Now we really are Gambling (2004-4)

[Fat Nige]

August 21st, 2004

Since our last report Atlantic City are still playing above .500, winning five of their last nine games. While they slipped even further behind the leading teams they closed the gap with third placed Carolina who were 3-6 for the same period.

Jared Dorsey continued his superb start to his Gambling career pitching 13.2 innings over his two starts and giving up just one run. Despite striking out eight & ten he only managed one win after he walked eight in his second outing. Walks are becoming the bane of the improved pitching staff who issued 54 in the last nine games. The two designated closers Mectenwald & Machiavelli were as guilty as anyone, walking 9 in their 10 innings pitched. Word has it that ATC will turn to Stephen Young for save situations in future, he is currently 0-1 with 3 saves and a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings pitched but more to the point only four walks issued. Jeremy Pompy though is suffering from a crick in the neck watching balls soar over the fence after giving up four homers in two starts as opponents hit .345 off him on the way to losing both.

The batters improved to a .265 team average over the last nine games but still have little pop, Fredrick Simon hit two of the team’s six long balls. Pacorro Butieprez just isn’t taking to being a bench player, it’s now nine pinch-hit appearances since his last hit although he has two RBI on two sac flys. The trouble is that Alfredo Méndez has really made the 2nd base position his own, since displacing Butieprez he has been excellent in defence and has nine RB I in his last nine games.

With two three-game series coming up against the Pacific’s 2nd placed Long Beach Atlantic City must target the three against Calgary and the game against Chicago to try to maintain their progress as Carolina has all their games against teams above .500. If ATC can enter September just two or three games back of the Kraken they must fancy themselves to nick third place in the Atlantic Division with two four-game series to come against Carolina. The Gamblers still need to win 11 out of their last 39 games to surpass their lowest ever total of 58 wins set in 1995.