Karros (1, 7th inning off L. Hawkins 3 on, 2 out)

Apache 1B Eric Karros blasted a
game-winning grand slam in the 8th

The offenses promised to be on display in this series, and this game did not disappoint as the teams combined for 30 hits and 18 runs.  Baltimore broke through early with a run in the 2nd, three in the 3rd and another in the 4th to take a 5-2 advantage.  They plated two more in the 6th to go up 7-2 heading into the home half.  Arizona got one back in the 6th, and after Rheal Cormier and Jeff Nelson put the Stouts down in order in the 7th, they went to their half of the inning trailing 7-3.  Bryan Rekar was pitching quite well for Baltimore, following up his complete game performance in his first start for the team with six strong innings.  He opened the 7th by retiring Eric Karros, but after singles by Shannon Stewart and Julio Lugo, the Baltimore bullpen was called into action.  And that, as usual, is when the wheels fell off.

Antonio Alfonseca came in and got Jeff Kent to strike out, but the Apaches went on an unbelievable two-out rally after that.  Singles by Edgar Martinez and Tony Bautista plated two runs.  Steve Kline entered the game and was unable to record a single out, giving up a single to Chris Truby to load the bases, then hitting Mark Quinn with a pitch to plate another run to make it 7-6.  Brett Mayne then singled to score Bautista and tie the game.  Latroy Hawkins was called upon to put out the fire, but all he did was throw gas on it by giving up a 446 foot grand slam to Karros, who had made an out leading off the inning as a pinch-hitter.  That's an eight-run two-out rally by the Apaches to take a commanding 11-7 lead into the final two innings.  Mariano Rivera came into the game with two outs in the 8th and competed the game for his 8th save on the season.

Game 2
Chase Field

April 28, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (12-14)	0	3	1	4	0	0	2	0	2		12	17	0
Arizona Apaches (15-11)	4	0	0	0	1	1	0	1	1		8	10	4
	W: A. Osuna (2-0)   L: M. Sirotka (1-4)

HR: S. Stewart (3, 1st inning off K. Appier 0 on, 0 out), M. Quinn (8, 8th inning off A. Embree 0 on, 0 out), J. Kent (5, 9th inning off A. Benitez 0 on, 1 out)

Another slugfest in this one as the teams combine for another 27 hits and 20 runs.  Arizona bats were hot early, scoring four in the 1st off Stouts starter Kevin Appier.  But the Baltimore bats responded by scoring three in the 2nd, another in the 3rd and four more in the 4th to chase Arizona starter Mike Sirotka and take an 8-4 lead heading into the 5th.  The Apaches mount a comeback with runs in both the 5th and 6th innings to cut the lead to 8-6.  But the Stouts were not to be denied in this one, scoring two more in the 7th and another pair in the 9th.  Appier was ejected in this game one out away from going the five innings necessary to pickup his first win of the year.  He's been suspended seven games by the league office for intentionally throwing at Arizona batters.  In the game, he plunked three Apache hitters.  Todd Helton went 3-4 a day after going 4-5.  He was intentionally walked his final two plate appearances.

Game 3
Chase Field

April 29, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (12-15)	1	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0		5	9	0
Arizona Apaches (16-11)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	X		7	9	0
	W: V. Darensbourg (3-0)   L: S. Kline (0-2) SV: M. Rivera (9)

HR: L. Berkman (5, 1st inning off R. Dempster 0 on, 1 out)
HR: M. Quinn (9, 8th inning off S. Kline 2 on, 2 out)

Another loss for the Stouts with blame placed squarely on the bullpen once again.  Baltimore relievers have losses in nine of the teams 15 defeats on the season.  They have blown a league leading eight saves and sport the league's worst ERA at 6.75.  The acquisition of Armando Benitez will surely help out in the 9th inning, but if the setup guys cannot get the game to him, his role is nullified.

This game was actually a pitchers duel for the first half of the game as the score was 1-0 in favor of the Stouts through five complete.  Baltimore broke the game open in the 6th with a four spot in the stanza.  Elmer Dessens, making his first start of the season, was cruising along, holding the Apaches scoreless through seven innings.  He opened up the 8th innings by striking out Joe Oliver, but after a double by pinch-hitter Craig Grebeck and a single by Shannon Stewart, he was replaced on the bump by Antonio Alfonseca.  El Pulpo was unable to get a single out, giving up a single to Julio Lugo to score Grebeck.  After a walk to Jeff Kent which loaded the bases, he gave up a three-run double to Edgar Martinez to cut the Stouts lead to 5-4.

Mark Quinn belted a three-run
game-winner in the 8th inning

Steve Kline was brought into the game and he retired the first batter he faced for the second out of the inning.  But after Shawn Green walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd, Mark Quinn blasted a 400 foot homerun to give the Apaches a 7-5 lead they would not relinquish.  Joe Oliver struck out for the second time in the inning for the final out. Mariano Rivera did his thing in the 9th to pickup his 9th save of the season.  The Apaches came back in both of their victories to take two of three in the series.  They remain atop the Western Division with an impressive 16-11 record through the season's first 27 games.  Newly acquired Edgar Martinez the hitting star in the series, going 7-13 with four runs, five RBI, two doubles and a homer.