Istanbul hit the road for a three game series vs the Pearls in Manama.Game 1- Manama hosted the Bosphorus at the Manama Fields. The fans were treated to a back and forth game with the home team coming out on top. The Pearls struck first getting 3 runs in the bottom of the second. The Bosphorus matched that in the top of the third on just 2 hits.
After SS Jose Lopez and CF Hector Correa grounded out to start the inning, RF Hyung-on Ch’oe drew a 4 pitch walk. LF John Garcia moved him to second with a single to right just by the diving second baseman. Then DH Patrick Lue crushed a 2-0 fastball over the left field wall for a three run homer to tie the game.
Istanbul then took the lead in the top of the sixth with a solo homer by John Garcia to straight away center at 103.8 MPH. That homer would not hold up as the Pearls scored 1 in the eighth, then walked it off in the ninth with a one out homer by Grigory Vojjinsky.
Garcia was 2 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI.
Lue was 1 for 4 with that big three run homer.
SP Bert Hackworth pitched just 1 inning allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits. He left after making a pitch that produced an audible pop. An MRI has confirmed a partially torn labrum and he looks to be out for about 3 months.
Final score: Manama wins 5-4.
Game 2- Manama jumped on SP Kunz Schuck for 6 runs in 2/3 of an inning and held on for a 6-5 win. The big hit was a three run homer from 1B Sandro Trujillo .
Istanbul cut the lead in half scoring 1 run in the second and 2 in the fourth but could only muster 2 more runs in the seventh to make it close.
3B Ken Pike was 2 for 3 with a double, run scored and an RBI.
C Ignacio Marrero was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.
RF Arthur Norris was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI.
Final score: Manama wins 6-5.
Game 3- Istanbul only had 5 hits but they made those hits count as they scored 5 runs off the Pearls. 1B Kazuo Yamamoto crushed a 3 run bomb in the third to put Istanbul up 3-0.
Manama scored 1 in the bottom of the third and 3 in the eighth to go up 4-3. In the top of the ninth Ken Pike sent a 1-0 fastball over the left center field wall to put Istanbul back up by 1 run.
Yamamoto was 1 for 4 with that 3 run homer. He is hitting .207 with 9 homers and 21 RBI.
Pyke was 2 for 3 with a homer, 2 runs and 2 RBI
SP Vladimir Reichel got the start and pitched 3 1/3 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 2 in 62 pitches.
RP Rodrigo Lugo blew the save in the eighth but vultured the win. He is 6-1 with a 2.74 ERA in relief.
RP Bras Geisteras pitched a clean ninth with 2 Ks to secure the win. His 10th save of the season.
Final score: Istanbul wins 5-4.
Istanbul loses the series and stands at 40-23 on June 10th.
Manama is 32-31 and trails the Bosphorus by 8 games in the BURT.
The Bosphorus players jump on a plane and travel to Cairo, Egypt to play a three game series with the Chariot Archers at the Seventh Wonder.
Game 1- Istanbul and Cairo score 2 runs in the first but the Bosphorus cannot keep up the pace of the Chariot Archers. Cairo would score 3 in the third, 1 in the fourth and 2 in the fifth to cruise to the victory.
SP Bernardino Bertoletti struggles to step into the rotation hole left by the injury to Bert Hackworth. He allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings of work. He struck out 1 and made 75 pitches. He falls to 3-5 on the season with an ugly 5.92 ERA.
Recently called up RP Nadir Akili pitched 2 scoreless innings with a K and a hit allowed.
Arthur Norris was 2 for 3 with a homer, a run and 2 ribbies.
John Garcia was 1 for 3 with a double and 2 walks. He scored 1 and drove in 1.
Final score: Cairo wins 8-5.
Game 2- Cairo launches to a 7-0 lead after 3 innings to watch the lead disappear in 2 big innings by the Bosphorus. Cairo RF Adrian Young had a big game going 3 for 4 with 2 homers, 2 runs and 4 RBI. C Elijah Curry also cranked 2 homers going 3 for 4, 2 runs and 2 RBI in his 3rd game ever playing catcher.
Istanbul would not let that stand as Kaz Yamamoto hit a GRAND SLAM to go along with driving a run in with a fielder’s choice. Patrick Lue hit another big fly driving in 3 to go along with his 3 strikeouts. Istanbul took advantage of 11 walks and just 6 hits to score 10 runs.
SP Brendan Carr coughed up 6 runs to Cairo in 1 2/3 innings along with 5 hits and a walk.
RP Claudio Escobedo pitched 2 scoreless for the win. He allowed just 1 hit and struck out 2. He evens his record at 3-3.
Bras Gesteiras picked up his 11th save striking out 2 in the 9th against 1 hit allowed.
Final score: Istanbul wins 10-8.
Game 3- Correa and Lue homer and SP Francis Wiles continues to make quality starts as the Bosphorus take the series 2-1 from Cairo.
Correa was 1 for 3 with a 2 run homer in the fifth and on defense, Correa gunned down C Felix Torres at third. Torres is a 3B with no speed playing C. That was Correa’s 5th OF assist on the season.
Wiles pitched 6 innings allowing just 1 run on 7 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 4 and threw 93 pitches (62 strikes).
Gesteiras allowed just 1 hit in the ninth and picked up his 12th save of the season.
Final score: Istanbul wins 4-1 and takes the series 2-1.
Istanbul sits at 42-24 on June 14th and lead the Manama Pearls by 9 games.
Cairo fall to 28-38 and 14 back of Istanbul.
