Tuber Times 2061.53: Sim #16 Recap - JAX,CLT

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Tuber Times
18 July 2061
Boise, Idaho
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by Stubby Bardenwerper

Boise Spuds 43 54 .443 DIV -22 WC -6 L10: 4-6 Strk: W2
Sim #16 was the first in the post-Bayou era at Boise and saw a discombobulated Spuds team stumble thru the beginning of the last half of the season. The cost was getting swept in Jacksonville by a Zombies team the Spuds took 3 of 4 from in Idaho. Then it was the first 3 games of a series in Charlotte where Boise grabbed 2 wins.

@ Jacksonville 4-7 L SP Mahad 'Furball' Einan (ND) - 20 G, 20 GS, 5-4, 4.37 ERA, 115.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, +0.7 WAR
@ Jacksonville 4-5 L SP Muneer bin Khairy (ND) - 19 G, 8 GS, 2-3, 1 SV, 3.62 ERA, 79.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, +0.2 WAR
@ Jacksonville 4-6 L SP Jeremy Nickerson (ND) - 18 G, 11 GS, 1-4, 4.52 ERA, 75.2 IP, 1.41 WHIP, +0.3 WAR
@ Jacksonville 1-10 L P Tariku Jabiri (L) - 1 G, 1 GS, 0-1, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 0.1 WAR
Playing in Jacksonville is always going to be a fight, but there was more to overcome in this trip as the Spuds dealt with their new complexion. The offense was somewhat decent against the Zombies, but the bullpen continually torpedoed any chance at success. To wit, in the 4 games, 3 starting pitchers received logged a ND. This game was full of 1-run innings. Back and forth until the 9th inning found the teams tied at 4. But in the bottom of the frame 1B Majd bin Nawaf took Boise P Brian Groves deep for a 3-run walkoff HR. Game two demonstrated how the series was closer than a sweep would indicate. bin Khairy had a good outing allowing 4 runs in 6.2 innings, but a solo shot by Jacksonville 1B Terry Cole in the 8th was the difference. Nickerson, as was the pattern, had a very good showing allowing the Zombies just 4 runs over 7 innings, but Groves was victimized yet again with the long ball as he gave up a solo shot and an RBI single to cough up the loss from a tie ballgame. Yet again, in the finale, the score was a respectable 3-0 headed into the bottom of the 7th. Jabiri, acquired earlier in the week from Sacramento was excellent in allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits in 5 innings. But the Zombies just kept sending runs across the plate in the 7th inning, 6 in total, to emphatically put the game away. Jacksonville 3B Pepe Aragón had 2 solo homeruns and bin Nawaf had a bases-clearing double in the big 7th.

@ Charlotte 9-10 L P Buddhapalita Kankipati (L) - 15 G, 6 GS, 2-1, 2.68 ERA, 47.0 IP, 1.09 WHIP, +0.4 WAR
@ Charlotte 10-6 W Einan (ND)
@ Charlotte 5-4(10) W bin Khairy (ND)
CL Mario Santos (SV-14) - 29 G, 2-5, 14 SV, 4.50 ERA, 32.0 IP, 1.47 WHIP, +0.1 WAR
Boise stumbled into the Queen City looking for at least a split of a 4-game series. Kankipati set a great tone for the Spuds allowing just 1 run in 5.0 innings, which is great to see for GM Ben Teague who has been wanting the righty to grab a spot in the rotation. But the bullpen just imploded. From a 6-1 lead headed into the bottom of the Flyers half of the 6th, 3 Boise relievers managed to allow a total of 9 runs which was just enough for Charlotte to notch a 1-run win. The next two were victories, finally, and set up the Spuds to either win the series or split in Sim #17. In the 2nd game, Boise C Tadanobu Otani went 3-4 with 2 RBI and new LF Tsutomu Yamauchi drove in 4 runs on a 3-5 evening.