Huntsville Headlines 38.005: New Orleans series recap

[HoosierVic]

United Press International

Huntsville at New Orleans
Aug. 12, 2038

The Huntsville Phantoms ran their losing skid to four games Thursday night, dropping a 4-1 decision to the New Orleans Crawdads at Karen Huckfeldt Memorial Stadium.

Crawdad first baseman Yancy Cravat put the Tabasco in the ettoufee for New Orleans as he cranked a two-run homer off Huntsville starter Juan Nicto to put the Crawdads up 4-1 in the bottom of the 5th.

Score: New Orleans 4, Huntsville 1
WP: George Isaza PQS: 3
LP: Juan Nicto PQS: 1
SV: Joe Whitaker PQR: 5*
Player of the Game: George Isaza
Cliché of the Game: “We’ll enjoy this win, but there’s more that we hope to accomplish,” said Yancy Cravat.

Huntsville at New Orleans
Aug. 13, 2038

Five in a row.

Huntsville bats went virtually silent for a second consecutive day as New Orleans crushed the Phantoms 9-1 to extend the Phantoms’ losing skid to five.

New Orleans jumped on top early, scoring two runs in the first and one in the second inning. The Crawdads blew the game open in the bottom of the 4th, though, scoring 5 times and mercifully ending the day for Huntsville starter Ismael Rivera. The Crawdads flashed their power in that inning as left fielder Pedro Costa smashed a solo homer 426 feet into the right center stands, center fielder Virgil Shafer mashed a run-scoring triple to left, and third baseman Mario Barrera crushed a two-run homer 422 feet to left center.

For the game, Rivera allowed 8 runs on 10 hits in four innings, walking one and striking out three.

Score: New Orleans 9, Huntsville 1
WP: Jim Armstrong PQS: 4
LP: Ismael Rivera PQS: 0
Player of the Game: Mario Barrera
Cliché of the Game: “We looked pretty good up and down,” said New Orleans Manager José García.

Huntsville at New Orleans
Aug. 14, 2038

New Orleans mounted a late comeback Saturday night to nip Huntsville 7-6, sweep their three-game series from the Alabamans, and extend the Phantoms’ losing skid to six games.

Huntsville went into the top of the 8th inning trailing 6-2, but a two-run homer by DH Norris Rutledge and a solo home by left fielder Fernando Reyes helped the Phantoms put up four runs and knot the score at six.

It wasn’t to last, though.

In the bottom of the frame, reliever Mutsuhito Imai gave up a single to right fielder Dean Ludlam, who was sacrificed to second a batter later, and then moved to third on a ground out. Imai then grooved a 1-1 fastball to left fielder Paul Warren, who lashed a line drive single into right, driving in what would prove to be the winning run.

Score: New Orleans 7, Huntsville 6
WP: Enrico Rivera PQR: 4
LP: Mutsuhito Imai PQR: 3
SV: Joe Whitaker PQR: 5*
Player of the Game: Yancy Cravat, who went 2 for 5 with a solo homer and a grand slam in the 7th to drive in 5 runs for the game.
Cliché of the Game: “Nothing is scripted in this game,” said Cravat.

[RonCo]

I like the PQS/PQR thing.

[JimBob2232]

Wow. Finally a good sim/series. I’m hoping for 2nd place in division. That’s a win at this point.

[HoosierVic]

Yeah, you guys kicked our tails. Of course pretty much everyone does when we’re on the road ... we’re 17 games under .500 on the road, and 13 over at home. Somehow, I need to adjust this roster going forward so we’re not helpless outside of Huntsville...

Anyway, nice series! You’ve got some decent guys on your team!

[RonCo]

Kyle's LH system was very effective in the day, and still has its moments

[HoosierVic]

It does, although I confess I'm not a huge fan of the approach to this extreme. Just for giggles, I ran a quick check, and Huntsville does, indeed, have one of the more extreme home/road splits at 30 (13 over at home, 17 under on the road). The biggest split is Seattle at 48: 31 over at home, 17 under on the road. Rockville has a pronounced split, too: 35 over .500 at home, just 2 over on the road. As I'm sure you know, Y.S. has a 28-game spread (30 over at home, 2 over on the road).

I’m assuming in these cases, there's something about the home ballpark that these teams are built to take advantage of that, like Huntsville, doesn't travel particularly well.

Interesting.

[RonCo]

Kyle moved to a little more platooning over the past few years...but there was a time when a team with a set of lefties could beat Huntsville even at home... but getting hold off those lefties was, of course, sometimes hard to manage.

[RonCo]

Our home split is unusual this year. We were actually worse at home than away last season. Huntsville had always relied on winning big at home.

[ae37jr]

Kyle moved to a little more platooning over the past few years...but there was a time when a team with a set of lefties could beat Huntsville even at home... but getting hold off those lefties was, of course, sometimes hard to manage.

I used to call up left handed minor league middle relievers just to make one start when Huntsville came to town. You could literally throw a double A left handed pitcher against them and do better then a league average righty. They always had a good team, yet they were the easiest to beat.

[HoosierVic]

Don't get any bright ideas for the next sim, Alan ...