Nine Take Two of Three
Outscored by River Monsters
Despite escalating strife at the turnstiles, the Yellow Springs Nine managed to steal another series victory, this time after falling behind and losing the opener after Freddy Delgado got blitzed early. “It’s hard to keep your concentration when you know fans are getting hurt like that,” Delgado explained after lasting only three innings. He allowed seven runs in those innings, and the team lost 9-1 with about a quarter of Utopia Field’s seats empty.
Pitching came through for the rest of the series, though. Carlos Valle (2-1) was strong for seven innings in the middle match, and Luis Colon (2-0) teamed with his bullpen to shut the River Monsters out in the series decider.
“We think we’ve got the best bullpen in the league,” said closer Curt Phillips, who manager Bill Inkster used early in the final game, leaving rookie Tiernan O’Macken to gain his first big league save. “It’s not just me. Everyone here can throw it, so it’s really fun out there. We’re all just kind of looking at each other and daring each other to one-up the next guy.”
Manager Mentions: The victory put the team’s record at 15-8, tied with both Louisville and Madison for the Heartland division lead. With the Wolves and Sluggers playing each other this weekend, some fans were excited to note that it meant the Nine could make up ground against the Hawks of Omaha. Manager Bill Inkster was quick to dispel that notion. “Madison and Louisville are good teams, and all that series means is that one of them is going to win at least two games. And, Omaha can plat, too. We need to take care of our own business and let the rest fall where it falls.”
Fan Blasts: Members of the radical fan group coalition Fans First ratcheted up the stakes by camping out at the ticket office and staging human blockades around the walk-up booths. Some handcuffed themselves across the turnstiles themselves, others heckled fans as they attempted to break the blockade.
“This really has to stop,” said Nine broadcast voice Melissa Lester. “The leadership of the group are inciting riots, and people are getting hurt. This is on them.”
“There are a lot of great people out there,” said Kal Freedman, leader of the fan group Bleed Nine Red, and spokesman for the newly formed Fan First collective. “There’s nothing bad happening out there, and even if there were anything, it wouldn’t be our fault. All we want is for the team to understand there’s a real price for losing to Louisville, and that we’re going to see that they pay it. Totally unacceptable. All this news of people getting beat up isn’t real. Nothing to see, really, it’s all just being ginned up.”
Over the three days of the Twin Cities series, 26 people were admitted to hospital emergency rooms.
Next Stop for the Nine Train: Omaha comet to town for a weekend series. The opening game should see the Hawks send Ricardo Ortiz to the mound, the Nine are expected to counter with Adam Barnard.
Starter PQS:
| Game | 6+ IP | H < IP | 5K | 3K => BB | 0 HR | Total PQS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delgado | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Valle | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Colon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Off Topic
9-Notes ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Thum Thievery
To Top Charts?
Thum ThieveryTo Top Charts?
- Dong-po Thum’s move to third base doesn’t seem to have affected his bat (he’s hitting .405). Or his legs. His 15 stolen bases so far this year put him on a pace to steal 97—a total that would demolish the franchise record of 78, currently held by Jorge Rodriguez. Thum has been thrown out stealing only two times. Mons Raider, here we come.
- News is that lefty reliever Angel Hernandez is ready to come off the disabled list. Expect him to be activated sometime during the Omaha series.
- In six appearances since joining the team (9.1 innings), reliever Timofei Bakitski, jovially known as VODAK by the fans for his failed business venture centered on "gourmet" liquors, is yet to allow a run to score—including the one runner he inherited.
