Mumbai Metro Stars
A scoreline of 2-6 meant it was another series lost and a record of 1-5 in the last 6 with tough series against Jerusalem and Bucharest on the horizon.
Jerusalem Hebrew Hammers
A close 7-8 loss opened up the series against Jerusalem was followed by a much needed 8-3 victory, however that was followed by an heavy defeat by a scoreline of 1-7.
Bucharest Impalers
A close 6-3 win was only Athens third win in there last 10 games, rumours are rife that changes are a coming.
#2 vs Bucharest Impalers 11-13 (11)
12:05 PM ET Monday 10th May 2049
Piraeus Park 27,778
Tsuyoshi Kobayashi
It was all about the hitting for both teams, Athens had the hotter start with Bucharest finishing the stronger.
The Fighting Centaurs started the stronger going up 3-0 in the bottom of the 1st, Euan Ring kept the Impalers bats quiet in the top of the 1st facing only 4 hitters. Rúbem Bordonhos (single), Luis Domínguez (walk) and Quinn Greene (single) had loaded the bases as Sosa Seki approached the plate. Seki may have ground out into a double play but Bordonhos scored to make it 1-0 to Athens, Tsuyoshi Kobayashi came to the plate with Domínguez at third and promptly sent the second pitch 396ft into the outfield bleachers for a 2 run home run to make it 3-0 Athens.
Bucharest made a comeback in the top of the third when Jay Gamble (triple) would score Vladmir Karamurzov (double) and Cameron Patmore (single) would score Gamble to make it 3-2 to Athens going into the bottom of the third.
No sooner had Bucharest pulled 2 runs back than Athens retained there 3 run lead, firstly Luis Domínguez (single) got on base then Quinn Greene (double) scored Domínguez. It was Sosa Seki (single) would score Greene to make it 5-2 for Athens.
The game rolled on to the 6th without troubling the scoreboard, run wise that is. In the top of the 6th Bucharest would again pull 2 runs back, Nam-cheol U (double) got on base and crossed the plate on the back of Rene Rolandsen (single) who scored on a Vladmir Karamurzov pop up to make it 5-4 Athens.
A couple of single runs for each team made it 6-5 Athens in the 7th, Bucharest scoring there's when Nam-cheol U (double) scored Boris Aplechnev (double) who had reached base earlier in the inning. Athens got there run when Quinn Greene (single) reached and Tsuyoshi Kobayashi (single) helped Greene cross the plate.
Athens extended there 1 run lead in the bottom of the 8th when Cristo López (single) crossed the plate with Rúbem Bordonhos on the back of a Bordonhos 2 run home run, which gave Athens a 3 run lead going into the 9th.
The 9th was the start of a nightmare for Athens as Bucharest scored 3 in the 9th to send the game into extra innings, firstly Jeremy Owbridge (walk) then Nobuatsu Sanu (error), Cameron Patmore got on with a fielders choice which saw Sanu return to the bench. It fell to Jesús Pérez hit a 3 run homer to take the game into extras.
In the top of the 10th Athens gave up another 3 runs but only from 1 hit, Santiago Durán (walk), Dick van Capelle (walk) and Vladmir Karamurzov (walk) loaded the bases for Jeremy Owbridge (single) to score all 3. Cameron Patmore made it 4 walks in the inning however this time it didn't trouble the scoreboard.
If Athens were giving up walks galore Bucharest were giving errors away, first Bob Allen got on with an error, Rúbem Bordonhos was gifted a base due to an error. With 2 on Wagaw Fakihi came to the plate and tied the game 11-11 a piece.
In what had turned into a pitcher collapse, error strewn slugfest, the Impalers killed the game of in the 11th when Rene Rolandsen was hit by a pitch then stole 2nd and crossed the plate when Dick van Capelle hit one into the bleachers to make it 13-11 to Bucharest, Athens had no reply and that's how a topsy turvy game finished.
Another game, another defeat, this time a 3-8 defeat.
Players of the Week.
Tsuyoshi Kobayashi 53 AB, 20 H, 3 HR, 13 RBI, .377 AVG, 1.084 OPS
Luis Domínguez 48 AB, 17 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .354 AVG, 1.074 OPS
Sosa Seki 52 AB, 15 H, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .288 AVG, .941 OPS
