Milojica Kraljevic was a major contributor and was named Player Of The Game in the 4-3 Sydney win over Jerusalem. The Sharks left fielder went 2-3 with a home run and 2 walks. He drove in 2 runs and scored once. The winning pitcher was Saku Hakkila. He's now 6-3. He went 5.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits for the Sharks. At 27-41, the Sharks claim last place in the GBC.
With Sydney leading 3-0 in the bottom of the third, Kraljevic hit a fastball from Afzul Chishti for a solo home run. It was his 11th home run of the season and put the Sharks ahead, 4-0. "I just tried to make good contact," said Kraljevic.
Saku Hakkila picked up the win on the mound for Sydney, pitching 5.1 innings while allowing three runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts, moving to 6-3 on the season. After holds by Spencer Sharrock and Tom Jackson, You-cheng Hang picked up his 16th save of the season. Afzul Chishti started for Jerusalem and lasted just 3.1 innings while allowing four runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He falls to 4-4 on the season.
The Tokyo Pearls bested the Sydney Sharks, 6-3, at Manama Fields. olden Dickson[/url] was one of the standouts. He went 2-4 with a home run and a double while scoring 2 times and driving in 3. Tokyo reliever Rolf Reinhardt picked up the win, raising his record to 2-2. Tomislav Coslovich was tagged with the loss. Marvin Winston earned the save for Tokyo, his 2nd.
Dickson had a timely hit for Tokyo in the bottom of the sixth. With Sydney trailing 3-2, he turned a 2-2 slider into a 3-run home run. It was his 6th home run of the season, making it 5-3, Tokyo. "We need to keep playing good baseball," Dickson told the Tokyo Times. With the win, Tokyo has a record of 33-37. Sydney falls to 27-42.
In the top of the third inning Sharks catcher Enrique Mendoza put Sydney on the scoreboard first with a solo home run, his first of the season to put Sydney up 1-0. They added two more in the top of the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 3-0, this one again via the long ball. This time by third baseman Mohammed bin Mus'ad for his 10th of the season.
The Pearls cut the lead to two with a run in the bottom of the fifth before scoring five in the bottom of the sixth to pick up the 6-3 win.
Tomislav Coslovich picked up the loss for Sydney and falls to 1-9 on the season. Allowing five runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts across 5.1 innings. Rolf Reinhardt picked up the win in relief for Tokyo, moving to 2-2 on the season.
Tomás Guillén had a good game, but he could not keep the Tokyo Pearls from falling, 6-5, to the Sydney Sharks at Manama Fields. The Tokyo right fielder went 3-4 with a home run, a double, and a walk, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 in the loss. Dorian Tzannetakis earned the win to go to 3-3. He allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts in 6 innings of work. You-cheng Hang closed the door for Sydney, picking up his 17th save of the year.
Who knows how it might've ended, had it not been for Enrique Mendoza? The Sydney catcher had a 2-run single in the top of the sixth inning to put the Sharks on top, 6-3. For the game, Mendoza had 1 double and 1 single in 3 at-bats.
"I liked the focus, I liked the effort," said Sharks manager Raúl Cruz.
The Sharks are now 28-42, while the Pearls fall to 33-38.
Bani Marita pitched a gem to lead Tokyo to victory over the Sydney Sharks, 4-0. The Pearls now have a record of 34-38.
Marita scattered 4 hits over 8 innings for the Pearls. With the win, Marita goes to 7-1 on the year with 54 strikeouts.
"We made a couple of mistakes," said Sydney skipper Raúl Cruz, "and it cost us."
The Sharks mustered five hits but couldn't get any runs, while five players went hitless. Bani Marita allowed just four hits on the mound for Tokyo, while striking out three.
Estadio Rico was the site for Global Baseball Consortium action featuring the Buenos Aires Brisas and Sydney Sharks.
The Sydney Sharks thumped the Buenos Aires Brisas, 9-2, at Estadio Rico. Thanks in part to a five-run ninth inning. Mohammed bin Mus'ad was a big reason his team got the win. bin Mus'ad went 1-1 with a home run, 3 walks, and was hit by a pitch. He scored 2 times and drove in 4. Sydney starter Rowan Tucker was credited with the win after throwing 102 pitches over 5 innings. His record now stands at 4-9.
Chipping in for Sydney was third baseman Artus Kihlstedt. He stroked a run-scoring single in the top of the fourth. For the game, Kihlstedt went 1 for 5.
"We were firing on all cylinders today," said Sharks manager Raúl Cruz.
At 29-43, the Sharks are currently last in the GBC.
Bert Cleaver was a vital contributor to the 11-4 Buenos Aires victory over Sydney. The Brisas third baseman went 3 for 5 with 3 doubles, while scoring 2 and driving in 6. Buenos Aires pitcher Dan Grigoras got the win. He's now 4-2. Saku Hakkila was tagged with the loss. The 7th-place Brisas raised their record to 31-44.
Early in the game, Cleaver had a run-scoring double for Buenos Aires. It was his 19th double of the season and put the Brisas on top, 3-2.
"I liked our effort," said Brisas manager José Ramos.
The Sydney Sharks knocked off the Buenos Aires Brisas, 5-3, at Estadio Rico. Mohammed bin Mus'ad produced 1 single and 1 double, while scoring 1 run and driving in 3. Sydney is now 30-44.
The game was all tied up in the top of the ninth, until bin Mus'ad delivered big-time for Sydney, stroking a dramatic 2-run single off Aurelio Pérez. The game-changing hit put the Sharks on top, 5-3.
"There's a lot of passion in our clubhouse," said bin Mus'ad. "When we put it together we're a great ball club."
In other news this week the Sharks have resigned a couple players. Second baseman Geaney Fay signed a 1-year deal with $9 million. Harry S. Stamper III signed a 1-year deal worth $7.5M.
