The Denver Brewers:
With many of the Brewers starters resting and several players who were just brought up from AAA Chester (with that team having recently lost in the AAA Championship series to the Benton Baycats (Los Angeles Spinners), 4 games to 1, the Brewers still managed to rally late to beat the Portland Wild Things.
Sekien Hamasaki got the start but not a decision, having given up 3 runs on 8 hits over 7 innings pitched.
Walter Hackler (1-1, 2.19) got the win in relief and
Tim Shore finished things up (though not without some tense moments) for his 25th save of the season. Recently promoted players getting not only their first big league at-bats but also their first WPK hits in this one included outfielder
Eric Hammock, who hit his first double and scored his first run as a Brewer, third baseman
Willie Olivarez (actually he has one plate appearance, though not technically an at-bat, for Charlotte in 1976), who drove in a run with his lone single, and first baseman
Richard Escamilla, the Brewers 2nd round pick in the 1973 draft, who came in as a pinch-hitter and delivered a key 2-run single in his first big league at-bat.
Jake DiCesare went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI, hitting his 4th homer of the season. And
Geoff Bartholomew was 2 for 5 in the leadoff slot.
In other MGL action, the Brooklyn Aces defeated the Los Angeles Spinners with Aaron McNally (23-8, 2.73) getting the win and Eduardo Obando (17-8, 2.65) taking the loss. L.A. veteran third baseman Jesus Hernandez continues his late-season push to get his second career league MVP award, going 2 for 4 and hitting his league-leading 29th home run of the season.
The Shoeless Joe League Pennant Race:
Over in the SJL, it certainly appears that Columbus left-handed ace Luis Ramirez (19-8, 2.26) is in line to get his first Pitcher of the Year award and he led the Whalers to a big win over Pittsburgh. With both El Paso and Philadelphia losing the Whalers are back within 2 games of the lead as they look to three-peat.
Philadelphia remains 1 game behind El Paso, with Columbus now tied with Boston, who lost to 1-0 to Washington, at 2 games back, and San Antonio barely stays alive (having earned an 11th inning walk-off win against Philly), 5 games out of first.