The Hawaii Tropics make their first road trip of the season as they pay a visit to the Windy City for a four game series against the Chicago Black Sox.
Game 1- Hawaii relied on the arms of Zak Johnson and company to win their third straight game to start the season. Johnson gave up just two hits and a run while striking out five batters in 6 1/3 innings of work.
Juan Hernandez came on in relief of Johnson and recorded the final two outs of the seventh. He struck out out one and gave up a hit.
Next Norm McConnell pitched and 1 1/3 innings walking one and striking out one. Finally, Luis Santiago walked one batter but got the last two outs for his first save of the season.
LF Bastiao Fardos was 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
Hawaii wins 2-1.
Game 2- Hits are hard to come by o this series as both teams pitching staffs are stingy. This game goes to extras before we get a winner. Black Sox keystone Rocky Wattson drove in the winning run on a single off of Tropics reliever Luis Santiago.
Tropics SP Jesus Gonzalez was difficult to hit as he gave up five hits, a walk, a run and struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings.
RP Stephen Taub did some heavy lifting with 3 innings of hitless ball striking out two batters.
The only Hawaii run came off the bat of pinch hitter Manny Garcia. Garcia hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth to help send the game to extras.
Chicago wins 2-1.
Game 3- The Black Sox come back for down 5-0 with a five run sixth and eke out another one run win in extras over Hawaii. Tropics SP Bob McConnell was cruising until the sixth the the Black Sox struck. He finished with 5 2/3 IP, five runs on eight hits, no walks and two strike outs.
The game ended on a walk off solo homer by Sebastian ‘Nino’ Fradesso off of Tropics reliever Juan Hernandez in the bottom of the twelfth.
CF Manny Garcia was 2 for 6 with a homer, scoring a run and driving in a run.
RF Mike Campbell was 3 for 6 with a double, a run and an RBI.
2B Jack “Junkyard” Nichols was 2 for 5 with two doubles, a run and an RBI.
Chicago wins 6-5.
Game 4- The Black Sox hitters jump on Tropics SP Alaric Wullenweber early then hold on for the game win and series win.
Wullenweber continued his inconsistent was giving up five runs on six hits, no walks and four Ks. He allowed three homers in five innings. Hawaii Pitching Coach Tony Torres said, “Al is really good when he is on. He is almost unhittable. But sometimes, he lays an egg like this one.”
CF Manny Garcia hit is third homer in as many games. He was 2 for 4 with a run and three RBI.
Chicago wins 6-4.
The Tropics return home for a four game series against the Nashville Bluebirds at Diamond Head.
Game 1- The Hawaii Tropics get one in the winners column with an extra inning walk off Grand Slam off the bat of DH Ernest McBride in the bottom of the eleventh. McBride was 2 for 5 with a double, a runs and four RBI.
SP Niccolo “Notorious” Destefani make amends for his first start pf the season. He pitched 7 innings giving up just five hits, a walk and a run. He struck out nine batters in the no decision.
Stephen Taub did another good job eating innings going 2 1/3, allowing a hit, walking one and striking out one.
Norm McConnell pitched the last 1 2/3 innings allowing just a hit and striking out two batters for the win.
Hawaii wins 5-1.
Game 2- Another extra inning game and another loss. The Tropics were down 7-3 before scoring two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to tie the game up at 8-8. But Nashville pinch hitter Nacho Mendez dashed the Hawaii hopes with a run scoring double to give the Bluebirds the lead. Nashville RP Gustavo Munoz shut down the Tropics to secure the win for the Bluebirds.
Zach Johnson fought his way through 5 1/3 innings allowing five runs on six hits and struck out five batters.
Bastiao Fardos was 3 for 5 with a double, triple, a run scored and three RBI.
Manny Garcia was 2 for 6 with a run scored and an assist.
1B Gary Allen was 2 for 4 with a homer, two runs scored and three RBI.
C Ron Shiplack was 2 for 4 with a double, a run and two RBI.
Nashville wins 9-8.
Game 3- The Tropics get 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball from Jesus Gonzalez but he leaves the game with an injury. The bullpen takes over and allow just two hits combined and walked one in 4 1/3 innings.
Gonzalez allowed just three hits, gave up a couple walks and struck out three batters. He left the game after Pitching Coach Tony Torres noticed his velocity down.
Felipe Lopez took over for Gonzalez and struck out the last hitter in the innings. RP Steven Bobovnik pitched an inning and walked one to earn the win. Juan Hernandez pitched 2/3 of an inning, striking out three batters. Luis Santiago finished the last 2 1/3 innings allowing just a hit and struck out a batter for his second save of the season.
Jack Nichols was 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Hawaii wins 2-0.
Game 4- The Hawaii Tropics commit three errors and the bullpen implodes as the Nashville Bluebirds crush the Tropics.
Bob McConnell pitched 5 innings giving up six runs (four earned) on seven hits, a couple of walks and struck out six.
SS Fernando Rodriguez was 1 for 4 with a double, a run and an RBI.
Nashville wins 14-3 and split the series with the Tropics 2-2.
