Sunday, May 9, 2010A windy Mother's Day at The Master's College would prove fruitful for home run connoisseurs, but not for the Dodos. They lost 16-4 in just over two hours and 7 2/3 innings of play to the first place River Cats.
The Dodos would lead the game off with a strikeout before shortstop Dustin Burke singled a 2-0 pitch to the outfield. With Burke on first and one away, into the batter's box stepped the hottest Dodo hitter, Chris "Hitman" Hems. Hems watched the first pitch go outside for ball one before launching his second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. Jason Butter singled next, sending left fielder Matty Lane to the plate. Lane would jump on the first pitch, smashing a line drive in the gap, scoring Butter and landing himself on third with a triple. Lane would score on catcher Andy Gerber's single before the Dodos were retired. It was a great start to the game as the Dodos took an early 4-0 lead with the River Cats coming up. Shane Shoemaker took the hill for the Dodos, getting the lead off hitter to pop up to first base. Shoemaker struck out the next batter before the Dodos employed their classic defensive strategy of committing errors. As the wind picked up, the ball was hit high to left field. Lane was scrambling all around left, trying to track the ever changing flight of the ball in the high velocity Valencia winds. The ball just hit the tip of Lane's glove, allowing the runner to get to second on an error. The 'Cats cleanup hitter doubled off the wall, plating the unearned run before a ground out to Butter at third base. After one inning, the Dodos were ahead, 4-1.
Albert Hernandez would draw a walk to begin the second inning, advancing to second on Chris Hoffman's slow dribbler back to the pitcher. With Hernandez in scoring position, Shoemaker singled to left field and Hernandez tried to score. The left fielder hit the cutoff man, who threw a perfect strike to the catcher, nailing Hernandez at the plate. Burke would hit his second single of the day, putting runners at the corners with two out. Hems hit a deep shot to left center, sending the 'Cats player to the wall to make the catch for the third out. The home half of the inning was opened with a single followed by a comebacker to Shoemaker, who made an errant throw, allowing both runners to be safe and putting himself in a real bind. He left a 1-0 pitch up in the zone, resulting in a three-run home run to tie the game at 4-4. Shoemaker retired the next three batters in order to end the inning.
Both pitchers recorded 1-2-3 innings in the third, Shoemaker's via just six pitches. Still tied 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and bases loaded, the 'Cats pitcher would hit an RBI single, giving himself the lead 5-4.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Hems and Butter hit back-to-back singles. Lane hit a ground ball to the second baseman. He fielded the ball cleanly and tossed to the shortstop to start the double play, but Lane beat the throw to first. Not seeing the play and apparently thinking there were three outs, Hems rounded third base and started walking home. The first baseman threw the ball to the catcher, who proceeded to tag Hems for the third out.
The sixth inning was nothing to write about, save the single by Sr. to extend his hitting streak to all eight games of the season. The Dodos gave up six more runs in the bottom half. Shoemaker appeared to be out of gas, leaving the ball up, surrendering five hits.
The 'Cats would also tack on three more runs in the seventh after Shaun Stephans came on in relief and gave up a towering home run to the first batter faced. "I've never seen a ball hit that hard," said Hems. It was a blast. Stephans walked two and gave up another single before being relieved by Ken Gerber. Ken would give up a single before retiring the 'Cats to end the seventh.
The only bright spot the Dodos saw the rest of the game was a third hit by Burke, going 3-4 with his mother on-hand to watch on her day. Ken would give up a solo home run to the first batter of the inning. With the 12-run mercy rule lurking ever so close (15-4), Ken got a ground ball out to Burke at short, gave up a single to the lead off hitter, who advanced to second on a pass ball by Andy. Ken got the second hitter to pop up to second before walking the next batter. A single to right field on the next pitch scored the runner from second, ending the game with the mercy rule. The Dodos record is 2-6 for the season.
Fantasy Performances of the Day: Shoemaker 1-4 (3K, E); Burke 3-4 (R, K, E); Hems 2-4 (R, 2RBI, 2-R HR); Butter 2-4 (R, E); Lane 1-3 (R, RBI, 3B, K, E); A. Gerber 1-3 (RBI); Sr. 1-3; Psuedo Charles 1-3 (K); Hernandez 0-2 (BB, K); Hoffman 1-3, Stephans 0-1 (K); Jarakian 0-1 (K). Shoemaker (L) 6IP, 11R, 7ER, 9H, 3BB, 2HB, 7K, 3-R HR; Stephans .1IP, 3R, 3ER, 2H, 2BB, HR; K. Gerber 1.1IP, 2R, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, HR
The Dodos would lead the game off with a strikeout before shortstop Dustin Burke singled a 2-0 pitch to the outfield. With Burke on first and one away, into the batter's box stepped the hottest Dodo hitter, Chris "Hitman" Hems. Hems watched the first pitch go outside for ball one before launching his second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. Jason Butter singled next, sending left fielder Matty Lane to the plate. Lane would jump on the first pitch, smashing a line drive in the gap, scoring Butter and landing himself on third with a triple. Lane would score on catcher Andy Gerber's single before the Dodos were retired. It was a great start to the game as the Dodos took an early 4-0 lead with the River Cats coming up. Shane Shoemaker took the hill for the Dodos, getting the lead off hitter to pop up to first base. Shoemaker struck out the next batter before the Dodos employed their classic defensive strategy of committing errors. As the wind picked up, the ball was hit high to left field. Lane was scrambling all around left, trying to track the ever changing flight of the ball in the high velocity Valencia winds. The ball just hit the tip of Lane's glove, allowing the runner to get to second on an error. The 'Cats cleanup hitter doubled off the wall, plating the unearned run before a ground out to Butter at third base. After one inning, the Dodos were ahead, 4-1.
Albert Hernandez would draw a walk to begin the second inning, advancing to second on Chris Hoffman's slow dribbler back to the pitcher. With Hernandez in scoring position, Shoemaker singled to left field and Hernandez tried to score. The left fielder hit the cutoff man, who threw a perfect strike to the catcher, nailing Hernandez at the plate. Burke would hit his second single of the day, putting runners at the corners with two out. Hems hit a deep shot to left center, sending the 'Cats player to the wall to make the catch for the third out. The home half of the inning was opened with a single followed by a comebacker to Shoemaker, who made an errant throw, allowing both runners to be safe and putting himself in a real bind. He left a 1-0 pitch up in the zone, resulting in a three-run home run to tie the game at 4-4. Shoemaker retired the next three batters in order to end the inning.
Both pitchers recorded 1-2-3 innings in the third, Shoemaker's via just six pitches. Still tied 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth with two outs and bases loaded, the 'Cats pitcher would hit an RBI single, giving himself the lead 5-4.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Hems and Butter hit back-to-back singles. Lane hit a ground ball to the second baseman. He fielded the ball cleanly and tossed to the shortstop to start the double play, but Lane beat the throw to first. Not seeing the play and apparently thinking there were three outs, Hems rounded third base and started walking home. The first baseman threw the ball to the catcher, who proceeded to tag Hems for the third out.
The sixth inning was nothing to write about, save the single by Sr. to extend his hitting streak to all eight games of the season. The Dodos gave up six more runs in the bottom half. Shoemaker appeared to be out of gas, leaving the ball up, surrendering five hits.
The 'Cats would also tack on three more runs in the seventh after Shaun Stephans came on in relief and gave up a towering home run to the first batter faced. "I've never seen a ball hit that hard," said Hems. It was a blast. Stephans walked two and gave up another single before being relieved by Ken Gerber. Ken would give up a single before retiring the 'Cats to end the seventh.
The only bright spot the Dodos saw the rest of the game was a third hit by Burke, going 3-4 with his mother on-hand to watch on her day. Ken would give up a solo home run to the first batter of the inning. With the 12-run mercy rule lurking ever so close (15-4), Ken got a ground ball out to Burke at short, gave up a single to the lead off hitter, who advanced to second on a pass ball by Andy. Ken got the second hitter to pop up to second before walking the next batter. A single to right field on the next pitch scored the runner from second, ending the game with the mercy rule. The Dodos record is 2-6 for the season.
Fantasy Performances of the Day: Shoemaker 1-4 (3K, E); Burke 3-4 (R, K, E); Hems 2-4 (R, 2RBI, 2-R HR); Butter 2-4 (R, E); Lane 1-3 (R, RBI, 3B, K, E); A. Gerber 1-3 (RBI); Sr. 1-3; Psuedo Charles 1-3 (K); Hernandez 0-2 (BB, K); Hoffman 1-3, Stephans 0-1 (K); Jarakian 0-1 (K). Shoemaker (L) 6IP, 11R, 7ER, 9H, 3BB, 2HB, 7K, 3-R HR; Stephans .1IP, 3R, 3ER, 2H, 2BB, HR; K. Gerber 1.1IP, 2R, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, HR
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