The Scouting Report:
Game 1:
Phoenix Municipal Stadium is the best hitters' park in the WPK and it showed in the opening game of this series between the Brewers and the Speed Devils. Fortunately, the Brewers outslugged the Speed Devils, and not really by a little. To name all of the offensive heroes for Denver in this one would be to name nearly the entire roster of hitters. So just a few highlights, starting with the Player of the Game,
Antonio Acuna, recently installed as the official starting right fielder with Josh Schaeffer traded to Oklahoma City.
Acuna just went 3 for 5 with 4 runs scored and 3 RBI, hitting his 4th triple of the season and a pair of home runs to get him to 9 on the season.
Val Guzman went 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI and hit his 6th homer of 1979. And, just sticking to the outfielders,
Joe McPhillips was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI, hitting his 17th double and his 11th home run- a 2nd inning Grand Slam- and he also did some damage with his arm, throwing out 2 runners at home plate.
On the other hand, it wasn't the best introduction to Phoenix Municipal Stadium for young
Bryant Cox, who started for the Brewers and lasted just 4 2/3rds innings while giving up 10 runs on 12 hits, including a pair of home runs.
Cox did however himself have success at the plate in this one, going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 driven in.
Ben Flynn was pretty good for 2 1/3rd innings and got the win.
Game 2:
The home club got the win in the middle game of the series, a much more low scoring affair.
Jim Atwell went the distance, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits with 7 K's and 2 walks issued to take the loss.
Val Guzman stayed hot and went 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI and hit his 19th double and 7th home run while also throwing out a runner at third base (though he did commit his 3rd error as well in this one.) It was his 3rd homer in as many games.
Game 3:
The Brewers, behind another strong start from staff ace
Sadahige Kawasaki, win game 3 to take the series.
Kawasaki got the complete game win, giving up 2 runs on just 3 hits while striking out 5 and walking none.
Antonio Acuna (.363/.420/.553) continues to look like a a rising star as he went 3 for 5 and hit his 6th double of the season.
Rich White (.310/.369/.491) was 2 for 4 and hit 2 doubles to get to 11.
Notes from around the league:
On the day when his replacement as the starting right fielder for the Brewers hit a pair of home runs and propelled his team to a big win in Phoenix, Josh Schaeffer, now the starting right fielder for Oklahoma City, had a 5-hit game. Schaeffer is off to a good start for his new team but the Diamond Kings still dropped 2 of 3 in their series with Detroit. The Diamond Kings (33-54) sit in last place in the MGL, 27 games behind the leaders. Those leaders are of course the Brewers who now have a 10 game lead on their two nearest competitors, the Brooklyn Aces and Los Angeles Spinners who each have a 50-37 record. Detroit (48-39) is in 4th place, 12 games back.
Over in the SJL, San Antonio (61-26) is playing well but so are the Columbus Whalers (58-28), who sit just 2 1/2 games behind in 2nd place. Boston (52-35), having won their last 4 games, are in 3rd, 9 games off the pace. Philadelphia (49-37) remain in 4th place, 11 1/2 games behind the Keys.