Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Dogs continue to dominate Javelinas

Eddie Morlan
Minnesota's Eddie Morland


Phoenix 6 at Peo Javelinas 2

W: J. Egbert (1-0, 3.77); L: G. Mock (0-1, 2.95)
HR: None.

Trevor Plouffe (Minnesota) when 2-for-3 with 1 walk, 2 runs and 1 RBI for the Phoenix Desert Dogs which continued their dominence over the Peoria Javelina's 6-2.

Chicago White Sox prospect Jack Egbert allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 3 runs while striking out 3 in 4 innings to pick up the win for Phoenix at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Chris Getz (Chicago White Sox) lead off with a single in the top of the third inning for the Dogs, and was followed onto the bases by Plouffe. A Drew Butera (Minnesota) single scored Getz. Nyjer Morgan (Pittsburgh) and Nolan Reimold (Baltimore) then drew a walks which loaded the bases and pushed Plouffe over the plate. Ryan Sweeney (chicago White Sox) would hit into a double play that would take Morgan out at 3rd and Reimold out at 2nd, but Butera managed to pass the plate to give the Dogs a 3 run lead in the inning.

For the Javelinas, Reegie Corona (NY Yankees) took a walk off Egbert to lead off, and advanced to 2nd on a balk. A wild pitch moved him to 3rd, and he'd cross the plate on Brett Gardner's (NY Yankees) ground out to put the Javelinas on the board. Dexter Fowler (Colorado) would walk and steal his way to 2nd, but Jordan Schafer (Atlanta) struck out and former Tampa Yankee Juan Miranda (NY Yankees) ground out to end the inning.

The Dogs took advantage of pitcher change as Plouffe took a walk off Steve Jackson (NY Yankees). Butera would ground out, moving Plouffe over to 2nd. Morgan's 1st double of the AFL season out to left saw Plouffe home. Morgan then stole 2nd and scored on Sweeney's line drive to center adding to the Dog's total.

With Adam Russell (Chicago White Sox) on the mound in the sixth, Miranda doubled then came in on a Justin Maxwell (Washington) single to give the Javelinas their second run in the game.

Phoenix would not finish off until the ninth, when Getz walked, advanced to 2nd on a balk and to 3rd on a wild pitch by Zechry Zinicola (Washington). Plouffe's single would put Getz over the plate. Butera and Morgan both drew walks to load the bases, but with 2 outs, Reimold hit into a force out to retire the side.

The Javelinas would get nothing off Baltimore closer Bob McCrory who sent them back to their dugout on 2 strikes and a Corona line out.

Butera finished off 1-for-3 at the plate with 1 walk and 1 RBI. Eddie Morlan (Minnesota) pitched the 8th inning, striking out 1, and taking 2 of the 3 batters he faced out on ground outs.

Former Lakeland Flying Tigers ace Burke Badenhop picked up the win after pitching 2 innings as the Peoria Saguaros downed the Surprise Rafters, 4-1. San Diego's Will Venable was 3-for-4 at the plate with 1 run and 1 RBI. Philladelphia catcher Tuffy Gosewisch was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs for the Saguaros.

Mike Carp, who played 1 whole game with the St. Lucie Mets last season, was 2-for-4 with 1 run and 2 RBIs to lead the Scottsdale Scorpions over the Mesa Solar Sox, 7-3. Toronto's Travis Snider hit his 3rd home run of the AFL season, while Caleb Stewart (NY Mets) knocked his fifth over the wall.

The Dogs take on the Scorpians Tuesday in Phoenix at 12:35 PM. Phoenix remains in 1st place in the East Division, 3 games ahead of the Solar Sox and 4.5 game in front of Scottsdale. Surprise leads the AFL West, 2 games over the Javelinas.

Former Miracle Nick Blackburn (Minnesota) is in line for AFL Pitcher of the Year honors. After getting hammered by Surprise in his first appearance -- he allowed three runs on four hits in two innings -- Blackburn has allowed only three hits in 11 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 2.08. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter in four innings in his last outing on Tuesday against Surprise. In addition, in his last three starts, all of which came at home, opponents are hitting .086 (3-for-35) against him.

The Desert Dogs are the only AFL team with an ERA below 3.00 at 2.79. Should they continue to pitch to that mark, they will break the league record of 2.84 set by Scottsdale in 1992.

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