When you look at the final scores for the last two Sidewinder’s games, you could say that the team is doing just great.  And they are, of course!  But you can argue equally well that they’ve had a lot of help from the Memphis pitchers who have thrown two crucial wild pitches which cost them and aided our Winders.  Augie Ojeda scored last night’s winning run when Memphis reliever, Brian Falkenborg, tossed a wild pitch to Rich Thompson.  Augie had started the inning with a single and was advanced to third by Matt Morgan and Mark Johnson before sneaking home on the bad pitch.

In spite of that, last night’s game was a fairly even affair.  Both teams scored two runs in a single inning (the Winders got theirs in the second on five hits; the Redbirds got theirs in the fifth on a two-run homer by Skip Schumaker).  Enrique Gonzalez hung tough through seven innings, giving up those two runs on seven hits and one walk.  He also posted five strikeouts.  Casey Daigle got the win by pitching the eighth inning (no runs, one hit) and Randy Choate and Mike Schultz split the ninth and held the Redbirds scoreless.  Schultz was credited with the save for getting the last out.   (It should be noted that Casey Daigle also tossed a wild pitch…the only cost was to Mark Johnson who got pegged pretty badly.)

Bill Plummer started the game with a different lineup than we’ve seen lately because he intended to give Danny Richar a day off.  Unfortunately, Donnie Sadler came out of the game with an injury of some sort and Danny ended up taking his place at second anyway.  Tucson got nine hits:  two each to Thompson, Carter and Ojeda.  Brian Barden’s offensive struggles continue and his frustration finally boiled over when he was called out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning.  Ryan Radtke assured fans that Brian’s cause was just:  the ball was clearly off the plate.  Nonetheless, Brian was called out and his intense disagreement with the home-plate ump resulted in his ejection from the game, after which Jamie D’Antona moved from 1B to 3B, Matt Morgan moved from catcher to first, and Mark Johnson came in to catch.  Considering the turnover in the in-field during the game last night, it’s kind of impressive the team held on for the win (of course, our good relief pitching was a help, too!).  On the “continuing to NOT struggle” side:  Matt Morgan had another RBI hit last night. 

By the way, the final score last night was Tucson 3, Memphis 2.  The Winders are now at .558, but remain 1 1/2 games in back of Sacramento in the Southern Division.

Hey Look!  It’s #31!  Although he didn’t get into the game last night, Dave Krynzel was seen in the Tucson dugout wearing #31 on his jersey.  I’m really looking forward to seeing him play with the Sidewinders!

The Redbirds get another shot at the Sidewinders tonight at 5:10pm Tucson time (that’s right now!).  You can catch that on COOL 1450AM or on the official Sidewinders website.  D.J. Carrasco is the scheduled starter for Tucson - cheer hard for him;  he’s in need of our support!  (Keep cheering!  It’s obviously helping.  As they head into the second inning tonight, the Winders are ahead 3 to 0 and D.J. had a very successful first inning.)

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

The Tucson Sidewinders started their Tennessee road trip in fine form last night, beating the Memphis Redbirds, 3 to 0.  The win takes the Winders to 28 and 23 (.549) for the season.  In a neat twist, the only team from our Division that lost yesterday was Sacramento (way to go Isotopes!), so our Sidewinders are now only 1 1/2 games in back of the River Cats!

Yumeiro Petit got the start for Tucson and pitched six effective innings, giving up no runs on six hits and two walks.  Yusmeiro also tossed four strikeouts!  It didn’t sound like Petit was as fine as he can be, but he and the team (some incredible defense backing him last night!) did hold the Redbirds scoreless through six.  My main man, Jailen Peguero, pitched the next two innings and did what I’ve come to expect of him:  gave up no runs, no hits, and no walks.  And he threw up another two Ks in the process.  I love this guy!  Chad Harville got his 13th save of the season, tossing a perfect 9th to end the game.

Tucson’s offense was stymied a bit last night by Redbird pitchers, but Danny Richar and Rich Thompson each added RBIs to their totals.  In fact, Rich Thompson went deep in the fifth for his first home run of the season!  Augie Ojeda led the team in hits, collecting two.  The final inning added insult to injury for the Memphis home team:  Mark Johnson got a leadoff walk when he was hit by a pitch.  A SAC bunt and a ground out advanced MJ to third where he scored on a wild pitch to Augie.   Credit an RBI to Redbird pitcher Chris Lambert!  (lol)

Where’re Dave and Dee?  Pretty much all season long the Tucson roster has carried Dave Krynzel as inactive while he’s dealt with some kind of personal issue.  I saw Dave in Spring Training and had been looking forward to seeing him play as a Winder, so I’ve been a bit disappointed that he’s been out (though I’ve liked watching Rich Thompson, who came up in Dave’s place).  On his broadcast last night, Ryan Radtke indicated that Krynzel may be close to returning to active status.  He was guessing that because of the roster move the D-Backs made yesterday: after making the trip to Memphis with the Winders, Dee Brown was called into the office and told he’d been traded to the Athletics…which means he’ll be playing for the Sacramento River Cats.  Don’t you hate it when one of our guys just starts to get on-track and the Big Club trades him away to our Division rivals?  Best of luck to Dee…  The Winders will be seeing him soon, since the Cats will be in town for a four-game series beginning on June 7th.

The Sidewinders and Redbirds meet up in a day game today (RIGHT NOW in fact!).  You can catch that live on the Sidewinders website.  Or you can catch it on COOL 1450AM, tape-delayed at 6pm.  Enrique Gonzalez is Tucson’s starter and Bill Plummer has given Danny Richar a day off, so the starting lineup is considerably different than it’s been of late (in the top of the 1st, Tucson went down 1-2-3…).

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

Outstanding pitching and defense were the main stories from last night’s Memorial Day game against the Tacoma Rainiers, which the Winders won, 1 to 0.  That’s right folks, there were a lot of zeros on the board by the ninth inning!  The win gave the Sidewinders the series and lifted them to a .540 record for the season (though they are still 2 1/2 in back of Sacramento).

Dustin Nippert started the game and pitched five excellent innings, giving up only one hit, no runs, and two walks with seven strikeouts.  Nip is still growing back into a starter’s role and was again on a pitch count, so Adam Bass was sent in to pitch three more outstanding innings of no run relief following Dustin.  These two have developed into a potent one-two punch!  Adam did give up the second Rainier hit, but issued no walks and was credited with the win.  Chad Harville got his 12th save of the year with his work in the ninth.  Chad came one strike away from gifting the 2,698 attendees with a free Thirst Buster from Circle K (given to fans if the team collects 10 strikeouts in the game), but did succeed in getting a ground out to end the game.  Tucson pitching was a thing of beauty last night!

Tacoma pitching didn’t look bad either!  Tucson was able to get seven hits against their staff.  Formerly struggling Matt Morgan collected two of those Tucson hits and was credited with the game’s only RBI (his seventh, most of which have come since May 24th), in the bottom of the seventh.  Dee Brown hit a solid double with two out in the seventh and Matt followed with a pretty as you please RBI single.  That was the only run scored in the game.  Also noteworthy:  neither team was charged with any errors.

More About Pitching!  Obviously last night’s leading story was the pitching from both teams.  But I have a personal twist on the pitching lineup to add, too.  Though staff members are normally ineligible for any on-field promotions while they’re working, I was tremendously honored and absolutely thrilled to be chosen to represent female veterans and my beloved Air Force by tossing out one of the three ceremonial first pitches before last night’s game.  Literally a dream come true for me and I can’t thank management enough for letting me get the chance!  I didn’t totally embarrass myself out there, either…though I am afraid the Oreo Cookie hurled a better pitch than I did! 

The Sidewinders hit the road to Tennessee today.  They’ll begin a four-game series against the Memphis Redbirds (25 and 27;  Cardinals affiliate) tonight at Auto Zone Park in Memphis.  As always you can catch the play-by-play on local COOL 1450AM with Ryan Radtke or on the Sidewinder’s official website.  Broadcasts will begin at 5:10pm local.  GO SIDEWINDERS!

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

The Tucson Sidewinders fell to the visiting Tacoma Rainiers last night in a game in which the Winders appeared to let some old bad habits overtake them;  they were charged with four errors during the game.   Final score, Tacoma 7, Tucson 4.  The loss ended the team’s season-high winning streak, but did not affect their place in the standings (everyone else in our Division lost, too.  I especially love that Colorado Springs was able to beat the River Cats!).  The Winders remain 2 1/2 games in back of Sacramento, with a win-loss record of 26 and 23 (.531 average).

Evan MacLane had another rough outing on the mound.  In his four innings of work he gave up all seven Tacoma runs, only two of which were earned.  Two of Tacoma’s nine hits were solo home runs, too.  Though Evan struggled (he also threw a wild pitch, was called for a balk, and committed one of the team’s four errors), the bullpen did a fine job of damage control.  Mike Schultz looked good in his three innings; Jailen Peguero and Bill Murphy covered the last two with no problems.  Jailen is beginning to look like the “go to guy” as far as I can tell - his ERA is only 1.35.  It strikes me that he’s the most consistent guy out of the pen.  He comes in and I’m not worried about him giving up the game.

I didn’t get to hear the start of the game, but from the box scores and Gameday recaps, it looks like it started in a manner that would’ve given the 3,916 fans reason to cheer.   The Rainiers got two runs in the top of the first, but the Winders matched them in the bottom with doubles by Alex Romero and Chris Carter (Chris’ was an RBI double) and an RBI single by Jeff Salazar.  The Winder inning ended when Chris was tagged out at home after a Brian Barden single.   The team and fans then watched Tacoma put up three unanswered runs in the second inning, and one run in each of the third and fourth innings.  Our bullpen put an end to the Tacoma scoring and the Winders were finally able to get to the Tacoma starter again with a Dee Brown 2-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Thus endeth scoring by both teams and Tucson’s winning streak was a thing of history.

Tucson still has a chance to win this four-game series with tonight’s game.  Can you think of a nicer way to spend a holiday than watching a ballgame up close and in person?  Especially when margaritas will be flowing?  Why don’t you come check it out!  Gates open at 5:30 and first pitch will be at 6:30.  I hope to see you there…

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

Only a few hours after typing an entry saying one must not give up on this Sidewinders team, I’d dismissed my own advice as short-sighted and had given up hope during their Saturday night game.  After D.J. Carrasco got seriously roughed up in his 4 2/3 innings of work and with the Winders behind 8 to 1, I had given up hope for a victory…only to relearn my new lesson:  do not give up on these guys.  They ROCK!  They pulled off some kind of magic last night and beat the visiting Rainiers, 11 to 9!

Casey Daigle came in to relieve D.J. and pitched very well through 2 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run, but getting credit for the Sidewinders win as the snakes with the bats found their rhythm and went to work on Tacoma.  The team got three runs in the fifth (featuring a Chris Carter double and a Jamie D’Antona triple), bringing the score to a more respectable 8 to 4.  The Winders then busted the game wide open with six runs in an amazing seventh inning.  Brian Barden started the inning with a single and scored on a wild pitch and a fielding error by the Tacoma pitcher, which also got Chris Carter to first base.  Jamie D’Antona then hit his fourth homer of the year, for two runs.  Dee Brown popped out, but Augie Ojeda took a walk and was advanced to third on a wild pitch (that’s called very aggressive base-running!) to Matt Morgan.  Matt hit an RBI single, followed by a bunt single by Rich Thompson.  Danny Richar hit into a fielder’s choice that advanced the runners for Alex Romero’s two RBI single before Bardo popped out to end the inning.  Suddenly the Winders had the lead.  Incredible!  Adam Bass and Randy Choate split the pitching duties in the eighth for Tucson and did their jobs:  namely, allowing no more Rainier runs.  In the bottom of the eighth, Chris Carter lead off with a solo home run that ensured Tucson would retain the lead.  Chad Harville tossed the ninth for Tucson and succeeded in getting his 11th save of the season.  Chad gave up a walk and then the team immediately erased that with a double-play ball, followed by a game-ending pop up out.   The 4,541 fans who showed up at TEP for Brandon Webb Figurine Giveaway Night were sure treated to an exciting game of baseball in the Old Pueblo.

These guys are a treat to watch, folks!  Why not head on out to the ballpark this evening and catch the Sidewinders vs. the Rainiers in their third game of the series?  It’s Dollar Dog Sunday and don’t forget you can also get an Oreo Milk Dunking cup if you’re one of the first 3,000 in the gate.  First pitch at 6pm - come on down!  (And don’t worry about the heat.  Yes, it’s pretty hot again today, but many seats at TEP are in the shade by game time and it’s truly a very pleasant way to spend an evening outdoors in this great city of ours!)

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

After a long travel day returning from Portland, the Tucson Sidewinders had just enough energy left to eek out a win over the visiting Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners), beating them 6 to 5 in front of a wonderful crowd of 5,601 fans.  Fans were treated to a game that was reminiscent of last year’s championship play as the home favorites picked up steam and put on an exciting pre-fireworks display of small-ball play in the 9th and 10th innings. 

Here’s how the box scores break down the game:  Tucson sent Enrique Gonzalez to the mound for the start and he actually pitched quite well (though received a no-decision), especially in early innings.  Enrique gave up three earned runs on eight hits and one walk, and tossed four strikeouts in six innings of work.  The three runs all came while I was on my 15-minute dinner break in the top of the fifth inning.  It’s always a weird feeling when you only miss a few minutes of the game and come back to find the situation changed considerably.  In this case, those three runs also gave the Rainiers the lead, which they held until the bottom of the sixth when the Winders tied the game again.  Mike Schultz followed Enrique to the mound and pitched two solid innings, giving up no runs on two hits and three strikeouts.  And so we entered the ninth inning with Bill Murphy on the mound to finish things off.  Except Bill wasn’t his usual self, and he gave up two earned runs on three hits (no Ks, either).  Murph was pulled after two outs in the inning and Jailen Peguero came in to clean things up.  He succeeded in getting the last out in the top of the ninth, but…Rainiers ahead now, 5 to 3.   But don’t count the Winders out yet.  That was true last year, and it’s a lesson that may also apply to the team now:  never give up on them!  In the ninth they got two runs to tie the game and had the bases loaded with one out and I was just sure we were going to win right then!  Instead we hit into a double-play and the inning ended.  Peguero pitched a scoreless top of the 10th and the Winders saw another chance to break things open in the bottom.  This time they did all the right small-ball things AND scored the final run on a beautiful fly ball single by Alex Romero with the bases loaded to win the game. 

All Tucson starting position players had at least one hit.  The team was charged with no errors and this win takes the team into territory they haven’t seen this year to date:  three games above .500 (though still 3 1/2 in back of Sacramento, who also won last night).  An great homecoming for the Winders and their fans.  Fireworks afterwards were certainly an appropriate finale to an exciting evening.

This is how the game looked to me as I worked:  While it’s incredibly fun working on staff during a Sidewinders game, it’s difficult to blog the game afterwards.  During the game my attention is mostly on the fans and trying to ensure a fun and family-friendly, safe environment for all those nice folks in my section of the ballpark.  While I see a lot of the game, obviously, not a lot of it registers in a way I can record later.  Here’s how it looks - I notice Enrique’s on the mound to start.  I notice that Danny Richar hit a solid single to lead off the game (and I think, “Yup, that kid is learning to be a great leadoff hitter”).  I cheer and holler for various plays throughout the game, none of which really registers (until the 9th and 10th).  While climbing the stairs before the start of each Winder half of an inning, I’m always hollering for the guy leading off.  I DEFINITELY notice the score went “wrong” during my dinner break at 8pm!  And I’m finally really tuned in for the bottom of the ninth and all of the tenth.  Meantime, I’m checking tickets and helping folks find their seats (early on).  Asking kids to stay out of the aisles and off the railings and dugout.  Requesting a gentleman turn his tee shirt inside out so the foul language won’t be visible (he complied…rolled his eyes a bit, but didn’t give me any reason to call security.  FYI:  TEP is definitely a “no swear zone.”  You mess that up, Security escorts you out of the Park).  Chatting with fans and greeting Julie Parr and the Parrletts (Elizabeth and “Shoeless” Joe) and Sarah Schultz and her twins.  Pacing between sections to ensure that all is well.  And (through the latter half of last night’s game) trying to get a ball for a very well-behaved and adorable little boy sitting close to the dugout behind the net in section 116.  It’s a bad place to sit if you hope a player will toss you a ball when they return from the field between innings.  The players do toss balls to fans in sections 117 and 118 who sit behind the dugout (especially young kids and attractive young ladies…being neither, and being on staff, I’m typically SOL!), but my little buddy wasn’t in a hot zone for those.  Fortunately, I was able to convince the clubhouse crew to give me one when they went to refill the ball bag later in the game:  my little buddy eventually got that ball autographed, too.  The smile on his face…priceless! 

Tonight’s a big night at TEP.  The Sidewinders take on the Rainiers again beginning with first pitch at 6:30.  Get there early and be one of the first 2,000 fans with paid admission through the gates, and get a Brandon Webb figurine!  If you’ve opted not to travel this weekend because of the absurdly high cost of gas, why not go out to TEP and cheer on this great team that is now on a winning streak? 

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

Tucson catcher Matt Morgan busted his season-long slump wide open last night with two hits and three RBIs in a game that saw the Winders beating the Portland Beavers, 7 to 2.  The Sidewinders are now two games above the .500 mark for the first time since they started the season with a 2 and 0 record.  Go Snakes!

Yusmeiro Petit was Tucson’s starting pitcher and earned the win, though he didn’t look as sharp as on his previous two outings.  Petit tossed five innings, giving up both Portland runs (both earned and one of which was a homer) and two walks during his outing.  Casey Daigle and Jailen Peguero each followed with an inning of work, before Randy Choate closed with two innings of exceptional pitching.

Although Tucson scored their first run without a hit in the third inning (after the Beavers put up their two runs in the second), the Winders scored three runs each in the fourth and eighth innings in a showcase of small-ball play.  The fourth inning featured a Barden double, a Sadler bunt single followed by a stolen base, a hit batsman (Ojeda), Morgan’s two RBI single, a SAC bunt by pitcher Petit, and a Richar RBI single before Romero hit into a double-play.  In the eighth, D’Antona hit a double, followed by a Barden RBI single (Bardo was then caught stealing…one of the few low points of the game outside of some scary pitching moments), a Sadler single, an Ojeda walk, another Morgan RBI single, and a pinch hit RBI fielder’s choice by Chris Carter, before Richar fouled out to end the inning.  No long ball for the Winders, but I’m encouraged to see them focusing on their strengths in the small-ball game.

Donnie Sadler returned to the line up last night, although with a very different number than he usually wears.  Our “Number 1″ guy (just check his jersey!) was #22 last night.  Apparently his jerseys were still in Tucson where he’d left them when called up to the D-Backs and then designated for assignment.  I’m sure Donnie will be back in his #1 jersey during the homestand in Tucson.  (By the way, Matt Erickson and his sore finger were placed on the DL to make room for Donnie on the Winders roster.)

Alumni Notes.  Mike Basik, one of Tucson’s excellent pitchers last year (11 and 0 last year) got his first win in the big leagues in nearly three years while pitching for the Washington Nationals at Cincinnati last night.  And who could miss D-Back starting pitcher (and the Winder pitcher who got the win in the Bricktown Showdown last year!), Micah Owings, who tossed a complete game win against the Astros last night at Chase Field.  Well done you two!

All This and Oreos Too!  The Sidewinders return to Tucson today to play the Tacoma Rainiers in a short four-game homestand before hitting the road to Memphis and Nashville.  In yesterday’s posting I highlighted the major promotions for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend homestand, but it appears I missed one.  On Sunday and Monday there will also be an “Oreo and Milk Jingle Event” and the first 3,000 fans through the gates those days will be given a Oreo Milk Dunking Cup!  Who could pass on that?

I hope to see you out at TEP tonight as the Sidewinders kick off this series with the Rainiers.  Gates open at 5:30 for first pitch at 6:30.  Come on down!

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

The Sidewinders pulled off their second consecutive win at Portland’s PGE Park last night, raising them above the .500 mark for the season (also leapfrogging Fresno for second place in our Division and, thanks to a win by the Salt Lake Bees, bringing them to only 3 1/2 games in back of Sacramento).

Dustin Nippert took the mound in the start for Tucson and continued the dominant pitching he showed in the latter half of his last start, striking out five in his two innings of work.  In a bizarre twist, Nip was pulled from the game at that point though it was clear he wasn’t injured or struggling.  Ryan Radtke speculated a call must have come from the Diamondbacks to put Nippert on hold.  Today’s paper indicates that Randy Johnson will miss his next start for the D-Backs due to some tendinitis in his forearm: one might guess that Nippert’s short start had something to do with that situation in the Big Club.

Fortunately for the Winders, Adam Bass had all his stuff working in his four innings of work following Nip.  Together they worked six innings, allowing no hits or runs, and only one walk!  Bill Murphy came in next to pitch two innings.  His seventh inning was also perfect, but he gave up a hit in the eighth to end the “no hitter.”  The team still had a shutout on the line, though…until closer Mike Schultz gave up a two-out ground rule double and a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth.

In addition to the excellent pitching, other parts of the Winders’ game also looked outstanding.  There were incredible outfield catches by Rich Thompson and Alex Romero; Alex and Chris Carter both successfully stole a base; each starting position player had at least one hit and five members of the team had RBIs; and the Winders were not charged with any errors.  Tucson won the game, 5 to 2.

Tonight will be the final game in the series at Portland.  First pitch is at 7:05pm.  You can catch that on COOL 1450AM in Tucson or on the Sidewinders official website.  The Boys return to Tucson tomorrow for a quick four-game series against the Rainiers - why don’t you make plans now to see the team play at home over this Memorial Day weekend?  Here’s what’s on tap:

• Fireworks Friday, May 25.  Celebrate the end of the school year with a Winders game followed by a lovely fireworks show sponsored by Sam Levitz.  After fireworks the kids will have a chance to run the bases!  Game starts at 6:30pm.
• Brandon Webb Figurine Giveaway, May 26.  The first 2,000 folks with paid admission will get a figurine of last year’s Cy Young winner, D-Back starter, Brandon Webb.  Also don’t forget to stop into the Groves area for the monthly Wine, Women and Baseball event before the first pitch.  Game starts at 6:30pm.
• Dollar Dog Sunday, May 27.  Game starts at 6:00pm.
• Margarita Monday, May 28.  Two for one margaritas all game long!  Game starts at 6:30pm.

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

Portland Pounds D.J.  The Portland Beavers (Padres) weren’t the least bit fooled by Tucson starter D.J. Carrasco last night (May 21st), scoring eight runs off his pitching in 2 2/3 innings of work.  In spite of the early-inning deficit, the Winders gave the Beavers a decent game, eventually falling to the home team, 9 to 7. 

The game began on an extremely positive note for the Winders.  In the first inning they loaded up the bases and scored one before running into a double-play (fly out and out at home) to end the inning.  As Ryan Radtke said, their inability to do more at that point may have been a turning point for the guys.  While the Beavers were beating up on D.J., however, the Winders batters continued to put up a run here and there, and, in fact, scored in all but three innings.  Danny Richar got his fifth homer of the year in the fourth, which scored two runs.  Both teams dug deep into their bullpens to settle the affair:  Adam Bass, the last Tucson reliever, gave up the final run to the Beavers.  On a positive note, Tucson committed no errors (while Portland was charged with three). 

Roster Updates.  Matt Erickson continues to struggle with the sore finger.  But he has still not been placed on the DL.  Donnie Sadler cleared waivers and will be rejoining the club on Wednesday.

This Just In - a Tucson Win!  Today’s day game in Portland has gone final and the Winders came out on top, beating the Beavers 5 to 2.  Over 8,000 kids got to watch visiting starter Evan MacLane get the win.  Evan pitched seven innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits and two walks.  Choate and Peguero split an inning of work and Chad Harville got the save.  Offensively, Danny Richar lead off the game with a solo home run (Danny is on a tear, folks!  Fun to watch) and later had an RBI double that scored Rich Thompson.  Almost all starting position players (plus Evan!) got at least one hit during the game, though the runs were all credited to Danny, Rich Thompson, and Mark Johnson.  Augie Ojeda was today’s only starter not to get a hit (though he did take a walk).  Tucson committed no errors during the game. 

Tomorrow’s game will also begin at 11:05am.  You can catch it live on the Winders website, or tape-delayed on COOL 1450AM at 6pm in Tucson.

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)

The Sidewinders split the weekend games against the Tacoma Rainiers, resulting in a series split that leaves the Winders at the .500 mark (with 21 wins and 21 losses) yet again for the season.  They are 5 1/2 games in back of the division-leading Sacramento Rivercats.

Saturday, May 19.  A game that by all rights should have gone down in the books as a pitcher’s duel turned into a three-ring circus as it appeared each team was vying for most errors committed in an inning.  Fortunately for the Sidewinders, the Rainiers won that dubious title, giving up all five Winders runs in the ninth inning on two hits, three errors, two walks, and RBIs on both a passed ball and a wild pitch.  That may not be the way you want to win a game, but a win is a win!  Yusmeiro Petit pitched 6 1/3 innings for a no-decision, giving up both Tacoma runs on five hits and three walks.  Both Tacoma runs were recorded in the seventh inning - an inning in which Tucson committed two fielding errors.  Randy Choate pitched 2/3 of an inning, getting two strikeouts and issuing an intentional walk.  Chad Harville was credited with the win after pitching two innings and giving up no runs on one hit and no walks.  Final score:  Tucson 5, Tacoma 2.

Sunday, May 20.  Rain gave the Rainiers a win on Sunday.  Enrique Gonzalez had another rough start, giving up two runs in the first inning, but stayed in the game through the seventh, giving up a total of four earned runs on seven hits (one of which was a homer) and two walks.  Winders batters got two runs in the fourth, playing an excellent small-ball inning, and scored again in the eighth as weather conditions deteriorated and Tacoma pitching issued their first walk in the game.  It’s ironic that Jon Huber, the Tacoma pitcher credited with the save, also issued two wild pitches, one of which gave Bardo an RBI!  I’m sure Jon’s blaming the rain (and that could be true).  After Tacoma retired the side and came back up to bat (with Jailen Peguero on the mound for Tucson), two batters came to the plate before the game went into a rain delay.  Eventually the game was called on account of weather and field conditions and Tacoma was given the win in eight innings.  Of course, that leaves me to wonder if the Winders were cheated out of ninth inning madness that got them the win on Saturday, but we’ll never know.  Final score:  Tacoma 4, Tucson 3.

Roster Moves.  Alberto Callaspo came off the D-Backs “restricted” list on Saturday forcing a roster move in which the D-Backs decided to designate newly-acquired Jason Smith for assignment.  Casey Daigle cleared waivers and has rejoined the Sidewinders (was, in fact, in Tacoma for Sunday’s game).  No word on the status of Donnie Sadler to date.  Ryan Radtke reported that Matt Erickson has a strained left index finger and was not playing, although it does not appear that he’s on the DL.  Brian Barden returned to play in the weekend games.  It also appears that Dave Krynzel is a step closer to returning after being on the inactive list since April for undefined personal reasons:  he’s currently working out at extended spring training.

The Sidewinders will be playing in Portland tonight against the Beavers (Padres) after a bus ride down from Tacoma today.  The Beavers are currently 19 and 23 and are 3 1/2 games in back of division-leading Salt Lake Bees.  Game time is scheduled for 6:35.  You can catch that on COOL 1450AM or on the Sidewinders official website. 

(Disclaimer - this posting not reviewed/approved by the Sidewinders, Diamondbacks, PCL, MiLB, MLB, National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, or any other baseball official and represents the views and biases of the author alone)