09.11: April in Review

[agrudez]

Record:
14-14 (5 GB), 15-13 PYTH (2 GB), 164 runs scored (2nd), 156 runs allowed (11th), 15th Power Ranked

Overview:
The ’09 season kicked off in a rough way for the Barnstormers as they opened up against LOU, getting swept in the process by an aggregate score of 12-24. To make things worse, star slugger Allen Stephens was injured in the 3rd game of the season, with an expected return date of a week. Things started to look up a bit as OMA took 2 of 3 from WAS, but once again received bad news in the final game of the series, as Wilfredo Bonilla was lost for a month with an injury. With a day off between series, OMA met VAN at home for the first of 3, a series they would eventually be swept in by an aggregate score of 6-25. At 2-7 through their first 9, without their #4 and #2 opening day hitters - to say things were bleak would be an understatement.

Then, just as the skies seemed their darkest, Luis Luna led his team into Valencia and pitched the type of gem for which he had become known for after the ’08 season – 8 IP, 6 H, 4 BB and 2 ER, bringing in a desperately needed win that sparked the team into a sweep of the Stars. They then went to Madison and were swept in turn by a hot Wolves squad; however, every game was competitive and the aggregate differential of the 3 game set was only 8 runs. Heading back home against Phoneix, it was clear that the Barnstormers had regained their confidence… which coincided perfectly with regaining their clean-up hitter, as Stephens was ready to play once again. What ensued was a 9-4 run (during which Stephens put up a 1.01 OPS with 6 HRs and 18 RBIs) that brought Omaha back to .500 and a mere 5 games back (2 games back in PYTH record) of the division lead. Now, as Bonilla inches ever-closer to being healthy (slated for a return in the 2nd week of May), the Barnstormers look favorably towards the future.

Standouts:
SP Luis Luna – 6 GS, 3-2, 3.77 ERA, 1.42 WHIP

SP Gary Lammond – 5 GS, 5-0, 3.24 ERA, 1.3 WHIP

RP Harry Martin – 5 G, 4.2 IP, 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP

CL Javier Alomar – 10 G, 10 IP, 6 SV, 2.7 ERA, 1 WHIP

2B Jason MacKinney – 27 G, 103 AB, 2 HR, 20 RBI, .36 OBP, .856 OPS

1B Miguel Toro – 27 G, 117 AB, 6 HR, 28 RBI, .363 OBP, .91 OPS

LF Allen Stephens – 15 G, 64 AB, 6 HR, 18 RBI, .338 OBP, 1.01 OPS

[Manny]

Toro is still looking good for you, Omaha is looking better and better.

[felipe]

That's right...swept...

[agrudez]

I almost gutted my roster after that series, but then I saw that your team isn't QUITE as terrible as it was last season.