The Valencia Stars came into town, complete with their mimosa drinking fans, and left with two losses in three attempts. This is what’s known as “getting the job done.”
GAME 1: Valencia wins 6-5, Guerrero Doesn’t Totally Stink
Recent acquisition Juan Guerrero took to the hill and managed a respectable 6+ inning outing that included 8 hits and a homer, but only one walk on five Ks. It was arguably his best outing as a member of the nine, and after his first outing—an auspicious 123-pitch effort in which the bench coach apparently forgot to click the tallier a few times—gave cause for hope. “I think I can help this team,” he said afterward, a comment that several fans had fun with on social media, suggesting several roles in which this might be true.
Technically, the bats were up to the challenge, and Guerrero left with the lead only to see Tristan Alfama give up a homer after Guerrero was clearly pulled for pitch count purposes this time after striking out the first batter in the 7th inning.
“You’re screwed either way,” manager Bill Inkster quipped when pushed on the subject. “A week ago you guys were inhere complaining that I left Juan in too long, now you want to grill me for taking him out?” He grew testier when it was noted that you’re only screwed when a move doesn’t work.
Regardless, the game went to extra innings, and the Nine squandered several opportunities to bring the game home—Aaron Stone, in particular, continued a tough season by leaving the winning runs on base twice before Star slugger Frank Mahaffey put a Brian Soper offering into the stands in the 16th inning. The Nine put runners on first and third, but Abdeljillill Sediki struck out to end the threat and the game.
GAME 2: Nine Bounces Back, Wins 13-6
“When the guys get you nine runs in the second inning, you’d better win,” said starter Ernesto Ramos, who with the help of Adam Barnard’s three-inning save, did just that. Ramos struck out 8 and walked two, but gave up four runs on seven hits in the outing—the victory ran his record to a very nice 14-5. Barnard’s outing dropped his YS9 ERA to 0.79. He struck out four in his three innings. Having been moved to throw mostly from the bullpen right now, it was his first career save.
“I’m having a good time,” Barnard explained after the game. “I’m figuring I’ve got nothing to lose right now, so I’m just going out there and throwing.”
The real news here, of course, was the offense, which was hitting on all cylinders in the second inning in particular. The Nine entered that inning down 4-0, but 3B Alejandro Rodriguez probably set some kind of record by delivering both a run-scoring double, and a bases-clearing triple before it was over. The barrage also included a double by Dong-po Thum, three singles, a hit-by-pitch, a run-scoring grounder, and a bases loaded walk.
When the smoke had cleared, the score was 9-4, and the momentum, as they say, had shifted.
Rodriguez ended the game with four hits, Thum with three. Thum also stole three bases, bringing his total to 53.
“Dong-po is one of the more watchable kids in the league right now,” said voice of the Nine Melissa Lester. “Now that he’s settled in a little, the fans are seeing the natural talent everyone gushed so much about come forward, and it’s a blast to watch. He’s like Stephen Collins if Collins could run.”
Thum, who still leads off against LHP, has been shuffled around in the order against RHP in order to get him more comfortable, has responded like the Nine brass was hoping he would, ending the game hitting .310 with 5 homers and 46 RBI.
GAME 3: Valle Dominates, YS9 Wins 8-1.
Carlos Valle bounced back from a rare clinker with a masterful pitch-to-contact performance, allowing a single walk and five hits, good for one run over eight and a third innings. The victory drove his record to 13-4, and dropped the ERA to 3.29.
“Classic Carlos,” Inkster said after the game. “You could feel it from the minute he took the mound.”
Valle’s first inning required only seven ptches. A few minutes later, the offense gave him everything he would need when a Rob Thomas single plated Jose Machado, George Robertson’s double plated Thomas, and Donpg-po Thum’s triple brought home Robertson. Machado would add a homer later (his 22nd), and Thomas would drive in a second run with a second hit. Thum went 3-for-3 on the day.
Afterward, there was buzz around Thomas, who has recently been subject to rumors of both trade and demotion. “Rob’s a good player,” Valle said when asked about his own performance. “And you can see he’s already come out of that funk you guys keep talking about. His numbers are down, but his stroke is back. I’ll take him penciled into the lineup behind me any day of the week.”
Brian Sullivan was another key contributor, going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
SERIES LEAVES NINE UP ON RIVER MONSTERS
The series victory was significant on its own, but was made more so when Boise’s Spuds swept Twin Cities, adding a pair of games to the Nine’s lead on the Heartland. The Nine now sit eight games up on the River Monsters in a race that suddenly seems to have loosened up a bit.
“We can’t afford to think like that,” Inkster said. “We’ve got a long, long way to go.”
RUMORS OF FRONT OFFICE STRIFE CIRCULATE REGARDING GUERRERO OUTING
Noted earlier, the team’s first outing from Juan Guerrero resulted in the side-armed throwing starter throwing 123 pitches—an astronomical number for a Nine hurler. Reports have surfaced that manager Bill Inkster was under orders from Nine management to “ride Guerrero like a piece of fresh meat.” It’s suggested that the team wanted to show fans that they’d gotten the best pitcher available from a Canadian team in hopes that it would sooth the egos of fans who had wanted the Nine to sell the farm to acquire Bobby Lynch.
“That is not true,” said GM Ron Collins, deflecting rumors of front office malfeasance once again. “We would never do that, nor would we use language like that.”
Insiders say that Collins met with Inkster for a half hour earlier today, and that further investigations may be forthcoming.