Doug Newhouse Gets Hot
Looking at the Playoff Races
by Caitlen Sullivan
Vancouver Sun Sports Reporter
August 21, 2005
The Mounties played the two toughest teams in the MBWBA over the last ten days and came out unscathed by winning six of nine. After losing the finale of a series at Washington, Vancouver travelled to Madison for a three game set, moved on to Phoenix, and then faced Frick League power Las Vegas in a home-and-away two game set.
- The Mounties had their top three pitchers ready to go against powerful Madison while Madison would have only Ty Wills of their top three slated to pitch. Wills got pole-axed by Vancouver back on July 12th as he failed to get out of the second inning. He started the opening game looking for revenge. He didn’t get it as he gave eight hits and six runs before retiring in the fifth. Robbie Sargent got help from four relievers but prevailed for his 20th win of the season, 6-2. Mountie ace Shane Wookey got uncharacteristically roughed up in game two, and the Wolves prevailed 11-5. Christian Nichols was strong in the rubber game and Jason Egan picked up save number 44 in the 4-1 victory.
- Phoenix won the opener in Phoenix 3-1 despite a complete game from Bango Vadabonceour. The Mounties bounced back to take the second game 4-2 behind Tom Mayes who returned to the rotation for the first time in over a month. And Robbie Sargent, with help from Egan’s 46th save, prevailed in the 2-1 pitching duel in the final game of the series.
- Back at Northwoods Outpost in the opener against the Hustlers, Vancouver faced a familiar opponent in Steve Taub, recently acquired by Las Vegas from California. Taub pitched OK but was no match for Shane Wookey who allowed just two hits through eight as Pete Bedford got his 5th save. Moving to Las Vegas, Christian Nichols upped his record to 18-2 as the Mounties beat up on Chris Stoller to win 9-5.
Brock Lee and Matt Brunson are back on the active roster for the upcoming series in Vancouver against Madison (although Brunson will probably miss a couple more games). Juan Sevilla has been waived and Sam Whistler returned to Victoria to make room on the roster.
Looking at the races around the league:
- JL PD: Vancouver, of course, is in total command with a 23 game lead.
- JL MD: Madison has opened up by 8.5 over Omaha who has been slumping lately.
- JL AD: Baltimore has a 2.5 game lead over Greenville in one of the closer battles in the MBWBA.
- JL WC: Omaha seemed to have a lock but their lead over California has slipped to 3.5. Did California panic too early in starting a rebuild?
- FL PD: Las Vegas has a solid 10 game edge over surprising Long Beach.
- FL MD: Red Hot Marquette has opened up by three over Des Moines.
- FL AD: Montreal is in command by over eleven games over Buffalo.
- FL WC: The loser of the Midwest is battling Long Beach for the wild card in what is almost a dead heat at the moment.
