2060.30 Burned in Phoenix but better against Boise

[Krathan]

The trip to Phoenix was a rough one. The Flyers blew leads in two of the four games as the Talons swept Charlotte in the desert. The toughest loss was Sunday’s 10-9 12-inning affair.

Buwono Mainaky, who leads the Johnson League in ERA, was given a 6 run lead in the top of the 1st inning, highlighted by a grand slam hit by rookie Jorge Bodzan. It seemed like the Flyers were going to cruise to an easy win. Mainaky didn’t have his best stuff and gave up a 2 run bomb to Michael O’Halloran in the bottom of the 1st but Charlotte kept a lead going throughout the ballgame, entering the bottom of the 9th up 8-5. Closer Alejandro Chavez entered the game looking for his 17th save of the year. This was Mr. October’s first appearance since being named the Johnson League Pitcher of the Month for May. The Talons really made Chavez work when he entered the game. First came an 8 pitch walk, then a 9 pitch at bat that ended in a single. That’s when O’Halloran came back up to the plate. The Talons left fielder tied the game with his 2nd home run of the night. Chavez retired the next 3 batters, but the game headed to extra innings.Lawrence Stewart put Charlotte back on top in the 10th with a solo shot but Phoenix tied it in the bottom of the inning on a Keith Kerfoot home run. Then, in the bottom of the 12th, the Talons scored the winning run on a 2 out error. A game that looked like a sure victory became a crushing defeat

The Flyers were thrilled to get out of Phoenix and head home to face Boise for a 4 game set. Charlotte took 3 of 4 from the Spuds, including another wild extra inning game in the series finale. The game featured a combined 30 hits and 17 runs. It also featured another blown save for Chavez. The winning run cam home on a pinch hit RBI single by the much maligned Mike “Tired” Cox in the bottom of the 11th.

The Flyers split the first two games against the Calgary Pioneers, a team currently leading the league in wins.