May 1, 1920
It was a game of drama and home runs when the Whiskeytown Ducks came to the Bear Pit to take on the Northlands Polar Bears. The game started off pretty tame but it suddenly exploded in the bottom of the 5th when Northlands RF blasted a 3-run home run. The Ducks will strike back in the 6th with back-to-back home runs from LF J.R. Shouse and 1B Vladik Zavalin. Zavalin will hit a home run in each plate appearance to come for a three home run game.
Unfortunately Zavalin's efforts will be vain. As the game moves to the bottom of the 9th, the Ducks hold a 9-8 lead over the Polar Bears but the inning kicks off with the man who started the home runs getting his second of the night to tie the game up. The Bears load the bases and it all it takes is a Paul Manzi single for the walk-off.
And, Joel De Vries' hit streak record is no more as Amelia City's SS Levi Days gets his 15th in a row in a loss to the Dustland Sharks. The hit streak doesn't bring the Metros any luck, they're 5-10 so far.
2 May, 1920
And the moment I mention something, I jinx it. The Amelia City Metros picked up a 6-5 win in extras against the Dustland Sharks but Levi Days failed to get a hit.
4 May, 1920
Two big efforts from pitcher Max Steel and CF Johnny Pfeifer propelled the Spice District Roosters to a a big 8-1 win over the Crimson Forest Falcons. Both teams got themselves a lead-off home run but that was the last hit and run that Max Steel would give up that evening as he ripped the Falcons batting order apart with a 15K performance. On the other side of the ledger, after getting that first home run Johnny Pfeifer just kept on going with 3-run home runs in the 5th and 7th to cap off a 7 RBI game.
7 May, 1920
Paul Manzi is becoming something of a cult hero in Northlands. The 28 year old Right Fielder has yet to start a game but it was just a week ago when he hit a walk-off single against the Ducks. Here it's the top of the 10th against the Roosters and the bases are loaded, again. He jumps on the first pitch he sees and slips a single in between the 1st and 2nd baseman to get the winning run home. The throw from the Roosters Right Fielder not getting there in time.
So, here's a Paul Manzi fact. He's got a 1.36 WPA at the moment. The only other Northlands player with a higher WPA is Jon Jackson with 1.55. The difference? Jon Jackson has had 164 plate appearance, Paul Manzi 19.
To top off the bad news for the Roosters. They've lost their star 3B Tommy Glass to injury. He's expected to miss 4-5 weeks.
8 May, 1920
Fresh off winning pitcher of the month. Jaxon Darnell has made a serious statement for the May prize as well as he pitches the first no-hitter of COBRA against the Salt Quarter Penguins. It's not without a little bit of controversy though as at least one columnist from the
Amelia Daily Times makes the case that those errors could have easily been classified as hits.
Here's where the standings lie at the end of 8 May!
