Bucharest arrives in Istanbul for a three game series with the Bosphorus.
Game 1- With the score tied 4-4 in the seventh, RF Rich Ayers drives in 2 runs then 3B Ken Pike follows him up by driving in a another run as Istanbul distances themselves from the Impalers.
Ayers was 1 for 4 with the 2 RBI. Pyke was also 1 for 4 with 1 RBI.
C Anibal Garcia was 1 for 3 with 3 RBI.
LF John Garcia was walked four times going 0 for 1 with 2 runs scored.
SP Francis Wiles pitched 6 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4.
RP Ismael Rivera pitched 2 scoreless to get the win in relief. He walked 1 and allowed a hit. He improved to 4-2 with a 3.49 ERA.
RP Bras Geisteras pitched the ninth earring his 22nd save on the season allowing a hit and striking out 1.
Final score: Istanbul wins 7-4.
Game 2- Bucharest SP Gonzalo Fajardo outpitches SP Vladimir Reichel as the Impalers even the series at the Grounds in Istanbul.
Fajardo threw 7 innings allowing just a run off of a SS Jose Lopez solo homer in the third inning. He allowed 4 total hits and walked 1 while striking out 3. He improved to 11-5 with a 4.19 ERA.
Reichel went 7 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 5 and falls to 5-5 with a 4.42 ERA.
Lopez was 2 for 3 with a single to go along with the solo homer.
Final score: Bucharest evens the series winning 4-1.
Game 3- Games 1 and 2 saw Bucharest Pitchers walk Istanbul RF John Garcia 4 times in 8 at bats. They pitched to him in Game 3 and paid for it. Garcia was 2 for 5 with a single and a Grand Slam driving in 5 runs and willing the Bosphorus to victory. Garcia is slashing .295/.379/.628 with 42 homers and 101 RBI. He could be in the coversation for the UMEBA MVP.
SP Charlie Simmons had a nice start pitching 6 innings giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk while he struck out 2. He improves to 10-3 with a 4.32 ERA.
Final score: Istanbul wins 9-4 and takes the series 2-1.
Istanbul was 64-50 on August 12th and led the BURT by 12 games over Bagdad.
Bucharest left Istanbul 69-45 with a 9 game lead over the Beirut Cedars in the BANCROFT.
Istanbul host the Beirut Cedars at the Grounds for a three game series.
Game 1- SP Ramon Negron was excellent over 7 inning allowing 1 run on 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5. He got all the help he needed from 1B Bai-luo Jiu. Jiu was 3 for 3 and a walk with 2 RBI. He is hitting .303 with 10 homers and 44 RBI.
Negron improved to 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA this season.
RP Bras Gesteiras had a shaky ninth walking 3 batters but still picked up his 23rd save of the season.
Final score: Istanbul wins 3-1.
Game 2- The Cedars hijack the game in the ninth from the Bosphorus with a solo homer off the bat of pinch hitter Ramiro Marino.
SP Luis Tavares held his own against the Cedars as he pitched 6 innings giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and walked no one. He struck out 5 in 107 pitches on the day.
LF John Garcia was 1 for 4 with is 43rd homer of the season.
RF Hyung-on Ch’oe was 1 for 4 with a 2 run homer.
Final score: Beirut wins 4-3.
Game 3- The Beirut Cedars received a fifth inning triple from DH Antonio Valentin (2 for 4 2 RBI and a run) and the pitchers made those runs stand up as the Cedars win the game and take the series.
DH Patrick Lue was 1 for 4 with a run and an RBI.
2B Moromao Hirose was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Frank Wiles pitched 5 innings and allowed 4 run on 9 hits while striking out 6. He fell to 12-9 with a 3.77 ERA.
Final score: Beirut wins 4-3 and takes the series 2-1.
Istanbul falls to 65-52 on August 15th and led the Manama Pearls by 12 games.
Beirut was 62-55 and was 10 back of Bucharest.
