SERIES #4 vs MINNESOTA MILLERS - I-Rod Injured. Out Two Months.

Back at home for a rematch with Continental Division rival Minnesota.  Walt brings his Millers squad to town with an impressive early season record of 6-3.  They swept the Stouts in the season opening series with three extra inning triumphs. Minnesota is coming into town off taking two of three on the road in Milwaukee against the Phantoms.  The Stouts just finished taking two of three against Toronto, so both teams are playing well of late.  Let's take a look at how the teams fared this time around.


Game 1
Memorial Stadium

April 11, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Minnesota Millers (6-4)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2		4	9	0
Baltimore Stouts (3-7)	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	2	X		7	10	0
	W: K. Rueter (1-1)   L: C. Holt (0-2) SV: S. Kline (1)

Looking for some revenge after the season opening sweep at the hands of the Millers, Baltimore jumps out in front in this game, scoring one in the first and a pair in the second.  They never look back en route to a relatively easy 7-4 victory.  Kirk Rueter was near masterful in this one, tossing 7.2 innings, allowing two earned runs while lowering his ERA for the season to 1.96.  Steve Kline came in and closed the game out but not without incident, giving up two runs in his 1.1 innings of work.  He did "earn" the save for his efforts.  Fernando Vina set the table for the victors, going 3-4 from the leadoff spot, scoring twice while also knocking in a pair.  The Stouts have won three of four after starting the season with six consecutive losses.


Game 2
Memorial Stadium

April 12, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Minnesota Millers (6-5)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	5	0		6	12	1
Baltimore Stouts (4-7)	2	0	0	0	1	0	5	0	X		8	12	0
	W: J. Wright (1-0)   L: A. Lopez (1-3) SV: A. Alfonseca (1)

This game will be remembered not so much for the outcome but for the injury to star catcher Ivan Rodriguez.  It was inevitable given his injury history in 2000, but it stings nonetheless.  I-Rod will miss two months of action, leaving the Stouts scrambling for help behind the plate.  Robert Fick fills in this game and got a hit and drove in a pair, but it will be impossible to replicate I-Rod's production for an extended period.  Ed Taubensee is on his way up from Indianapolis to be the everyday replacement.  The rest of the lineup will need to step up.

The game itself was never much in doubt.  Minnesota starter Albie Lopez couldn't make it out of the 1st inning, injuring himself before retiring a single batter.  Baltimore called up Jaret Wright to start the game for the home team and he pitched well, allowing a single run in 5.1 innings of work.  The Stouts were up in this one 8-1 heading into the 8th inning when the bullpen made it a little interesting, surrendering a five spot to the Millers in the top half of the inning.  But lo and behold, Antonio Alfonseca came in and pitched a scoreless 9th to secure the victory, picking up a save for himself in the process.  Fernando Vina hot again, going 3-5.  He's raking at a .438 clip early in the season.  Todd Helton goes 3-4, raising his season average to .458.


Game 3
Memorial Stadium

April 13, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Minnesota Millers (7-5)	6	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	0		9	12	0
Baltimore Stouts (4-8)	0	4	1	0	2	0	0	0	0		7	11	0
	W: B. Simas (1-0)   L: E. Dessens (0-3) SV: D. Weathers (1)

Minnesota jumped all over Stouts starter Shawn Estes in this one, batting around and posting a six spot in the 1st inning.  Baltimore responds, plating four in the 2nd, another in the 3rd and a pair in the 5th to tie the game up at seven apiece.  The bullpen, yet again, fails to deliver for the Stouts.  Elmer Dessens, who releived Estes in the 3rd by promptly giving up a run, is chased in the 6th after giving up another.  Steve Kline continues his early season woes by giving up an insurance run to the Millers in the 8th.  His ERA in the early going sits at 13.50 through 6.2 innings of work and seven appearances.  Dessens, sporting a 4.50 ERA in 12 innings and six appearances, loses for the third time already, all against the Millers.

This game had an interesting side battle going on, one that was somewhat hard to imagine.  Catcher Jason Kendall went 4-5 with three doubles for the Millers, raising his season average to .458.  He actually went 8-13 in the series.  What was surprising in this game though was that Stouts catcher Ed Taubensee, just called up from the minors prior to the contest, went 3-3 himself with a pair of doubles, a walk and two runs scored.  So the catchers in this game reach base a combined 8 times in 9 plate appearances with five doubles between them.  Not too shabby.


Up next for the Stouts is another rematch with a team who swept its way to victory the first go around, the Milwaukee Phantoms.  Shannon has his team sitting a half a game back in the division.  Baltimore will be looking to exact more revenge in the matchup.

SERIES #1 @ MINNESOTA MILLERS - Extra Innings Nightmares!

The draft is complete.  The rosters are set and the lineups ready.  It's the opening series of the Millennium League campaign.  Up first for the Stouts is a roadtrip to Minnesota to face Walt Rayta and his Millers squad.  Let's get to the games.

Game 1
Metrodome

March 31, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-1)	1	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0		5	14	0
Minnesota Millers (1-0)	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	1	1		6	13	0
	W: M. Morris (1-0)   L: E. Dessens (0-1)

Season starts out quickly when Ivan Rodriguez blasts a 392 foot solo shot in the first inning.  Stouts led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth.  All runs on solo homers (Helton 2, Rodriguez, Green).  Starter Kevin Appier was cruising along, throwing five strong innings.  A two-out double by Craig Paquette plated Jeremy Burnitz to bring the Millers within two.  More importantly, it chases Appier from the game.

Craig Paquette

The bullpen just couldn't get the job done for the Stouts this game.  Antonio Osuna opens up the 7th inning by walking the only two batters he faced.  Steve Kline comes in and gets a couple big outs, but then gives up a two-out single to Burnitz to tie the game.  Game heads into extra frames.  Stouts get on top with a run in the 12th, but closer Antonio Alfonseca blows it in the bottom half of the inning, walking in a run with two outs.  Elmer Dessens loses it in the 13th, giving up a game-winning double to Paquette, scoring Burnitz once again.  A total of 15 pitchers were used in the game by both teams.  Walt and his Millers take game one.


Game 2
Metrodome

April 1, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-2)	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0		2	11	0
Minnesota Millers (2-0)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1		3	8	0
	W: D. Weathers (1-0)   L: T. Wendell (0-1)

Second game of the series much like the first.  A good pitching duel in this one between Dustin Hermanson for the Millers and Kirk Rueter for the Stouts.  Baltimore gets on the board in the 4th with back-to-back doubles by Lance Berkman and Garrett Anderson.  They go up 2-0 in the 6th when Berkman smacks his second double and is plated by a Ricky Gutierrez single.  Rueter was rolling right along, carrying a shutout into the 8th.  He gives up two in the inning off three singles to tie it up.  LaTroy Hawkins handles the 9th with relative ease, but Turk Wendell blows it in the 10th, loading up the bases and losing it when Jason Kendall knocks home Derek Jeter with a single up the box.  The Minnesota bullpen has been outstanding in the two games, allowing only two earned runs in 13 innings of work, striking out 12.  Midre Cummings went 2-2 in the game with a walk and a run scored.

Game 3
Metrodome

April 2, 2014

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12		R	H	E
Baltimore Stouts (0-3)	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0		8	20	0
Minnesota Millers (3-0)	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	4	1	1	1		9	17	1
	W: A. Lopez (1-0)   L: E. Dessens (0-2)

The finale of the series turns out to be the best game of the bunch, or the worst depending on your perspective I guess.  Baltimore knowing they need to try and salvage one on the road come out bats blazing, scoring two in the 1st inning and getting up 6-0 by the 5th.  Stouts starter Shawn Estes was on cruise control through four, allowing only one hit.  The Millers strike for two in the 5th, but still trail by four runs as the game headed into the 9th inning.  Estes took to the mound to start the stanza, but gave up a leadoff single to Todd Hollandsworth and was pulled in favor Alan Embree.  Fred McGriff coaxed a walk off the lefty, sending Embree to the showers.  Into the game, Antonio Alfonseca.  In one of the easier situations for a save you can imagine, coming into the game with a four run lead, El Pulpo (or El Poopo) proceeds to give up a three run homer to Jason Kendall, the first batter he faces.  Still, the Stouts are up by a run with nobody on base.  After a line-out by Burnitz and a strikout by Paquette, things finally appeared to be in hand.  Not so fast.  Al Martin triples and pinch-hitter Todd Walker singles him home to tie the game.  We're headed to extra innings once again.

The Stouts score in the top half of the 10th, only to have the bullpen blow it again in the bottom half.  The Stouts score yet again in the top of the 11th.  Broken record time as the Millers once again tie it up in the bottom half.  After blanking Baltimore in the 12th, Minnesota finally calls it a day by plating the game winner in the bottom half of the 12th on a two-out Al Martin double to score Midre Cummings.  Martin ends up going three for six with a double, triple, two runs scored and two RBIs.

The Millers sweep the series in epic fashion.  The Stouts bullpen fails miserably, allowing nine runs in 11 innings of work.  Offensively, both teams combine to strand 77 base-runners in the three games, prompting a call to Elias.  Walt and his Millers sit atop the Continental Division with their 3-0 record.  The Stouts look to regroup as they head to Milwaukee to face Shannon S and the Phantoms.  Milwaukee went 2-1 in their opening series.