July 19th through 22nd 2055
Chicago Architects 61-33 1st in the US vs Detroit Thunderbirds 41-53 4th in US
Just a 3-game set against Detroit in the Motor City for today. The Thunderbirds are well out of the playoff race entering the series 11 games back of the wildcard. They are clinging to 4th place by a couple of games over the TC Bears. On the season we are 9-6 against the T-Birds.
The T-Birds are led 29-year-old OF Stan Gillis who is hitting 338 on the season with 18 home runs and 79 RBI’s. Gillis is scheduled to be a free agent after the season and another player who one has to wonder why the club hasn’t locked him up. Maybe the club has tried as he is well known to value money and the club hasn’t had a winner since the 2047 season when they went 88-56 and won the South of the Border division title. That season capped a 5-year run of playoff appearances (4 division titles and 1 2nd place finish) as well as the clubs last GLBL World Series title win in 2043.
Rookie Mal Johnson (21) is having a rookie of the year candidate type of season with the bat, hitting 296 with 18 home runs, 18 doubles and 61 RBI’s but his fielding at 1B makes one wonder if he is destined to be a DH. But maybe with some off-season work, he can turn his defensive woes around.
Detroit’s struggles have been primarily with its pitching and defense ranking 6th in starters ERA and 5th in defense. The only real bright spot in the rotation is SP Bill Clary 6-6 3.73 ERA. Clary was someone we tried to acquire last July before settling on Jose Cedeno and Yale Hulburt. LHSP Dwayne Miller has had a disappointing season 5-7 with a 5.42 ERA as the T-Birds were likely counting for more from him when they signed him to a 4-year $59 million dollar deal in the off-season.
Chicago vs Detroit
Game 1 - Tuesday July 20th 2055
At Thunderbirds Park
Val Imbert 7-6 4.36 vs RHSP Bill Clary 6-5 3.73
A - 18,564
Both starters, Chicago’s Val Imbert and Detroit’s Bill Clary, pitch well enough to win, giving up just two runs, but both get a no-decision. In the eighth, Chicago’s pesky leadoff man Matt Graves singles, moves to second on a wild pitch, and beats the throw home when Larry Davis singles to left.
Chicago 3, Detroit 2.
SP V Imbert 5IP 6H 2R 1BB 6K
CH HR - None
Chicago vs Detroit
Game 2 - Wednesday July 21st 2055
At Thunderbirds Park
Bill Lutz 9-4 4.35 vs RHSP Joo-Seok Kim 6-9 6.70
A - 18,513
Chicago came out swinging today and it started off fast. In the top of the first, Chicago’s Miguel Toledo hits a grand slam. The Tects scored seven in the inning. They proceed to score four runs in an inning twice. Thomas Arnaud hits two home runs and finishes the game with five RBIs and four runs scored.
Chicago 17, Detroit 6.
3B T Arnaud 3-5 2HR BB 4R 5RBI’s, DH M Toledo 2-5 HR 2R BB 5 RBI’s, CF J Gomez 2-4 DB SB 2R 2RBI BB, SS P Farrulla 3-5 2R 2 RBI
CH HR - DH M Toledo (2nd 15 overall), 3B T Arnaud 2 (17),
Chicago vs Detroit
Game 3 - Thursday July 22nd, 2055
At Thunderbirds Park
Augusto Gonzalez 2-1 5.22 vs LHSP Dwayne Miller 5-7 5.42
A - 14,416
After yesterday’s romp the Architects did not sweep the Thunderbirds and appeared disinterested in the game along with the small crowd of 14,416 that must have come in not expecting much. Detroit’s Dwayne Miller (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K) makes one mistake to Prowler Ashley, which Prowler sends into the bleachers. All nine T-Birds batters get a hit, and eight of them score runs. Paul Larocque hits his first major-league home run. Congrats, Paul! Alan Stout, Larry Thomson, and Stan Gillis homer as well.
Detroit 11, Chicago 1.
Nothing to note, total of 4 hits although the Archs did receive 6 walks and did nothing with them.
CH HR - RF J Ashley (22)
Summary - We took 2 out of 3 in Detroit and yet that last game left a very bitter taste in our mouths. Expectations are high in Chicago and maybe my own are too high as the club has a 9 game lead and it just doesn’t feel like we are running away with things. Maybe it's just watching last year's World Series winner Thunder Bay thundering along in the North of the Border division and leading the circuit with a 67-30 record.
SP Augusto Conzalez might have started his last game. He has been really up and down and that is often expected with a #5 SP, although we would like to find a better solution. Gonzalez is a team captain though and a veteran who has been through many seasons, and he will remain with the club. The most likely person that will be leaving is RP Bradley Sentner 1-1 1 save 5.62 ERA. He has a solid 8.7 k/9 ratio but has a penchant to give up the long ball having seen 14 balls leave the ballpark in 49.2 IP. He is a team leader but we have a younger version of Sentner in Richard Herschel waiting in the wings and is also a leader. We also will consider moving up JJ Walker to start for Gonzalez depending how things go in Traverse City.
Speaking of the Bears we are headed there next for a Friday-Sunday 3 game series. After an off-day on Monday 26th we will start what I consider a crucial stretch of the season for us with 3 games at home against both Toledo and Duluth. Then 2 Canadian Series matchups with Owen Sound coming in for 2 games and then we head off to Thunder Bay for 2 games. We wrap up that stretch of 16 games without an off-day, with 6 on the road against Toledo and Duluth. If we survive that stretch of games and win 8-10 of the 16, then I will feel pretty good about things heading into the last 28 games (after those 16) that will remain. But first we need to take care of business with Traverse City!