The Tropics finish their road trip with a four-game series against the Nashville Bluebirds. The season series is tied 2-2.
Game 1- Nashville starter Manuel Garcia dominated the Tropics lineup in an easy shutout win for the Bluebirds. Garcia used 108 pitches in 8.1 innings and gave up just three hits while walking three batters. He struck out five as he improved to 9-6.
For Hawaii, Peter Dean was bad as he allowed five runs on seven hits (two homers) and three walks. He struck out two batters and falls to 5-5 with a 4.99 ERA. The Hawaii bullpen pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Dean giving up four hits, walking one and striking out four batters.
Pedro Huerta had two of the four hits for the Tropics going 2 for 4 . Adam Backhouse was 1 for 4 and Thomas Kramer was 1 for 3.
Nashville wins 5-0.
Game 2- The Tropics even the series with a win over the Bluebirds. Hawaii starter Phil Thompson held Nashville to a run on six hits and three walks in 5.1 innings of work. He earned the win to improve to 6-7 with a 5.74 ERA. John Moore pitched 1.2 clean innings with two Ks. He was followed by Utkan Gocek who threw two innings allowing a run on two hits with two Ks and earned the save (5).
Adhyapayana Mehta was 2 for 5 with a double (36) and an RBI. Mitch Wareham was 1 for 4 with an RBI. Adam Backhouse was 1 for 5 and scored a run. Shafiq Zahir was 2 for 3 with a homer (21), scored a run and drove in two. Tommy Kramer was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Hawaii wins 4-2.
Game 3- Trailing 3-2 going into the bottom of the 7th, the Bluebirds put up a three pointer against Hawaii reliever Bill Ritz. Ritz gave up a two-run homer to Felipe Vega and a solo blast to ex-Tropic Rhys Brickell.
After the Brickell homer, Hawaii starter Semih Gurani quietly stood up and walked back to the visitor’s clubhouse. Gurani had thrown five innings allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with six Ks.
After the game he told reporters, “It stung that Brickell put them up.”
Bill Phillips had thrown a scoreless 6th giving up a hit with a walk and a K. Gocek pitched an inning giving up a couple of hits and struck out one.
Adam Backhouse was 2 for 5 and scored a run. Pedro Huerta was 1 for 4 also scoring a run. Karunamaya Makarand was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Angelo Lucchesi was 2 for 3 with a walk, stole a base and an RBI. Tommy Kramer was 1 for 4 with a double and scored a run.
Nashville wins 5-3.
Game 4- The Nashville Bluebirds shutout the Hawaii Tropics again 5-0. This time, Bluebird starter Barney Lindsey pitched nine innings allowing just four hits, walked no one and fanned four batters in the win. He improves to 15-3 with a 2.58 ERA.
Hawaii starter Troy ‘Teddy Bear’ Reynolds had the stuffing knocked out of him as the Bluebirds scored five runs on nine hits and a walk in just 3.1 innings of work. He falls to 7-7 with a 4.26 ERA. The bullpen shut down the Nashville hitter again with 4.2 innings. They allowed three hits and struck out a batter.
Mehta, Kramer, Mike Campbell and Will Patterson each had a single for Hawaii.
Nashville wins 5-0.
The Bluebirds wins the series 3-1.
GM Jim Walker said, “Someone’s seat is on fire.”
