Valencia Star Report: 66-51 (.564) # 8

[leejay56]

The Stars have started off August slow with a 4-6 record and now have fallen 7 games behind the hot Vancouver Mounties..The Stars are 4 games behind the California Crusaders for the wild card race who went 6-4 compared to the 4-6 the Stars have done over the last 10 games....So with 7 weeks left the Stars cant afford anymore bad weeks...It will be too hard to catch up...

STARS NEWS UPDATE:
SP Phil Leftwich has been hot the last 5 games...Over that time Leftwich is 3-1 with a 1.51 era...Overall in 27 games started Leftwich
is 13-9 2.67 era in 206 innings...Leftwich has 176 k's and only 28 walks in those 206 innings....
SP Devon Hyngarywill miss his next start with a herniated disc in his back...The Stars will be watching his process as he plays a huge part in there rotation and without him the season would be over....
Rookie CLO Joe Muldrowwill be taken out of the closer role for now..Even though he picked up 12 saves his high era of 6.33 and giving up 29 hits was enough for the Stars to pull him...Muldrow only 22 still has a good future with the Stars but not as there closer this year...The Stars will watch him closely the next few weeks and if he continues to struggle he will be sent down to the minors....RP Michael 'Bubbles' Smith will take his 99 mph fastball and try to see how he does as the Stars closer...He has 41 K's in 30 innings so maybe for an inning he can start closing games....Smith is 5-0 so far this season with 1 save but a 5.01 era....
1B Dave Reilly is having himself a teffific year for his first full season in the bigs....Reilly is hitting .298 with 22 homers and has driven in 70 runs..Reilly has posted 22 doubles so far this season too...Over the last 5 games Reilly is hitting .364 and has pounded out 4 homers.....

[KCCardinalFan]

Bubbles averages a walk an inning and just over a K an inning. The type of closer that makes GM's go gray, and keeps fans of both teams tuned in until the very end!

[cramsey51]

Bubbles averages a walk an inning and just over a K an inning. The type of closer that makes GM's go gray, and keeps fans of both teams tuned in until the very end!

Hence the reason he became expendable in Buffalo.

[LambeauLeap]

That control would make him a waiver player for me. Reminds me of a Brewers game I saw YEARS ago with LeTroy Hawkins, when he walked like 6 players in an inning at the end of the game.

[leejay56]

if he pitches like he did in June, 8 inn 11 ks 0 earned runs then maybe he can do ok...lets see in a few weeks...

[recte44]

UGh, another guy who needs a new picture....I'll get on it.