Tuber Times 2059.16: Sim #6 Recap - PHX,MEX,LV

[cheekimonk]

Tuber Times
12 May 2059
Boise, Idaho
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by Tony Toney

Boise Spuds 17 19 .472 DIV -8 WC -3.5 L10: 4-6 Strk: L5

Wow. Just wow. What an atrocious Sim #6 for Boise. We here at The Times are the (mostly) impartial press and this was stunning to us. One can only imagine how Spuds nation is reacting. It's 1-5. No sugar coating that. The Spuds dropped to 8 games back from the top of the division and 3.5 out of a WC. But playoffs?!? We're talking about playoffs?! So, we take a breath and circle back around. Stay with us, Spuds fans, because this wasn't the all-encompassing disaster it clearly seems to be. Looking at the Sim, the pitching staff held opponents to 3.8 runs per game. More critically, when taking out the one victory of the Sim the Spuds average margin of defeat was 1.83 runs. That's not typical of a 4-alarm fire of a 0- or 1-loss Sim. It was the offense that choked to a stunning extent. There is something really wrong with Boise's offense and it's not clearly a lack of talent as one would assume. It's that the talent has just vanished for the first 6 weeks of 2059.

v Phoenix 4-6 L
v Phoenix 7-1 W
v Phoenix 1-2 L
Boise SP Danny 'Padfoot' Leach wasn't having a terrible outing until Talons 2B Ángel 'Poison' Zalapa launched a 3-run HR in the 6th. It was just a two-run deficit for Boise at that point, but it might as well have been 100. Phoenix SP Damian Theophanous limited the Spuds to 3 runs in 7 innings of work and the Talons started off the series on a winning note. The second game was the lone bright spot of the week. Making his first start for Boise, Juan Guzmán tossed 7 innings of 1-run ball while fanning 7. Waseem bin Suhayb shutout the Talons for the final 2 frames but it was academic as the Spuds were up 7-0 after the 5th. Spuds LF Martin Hemming was 3-4 with a double and SS Dan Raymond had his brief moment to shine with the bat going 2-4 and driving in 3 runs. The rubber match was a beauty of a pitchers' duel. Boise SP Marvin 'Groucho' Winston was excellent in allowing only 2 runs over 8 innings, but Phoenix SP Nick Rivers was better allowing just one hit and no earned runs in 7 innings. LF Alejandro Limia was 3-4 with a double for Phoenix.

v Mexico City 1-4 L
v Mexico City 1-3(12) L
v Mexico City 0-2 L
Boise had been swept once this season, by Las Vegas in April, but the Aztecs brought the brooms from south of the border. Spuds SP bin Suhayb had the beginnings of a great start allowing just 1 run and 3 hits, but he only made it into the 5th when Muneer bin Khairy took over and promptly allowed 8 hits and 3 runs in 3.2 innings. The middle game was even more of a beauty as the Spuds and Aztecs took a 1-1 tie into the 12th inning when Spuds RP Joe Jackson surrendered a 2-run HR to Mexico City CF Dan Morris. SP Doug Eckhoff was sensational following up on his no-hitter back on the 2nd allowing 1 run in 7.2 innings while fanning 7. Mexico City SP Guo-dong Cong matched him, however, in allowing a run in 6.0 innings on just 4 hits. Game three yielded yet another stellar pitching matchup as the Spuds tried to avoid the sweep at home. Boise SP Danny 'Padfoot' Leach allowed just 2 runs in 6 innings, but Aztecs José Ávila was just better shutting out the Spuds in 7.1 innings allowing only 4 hits.

@ Las Vegas 4-5 L
Starving for a series win, Boise traveled to Sin City to face a Hustlers team that is on fire early this year. The Spuds actually jumped on Vegas SP Carlos Berrera chasing him after 4 innings with 7 hits and 4 runs while Barrera also gave up 6 walks and struck out none. But though Boise's Guzmán had an excellent outing lasting 8 innings with 3 runs allowed, 2 of those were late runs and allowed the Hustlers to tie the game at 4 heading into the bottom of the 9th. The Spuds bin Khairy promptly gave up a double and RBI single for the privilege of watching a Las Vegas walkoff win.