Up until first pitch, use the comments section to predict who you think will be the Sunburst Player of the Game. (be sure to use a valid email address while leaving the comment). The commenter that correctly predicts who we will name the Sunburst Player of the Game the most times prior to the all-star game, will win two tickets to a second-half game. Runners-up get their choice of a t-shirt. [Click HERE for rules]
Check Marc Topkin’s blog for the starting lineups.
The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe.
click above image for boxscore
THE GOOD: Mr. Mo Mentum. They say in baseball that momentum is only as good as tomorrow’s starting pitcher. And with the Rays that is the difference between Andy Sonnanstine and Matt Garza. Right now? The Garza Complex is a big league starting pitcher. The Duke is not…Pat Burrell. Pat the Bat may have one of the ugliest swings we have ever seen for a good hitter. It is slow, it is looping, he has terrible balance, kinda like when he runs. And yet he can somehow generate an amazing amount of power. Last night it generated a solo home run and a single in the 8th that grabbed the lead back…Evan Longoria. Dirtbag picked a hell of a time to get hot. In the last4 games he is 8-18 with 2 home runs and 5 driven in…Gregg Zaun. 3 hits including an epic 2-out, 10-pitch duel with Beckett in the 3rd that became an RBI-double.
THE BAD: JP Howell. The Dude once again did not abide, blowing his 8th save, and again doing it on a wild pitch in the 8th inning.
THE TELLING: The Rays are now 5 games behind the Red Sox and 2.5 games behind the Rangers in the Wild Card…The Rays did not attempt a single stolen base last night.
SUNBURST PLAYER OF THE GAME: Pat Burrell.
DEVIL DOGS WEBTOPIA…
Durham 9, Charlotte 0. Jason Cromer pitched 6 shutout innings, striking out 2 and walking 2…Desmond Jennings went 2-3 with a triple and his 3rd home run. He also walked twice and stole 2 bases…Matt Joyce was 2-5 with an RBI and Chris Richard went 4-5 with his 24th home run and 4 RBI.
Montgomery. (no games scheduled)
Charlotte 3, Jupiter 1. Jeremy Hall retired the first 15 batters he faced before a lead-off triple in the 6th. He then retired 11 straight before a single with 2 outs in the 9th. Those would be the only 2 baserunners he would allow in 8.2 innings. He struck out 8 to improve to 14-7…Matt Sweeney went 1-3 with a double and a walk.
Bowling Green 7, Greenville 3. Michael Jarman worked 3 innings and gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and 5 walks…Tim Beckham went 0-4 with a walk and Jake Jefferies was 2-5 with a double and an RBI.
Princeton. (no games scheduled)
Notes from Down on the Farm…
