2056 #5 Brisas Watch - Sim #22 review

[conman14]

BUA @ CAI
Game 1 – BUA 1 CAI 4
An anemic performance from the Brisas, who put up just 5 hits all game. The only run comes from team RBI-leader César Torres in the 9th, a 2-out single to bring home former Valencia outfielder Gene Meade.

Game 2 – BUA 10 CAI 6
A better performance from the offense, though it comes in a game where Buenos Aires found themselves 6-3 down going into the 5th. Bert Cleaver goes 2-5 with a double, a home run and 4 RBIs, while starter Ostoja Omeragic gives up 6 runs in 5.0 innings – three of these were unearned, off the back of another error from Talbot Purcell.

Game 3 – BUA 9 CAI 2
A long overdue solid outing for Richard Balgera seals an impressive win, with 8 strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work. The offense records 16 hits in what was new hitting coach Zinedine Mkamba’s first game in the post.

BUA @ TOK
Game 1 – BUA 6 TOK 8
Despite rocking Tokyo starter Filippio Ioriatti for 6 runs in just 4.1 innings, the Brisas fail to win the game as their own pitching struggles with Darren Asseldonk come to the fore, giving up 6 runs himself in 5.1 innings. Outfielder Cris Martinez goes 4-5 with a double as he tries to play his way into Swain’s 2057 plans.

Game 2 – BUA 2 TOK 0
The Brisas secure the win despite being out-hit 8-7, with the only score in the game coming from a 2-run homer for César Torres.

Game 3 – BUA 1 TOK 2
The roles are reversed in game 3, with the Brisas out-hitting Tokyo 9-6 but failing to provide any offensive production, despite César Torres going 4-4 with a double.

The week in review
The week began with the news that Hitting Coach Orlando Flores had been relieved of his duties, following a poor season in which the Brisas rank near the bottom of most offensive statistics. He was duly replaced by Burkinabe Hitting Coach Zinedine Mkamba, who has a lot of experience in the minor leagues, but has been out of the game for a few years, last holding the same post at the Cairo ABA-affiliate Pretoria Rhinos in 2051. It may only be 4 games in, but the team are already hitting to a .297 AVG, up from .255 from his predecessor. It will be interesting to follow whether the team maintains this improved form. It’s another change brought in by new GM Swain, who looks to be shifting focus to 2057.

The Brisas have also made moves to improves their infield depth in the run up to the Roter Expansion, signing a number of veteran players to minor league deals. They include players with BBA experience, such as former Hustler Russ Sandhoff, and has two rings from his time in Las Vegas, as well as SS Cary Brackett, who racked up nearly 500 games for the Long Beach Surfers in the late 2040s.

As for on the field, it was a better week for the Brisas, who go .500 to stop the rot somewhat. It still impacts the post-season chances which are looking increasingly bleak, with the team now 10 games back from the post-season. A solid 2-1 series win over post-season contenders Cairo was counterbalanced by a 2-1 series defeat to Tokyo, which will surely go down as a disappointment for the Brisas.

With the rosters expanding for the final month, Swain will use this opportunity to evaluate some younger players to see how they might figure in his plans for 2057. This is likely to include pitchers Dan Grigoras and Baz Badr, as well as switch-hitting outfielder Bartolomej Lorinc. It is not known at this time whether Swain will be bringing up #1 prospect Evgeny Daibov before the end of the season, however. Daibov has been impressive recently though, recording a 1.40 ERA in his last three starts for ABA-affiliate Ndali.