Week Seven: May 12th – 18th
Game38 @ New Orleans Crawdads
5/12 @ New Orleans L 4-12
Crawdads comfortably wrapped up the series sweep in the end. Down 2-0 to early Aviators runs, New Orleans scored eight runs in the fourth helped by 2-run and 3-run homers to take the game away from Wichita. Juan Hernandez in a recent slump went 2-4, coming around to score both times on base. Chet Dickinson had walked one and struck out three when he had to come out of the game with Elbow discomfort after 1.2 innings. Abe Colbert Jr came in and after the same 1.2 innings he too left, not through injury but because he had surrendered six hits and seven runs.
Games 39, 40, 41 & 42 @ Phoenix Talons
5/13 @ Phoenix W 4-2
5/14 @ Phoenix L 4-6
5/15 @ Phoenix W 6-1
5/16 @ Phoenix L 3-4 (F/15)
Heading to Phoenix we weren’t expecting a lot but were able to come away a 4-game series split. In game one Aviators slowly worked a 4-0 lead despite coughing up three errors with Talons making the game close with two runs in the eighth innings. Jose Montoya (2-3) picked up his second win of 2043 despite his normal four walks, he was saved by only allowing one hit. Wichita were actually 4-3 up as we hit the bottom of the ninth thanks to a Jim Gouzzie homer in the top half of the ninth, but in another rough Tony Alomar innings a walk and a double tied the game before he allowed Talons to walk off the game with a 2-run homer. Both teams scored in the first innings of game three, but the decisive stroke was in the top of the sixth when a 3-run Luis Maldonado homer took the game away from Talons. Phoenix tied the final game at 3-3 in the eighth and we then went scoreless all the way through to 15th innings. Abe Colbert Jr gave up three singles to allow Tallons to walk off their second win of the series. Damon Tipping was unlucky again, he pitched six innings and only gave up to runs, Alomar gave up the tying run in the eighth for his fourth blown save of the season.
Games 43 & 44 vs Mexico City Aztecs
5/17 vs Mexico City L 1-13 (31,551)
5/18 vs Mexico City L 4-7 (29,332)
In game one Aztecs were already 7-0 up when Hedde Aalbers scored Aviators only run in the bottom of the sixth, Five runs by Mexico in the top of the ninth just inflated the score. Back to back homers in the first innings allowed Aztecs to score four first innings runs off Montoya. Aviators had two hit batsmen in the fourth and that helped them close the score to 4-3 before the game got away again. Duane Whitley Jr went 2-5, driving in three runs.
Regular Season Standings (May 18th)
2043 Record v Johnson League
| Frontier | HW | HL | AW | AL | Atlantic | HW | HL | AW | AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise | 1 | 2 | - | - | Atlantic City | - | - | - | - |
| Calgary | - | - | 2 | 1 | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Edmonton | - | - | 2 | 2 | Charlotte | - | - | - | - |
| Las Vegas | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | Charm City | - | - | - | - |
| Mexico City | 0 | 5 | - | - | Jacksonville | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| Phoenix | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Montreal | 0 | 3 | - | - |
| San Antonio | 0 | 3 | - | - | New Orleans | - | - | 0 | 3 |
| Wichita | X | X | X | X | Rockville | - | - | - | - |
| TOTALS | 3 | 15 | 9 | 6 | TOTALS | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
Pitcher of the Week: 36-yr-old Mauro Flores pitched 7.2 innings in his one start, allowing six hits but only one run. He walked one while striking out three, collecting his first win of 2043 (1-4)
Batter of the Week: 24-yr-old Juan Hernandez played in all seven games this week, hitting .355/.355/. 581. He hit a triple, a homer and drove in three runs while scoring seven times.