San Diego Chargers (47-38, .553, 3 GB, 2nd NL West) @ Los Angeles Lakers (50-35, .588, 1st NL West)
We welcome San Diego to town for a 3-game set with a pitching staff full of rubber arms thanks to Shawna and her no-quit Minnesota Timberwolves. With their #1 ranked and well-oiled run-scoring machine primed to do damage against us – we’ll need to muster everything in our arsenal to remain the #1 team in Runs Against when this 3-game set is all said and done. They are led by 15-million-dollar man, Ben Compton, who's considered a top 5 1B in the Majors – he has 11 homers and 54 RBI so far this year and given the state of our staff will be looking to add to that total judiciously. But, if we manage to hold him back, they always have CF Smith Wells and RF Kelford Jackson waiting in the wings, poised to strike like a cobra with the jump on a mongoose… On the bump, they’ll send Burt McElheny at us first – the last time he pitched against us, we touched him up for 11 hits and 6 runs and left him with his 2nd loss on the year – since then, he’s gone 7-4, and other than a misstep in Dallas where he let 7 runs score, he’s been in prime form. Fan expectation is high in San Diego – they’ve seen a 17% jump in Season Ticket sales this year and after 3-straight years of winning baseball, where they’ve improved on their record successively, fans believe that their window is open and that their time is now.
86 of 162: Burt McElheny (8-6, 3.48) @ Michael “Bootleg Oswaldo” Brisk (7-7, 4.05)
The Chargers ride a gonzo top of the 4th for just over an inning, until our club, ever the persistent bunch, chip away at it until sealing the deal in the 8th. We earn a 7-5 win in game one – and, low and behold, manage to get it done inside the required 9 innings. Nash Aguilar went 2 for 4 with a HR, a triple, and 3 RBI and Gerardo Benavides was Mr. Clutch in the bottom of the 5th with his 2-run jack to knot it up. Pepper goes 1 for 4, but strikes out twice, and, as a unit, we turn 3 double plays, with Fregoso playing an integral part of each. Brisk gives up 5, Miller gets his 2nd W, and Durkin snipes save number 6.
87 of 162: Manuel Morales (4-6, 6.20) @ Case Tunnell (6-2, 3.70)
Slick-fielding from Fregoso again today – he jumped up to catch a liner that looked to be out of reach – snagged that bad boy and rifled one over to 1st for a double play… somebody get this man his Gold Glove, please. Matty Olson, ever the gentleman, allows SDC to break up our shutout bid in the top of the 9th, when he underhanded a calzone to Lenny Iovino from Athens, NY – who sends it on its way out of the park for a 2-run homer. Skip yanked him, and Durkin came in to get things sorted. Lakers win, 5-2.
Elsewhere: All-Star Rosters were announced – Otto (injured) and Dom are the only Lakers that make the cut – it’s a
KANGAROO COURT! Unbelievable – my whole squad should be there. Derek makes the team – the fans voted him in – ahh, the sympathy vote.
88 of 162: Heath Zody (10-4, 3.34) @ Merl Crawford (8-5, 3.95)
Guzman gets the save tonight on 14 pitches, Crawford only allows two (walked 4 tho…), and Ethan hits his 13th home run in the 8th to put us ahead for good – Lakers get the sweep by a score of 3-2. Newman finished 2 for 4, Pepper hit a double, Fregoso gets the ever-elusive Sac Bunt! Heath Zody left the game with an undisclosed injury in the 4th… we wish him a speedy recovery.
Editor’s note - Brian Candelario has been added to my mustache shortlist.
A home sweep? Against a divisional rival? Right before the All-Star break? Check, check, and check! Three days off and then we welcome the Steelers to town, who, at 44-44, find themselves only two games off the pace in the NL East… there’s a ho-hum division for you. In other news… Phoenix now has four regular starters out on the IL with the recent addition of Del Miller to the list… what a terrible turn of events in my old stomping grounds.