2003 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #8

The Demolition took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning, courtesy of an RBI triple by E. Marrero and a subsequent run scored on a wild pitch. The Oaks fought back to tie the game at 2-2 in the 4th inning with an RBI single by R. Baldelli, which scored two runs. The Oaks then took the lead in the 6th inning, going up 3-2 on another RBI single from R. Baldelli. The decisive blow came in the top of the 7th when R. Sanders launched a two-run home run, extending the Oaks’ lead to 5-2.

Oaks starter Kazuhisa Ishii pitched 6 strong innings, allowing 2 unearned runs, and earned the win. Closer Mariano Rivera secured the save in the 9th. Demolition starter Jae Seo took the loss, giving up 5 runs over 7 innings.

Final Score: Dondero 5 – Chicago 2

Win: Kazuhisa Ishii 2-6 (5.93)
Loss: Jae Seo 1-2 (5.79)
Save: Mariano Rivera #5

The Demolition took an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run by S. Stewart in the 1st inning. The Oaks briefly took the lead in the 3rd inning, going up 2-1 on a two-run home run by F. Thomas. However, the Demolition offense exploded, tying the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the 3rd and then breaking it open in the 4th with a 2-run double by E. Renteria to make it 4-2. The Demolition truly surged in the 6th inning, scoring five runs to extend their lead to 9-2, highlighted by key RBI hits from E. Renteria, B. Higginson, and C. Delgado. S. Stewart added another solo homer in the 8th for the final score.

Demolition starter Kevin Millwood earned the win, pitching $7.2$ innings and giving up only 2 runs. Oaks starter John Lackey took the loss after being removed in the 6th inning following the Demolition’s offensive onslaught.

Final Score: Chicago 10 – Dondero 2

Win: Kevin Millwood 4-2 (3.00)
Loss: John Lackey 1-4 (5.79)

The Demolition took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a single by Hideki Matsui. The Oaks responded in the third when Bengie Molina blasted a two-run home run, putting Dondero up 2-1. Chicago tied the game in the sixth on a solo homer from Shannon Stewart. The Oaks regained the lead 3-2 in the seventh via a sacrifice fly from Rocco Baldelli. The score held until the bottom of the ninth when Chicago mounted a comeback, highlighted by a solo home run from Tony Batista and an RBI single from Edgar Renteria, tying the game 4-4 and sending it to extra innings.

The decisive blow came in the top of the 11th when Reggie Sanders hit a solo home run off reliever Brendan Donnelly to put the Oaks up 5-4. Oaks reliever Kelly Wunsch then retired the side in the bottom of the 11th to secure the victory.

Final Score: Dondero 5 – Chicago 4 (11 Innings)

Win: Kelly Wunsch 2-1 (1.20)
Loss: Brendan Donnelly 2-2 (3.26)

The Oaks jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from B. Roberts and two separate runs scoring on Demolition errors (one from J. Schmidt, one from T. Batista). However, the Demolition chipped away, scoring two runs in the bottom of the 3rd, thanks to a two-RBI double from H. Matsui.

The Demolition then exploded in the 5th inning, tying the game on a run-scoring double by S. Stewart and taking the lead, 5-4, on a fielding error by J. Johnson. They broke the game open in the 8th, starting with a leadoff home run by E. Renteria, followed by a two-RBI triple from B. Higginson and a three-RBI double from C. Johnson, putting them up 11-4. Billy Wagner sealed the victory with a save.

Final Score: Oaks 4 – Demolition 11

Win: Jason Schmidt 5-2 (2.81)
Loss: Jason Johnson 3-5 (6.47)
Save: Billy Wagner #9

However, the Oaks rallied in the 9th. With the bases loaded and two outs, Raul Ibanez crushed a grand slam off Danny Patterson to dramatically tie the game at 4-4.

The contest remained deadlocked until the 15th inning. After J. Valentin and Ibanez singled, R. Baldelli delivered the decisive blow with a three-run home run to give the Oaks a 7-4 lead. Mike DeJean entered in the bottom of the 15th to secure the final out and the save.

Final Score: Dondero 7 – Chicago 4 (15 Innings)

Win: Chad Gaudin 1-1 (5.85)
Loss: Terry Adams 1-1 (2.84)
Save: Mike DeJean #1

The breakthrough finally came in the bottom of the 8th when Demolition manufactured a run. After a stolen base by E. Renteria was nullified by a caught stealing, S. Stewart and C. Delgado drew back-to-back walks. T. Batista then delivered a crucial RBI single to left field, driving in Stewart for the game’s only run.

Jae Seo closed out the 9th for the Oaks, securing the hard-fought 1-0 victory for Demolition.

Final Score: Demolition 1 – Oaks 0

Win: Jae Seo 2-2 (4.85)
Loss: Kazuhisa Ishii 2-7 (5.19)

The Demolition failed to secure a series win despite two offensive explosions (10-2 and 11-4 victories). Instead, the narrative was dominated by Dondero’s clutch hitting. Highlights included Reggie Sanders‘ go-ahead home runs in two different wins, and Ramiro Ibanez’s dramatic game-tying grand slam in the 9th inning of a 15-inning Oaks victory. The Oaks also stole a tightly contested 1-0 pitcher’s duel in the series finale. For the Demolition, Edgar Renteria and Shannon Stewart provided consistent power, with both players hitting multiple home runs and driving in key runs. The Oaks’ unexpected dominance shifts the momentum for both clubs moving forward.

WP: Pineiro (4-4)
LP: Davis (4-2)

WP: Pettitte (4-1)
LP: Bell (3-3)

WP: Rogers (1-5)
LP: Haren (1-4)
S: Benitez (4)

WP: Lohse (2-3)
LP: Weaver (1-5)

In the top of the 7th, Johnny Damon continues to be a one-man wrecking crew, with a solo HR off of Contreras to give Iowa a 5-4 lead. But, Sweeney leads off the bottom half with a HR to tie it up. It will come down to the bullpens in this one, which ends up being a good thing for Castle Rock as Bonds takes Walker deep for a 3-run shot after Neu walked two batters and it is 8-5, Castle Rock. Quantrill comes in to close it for Castle Rock and the final is 8-5, as the Hounds have taken the first five games.

WP: B.J. Ryan (1-1)
LP: Neu (0-1)

WP: Pineiro (5-4)
LP: Graves (3-2)
S: Benitez (5)

Randa goes 2 for 3 with 2 walks, and a homer for Baltimore. Edmonds hits a 2 run homer for Michigan.

Baltimore 5 Michigan 4

This game starts off as a blow out early as Ben Sheets gets knocked out. Baltimore goes on to win easily. Tejada, Posada, and Preston Wilson hit homers. Sheets ends up giving up 10 runs – the pen didn’t help.

Baltimore 11 Michigan 2

Michigan 10 Baltimore 5

Clement cruises to a shutout. No walks. 6 hits and 5 strike outs.

Baltimore wins in a blow out. Hudson pitches an easy 7 for the win. Michigan with only one hits, which was a Gerut homer.

Baltimore 14 Michigan 1

Houghton coming to town is a good way to get feeling better about the season. The Penguin bats with the exception of Kent and Pujols simply do not exist. The are also in third place in the AL East a whopping 10 games under .500

Did someone say Houghton cant hit? Well Prior would be one to argue with you. Kent singled in the first, Pujols walked and former Stealer Wooten singled home Kent for a quick lead.

After walking around the mound to collect himself, Prior said, enough is enough. He would get out of that inning, and then throw 6 more after that; yielding no more hits, no more walks, no more runs and striking out 7 Pens.

Lilly tried his best to give the Penguins a chance. He would go 5.2 innings, giving up three unearned runs thanks to two Pen errors. But the bullpen would not have as much success. Juan Encarnacion would blast a three run homer off Romero in the 7th to blow up a close game.

Final Score: Stealers 9-1
WP: Prior (8-1)
LP: Lilly (1-7)

It was a back and forth affair tied at 5 after. The Penguins got to Leskanic in the 6th and were poised to do damage, but Hasegawa was able to get the dangerous Pujols out with the bases loaded.

Hasegawa would not fare as well in the 7th and with two on and no one out, the Stealers called on their closer early today. Smoltz, came in with an ERA over 4.50, but the stopper did just that getting the next three batters with ease and stranding both runners on the field.

Meanwhile the Southlake bats warmed up and added two runs in each of the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings to open up what had been a close game.

Final Score: Stealers 11-7
WP: Hasegawa (2-0)
LP: Benoit (2-2)

The Penguins had other plans as they had 4 hits and a walk in the first 13 batters Wilson faced and jumped out to a 3 run lead early. But the bullpen did the job the rest of the way for the Stealers giving up just 3 hits, no walks and striking out 7 across the final 6.2 innings. Although one of those was a monstrous bomb by Pujols.

Meanwhile the Stealers bats have definitely enjoyed being at home. The pound out 13 hits, 12 of them singles, and used aggressive baserunning to plate 7 runners.

Final Score: Stealers 7-4
WP: Lopez (2-0)
LP: Benson (1-5)
S: Hasegawa (2)

But the ball was easy to see at the plate today for both teams, as the Stealers matched them with 22 hits of their own and scored 14 runs to take the game. The bottom half of the lineup did the damage today going a combined 12/20 with 6 runs and 8 RBIs. At the beginning of the lineup Suzuki continues to excel since moving into the leadoff role. He added 3 more funs scored to his league lead.

Final Score: Stealers 14-8
WP: D’Amico (3-3)
LP: Oliver (2-4)

The Penguins tied the game in the 4th with a solo shot from Rollins. It stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when some bad defense cost the Pens. An error on pitcher Harang trying to take a flip from Pujols, a walk and a double from Ichiro, gave the Stealers a 3-1 lead.

A triple by Figgins in the 6th and a sac fly cut the lead down to just one. The Stealers would load the bases in their half of the inning with 2 outs, but Romero set down Ichiro to escape the jam.

The Stealers would call on their Fireman Smoltz for a 2 inning save. He worked a 123 seventh inning, but with one out Pujols banged a double off the wall. Things got tense when Wooten walked to put the go-ahead run on base. But Smoltz took a deep breath and finished off the inning collecting his 8th save on the year.

Final: Stealers 3-2
WP: Tejero (2-5)
LP: Harang (2-4)
S: Smoltz (8)

With two gone in the second Rios walked. Kevin Cash, hits a crushing double in the leftfield corner. Rios decides to test Encarnacions arm and he fails the test as he is gunned down at the plate. In the third inning Diaz will get hit by a pitch, Ventura singles and Ichiro doubles. Diaz scores on the play and Ventura decides to test the Pens arms and like Rios it is a test he will fail, as Rollins guns him down at the plate, limiting the Stealers to just the one run.

That solo run was all the Prior really needed. He was masterful as he painted the corners and got weak contact all day. He went a full 9 innings, giving up 5 hits and no runs while striking out 5. Meanwhile for the Stealers Ichiro would stay hot collecting three hits, scoring once and plating another teammate in a 6-0 victory for the Stealers.

Final Score: Stealers 6-0
WP: Prior (9-1)
LP: Buehrle (5-3)

The Stealers were able to limit Kent at the plate slowing the Penguins offense but Pujols had another strong week continuing his dominance this season.