SERIES #18 @ OAKLAND - Baltimore Bats Come Alive, Sweep Osprey On the Road

The cross-country escapades of the Stouts continue as they travel back to the left coast to face Steve Kornmuller's Oakland Osprey.  The Baltimore bats have been struggling of late, having scored three runs or less in six of their last eight contests.  They are coming off a sweep at home at the hands of the Expansion League's worst team, the Houston Buffaloes, leaving their record at a season low 21-30.  Oakland, for their part, is also struggling of late, having lost four in a row.  They come into action one game below .500 with a 25-26 record.

OAKLAND ALEMEDA / NETWORK ASSOC COLISEUM - HOME OF THE OSPREY

Game 1
Oakland Alemeda/Network Assoc Coliseum

May 27, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (22-30)	0	1	0	7	1	3	0	0	0		12	14	1
Oakland Osprey (25-27)	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0		3	4	2
	W: C. Park (4-7)   L: C. Lidle (3-1)

HR: L. Berkman (9, 4th inning off C. Lidle 2 on, 2 out)
HR: R. Becker (7, 8th inning off C. Park 0 on, 0 out)

Newly acquired Chan Ho Park was making his first start for Baltimore in this one. He was opposed by Corey Lidle, who entered the game with an outstanding record of 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA.  For the sixth game in a row, the Stouts opponent gets on the board first as the Osprey push a run across in the 1st.  But Baltimore responds with a single run of their own in the 2nd to tie the game back up.

The action headed to the top of the 4th, and the Baltimore bats finally woke up, scoring seven in the inning.  They scored more in one inning, off a starter with a sub-2 ERA no less, than they scored in their last three games combined.  Five of the runs in the inning were scored with two outs.  The big blow was a three-run blast by Lance Berkman, his ninth on the season.

Baltimore cruised home from there, scoring four more in the game to win the opener 12-3.  Park was brilliant in his debut, going the distance while allowing only four hits.


Game 2
Oakland Alemeda/Network Assoc Coliseum

May 28, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (23-30)	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2		5	17	0
Oakland Osprey (25-28)	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0		3	10	1
	W: L. Hawkins (2-3)   L: S. Reed (0-2) SV: A. Alfonseca (3)

HR: E. Taubensee (2, 14th inning off S. Reed 1 on, 2 out)
HR: R. Becker (8, 5th inning off A. Osuna 0 on, 0 out), R. Gant (9, 9th inning off A. Benitez 0 on, 1 out)

Elmer Dessens faced off with Brad Radke in game two, but Dessens' day didn't last long as he was injured issuing a walk to Cliff Floyd in the 3rd inning.  Antonio Osuna relieved and allowed one run in his 3.2 innings of work.  He left with the Stouts trailing 2-1.

Radke was rolling along, having only allowed a single run in the 1st through six innings.  But the Stouts struck in the 7th when Corey Koskie committed a two out error, allowing Baltimore to push two runs across and take a 3-2 lead.  The score remained that way into the bottom of the 9th.  The Stouts turned the ball over to closer Armando Benitez, who has been lights out on the season.  After getting Lee Stevens to fly out to open the inning, Steve turned to pinch-hitter Ron Gant to bat for Radke.  Good move as Gant launched a 407 foot homer to left to tie the game.

Both bullpens were locked in battle now as the game headed to extra innings.  Baltimore threatened in the 12th and 13th innings, but bad base-running saw them come up empty in both.  Oakland loaded the bases in their half of the 13th, but LaTroy Hawkins was able to work out of the jam to send the game into the 14th inning.

Steve Reed relieved Kerry Lightenberg to open the inning.  He retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a single to Ricky Gutierrez.  Up to the plate stepped catcher Ed Taubensee, who had entered the game in the 11th as part of a double-switch.  With the go-ahead run on base, Taubensee launched a 415 foot blast to right to put the Stouts up 5-3.  The game would end that way as Antonio Alfonseca retired the Osprey in order in the bottom of the inning to notch his third save of the season.  Hawkins tossed 2.1 scoreless innings to pickup the win.  Gutierrez was 4-5 with a pair of stolen bases.  Baltimore belted 17 hits in the contest, a day after knocking 14 in the opener.  Maybe their bats have come alive.


Game 3
Oakland Alemeda/Network Assoc Coliseum

May 29, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (24-30)	2	0	2	0	2	1	0	0	1		8	13	1
Oakland Osprey (25-29)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0		4	8	1
	W: J. Lieber (3-7)   L: T. Ritchie (5-3)

HR: L. Berkman (10, 1st inning off T. Ritchie 1 on, 2 out), T. Helton 3 (15, 3rd inning off T. Ritchie 1 on, 2 out; 5th inning off T. Ritchie 0 on, 2 out; 9th inning off S. Reed 0 on, 0 out)
HR: J. Posada (11, 7th inning off J. Lieber 1 on, 2 out), L. Stevens (9, 8th inning off J. Lieber 1 on, 1 out)

The wind was blowing out 16 mph at the Alemeda Coliseum and both teams took advantage.  Six homers were hit by both teams combined.  Nobody took advantage of the situation more than MVP candidate Todd Helton, who blasted THREE homers of his own, pushing his season total to 15.  His line for the game was 3-4 with four runs, four RBI and a walk.  The game itself was never much in doubt as the Stouts had a 7-0 lead before Oakland scored four late runs.  Jon Lieber was excellent in his second Stouts start, managing the two homers he allowed, tossing eight strong innings.

TODD HELTON RECEIVED A CURTAIN CALL ON THE ROAD AFTER BELTING HIS 3RD
HOME RUN OF THE GAME.  HE HAS 15 HOMERS ON THE SEASON.

The Stouts have their first series sweep of the season.  And their bats most certainly came alive, knocking 44 hits in the three games while scoring 25 runs.  Their record now sits at 24-30, and they sit just two games behind Milwaukee in the Continental Division.  Next up is a date with the Cincinnati Red Stocking.  They are winners of five of their last seven and sport a 31-23 record overall, good enough for second place in the CLs Rust Belt Division.