The Charlotte Knights had won only one game so far this season but had lost an unbelievable series of one-run or two-run heartbreakers to the league's best. The perpetual not-quite David to the Goliaths of the National Division, the plucky Knights had to believe that maybe, just maybe, the Law of Averages would favor them this time around.
But Red Wings starting pitcher Micah didn't believe in any Law of Averages. All he believed in was throwing strikes. Which is exactly what he did to retire the first three batters he faced. He struck out the first two looking and got the third to pop up to short where Will made the catch to end the inning.
The Knights returned the favor in the bottom of the first, and we had a pitchers' duel on our hands.
In the top of the second, Micah got the first batter he faced to ground softly to the mound. He scooped it up and fired to first baseman Jack for the out. Micah got the next batter to do the same but took care of business himself and tagged the runner for the unassisted out. He closed out the inning with a four-pitch backwards K. All told, Micah struck out three, allowed only one baserunner, and zero runs, while throwing a grand total of 22 pitches over two innings of work. Not a bad day at the office.
Parker led off the second for the Wings. He'd been swinging a hot bat over the last three or four games and he was not about to cool off tonight. He sent the second pitch he saw into center field for a single. Jack went back-to-back with a single to right. Alejandro was hit by a pitch, and just like that the Wings had the bases loaded with nobody out. Josh was more than happy to cash the check, cranking the second pitch of his at-bat into center field for a single. Parker would score from third, and the Wings were on the board first. "JD" Drew was up next. He looked ready to crush one. And crush one he did! Right over the third base line and in the air to deep left field. It looked fair from the Red Wings dugout, but unfortunately the Red Wings dugout did not have the authority to make the call. "Foul ball!" was the call from the umpire. Had it been fair, it would have cleared the bases. No such luck this time. Noah's shot to right field did stay fair for a single and it brought in another run. Next, Ken shot one up the middle, but the Knights' pitcher made a great play to knock it down and fire to first to end the inning. 2-0, Wings after two.
Josh came out of the Red Wings bullpen in the third. He proceeded to strike out the side with great command of his fastball. His third K was most impressive--a four-pitch affair in which the batter looked at strike three buzzing flat, low in the zone, and straight over the plate. Just a beautiful pitch.
Micah lit the fuse in the third with a single to left. He knew he would not have a chance to hang out there at first base for long as he watched Sam step into the box. Watching Sam step in is like watching Big Papi step in. You just know something big's going to happen. Something big did happen: Sam launched an RBI triple to deep right center. An absolute bomb. 3-0, Wings. Still nobody out. Tom walked. Will singled to bring Tom into scoring position and Sam across the plate. 4-0, Wings. Tom would score from second on a productive ground ball off the bat of Parker and some gutsy baserunning. 5-0, Wings.
Jack took the hill in the fourth, and he struck out the side with 10 pitches. Dominant stuff from the flame-throwing righty.
The Wings went down in order, and the score remained 5-0 through four.
The Wings seemed to be cruising until the fifth when the Law of Averages reared its ugly head. The Knights are just too good a team to put up five 0s in a row. The Wings sent Alex out to pitch the fifth and contend with the top of the Knights' order. A combination of great hitting and several costly errors in the field put the Knights right back in the game, and then in command of the game with a 6-5 lead. Alex needed to find a way to stop the bleeding. The crafty right-hander got one batter to ground to short where Parker made a great throw for the out at first. Then, he ended the inning with a dramatic six-pitch strikeout. Alex did well to limit the damage to six runs and keep his team in it.
Bottom of the fifth and down by one, the Wings needed a run. Noah led off and was hit by the first pitch. Micah was also hit, and the Wings had two on with one out. And who would step to the plate next? None other than Sam, Sammy Whammy, King of the Clutch. Darn right he would deliver--a shot in the air to deep center field. He was thinking extra bases right out of the box and rounded first, but a great throw in to second from the center fielder forced him to retreat. That didn't matter, though. Noah scored from second, and Micah, with a phenomenal bit of hustle and excellent baserunning instincts, took off from first and never looked back. He beat the throw to the plate and the Red Wings' dugout erupted in cheers. Sam's 2-RBI single put the Wings back on top 7-6.
With a slim one-run lead, the Wings sent Parker to the mound to close it out. The hard-throwing righty took care of business, striking out two and getting one to ground to Jack at shortstop who executed a flawless 6-3 put-out. Three quick outs for the save.
After a tough fifth inning in the field, when a 5-0 vanished before their eyes, the Red Wings refused to give up. They believed in themselves, they were confident, they did not panic. Each player just went out and did his job the best he could. The rest took care of itself. A very exciting win for the Red Wings.
There were many heroes tonight. Sam, with his clutch hitting yet again. Parker with his dramatic save. But the winning run was all about Micah's speed and smarts on the bases. Micah also shut down a very good Knights lineup for two scoreless innings as our starting pitcher. Tonight's game ball went to Micah. The Habit Award was also his for his hustle and courage on the base paths.
With the win tonight, the Red Wings clinched the top seed in the playoff tournament. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, though, we have one more regular season game against an excellent Mudcats squad on Thursday at Greene's.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Possible Playoff Scenario
The Red Wings have two regular season games left to play, as does most of the rest of the league, so it's too early to be certain of our playoff schedule, but if the regular season were to end today with the National Division standings remaining as they are, the Red Wings would be the first seed in the playoff tournament. Here's how this scenario could play out:
National Division First Round
Knights at Red Wings
Sunday, June 5 2:00-4:00 PM
Eliot
If the Red Wings win...
Practice
Tuesday, June 7 6:00 PM
Eliot
National Division Semi-Finals
Hot Rods or Iron Pigs at Red Wings
Friday, June 10 6:00 PM
Eliot
If the Red Wings win...
National Division First Round
Knights at Red Wings
Sunday, June 5 2:00-4:00 PM
Eliot
If the Red Wings win...
Practice
Tuesday, June 7 6:00 PM
Eliot
National Division Semi-Finals
Hot Rods or Iron Pigs at Red Wings
Friday, June 10 6:00 PM
Eliot
If the Red Wings win...
Practice
Saturday, June 11 12:00-2:00 PM
Eliot
National Division Championship Game
??? at Red Wings
Monday, June 13 6:00 PM
Eliot
If the Red Wings win...
Practices
Two or three nights between Tuesday, June 14 and Friday, June 17 5:30-7:30 PM
Eliot
Little League AA Championship Game
??? at Red Wings
Saturday, June 18 6:00 PM
Greene's
If the Red Wings win...
March in 4th of July Parade
There will also be a AA All-Star Game Monday, June 20 6:00 PM at Greene's.
Very important note: I am putting this scenario out there only to provide some advanced notice to help families with scheduling and planning. I do not want the boys to be talking or even thinking about the AA Championship Game, the 4th of July Parade or even our first round game right now. That would be getting way, way ahead of ourselves. The Red Wings are a good team and we've had a successful regular season, but there are lots of other good teams who have had successful regular seasons. And there are always a few surprises in the playoffs--teams that did not seem very strong suddenly start to come together and play at a different level in the playoffs. We should take nothing for granted. We could very easily lose in the first round. If we do, I will be perfectly happy with the way this season has gone. We've had a lot of fun, learned a lot, made new friends--everything that Little League baseball is about. The playoffs, as far as I'm concerned, are icing on the cake. The games are more competitive in the playoffs, and the players get more intense--I won't pretend otherwise--but it still has to be about fun. That's the only reason we play this game.
So, whenever the opportunity arises, please try to manage the boys' hype and expectations around the playoffs. For example, when Tom says, "Dad, we're going to dominate the playoffs!" I usually say something like this: "There are lots of good teams just like us, some that have improved a lot since we played them, and some excellent teams we didn't play yet. We'll work hard, do our best, and have fun with it. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. Who cares. I'm just glad we get to play some more baseball." Mostly, I want to avoid setting the guys up for a major disappointment if we lose and keep them focused on what's most important: work hard, do your best, have fun.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wings Battle Back to Beat Express
The talented Rock Round Express, in third place with a 4-3 record, were looking to improve to 5-3 and gain a game on the second place Diamond Jaxx, who dropped a close one to the Mudcats earlier Monday morning.
But they would have to get past starting pitcher Eric and his red-hot Red Wings first. After a leadoff single, it was smooth sailing for Eric in the top of the first. He struck out the next two and got the third to fly out to center field, where Micah made a nice grab on the run to end the inning.
The Wings could not get anything going in the bottom half. No score after one.
In the second, Eric struck out one and got some excellent defensive support for the other two. The second batter of the inning hit a long single and tried to stretch it to two. The runner on second, however, did not move to third, so he had to retreat to first. Seeing this develop, Noah, the quick-thinking catcher, after backing up the throw to the mound, fired to first for the out. This was just smart baseball. The final out of the inning was a fly ball to Parker at shortstop. He was screened by the runner moving to third, so he had to move out of position and then back underneath to make the catch. Not an easy play, but Parker managed to haul it in. The Express got one in, though, and were up 1-0 after one and a half.
That lead would not last as the Wings put together a very productive second inning. Jack cranked a leadoff double. Parker knocked him in with a double of his own. Tie game. But the Wings were hungry for more. Alex would make it back-to-back-to-back doubles with a shot up the middle that scored Parker, and the Wings would take a 2-1 lead. Alejandro and Drew both worked two-out walks to keep the line moving and put runners on first and second. Alejandro's walk would prove costly for the Express when Noah launched a deep single to left. Showing some blazing speed on the basepaths, Alejandro scored from second to make it 3-1, Wings.
But the Express would claw their way back in it, putting up two runs in their half of the third. After three, it was all tied up at 3 runs apiece. Eric did his job well tonight, eating up innings and putting the Wings in a good position to win. The Wings' starter struck out five and scattered three hits over three innings.
The Wings would regain control of the game in the bottom of the third. Eric, Tom, and Will put together three consecutive walks to load the bases for Sam. Yes "Grand" Sam, Sammy Whammy, The Big Bang--whatever you want to call him. He hit a rocket to deep left, a 2-RBI double, and with one swing of the bat the Wings were back on top 5-3. Jack would join the party next and single in Sam. 6-3, Wings. Parker would send another bomb to deep left field for a double and bring in Jack. In all, this Wings' rally produced 4 runs and gave the Wings a 7-3 lead.
Noah came out to pitch the top of the fourth and he was throwing bullets. He struck out one and benefited from a play you'll see on Sports Center for weeks to come. Third baseman Eric ran down a shallow infield fly, made the catch, then immediately turned and sprinted for the bag. Great instincts. The runner had indeed left third but was only a few steps toward home. Eric turned on the jets and beat the runner back to third for the unassisted double play. It's impressive enough to have the presence of mind to look back to third after running down the shallow pop-up. But Eric also had the speed to cover the check his brain had written. Brilliant baseball!
Micah made some noise in the bottom of the fourth with an infield single and a great hustle up the line. Unfortunately he would be stranded there. Still 7-3, Wings after four.
Will would come out of the bullpen for the fifth. The Express are still wondering what hit them. He attacked the zone from the first pitch, striking out their clean-up hitter in dramatic fashion. After filling the count, he watched strike three, a blazing fastball about knee-high. Will got the next one looking and then fanned another to bring the Wings an inning closer to victory.
Sam launched a gargantuan triple to deep left center in the fifth. It was a beauty. But, unfortunately that was all the Red Wings could muster, and Sam was stranded at third.
Top of the sixth. 7-3, Wings. It was up to closer Jack to put this one in the books. It would take him only 12 pitches to retire the side--in order, three Ks, two backwards. This is the definition of "lights out." He was supported by some excellent work behind the plate by Josh who offered a steady target for two innings (catching for Will as well) and putting his glove on nearly every pitch.
7-3 was the final. This was classic Red Wings baseball: pitching, defense, and clutch hitting. Speaking of clutch hitting, tonight's game ball went to Sam, whose 2-RBI double in the third put the Wings on top for good. The Habit Award went to second baseman Tom for being down for every pitch.
Tomorrow night, the Knights come to Newman. Beware! They are a much better team than their 1-8 record indicates. These guys will be tough.
But they would have to get past starting pitcher Eric and his red-hot Red Wings first. After a leadoff single, it was smooth sailing for Eric in the top of the first. He struck out the next two and got the third to fly out to center field, where Micah made a nice grab on the run to end the inning.
The Wings could not get anything going in the bottom half. No score after one.
In the second, Eric struck out one and got some excellent defensive support for the other two. The second batter of the inning hit a long single and tried to stretch it to two. The runner on second, however, did not move to third, so he had to retreat to first. Seeing this develop, Noah, the quick-thinking catcher, after backing up the throw to the mound, fired to first for the out. This was just smart baseball. The final out of the inning was a fly ball to Parker at shortstop. He was screened by the runner moving to third, so he had to move out of position and then back underneath to make the catch. Not an easy play, but Parker managed to haul it in. The Express got one in, though, and were up 1-0 after one and a half.
That lead would not last as the Wings put together a very productive second inning. Jack cranked a leadoff double. Parker knocked him in with a double of his own. Tie game. But the Wings were hungry for more. Alex would make it back-to-back-to-back doubles with a shot up the middle that scored Parker, and the Wings would take a 2-1 lead. Alejandro and Drew both worked two-out walks to keep the line moving and put runners on first and second. Alejandro's walk would prove costly for the Express when Noah launched a deep single to left. Showing some blazing speed on the basepaths, Alejandro scored from second to make it 3-1, Wings.
But the Express would claw their way back in it, putting up two runs in their half of the third. After three, it was all tied up at 3 runs apiece. Eric did his job well tonight, eating up innings and putting the Wings in a good position to win. The Wings' starter struck out five and scattered three hits over three innings.
The Wings would regain control of the game in the bottom of the third. Eric, Tom, and Will put together three consecutive walks to load the bases for Sam. Yes "Grand" Sam, Sammy Whammy, The Big Bang--whatever you want to call him. He hit a rocket to deep left, a 2-RBI double, and with one swing of the bat the Wings were back on top 5-3. Jack would join the party next and single in Sam. 6-3, Wings. Parker would send another bomb to deep left field for a double and bring in Jack. In all, this Wings' rally produced 4 runs and gave the Wings a 7-3 lead.
Noah came out to pitch the top of the fourth and he was throwing bullets. He struck out one and benefited from a play you'll see on Sports Center for weeks to come. Third baseman Eric ran down a shallow infield fly, made the catch, then immediately turned and sprinted for the bag. Great instincts. The runner had indeed left third but was only a few steps toward home. Eric turned on the jets and beat the runner back to third for the unassisted double play. It's impressive enough to have the presence of mind to look back to third after running down the shallow pop-up. But Eric also had the speed to cover the check his brain had written. Brilliant baseball!
Micah made some noise in the bottom of the fourth with an infield single and a great hustle up the line. Unfortunately he would be stranded there. Still 7-3, Wings after four.
Will would come out of the bullpen for the fifth. The Express are still wondering what hit them. He attacked the zone from the first pitch, striking out their clean-up hitter in dramatic fashion. After filling the count, he watched strike three, a blazing fastball about knee-high. Will got the next one looking and then fanned another to bring the Wings an inning closer to victory.
Sam launched a gargantuan triple to deep left center in the fifth. It was a beauty. But, unfortunately that was all the Red Wings could muster, and Sam was stranded at third.
Top of the sixth. 7-3, Wings. It was up to closer Jack to put this one in the books. It would take him only 12 pitches to retire the side--in order, three Ks, two backwards. This is the definition of "lights out." He was supported by some excellent work behind the plate by Josh who offered a steady target for two innings (catching for Will as well) and putting his glove on nearly every pitch.
7-3 was the final. This was classic Red Wings baseball: pitching, defense, and clutch hitting. Speaking of clutch hitting, tonight's game ball went to Sam, whose 2-RBI double in the third put the Wings on top for good. The Habit Award went to second baseman Tom for being down for every pitch.
Tomorrow night, the Knights come to Newman. Beware! They are a much better team than their 1-8 record indicates. These guys will be tough.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wings Firing on All Cylinders
The Rockhounds' offensive juggernaut had put up more than their share of crooked numbers, and a peek at their lineup Friday night would indicate that they were not ready to slow down anytime soon. Their 2-4 record did not do justice to the hurt they have put on opposing pitchers. Just ask the Charlotte Knights, who two nights earlier were on the receiving end of 10 Rockhound runs.
After a rainout on Monday and a hard-fought loss on Wednesday, the Red Wings were eager to return to the diamond. Did they have an answer for the stacked Rockhound lineup? Were they ready to light some fireworks of their own?
Leadoff hitter Eric looked ready. The switch hitter, now batting righty, dug in, took ball one, and then was hit by a pitch. The look on his face was not one of pain but disappointment. He wanted to crush the ball, but instead he would have to settle for a free trip to first base. Once he found his familiar spot at the south corner, though, it was all good. He's all about helping the team any way he can.
With on one and nobody out, Tom worked a full count. The payoff pitch was a fastball right in his wheelhouse, and he got all of it, sending it clear back to the basketball court behind the left field stands. The two-run homer put the Wings on top 2-0.
The Wings sent Tom to the hill in the bottom of the first. He struck out the first batter but put himself in a jam with three consecutive walks. He was throwing fire but pitching into deep counts until he settled down, found his command, and struck out two in a row to end the inning and escape without damage. Two Ks in a row would become 8 Ks in a row as Tom would strike out the side in the second and third innings and keep the Hounds off the board through three.
The Red Wings put together a big inning in the second. Ken worked a leadoff walk. With one on and one out, Eric, batting righty again, turned on a fastball and hit a laser shot to left field that was good for a double. Runners on second and third for Tom. With a rip up the third base line, Tom brought in Ken. 3-0, Wings, with runners on the corners. Will rocketed a 2-run triple to deep left field, his team-leading third triple of the season. That brought Jack to the plate. Jack sent the 0-1 pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Will. Four runs in, two outs, and one on for the hot-hitting Parker. Parker looked at two strikes, took a big swing at the third, and hit the cover off it. It was a beauty, traveling all the way past the fans in left center and rolling across the pavement of the basketball court. A two-run dinger for Parker put the Wings up 8-0.
Still 8-0 in the top of the third, Alex led off smashing a single up the third base line. He would reach third on a single off the bat of Tom but would be stranded there.
Parker and Josh would both single to put two on with one out in the fourth, but the Hounds' pitcher would work out of the jam. Still 8-0.
Josh took the mound in the bottom of the fourth. He was sharp in his first inning of work this season two days earlier. Today, he looked even better. He got one to ground to second, where Will made a nice backhanded stop and fired to first for the out. He struck out another, and got another to ground to second again where Will threw to Parker covering the bag for the force. These guys were putting on an infield clinic, and Josh took care of business on the mound to preserve the comfortable 8-1 lead.
The Wings went down in order in the top of the fifth. Josh returned for the bottom half, and struck out the first batter he faced with three pitches. Jack came in to relieve Josh and closed out the inning with two consecutive Ks on a grand total of 7 pitches.
After five, it was 8-3, Wings. But the Wings wanted more in the sixth. Tom walked, Will singled, and Jack walked to load the bases with nobody out for Parker, who singled in two runs to put the Wings up by 7. Josh would bring in another run with a hot ground ball to the second baseman, who made a good play to put a glove on it. Josh nearly beat the throw with a great hustle up the line. Alejandro then worked the count full and fouled two off. He laid off ball four and worked another walk to keep the inning alive. Alejandro has been beating pitchers with his eye--swinging only a good pitches--but by the looks of his swing, he will soon be beating pitchers with his bat, too. Alex stepped in next and hit a hard shot up the middle for a single, his second of the night. This kid's making great contact. Alex would score on a long single that Ken absolutely crushed. This ball traveled to deep left center, but the center fielder made a great throw to get it in, and Ken was forced to hold up at first. Can't argue with an RBI single, though. Drew was poised to add another when he came out swinging at the first pitch. He hit it hard, a line drive right up the middle. With a ball hit this hard, you're thinking extra bases right out of the box. Unfortunately, the Hounds' second baseman made a great play to get to it and knock it down. He made a good throw to first, barely beating a good hustle by Drew. Robbed.
But the Wings put 4 up in the sixth, and found themselves with a healthy 12-3 lead.
The Wings sent Eric, the lefty, to close the game. This was not a save opportunity, but Eric had not had much work of late due to the rain and schedule conflicts, so it was good to get him throwing some. He grew sharper as the inning progressed, and struck out the last two batters he faced with seven pitches. Dominant stuff there at the end.
Final score: Wings 12, Hounds 4.
Everything seemed to be working well for the Wings tonight. The pitching was effective across the board, the bats were producing, and the fielding was superb. An excellent all-around team effort.
The game ball went to Josh, who has made great strides as a pitcher in just a few short days. He ate up the middle innings for us tonight and improved his mechanics and velocity considerably as the game went on. He also contributed at the plate going 1-2, with two walks and an RBI. Drew earned the Habit Award for being down for every pitch in the infield.
The Red Wings take on the Express next, 6:00 on Monday with an optional batting beginning at 5:00.
After a rainout on Monday and a hard-fought loss on Wednesday, the Red Wings were eager to return to the diamond. Did they have an answer for the stacked Rockhound lineup? Were they ready to light some fireworks of their own?
Leadoff hitter Eric looked ready. The switch hitter, now batting righty, dug in, took ball one, and then was hit by a pitch. The look on his face was not one of pain but disappointment. He wanted to crush the ball, but instead he would have to settle for a free trip to first base. Once he found his familiar spot at the south corner, though, it was all good. He's all about helping the team any way he can.
With on one and nobody out, Tom worked a full count. The payoff pitch was a fastball right in his wheelhouse, and he got all of it, sending it clear back to the basketball court behind the left field stands. The two-run homer put the Wings on top 2-0.
The Wings sent Tom to the hill in the bottom of the first. He struck out the first batter but put himself in a jam with three consecutive walks. He was throwing fire but pitching into deep counts until he settled down, found his command, and struck out two in a row to end the inning and escape without damage. Two Ks in a row would become 8 Ks in a row as Tom would strike out the side in the second and third innings and keep the Hounds off the board through three.
The Red Wings put together a big inning in the second. Ken worked a leadoff walk. With one on and one out, Eric, batting righty again, turned on a fastball and hit a laser shot to left field that was good for a double. Runners on second and third for Tom. With a rip up the third base line, Tom brought in Ken. 3-0, Wings, with runners on the corners. Will rocketed a 2-run triple to deep left field, his team-leading third triple of the season. That brought Jack to the plate. Jack sent the 0-1 pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Will. Four runs in, two outs, and one on for the hot-hitting Parker. Parker looked at two strikes, took a big swing at the third, and hit the cover off it. It was a beauty, traveling all the way past the fans in left center and rolling across the pavement of the basketball court. A two-run dinger for Parker put the Wings up 8-0.
Still 8-0 in the top of the third, Alex led off smashing a single up the third base line. He would reach third on a single off the bat of Tom but would be stranded there.
Parker and Josh would both single to put two on with one out in the fourth, but the Hounds' pitcher would work out of the jam. Still 8-0.
Josh took the mound in the bottom of the fourth. He was sharp in his first inning of work this season two days earlier. Today, he looked even better. He got one to ground to second, where Will made a nice backhanded stop and fired to first for the out. He struck out another, and got another to ground to second again where Will threw to Parker covering the bag for the force. These guys were putting on an infield clinic, and Josh took care of business on the mound to preserve the comfortable 8-1 lead.
The Wings went down in order in the top of the fifth. Josh returned for the bottom half, and struck out the first batter he faced with three pitches. Jack came in to relieve Josh and closed out the inning with two consecutive Ks on a grand total of 7 pitches.
After five, it was 8-3, Wings. But the Wings wanted more in the sixth. Tom walked, Will singled, and Jack walked to load the bases with nobody out for Parker, who singled in two runs to put the Wings up by 7. Josh would bring in another run with a hot ground ball to the second baseman, who made a good play to put a glove on it. Josh nearly beat the throw with a great hustle up the line. Alejandro then worked the count full and fouled two off. He laid off ball four and worked another walk to keep the inning alive. Alejandro has been beating pitchers with his eye--swinging only a good pitches--but by the looks of his swing, he will soon be beating pitchers with his bat, too. Alex stepped in next and hit a hard shot up the middle for a single, his second of the night. This kid's making great contact. Alex would score on a long single that Ken absolutely crushed. This ball traveled to deep left center, but the center fielder made a great throw to get it in, and Ken was forced to hold up at first. Can't argue with an RBI single, though. Drew was poised to add another when he came out swinging at the first pitch. He hit it hard, a line drive right up the middle. With a ball hit this hard, you're thinking extra bases right out of the box. Unfortunately, the Hounds' second baseman made a great play to get to it and knock it down. He made a good throw to first, barely beating a good hustle by Drew. Robbed.
But the Wings put 4 up in the sixth, and found themselves with a healthy 12-3 lead.
The Wings sent Eric, the lefty, to close the game. This was not a save opportunity, but Eric had not had much work of late due to the rain and schedule conflicts, so it was good to get him throwing some. He grew sharper as the inning progressed, and struck out the last two batters he faced with seven pitches. Dominant stuff there at the end.
Final score: Wings 12, Hounds 4.
Everything seemed to be working well for the Wings tonight. The pitching was effective across the board, the bats were producing, and the fielding was superb. An excellent all-around team effort.
The game ball went to Josh, who has made great strides as a pitcher in just a few short days. He ate up the middle innings for us tonight and improved his mechanics and velocity considerably as the game went on. He also contributed at the plate going 1-2, with two walks and an RBI. Drew earned the Habit Award for being down for every pitch in the infield.
The Red Wings take on the Express next, 6:00 on Monday with an optional batting beginning at 5:00.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Optional Batting Practice Added Before Monday Night's Make-up v. Express
The Red Wings have reserved Eliot Field for the two hours prior to our showdown v. the Express on Monday night.
We will hold an optional batting practice from 5:00 to 5:30 and then at 5:30 we will continue with our regular warm-up routine.
The field belongs to the Red Wings for the entire 4:00-6:00 time slot on Monday, so if you want to arrive even earlier and work in some infield, batting, or pitching reps, feel free. I will arrive at 5:00 to lead the batting practice.
With the rain and all the make-up games, we have not been able to take advantage of our originally scheduled weekend practice times. I figured it might make sense to squeeze in some extra batting practice for those who want to take some swings with a coach around. If you can't make it, no worries at all.
We will hold an optional batting practice from 5:00 to 5:30 and then at 5:30 we will continue with our regular warm-up routine.
The field belongs to the Red Wings for the entire 4:00-6:00 time slot on Monday, so if you want to arrive even earlier and work in some infield, batting, or pitching reps, feel free. I will arrive at 5:00 to lead the batting practice.
With the rain and all the make-up games, we have not been able to take advantage of our originally scheduled weekend practice times. I figured it might make sense to squeeze in some extra batting practice for those who want to take some swings with a coach around. If you can't make it, no worries at all.
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