The Tropics play a quick, two-game series against the Portland Lumberjacks. Hawaii is 6-11 using the ‘Kerr Special’.
Game 1– The Hawaii Tropics put it all together with good pitching, defense and hitting to earn their 3rd straight game. Starter Elvin Hilliard pitched 3.2 innings and threw 66 pitches allowing two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out three in the no decision. Manny Ortiz overcame his previous bad outings with 3.1 clean innings while fanning three batters. He earned the win to improve to 5-5 with a 3.81 ERA. Bill Phillips kept it clean with two hitless, scoreless innings with two Ks.
Rookie 3B Felipe Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk and hit a two-run homer (7) in the 7th inning. Hawaii RF Shafiq Zahir hit a solo homer (4) in the 3rd inning but also fanned three times. 2B Adhyapayana Mehta had been a consistent contributor for the Trops in his 10 seasons on the islands. He was 2 for 4 with a double (19) and scored two runs. Mehta is 4th in team histoy in doubles with 341. He is 100 doubles behind the All Time Tropic Doubles Leader Mike Campbell.
Hawaii wins 6-2.
Game 2- Hawaii rides the hot hands of SS Thomas Kramer and C Katsumi Matsumoto to a rare series sweep. Kramer was 2 for 4 with a three-run homer (8), he scored two runs and drove in four. Matsumoto was 2 for 3 with two doubles (16) and had three RBI. Bob Chastain lent his teammates a hand with 3 hits in 3 at bats with a walk, scoring two runs and driving in two. 3B Mitch Wareham was 2 for 3 with a double (18), a walk, scored three runs and stole a base (14).
Hawaii Manager Rich Kerr said, “It’s been rare that we get an offensive performance like this. Everyone in the lineup had at least a hit.”
On the mound, Chih Kuang made the start and pitched 3.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. He fanned six batters in a no decision. Bill Williams earned the win with 3.1 scoreless innings to improve to 5-5 with a 6.12 ERA. He gave up two hits and struck out two batters. Troy ‘Teddy Bear’ Reynolds came on to pitch the final two innings. He allowed a solo homer and struck out two batters.
Hawaii wins 11-3.
The Tropics sweep the two-games series.
The Trops host the Black Sox for a four-game series with the season series is ties 2-2.
Game 1- Hawaii Tropics fans are happy watch some good baseball for a change as the Trops easily win the series opener against the Black Sox. Kerr ran out John Moore for four innings and Moore responded with allowing the Black Sox just a hit. He walked four batters and struck out two while throwing 66 pitches. Phil Thompson earned the win to improve to 3-3 after allowing a run on a hit and a walk in two innings of work. Luis Perez, Bill Phillips and Semih Gurani shutout the Black Sox the last three innings.
DH Russ McHaney was 2 for 4 with a solo homer (5) in the 5th inning. Mehta was 1 for 4 with an RBI. Bob Chastain was 1 for 4 with a run and an RBI.
Hawaii wins 5-1.
Game 2- The Black Sox even the series as they shock the Trops with a two-run homer in the top of the 9th. Reliever Semih Gurani set down the first two batters of the 9th before allowing a single and the homer to take the loss. Gurani falls to 2-4 with a 3.26 ERA. Manager Rich Kerr moved Gerardo Rea back into the rotation for this series and it paid off. Rea pitched 5.1 innings allowing a run on four hits and a walk while striking out two batters.
C Frank McMillan drove in Hawaii’s lone run on a solo homer (5) in the 4th inning.
“The offense just fell flat after a good run. Maybe that’s all we’ll get.”, worried Kerr.
Chicago wins 3-1.
Game 3- The Tropics power their way past the Black Sox to re-take the series lead. The Trops hit four homers on the day with Tomas Borges hitting two of them. He hit a three-run homer in the 5th inning and hit a walk-off solo homer to end the game. Katsumi Matsumoto blasted a two-run shot (5) in the 2nd inning and Carlos Sanchez slugged a solo homer (12) in the 2nd inning. Borges was 2 for 4 with a walk, Sanchez was 2 for 4 and Matsumoto was 1 for 3.
Manny Ortiz took a turn starting for Hawaii and pitched 3.1 inning allowing four runs on four hits and a couple of walks while striking out one. Bill Williams was wild as he gave up two runs on three hits and three walks with a K. The Trops didn’t get control of the Chicago offense until The Teddy Bear threw 1.2 scoreless innings, but Phil Thompson earned the win after striking out the only batter he faced. He improves to 4-3 with a 3.05 ERA.
Hawaii wins 8-7.
Game 4- The Hawaii Tropics haven’t had much to celebrate this season as the team has disappointed. But the Trops ignited their fanbase in the series finale with the Black Sox with a comeback win. Hawaii’s offense had some problems getting any traction against Chicago’s pitchers and trailed 5-1 going into the bottom of the 8th.
SS Tommy Kramer started a rally with a single then was forced out on a fielder’s choice by Matsumoto. Mitch Wareham worked a walk and Felipe Hernandez singles to load the bases. Russ McHaney drew a walk on four straight pitches that scored Matsumoto. Borges then hit a slow roller to first that was fielded cleanly and thrown home to get Wareham at the plate. Karunamaya Makarand struck out to end the inning and Hawaii trailed 5-2.
Kerr said, “That was the turning point for us. Borges came back after the inning and told the guys, ‘We can win this.’. They believed him.”
Semih Gurani took the mound in the 9th and set the Black Sox down 1-2-3 to get his teammates back to dugout quickly. Angelo Lucchesi was the first up in the inning and he walked on four straight pitches. After a flyout by Vicente Mendez, Tommy Kramer singled to put runners on first and second. Katsumi Matsumoto singled to load the bases and brough Mitch Wareham to the plate. Wareham hit a ball up the middle that was stopped and flipped to second to get Matsumoto, but Lucchesi scored to make it 5-3. Shafiq Zahir dug into the batter’s box and settled in. He worked the count full, called for time and stepped out of the box. Zahir stepped back into the box and waited for Chicago reliever Art Cherry’s pitch. Cherry threw his good changeup, but Zahir was ready for it as the crushed it to left center field. The Black Sox outfield never turned to look as they began to trot into the dugout while the ball traveled 414 feet over the wall. Zahir touched home with his left foot and was mobbed by his teammates with a Brondo and ice water bath.
Hawaii wins 6-5.
The Tropics win the four-game series 3-1.
GM Jim Walker said, “We’ve gone 11-12 using Rich Kerr’s plan. Is it viable? I’m still not sure.”
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