MONTH IN REVIEW: Although Boise followed-up their 12-15 start in April with a 16-11 record in May, it didn't feel like a move in the right direction. Sure, Félix Román finally started to hit like many had expected but a rash of minor pitching injuries, along with gaping holes of production in left field and third base and the worst bullpen showings in general manager Joe Lederer's tenure in Boise suggests their winning percentage buoying around .500 thru the first two months is as good as it may get this season for the Spuds.The Boise-Salt Lake City shuttle has been racking up mileage, including long-time back-up catcher José Rivera being waived and optioned to AAA, with rookie Ed Cooper taking his place. Thankfully, the Ricardo Hernandez Experiment finally grinded to a halt. Line-ups continue to be juggled, with the the once-steady Sancho Castillo being benched for light-hitting defensive-standout Calvin Clohessy at third base, however early returns are less than satisfying. Even veteran reliever Jesús Arce was removed from the closers role.
With Lederer scrambling to improve the team, trade talks have re-surfaced with long-time firstbagger Yunosuke Terada. Even a potential deal around Hank Brewer couldn't be agreed upon due to Brewer exercising his no-trade agreement.
Yes, the team narrowly has a winning record and finds themselves less than two games back of a Wild Card spot. With the struggles and chaos, May expects to be a pivotal month in the team's immediate future.
ORE-IDA® TATER-TOTS EMOJI SUMMARY OF THE MONTH:
HITTER OF THE MONTH: Félix Román - .327/.410/.752 (9 HR, 23 R, 25 RBI)
PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Dave Walsh - 2-0 (14 G), 2 SV, 1 HLD, 3.13 ERA, 1.01 WHIP (10.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9)
HOT POTATOES:
Dennis French - .339/.380/.652 (8 HR, 20 R, 27 RBI, 6 SB)
Yunosuke Terada - .267/.365/.533 (6 HR, 23 R, 17 RBI)
COLD FRIES:
Hank Brewer - .203/.250/.240 (0 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI)
Ricardo Ruíz - .200/.250/.240 (0 HR, 9 R, 10 RBI)
Lloyd Braun - .205/.340/.289 (2 HR, 15 R, 12 RBI)
Sancho Castillo - .182/.357/.273 (1 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI)
Júlio Alicea - 1-4 (6 G), 6.07 ERA, 1.58 WHIP (5.8 K/9, 1.8 BB/9)
Jesús Arce - 2-2 (9 G), 2 SV, 1 HLD, 6.39 ERA, 1.26 WHIP (7.8 K/9, 2.1 BB/9)
