The Montreal Expos... Exposing the New MLB?

[Griever20]

Diamondbacks End Vega’s Streak
stadiumreport.bbn

April 10th, 2021

Omar Vega(23, 3/3.5*) came rolling into today's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 20-game hitting string dating back to last season, but he left it on the field at Chase Field.

The 23-year-old Las Vegas Gamblers catcher went 0-for-4 against the Diamondbacks as the Gamblers fell, 7-2.

"I swung at a couple pitches I probably shouldn't have and I didn't swing at a couple I probably should have," he said, grimacing. "But that's what makes a hit streak so impressive in the first place -- it only takes a couple mistakes to end it all."

During his rookie season in 2020, he hit -274-10-37 .742OPS 0.3WAR in 64 games.

[Griever20]

Week 1: 3@ Philadelphia Grizzlies (83-79)

April 8th
Opening day away at Philadelphia … let’s see how bad we are?

Grizzlies Earn 6-3 Home Win on Opening Day

The Philadelphia Grizzlies got their 2021 season off and running with a win over the Montreal Expos at Citizens Bank Park. The final score was 6-3. Philadelphia catcher Dan Fenster, in particular, had a fine performance.

With Philadelphia trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Fenster hit a curveball from Sam Griffin for a 3-run home run. It was his 1st home run of the season and put the Grizzlies ahead, 3-1. The 26-year old only hit .212-6-15 .628OPS last season, but got his 2021 off to a good start.

Philadelphia manager Pat Pierce commended his team for "banging out a nice win."

The Expos not only saw Opening Day starter Sam Griffin get lit up for 6ER in 3.2 innings, but a long bullpen night also saw righty reliever Chris Ball leave the game with a shoulder problem.

Bill Smith(L, 11-13 4.85) – Ruben Torrez(L, 1-4 9SV 5.40) the day after tomorrow. Another ace pitcher that is way too good for our lineup…

SP Sam Griffin 3.2IP 7H 6R 6ER 1BB 3K
DH Alfonso Flores 1-3 R BB
2B David Quiros 2-4 2RBI
HR MON: none
HR PHI: Fenster(1)
W: Hugh Kieninger (1-0 3.68) L: Sam Griffin (0-1 14.73) SV: Jose Gutierrez(1 0.00)
Griffin had a bad day while our pen held their own with 4.1 quality innings.

Transaction:
Ball was diagnosed with mild shoulder inflammation and will be day-to-day for one week. He was placed on the 15-day DL as precaution and RHRP Jeremy Oldt was recalled from AAA Spring Valley.

News:
Atlanta Minuteman SP Eddie Aguilera Jr.(24, 4/4.5*) pitched a gem on opening day, beating Memphis 1-0 with a 8IP 6H 0ER 3BB 4K performance. The 2020 EL All-Star had a 17-7 3.12 219K 34GS 4.4WAR year, leading the EL in strikeouts.

April 9th
offday

News:
Kansas City Royals 1B Bob Bellavance(25, 2.5*) went on a tear today, going 5-5 2R 3RBI DB 2HR in a 3-2 win over Toronto where he drove in all three runs. Bellavance, a former 17th round pick in 2014, has only made his third NMLB game today after hitting .310-15-72 .847OPS 3.1WAR in AAA last year.

April 10th

Montreal Defeated by Grizzlies, 4-1

Thanks in large part to first baseman Manny Olmos, the Philadelphia Grizzlies beat the Montreal Expos, 4-1. Olmos went 2-4 with 2 home runs. He drove in 3 runs and scored twice. Ruben Torrez got the win, improving to 1-0. He pitched 5 innings, giving up 7 hits and 1 run, while striking out 8 and walking 2. Philadelphia goes to 2-0.

Philadelphia took a 4-1 lead on Olmos's 2nd home run of the season. The 2-run home run, which he hit off Bill Smith in the bottom of the sixth, propelled Philadelphia to the win.

"If you pitch well, you give yourself some opportunities," said Philadelphia manager Pat Pierce. For the second day in a row, the Expos failed to get a quality start from their starter.

Danny Sandoval(R, DNP) – Alberto Cordoba(R, 15-8 4.09) tomorrow. Another pitcher that is better than any of ours…

SP Bill Smith 5.1IP 5H 4R 4ER 4BB 3K
1B Dan Cook 3-4 2DB
1B Vince Roman 2-3 RBI
DH Alfonso Flores 2-3 BB
HR MON: none
HR PHI: Olmos 2(2)
W: Ruben Torrez(1-0 1.80) L: Bill Smith(0-1 7.20) SV: Jose Gutierrez(2 0.00)
We got some solid contact at least, but could not string together more than one run.

News:
San Francisco Red Devils 1B Angel Sanchez(34, 3*) managed a 5-hit, 1R 2RBI DB HR game, albeit in a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Beavers. The career Red Devil and 4x All-Star is coming off a .267-12-61 .794OPS 1.7WAR campaign.

April 11th

de Leon Fuels 8-2 Grizzlies Triumph, Series Sweep

The Philadelphia Grizzlies grabbed a win, 8-2, over the Montreal Expos at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia second baseman Fidel de Leon was 1 for 2 with a home run and 3 walks, while scoring 2 times and driving in 4. He went 3-9 for this three game set.

Alberto Cordoba, the winning pitcher, improved to 1-0. He pitched 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 8 and walking 1. Philadelphia is off to a hot start at 3-0, sweeping the series.

In the bottom of the third, with the bases loaded, de Leon came to the plate. He drew a walk, driving in 1 run off Danny Sandoval to put the Grizzlies in the lead, 2-1.

de Leon told a Philadelphia Gazette reporter that he was "satisfied" with the win. Not so satisfied was opposing manager Aaron McCreery who told the media that ‘getting swept to start the season feels horrible’.

Victor Lopez(R, 1-2 4.40 3GS) – Peter Dewberry(L, 3-2 4-75 9GS) tomorrow. Killer fastball, but a done body. Boston Aeros are waiting for us.

SP Danny Sandoval 4IP 7H 5R 5ER 5BB 7K
1B Vince Roman 1-4 R RBI HR
HR MON: Roman(1)
HR PHI: Maradiaga(1), de Leon(1)
W: Alberto Cordoba (1-0 2.57) L: Danny Sandoval (0-1 11.25) SV: none
Rotten start of the season.

Week: 0-3 (0-3@ PHI)
Power Rankings: #26
Runs scored: 6(14th)
Runs against: 18(12th)
Starters ERA: 10.66(15th)
Bullpen ERA: 2.38(5th)
Defensive Eff.: .652(14th)
Fan Interest: 88

Who's hot?
nobody

Who's not?
Nobody

[Griever20]

Week 2: 3@ Boston Aeros (2-1), 3vs Philadelphia Grizzlies (3-0)

April 12th
The draft pool was revealed today, more on that after we got some scouting in…

Aeros Roll to 8-3 Win Over Expos

Montreal left fielder Karl Ferguson had a good game in a losing cause. His team fell, 8-3, to Boston at Fenway Park. Ferguson was 3 for 3 with a home run, a double, and a walk, while scoring 2 times and driving in 2. He is batting .385 in the early going.

In the bottom of the fourth, Boston right fielder Kurt Alexander had a productive at-bat. With the bases loaded and one out, Alexander stroked a run-scoring single to right. It made the score 4-2, Boston. For the game, he was 3-5 with 3 singles. The 2020 All-Star is off to a hot start now, batting .444.

Alexander called the win "a collective effort." Boston goes to 3-1 while Montreal is still winless.

Jon Marquardt(R, 1-6 5.04) – Adam O’Herron Jr.(L, 0-0 9.64) tomorrow. Their ace, was lit up for 5ER on opening day.

SP Victor Lopez 3.2IP 9H 5R 5ER 2BB 3K
LF Karl Ferguson 3-3 2R 2RBI BB DB HR
3B Vince Roman 1-4 RBI
HR MON: Ferguson(1)
HR BOS: none
W: Peter Dewberry (1-0 2.45) L: Victor Lopez(0-1 12.27) SV: none
Montreal free-wins.

April 13th

Aeros Clobber Expos, 11-1

Boston Aeros pitcher Adam O'Herron Jr. was in fine form, leading his team past the Montreal Expos, 11-1. O’Herron Jr. went 7.1 innings of 6-hit, 1ER, 1BB and seven strikeout ball in the win. The Aeros, now 4-1, have hit the ground running this season.

"Adam has got a slow heartbeat," said Boston manager Tony Rodriguez. "He doesn't panic or anything."

Mario Garcia chipped in a solo home run for Boston in the bottom of the fourth. For the game, the designated hitter had 2 hits in 5 at-bats with 1 home run, 1 single, 2 runs scored, and 2 runs batted in. He is batting .318-1-5 .804OPS in 5 Games.

Sam Griffin(R, 0-1 14.73) – Brian Peduzzi(R, 4-3 4.85 8GS) tomorrow. Their #5… can we finally one ONE game.

SP Jon Marquardt 4.2IP 5H 2R 2ER 1BB 5K
LF Karl Ferguson 2-3
SS Jose Robles 1-3 R RBI HR
HR MON: Robles(1)
HR BOS: Garcia(1), Barrales(1)
W: Adam O’Herron Jr.(1-0 4.50) L: Jon Marquardt (0-1 3.86) SV: none
This is getting embarrassing.

News:
Toronto Blue Jays SS Ryan Lariviere(28, 3.5*) went yard three times today, 3-4 3R 3RBI 3HR in a 8-5 win over the Grizzlies . . A World Series Winner in 2017, he is batting .350-4-5 1.350OPS in 5 games.

April 14th

Expos Squeeze By Boston, 3-2, Finally Win

The Montreal Expos picked up a win at Fenway Park, downing the Boston Aeros, 3-2. On the mound for Montreal was right-hander Sam Griffin, who played a pivotal role in the win. He worked 7IP 3H 2ER 1BB 4K not did not get the decision.

In postgame comments to the Montreal News, Griffin said, "If the effort is there, the wins will come."

Montreal pitcher Dusty Leone got the win. He's now 1-0 with a perfect ERA of 0. Paul Ide was tagged with the loss. The win gives Montreal a record of 1-5.

Alfonso Flores came through with a big-time hit for Montreal. The designated hitter smacked a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to give his team the lead, 3-2. It was his only hit, but it was clutch. He is batting -238-1-1 -714OPS in 6 games.

Ruben Torrez(L,1-0 1.80) – Bill Smith(L, 0-1 7.20) tomorrow. Those pesky Grizzlies again… home opener

SP Sam Griffin 7IP 3H 2ER 1BB 4K
LF Karl Ferguson 2-4 DB
3B Vince Roman 1-4 R 2RBI HR
DH Alfonso Flores 1-4 R RBI HR
HR MON: Roman(2), Flores(1)
HR BOS: Beals(2), Young(3)
W: Dusty Leone(1-0 0.00) L: Paul Ide(1-1 4.50) SV: Ryan Rasbach(1 0.00)
Finally one.

April 15th

Maradiaga, Grizzlies Spoil Expos Home Opener, 5-0

Jesus Maradiaga knocked in 3 runs to help Philadelphia beat Montreal, 5-0. Maradiaga produced 1 single, 1 double, and 1 home run.

Maradiaga said his team "played with determination." The 26-year old is batting .286-2-7 .882OPS in 7 games. In the top of the fourth of a scoreless game, Maradiaga hit a 2-run home run to put his team ahead.

Ruben Torrez was the winner. He's now 2-0 after pitching 6.1IP 5H 0ER 0BB 5K. At 5-2, the Grizzlies have played well so far.

The loser was 24-year old left-handed pitcher Bill Smith who pitched 5.2 innings of 4-run ball.

Alberto Cordoba(R, 1-0 2.57) – Danny Sandoval(R, 0-1 11.25) the day after tomorrow. I see walks incoming…

SP Bill Smith 5.2IP 7H 4R 4ER 2BB 6K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4
LF Karl Ferguson 2-4 2DB
HR PHI: Maradiaga(2), de Leon(2)
HR MON: none
W: Ruben Torrez (2-0 0.79) L: Bill Smith (0-2 6.75) SV: none
So much for winning more than one…

April 16th
Offday

April 17th

Grizzlies Fall Short, 4-3, at Montreal

The Montreal Expos overcame a good performance by Philadelphia second baseman Fidel de Leon to knock off Philadelphia, 4-3, at Olympic Stadium. de Leon went 4-4 with a home run and 3 singles. He drove in 2 runs and scored once. He is batting .481-3-8 1.428OPS in 8 games.

Danny Sandoval recovered from three earned runs in the first to pitch five solid innings of three run ball. Ryan Rasbach earned save number 2 this season. Philadelphia is 5-3 after the loss.

Had Vinny Roman not delivered a key base hit in the bottom of the seventh, the outcome might have been different. Instead, with two down and the bases loaded, Roman hit a 2-run single. That made the score 4-3, in favor of the Expos.

"We squandered some opportunities," said Philadelphia manager Pat Pierce. The Grizzlies left 12 on base, Montreal 14.

Oscar Guzman(R, 0-0 2.57) – Victor Lopez(R, 0-14 12.27) tomorrow. Series win against all odds?

SP Danny Sandoval 5IP 4H 3R 3ER 2BB 6K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 DB
LF Karl Ferguson 2-3 R RBI BB HR
3B Vinny Roman 1-4 2RBI
DH Alfonso Flores 2-4 R RBI HR
C Steve Fitch 3-4 R
HR PHI: Pena(1), de Leon(3)
HR MON: Ferguson(2), Flores(2)
W: Adam Rudolph (1-0 0.00) L: Alberto Cordoba (1-1 4.05) SV: Ryan Rasbach(2 0.00)
Another win and some redemption.

News:
Cincinnati Eagles 1B Nicola Gardini(24, 3.5/4*) managed a 5-hit barrage in a 10-2 win in Detroit, going 5-5 4R RBI DB SB. The third-year pro is batting .417-0-2 in three appearances.

April 18th

Expos Take Series Win, 6-5

The Montreal Expos defeated the Philadelphia Grizzlies, 6-5, in Eastern League action at Olympic Stadium. Montreal pitcher Victor Lopez had a standout performance. The winner was Lopez. He threw 6.0 innings of 3-hit ball. He moved to 1-1 with an ERA of 7.45.

The loser was Oscar Guzman. Philadelphia drops to 5-4.

Vicente Rodriguez helped out the Montreal cause in the bottom of the fourth inning with a run-scoring sacrifice fly. For the game, the center fielder drove in one run. "Enjoyed this one," Rodriguez told the Montreal News. "But it's back to work tomorrow."

One Expos that had something to celebrate was right fielder Ian Messer. The 25-year old finally got the first hit of his 2021 season, going 2-4 R RBI HR and ending a 0-14 start to the season.

Steve Grant(R, 1-0 2.79) – Jon Marquardt(R, 0-1 3,86) tomorrow as MON hosts the Chicago Rangers(7-2) for four. 2013 EL PotY and 2x All-Star, past his prime

SP Victor Lopez 6IP 3H 3R 3ER 2BB 8K
RF Ian Messer 2-4 R RBI HR
1B Dan Cook 2-3 2R 2DB
2B David Quiros 2-3 2R BB HR
C Steve Fitch 1-3 R RBI
HR PHI: Olmos(4), de Leon(4)
HR MON: Messer(1), Quiros(1)
W: Victor Lopez (1-1 7.45) L: Oscar Guzman (0-1 6.55) SV: Ryan Rasbach(3 0.00)
Another starter win, and our first series win, going into the right direction.

Record: 3-6, 5th in EL Northeast, 2.5GB
Week: 3-3 (1-2@ BOS, 2-1vs PHI)
Power Rankings: #25(+1)
Runs scored: 23(15th)
Runs against: 52(13th)
Starters ERA: 6.85(15th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.60(5th)
Defensive Eff.: .662(15th)
Fan Interest: 88

Who's hot?
LF Karl Ferguson 6G 12-21 .571 2HR 3RBIs

Who's not?
Nobody
Toronto Blue Jays SS Ryan Lariviere(28, 3.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-24 4HR 7RBIs. The 2014 First Round selection is batting .371-5-8 1.246OPS in 9 games.

Arizona Diamondbacks 3B Enrique Martinez(29, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 12-24 3HR 3RBIs. A 3x WL All-Star, the 29-year old is batting .444-3-3 1.194OPS in 9 games.

[Griever20]

Grizzlies Chill Osorto Hot Streak
stadiumreport.bbn

April 24th, 2021

The Philadelphia Grizzlies pitching staff did its job, holding hot-hitting Ricky Osorto(27, 3/3.5*) hitless in 4 at-bats during the club's 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. The disappointing performance ended a 22-game hitting streak for the right fielder.

"I'm a little down right now," Osorto said after the game. "I couldn't get anything going when the team needed me, and I hated to see the streak end, too."

This year, Osorto has hit at a .323/.425/.419 clip with 4 RBIs, no home runs and 4 runs scored after being an All-Star and Gold Glover in 2020. The Marlins are only 4-12 this season.

[Griever20]

Week 3: 3vs Chicago Rangers (7-2), 3vs Pittsburgh Kings (4-5)

April 19th

Flores Hits 2 Home Runs as Expos Offense Explode, 13-4

Montreal designated hitter Alfonso Flores had a 5-RBI game, which helped his team beat the Chicago Rangers, 13-4. The loss puts Chicago at 7-3.

Flores contributed in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on 1st, he hit a 2-run home run. It was one at-bat among others that helped Montreal get the win.

"I was just going up there trying to see good pitches, that was about it," said Flores. The 29-year old is batting .250-4-7 .900OPS in 10 games. Together with three-hit games by Ian Messer and Vicente Rodriguez, the offense backed a 3.2IP 4ER performance by Jon Marquardt.

Jon Walker(L, 0-1 4.50) – Sam Griffin(R, 0-1 6.75) tomorrow. Has above average stuff and hat a 3.57ERA campaign in 11 starts last season.

SP Jon Marquardt 3.2IP 7H 4R 4ER 2BB 4K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-5 3R 3RBI DB HR
RF Ian Messer 3-5 R RBI
LF Karl Ferguson 2-5 2R 2RBI 2DB
3B Vince Roman 1-3 R BBB SB(1)
DH Alfonso Flores 2-3 3R 5RBI BB 2HR
1B Dan Cook 2-4 R RBI BB HR
HR CHI: none
HR MON: Flores 2(4), Cook(1), Rodriguez(1)
W: Jeremy Oldt (1-0 4.05) L: Steve Grant(1-1 5.68) SV: none
Jon Marquardt may not be long for this world… eehhhh sorry, rotation spot. His stamina is simply too low, he was gassed at 80 pitches.

News:
Miami Marlins LF Tom Knight(24, 2.5/3*) had a huge day at the plate, going 5-5 1RBI in a 6-3 win over Atlanta. The former first round pick is batting .261-1-4 .618OPS in11 games in his sophomore season.

April 20th

Chicago Beats Montreal, 6-3

The Chicago Rangers defeated the Montreal Expos, 6-3, at Olympic Stadium. Leading the charge for Chicago was first baseman Justin Farrell. He was 2 for 4 with a home run, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2. The 2x All-Star is batting .213-2-9 .686OPS in 11 games.

Jared Hughes, credited with the win in relief, is now 1-0. He allowed no runs on no hits in 0.2 innings. The 2015 Reliever of the Year is 1-0 5.79 3K in 4.2IP in the early going.

A crucial at-bat came with a runner on 1st and no one out in the top of the seventh inning. That's when designated hitter David Ibarra hit a double. The Rangers went on to win.

"This kind of win will certainly make our fans happy," Ibarra told the Chicago Daily. Montreal falls to 4-7.

Victor Salgado(L, 7-7 4.96 21GS 2020) – Bill Smith(L,0-2 6.75) tomorrow. Season debut for Salgado.

SP Sam Griffin 6.0IP 7H 3R 2ER 1BB 2K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-4 R RBI DB SB(1)
LF Karl Ferguson 1-4 R
3B Vince Roman 2-3 2RBI BB DB
2B Franklin Reyes 3-4 R DB
HR CHI: Fondren(1), Farrell(2), Vrable(4)
HR MON: none
W: Jared Hughes (1-0 5.79) L: Sam Griffin(0-2 5.40) SV: Austin Berry(3 1.69)
Griffin did not really deserve this loss as the losing run got on via an error by Dan Cook…

News:
Memphis Bolts 2B Daniel Marrero(31, 2.5*) had a big day at the plate, going 3-4 3R 7RBI with three jacks in a 8-3 win against the Detroit Trains. The veteran is batting a hot .350-3-7 1.150OPS in 7 games.

April 21st

Montreal Wins, Cook has 3 hits

Montreal first baseman Dan Cook had 3 ribbies while helping his team defeat the Chicago Rangers, 7-4. "We were able to get some things going offensively," said Cook. He went 3-4 3 3RBI DB HR with a stolen base and is batting .326 in the early going.

The win went to Dusty Leone in relief, making him now 2-0. Victor Salgado took the loss for Chicago. Montreal goes to 5-7.

Had Vicente Rodriguez not delivered a key base hit in the bottom of the seventh, the outcome might have been different. Instead, with two down and a runner on 2nd, Rodriguez hit a run-scoring single. That made the score 4-3, in favor of the Expos and raised his batting average to .347.

Josh Gibson(R, 1-0 8,64) – Danny Sandoval(R,0-1 8.00) tomorrow. 33-year old veteran that maxed out at 12 wins in a single season.

SP Bill Smith 6.0IP 2H 0R 0ER 2BB 7K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-5 R RBI DB
LF Karl Ferguson 1-4 R
3B Vince Roman 1-3 R RBI
1B Dan Cook 3-4 3R 3RBI DB HR SB(1)
SS Jose Robles 2-4 R 2RBI DB
HR CHI: Vrable(5)
HR MON: Cook(2)
W: Dusty Leone(2-0 0.00) L: Victor Salgado(0-1 5.40) SV: Ryan Rasbach(4 0.00)
Cook is cookin… offense is picking up against a team that looked good early…

News:
Royals 1B Josh Dempsey(28, 3*) went 5-6 2R RBI BB 2B in a 7-6 win over the Denver Seahawks. The 2018 World Series Winner is batting .452-3-8 1.335OPS in 12 games.

Portland Bears 2B Alex Vendrell(23, 2.5/3*) had a huge night, going 2-3 R 6RBI BB DB HR in a 9-11 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The rookie is batting .167 in three games.

April 22nd

Expos Drop Contest, 7-3, to Chicago

Getting offensive support from David Ibarra, the Chicago Rangers topped the Montreal Expos, 7-3. Ibarra was 2 for 3 with 2 singles and 2 walks. He scored 3 times for the Rangers. The 23-year old is batting .375-3-6 1.150OPS in 12 games in his sophomore year.

Josh Gibson earned the win to go to 2-0. He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts in 6 innings of work. Gianpaolo Saldana recorded the save for Chicago, his 3rd of the season.

Chicago catcher Jesus Jaramillo and 2020 Gold Glover contributed a timely at-bat in the top of the third. With two down, he hit a fastball to right-center field for a 2-run single. It was his 12th hit of the season and put the Rangers ahead, 5-1.

"Winning the game is always the first objective," Jaramillo said.

The Rangers, now 9-4, have been playing some good baseball

Adrian Hilscher(R, DNP) – Chris Myles(R,1-1 3.46) tomorrow as MON will travel to Pittsburgh(6-7) for three. Control pitcher that also has worked as a closer before.

SP Danny Sandoval 2.2IP 4H 5R 5ER 6BB 1K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-3 R BB DB
1B Dan Cook 2-4 R RBI
DH Alfonso Flores 1-4 R RBI DB
HR CHI: Scott(1)
HR MON: none
W: Josh Gibson(2-0 6.28) L: Danny Sandoval(0-2 10.03) SV: Gianpaolo Saldana(3 4.00)
Sandoval didn’t last long today…

Transaction:
Following the game, RHP Jon Marquardt(23, 2.5*, 0-1 6.48) was optioned to AAA and RHP Adrian Hilscher(26, 2.5*) was activated off the DL.

April 23rd

Hilscher Fails to go Five as Montreal Wins, 6-2

Riding the 2-hit performance of the 29-year old catcher Steve Fitch, the Montreal Expos stopped the Pittsburgh Kings, 6-2. Picking up the save was two-time All-Star Ryan Rasbach. The Kings fall to 6-8 and continue to sputter in the early going.

Montreal used a well-timed hit by Dan Cook to capture the win. The first baseman socked a 2-run double in the top of the third inning to put the Expos ahead, 2-0. Though it was his only hit in 3 at-bats, it was important. The switch-hitter is batting .340-2-7 1.011OPS in 14 games.

"Trying isn't good enough in this league," said Fitch. "You've got to get results." The veteran catcher hit his first home run of the campaign today, going 2-4 2R 2RBI.

Adrian Hilscher opened his 2021 with a scoreless outing, but only managed to go 4.2 innings and could not collect the W.

Victor Lopez(R, 1-1 7.45) – Victor Alvarez(R, 0-2 4.12) tomorrow.Former #26 Prospect, threw a no-hitter in A-ball.

SP Adrian Hilscher 4.2IP 3H 0R 0ER 2BB 3K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-5 R
1B Dan Cook 1-3 R 2RBI BB
C Steve Fitch 2-4 2R 2RBI HR
3B Dave Quiros 2-4 R RBI 2DB
HR MON: Fitch(1)
HR PIT: Howe(1)
W: Jeremy Oldt(2-0 5.40) L: Chris Myles(1-2 4.82) SV: Ryan Rasbach(5 0.00)
Hilscher set the tone early with a strong pitching performance.

Transaction:
RHP Freddy Silva(24, 2.5*, 0-0 9.53 5.2IP) was sent down to AAA and RHP Chris Ball(22, 2.5*, 0.00 2.1IP) was activated off the DL.


April 24th

Pittsburgh Rocks Montreal, 14-0

The Pittsburgh Kings easily defeated the Montreal Expos, 14-0, at PMC Park, with catcher Elias Mora a main contributor to the win. He was 2 for 4 with a home run and a walk, while scoring 3 and driving in 5 for Pittsburgh. The 2x Silver Slugger is batting .273-5-15 1.066OPS in 12 games.

With Pittsburgh leading 11-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Mora came up to bat against Montreal pitcher Adam Rudolph. Mora hit a cutter to left for a 3-run home run. His 5th home run of the season put the Kings on top, 14-0.

"Winning never gets dull," said Mora.

Pittsburgh starter Victor Alvarez was credited with the win after throwing 106 pitches over 7 innings. His record now stands at 1-2 with an ERA of 3.55. The loss makes Montreal 6-9.

Sam Griffin(R, 0-2 5.40) – Brent Perino(R,0-0 3.94) tomorrow.Strong heater, secondary stuff lacks a bit.

SP Victor Lopez 0.1IP 8H 8R 8ER 0BB 0K
2B Dave Quiros 1-3 BB
3B Vince Roman 1-4 SB(2)
1B Dan Cook 1-4
SS Jose Robles 1-4
HR MON: none
HR PIT: Herrera(1), Elizalde(3), Mora(5)
W: Victor Alvarez 1-2 3.55) L: Victor Lopez(1-2 14.40) SV: none
When you are down 8-0 after the first inning…

April 25th

Expos Stymied by Kings, Perino

The Pittsburgh Kings converted a terrific effort from starter Brent Perino into a win over the Montreal Expos at PMC Park. The Kings won the game by a final score of 6-0. The loss has the Expos at 6-10.

Perino allowed no runs on 4 hits over 7.2 innings for Pittsburgh. With the win, the southpaw is 1-0 with an ERA of 2.66.

"Brent made his pitches," said Pittsburgh manager Randy Sandlin. The righty moved to 1-0 2.66 21K in 4 starts.

Bill Smith(L, 0-2 4.32) – Phil Frey(R,0-1 6.48) the day after tomorrow. 24-year old rookie, Rule 5 Pick.

SP Sam Griffin 5.2IP 8H 5R 5ER 3BB 3K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4 DB
RF Ian Messer 1-4
1B Dan Cook 1-3 BB
2B Dave Quiros 1-4
HR MON: none
HR PIT: none
W: Brent Perino(1-0 2.66) L: Sam Griffin(0-3 6.04) SV: none
Jep, we are back at being godawful.

Record: 6-10, 5th in EL Northeast, 3GB
Week: 3-4 (2-2 vs CHI, 1-2 @ PIT)
Power Rankings: #23(+2)
Runs scored: 55(14th)
Runs against: 95(14th)
Starters ERA: 7.09(14th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.69(11th)
Defensive Eff.: .655(15th)
Fan Interest: 88

Who's hot?
CF Vicente Rodriguez 7G 16-27 .593 1HR 5RBIs

Who's not?
SP Victor Lopez 2G 1-1 15.63 6.1IP 8K

Montreal Expos CF Vicente Rodriguez(23, 2.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-24 4HR 7RBIs. A 14th round pick in 2016, Vicente Rodriguez is a rookie this season.

Kansas City Royals 1B Josh Dempsey(28, 3*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 14-27 1HR 3RBIs 7 runs scored. The 28-year old is batting .439-4-10 1.284OPS in 16 games.

[Griever20]

Week 4: 2@ Kansas City Royals (11-5), 3vs Cincinnati Eagles(12-4)
Two series against division leaders coming up… Bury us deep in 5th huh?

April 26th
offday

News:
Pittsburgh Kings LF Danny Roman(26, 3*) went 5-5 2R RBI DB in a 5-3 win in Washington. The 2019 EL Silver Slugger is batting .333-1-8 .801OPS in 16 games.

Chicago Rangers SS Juan Ramos(25, 3/4*) drove in five with a 3-4 3R 5RBI BB 2HR day at the plate against the Calgary Beavers. The third-year pro is batting .286-3-17 .833OPS in 17 games.

April 27th

Baker Supplies Juice in Kansas City Win

The 6-1 Kansas City win over Montreal was due largely to Adam Baker. The Royals right fielder was 1 for 2 with a home run and 2 walks, while scoring 2 and driving in 4. The Expos fall to 6-11 and continue their sputtering start to the 2021 season.

With Kansas City leading 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Baker hit a fastball from Chris Ball for a grand slam home run. It was his 1st home run of the season and put the Royals ahead, 6-1. The rookie moved to .197-1-9 .547OPS in 17 games.

Kansas City manager Ryan Johnson praised his team's "businesslike approach."

Danny Sandoval(R, 0-2 10.03) – Nick Baxter(R, 0-2 13.00) tomorrow.3x Allstar and former PotY… a loong time ago.

SP Bill Smith 4.1IP 4H 4R 4ER 5BB 3K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 R
RF Ian Messer 1-4
LF Karl Ferguson 2-4 RBI DB
HR MON: none
HR KCR: Baker(1)
W: Phil Frey(1-1 4.81) L: Bill Smith(0-3 5.14) SV: none
At least, we scored a run this time…

News:
Jacksonville Patriots SP Agdun Jumaane(23, 2.5*) tossed a 4-hit shutout of the Cincinnati Eagles today, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out 8. The young lefty moved to 2-1 4.44 21K in 4 starts, good for 0.5WAR.

April 28th

Montreal Splits Series with 7-4 Win Over KCR

Montreal shortstop Jose Robles played a vital role in his team's 7-4 conquest of Kansas City. He was 3 for 3 with 3 singles and a walk, while scoring 2 for Montreal. The third-year pro is batting .173-1-5 .511OPS -0.3WAR in 18 games.

"It's nice to step up when your team needs you," said Robles.

Ryan Rasbach, who led the EL in saves with 44 in 2018, nailed down the save. The loss drops the Royals to 12-6.

Montreal used the timely hitting of Dan Cook to seize the win. The first baseman stroked a 2-run single in the top of the seventh inning to put the Expos on top, 5-4. It was his only hit in 4 at-bats, but it was a game-changer. The switch-hitter has had a strong start, batting .312-2-10 .891OPS in 18 games.

Grant Richie(R, 0-0 10.38) – Adrian Hilscher(R, 0-0 0.00) the day after tomorrow.Another division leader and another veteran pitcher.

SP Danny Sandoval 4IP 5H 4R 2ER 2BB 7K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4 SB(2)
RF Ian Messer 2-5 R
LF Karl Ferguson 1-4 R RBI BB
1B Dan Cook 1-4 3RBI
C Steve Fitch 3-4 2R DB
SS Jose Robles 3-3 2R RBI BB SB(1)
HR MON: none
HR KCR: Dempsey(5)
W: Rich Nelson(1-0 3.27) L: Jason Blazer(3-2 13.50) SV: Ryan Rasbach(6, 0.00)
Our starter still didn’t last five…

News:
Cincinnati Eagles RF Leo Ramos(33, 3*) had a big 5-6 2RBI night at the plate, beating the Jacksonville Eagles 5-4 in a barnburner of a series. The 2x MvP is batting .250-3-12 .790OPS in 18 games.

April 29th
Offday

News:
Calgary Beavers 1B Tim Jammal(25, 3/3.5*) had a five hit night at the plate, 5-6 R RBI SB in a 3-2 win over Vancouver. The first-round pick from 2014 is batting .357-1-4 1.026OPS in 10 games.

Memphis Bolts RF Alfredo Diaz(28, 2.5*) drove in five with a 4-5 2R 5RBI TP HR performance while beating Sacramento 9-2. The right-handed hitter is batting .254-3-10 .828OPS 0.3WAR in 18 games.

Chicago Rangers SP Hagane Noguchi(36, 4*) dominated the Philadelphia Grizzlies with 8.1 scoreless innings of 2-hit, 0BB and 5K ball in a 6-0 win. The big free agent signing is 4-0 2.62 28K 5GS 0.6WAR.

April 30th

Canales Leads Eagles to Win to Close April

Eagles center fielder Francisco Canales left his mark on his team's 8-3 win over the Montreal Expos. Canales, who is tied for 5th in the EL in triples with 1, was 3-3 with a home run, 2 singles, and 2 walks. He scored 2 runs and drove in 3 for Cincinnati in the contest. He is batting .329-2-12 .889OPS in 20 games.

Cincinnati pitcher Grant Richie got the win. He's now 1-0. Adrian Hilscher was tagged with the loss. Cincinnati, with the win, is 14-6.

Nicolá Gardini helped his team jump on top from the get-go. His first time up in the top of the first, he cranked a 2-run single to give Cincinnati a 2-0 lead.

"I just tried to see the ball and put a good swing on it," said Gardini. He went 2-5 with three RBI’s.

Andy Spicer(R, DNP) – Sam Griffin(R, 0-3 6.04) tomorrow.The rookie gets his first NMLB start , projects as 3* guy.

SP Adrian Hilscher 4.2IP 8H 4R 4ER 3BB 4K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4 R TP
LF Karl Ferguson 1-4 RBI
DH Alfonso Flores 1-4 R 2RBI HR
HR CIN: Canales(2)
HR MON: Flores(5)
W: Grant Richie(1-0 6.97) L: Adrian Hilscher(0-1 3.86) SV: Chris Romano(1, 0.00)
Jep, that fits to the rest of April.

END OF APRIL

[Griever20]

EL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Toronto RF Ricardo Orta(31, 3*) .344-8-15 1.238OPS 1.0WAR 2x Silver Slugger
Pitcher of the Month: Cincinnati RHCL Andy Myers(30, 3*) 4-0 4SV 0.87 8 K 10.1IP 0.6WAR Second season as a closer in his whole career.
Rookie of the Month: Washington SP Ian Munson(23, 2.5*) 3-1 3.42 21K 4GS 0.2WAR Former 5th rounder in 2016, noting to special.

WL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Kansas City 1B Josh Dempsey(28, 3*) .419-5-11 1.222OPS 1.5WAR Jip, monster Month
Pitcher of the Month: San Diego SP Jerry Sullivan(22, 2.5/4.5*) 3-0 2.79 24K 4GS 29IP 1.0WAR Former #10 prospect
Rookie of the Month: Los Angeles SP Alex Angeles(21, 2/2.5*) 2-1 2.04 16K 17.2IP 0.4WAR Waiver claim from Portland

We start our 2021 season with a 7-12 month. Not the worst in baseball as the Marlins are 7-14 and the Canadians with 6-16, but pretty bad. The division itself is pretty equal above us. The team of the hour however are the Chicago Rangers at 15-5. They lead the EL in runs scored, almost double than our runs scored, and resigning 3B Andy Vrable(32, 3.5*) has payed off in the early going as he is batting .303-7-16 1.079OPS 1.1WAR in 19 games.

In the Western League, the Las Vegas Gamblers are off to the hottest start with 2x All-Star 2B Sean Thomason(29, 4*) batting a hot .254-6-17 1.074OPS 1.2War clip and once again, offense beats pitching here as they are also first in runs scored.

Pitching:

DL: SP Dan Hinton(22, 4/5*) shoulder inflammation 5 days

Our starting pitching is godawful. We got a total of five quality starts in this month out of your guys, and only Adrian Hilscher got a FIP lower than four, and he only has two starts. Dan Hinton is due next week, but will get at least two rehab starts in AAA before we give him a go.
AAA check: SP Juan Miranda(23, 2/3*) 2-1 1.30 18K 27.2IP 0.5WAR
AAA check: SP John Martinez(23, 2/2.5*) 3-0 3.42 18K 26.1IP 0.6WAR
AAA check: SP Matt Bernstein(23, 2/2.5*) 2-1 2.22 18K 24.1IP 0.5WAR
We got options here, but we will take our time and give the guys some time.

Our bullpen is overworked. That is the essence of things here. Leone and Rasbach are dynamite at the sharp end, and the rest is just eating way to many innings because our starters are bad.

Position Players:

Lets talk offense. We have two ½ black holes in the # 4 and #5 spot. #5 Alfonso Flores .186-5-11 and platoon player Brian Oatley .091. In the #4 hole Vinny Roman with .185-2-10. Lineup construction maybe? Aaron McCreery talked over the lineup and agreed to drop Flores down in the lineup, and stop the right field platoon for now, giving the AB’s to Ian Messer. He was not willing to drop Roman further down tho… ok your call.

For me personally, the biggest disappointment in April was our shortstop in Jose Robles. Yes, he is a more light hitting shortstop by trait, but hitting .161 is one thing. Having a ZR of -1.3 with two errors and hurting us on defense with his defensive skills is disappointing like ****.

Obviously, the outfield duo of Vicente Rodriguez and Karl Ferguson has been carrying this offense big time and have been generating some excitement here…

Prospect Watch:
AAA SS Julian Hernandez .222-2-4 .610OPS 18G 0.2WAR
AA LHSP Brett Asselin 0-3 3.18 19K 4GS 22.2IP 0.3WAR
R SP Matt Porter 1-0 0,44 21K 20.1IP 4GS 0.6WAR
R 1B Joe Townsend .250-3-5 .790OPS 12G 0.9WAR broken bone in elbow 7-8 months
R LF Santiago Rodriguez .222-5-9 .798OPS 17G 1.0WAR

None of our players are completely overmatched in their leagues, and our All-Year Rookie league players make a strong bid to get a job in the short A or even single A team later this season. A Hernandez callup is not the cards this season in my opinion, no matter how we act at the trade deadline. It’s too early for him, no need to start his service time without realistically getting production out of him.

Joe Townsend’s injury is sad tho… he was our big trade acquisition this winter…

[Griever20]

Week 4: 2@ Kansas City Royals (11-5), 3vs Cincinnati Eagles(12-4)

May 1st

Expos Sunk by Eagles in Spicer’s Debut Game

Cincinnati and Montreal got after it at Olympic Stadium.

Andy Spicer pitched a gem to lead Cincinnati to victory over the Montreal Expos, 7-1. The winning pitcher was Spicer, now 1-0. He tossed 6.1 innings of 1-hit ball, while walking 3 and fanning 6. The 34th overall pick in the 2017 draft was named the #28 prospect prior to the season.

"I went out and just tried to do my job," said Spicer. Cincinnati is now 15-6.

Danny Tutton had a key at-bat with one out in the top of the second for Cincinnati. With the bases loaded and the Eagles leading 1-0, he hit a sacrifice fly. Traded over from Montreal in the offseason, he is batting .213-1-7 .508OPS in 17 games.

Jimmy McMahon(R, 0-2 4.72) – Victor Lopez(R, 1-2 14.40) tomorrow. Lopez is pitching for his roster spot with Hinton due in 2 weeks.

SP Sam Griffin 6IP 8H 3R 3ER 1BB 3K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-4
SS Jose Robles 1-2 R RBI BB HR
HR CIN: Ramos(4), Nakamura(3)
HR MON: Robles(2)
W: Andy Spicer(1-0 0.00) L: Sam Griffin(0-4 5.72) SV: none
We got two stinking hits.

News:
Oakland Oaks LF Tye Dowling(27, 3*) had a nice day at the plate, going 3-4 2R 5RBI 2HR in a 7-3 win over the Angels. The 2019 All-Star is batting .296-5-15 .868OPS in 20 games.

May 2nd

Walk It Off Vinny! Expos Win in the Ninth

Montreal got a strong outing from Victor Lopez as the Expos defeated the Cincinnati Eagles, 2-1, at Olympic Stadium. The righty went 6.1 innings of scoreless 3-hit ball.

Montreal reliever Ryan Rasbach picked up the win, upping his record to 1-0, but blew his first save of the year. Jimmy McMahon was saddled with the loss. Montreal goes to 8-13.

Vinny Roman was the walk-off hero for Montreal. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Expos third baseman hit a dramatic run-scoring single to send the teams home. He was 2-4 with two RBI’s in the contest.

"This place sure got loud," said Aaron McCreery, the Montreal manager.

Brian Peduzzi(R, 1-1 2.70) – Bill Smith(L, 0-3 5.14) tomorrow.Can Smith buy a win at the 10-11 Aeros?

SP Victor Lopez 6.1IP 3H 0R 0ER 0BB 10K
RF Ian Messer 1-4 R
LF Karl Ferguson 0-3 R BB
3B Vince Roman 2-4 2RBI SB(3)
HR CIN: Ramos(5)
HR MON: none
W: Ryan Rasbach(1-0 1.42) L: Jimmy McMahon(0-3 4.15) SV: none
Dunno where THOSE 10K came from, but I take them.

Record: 8-13, 5th in EL Northeast, 3GB
Week: 2-3 (1-1@ KCR, 1-2 vs CIN)
Power Rankings: #25(-2)
Runs scored: 69(15th)
Runs against: 121(13th)
Starters ERA: 6.45(15th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.50(11th)
Defensive Eff.: .658(15th)
Fan Interest: 88

Who's hot?
nobody

Who's not?
SP Victor Lopez 2G 0-1 10.80 6.2IP 10K
SP Danny Sandoval 2G 0-1 9.45 6.2IP 8K
DH Alfonso Flores 7G 2-25 .080 1HR 3RBIs
2B Dave Quiros 6G 3-31 .142 0HR 0RBIs
3B Vince Roman 8G 4-29 .137 0HR 2RBIs
Bloody hell…

Pittsburgh Kings LF Danny Roman(26, 3*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 14-26 0HR 1RBIs 6R. A 2019 All-Star and Silver Slugger, he is batting .356-1-8 .832OPS in 32 games.

Las Vegas Gamblers 2B Sean Thomason(29, 4*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 9-20 3HR 8RBIs with 7 runs scored. The 2x All-Star is batting .373-7-18 1.129OPS in 20 games.

[Griever20]

Royals Spellbound. Ricketts Hurls No-Hitter
stadiumreport.bbn

May 7th, 2021

Miguel Ricketts(21, 3.5/5*) of the Arizona Diamondbacks relied on excellent pitch selection and pinpoint control to hold Kansas City hitless in his 1-0 win.

"I stayed ahead of batters," he said after the game, "and was able to get a lot of quick outs. My defense deserves a lot of credit too. They had to be on their toes and they saved me several times."

The 21-year-old starter rung up 5 strikeouts and 1 walk in whipping the Royals.

"When a guy is throwing strikes the way he was and is locating well, it is going to be a long day for any club," Kansas City skipper Ryan Johnson said.

To date this year, in 6 starts, Ricketts has crafted a 3-2 mark with a 2.41 ERA, striking out 29 in 41 innings. He former 5th overall selection in 2018 already has amassed 0.7WAR.

--

Four-bagger Feast: Garcia Slugs 3 for Atlanta
stadiumreport.bbn

May 8th, 2021

Atlanta Minutemen first baseman Ramon Garcia(29, 2.5*) slugged three home runs against the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park, but couldn't win the game all by himself. The Marlins spoiled his day by defeating the Minutemen, 10-4.

"The loss puts a damper on the outstanding game Ramon had, but people will be buzzing about this for days to come," Atlanta manager Tom Middleton. "That's gotta be some consolation to him. But knowing Ramon, he would have preferred a win."

For the game, Garcia was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored.

"The first two I got all of them and it was no doubt they were gone," Garcia said later. "It seemed like the wind helped it a little on that last one. I just wish Mother Nature had helped us win the game, too."

Ramon Garcia hit a solo-shot off Scott Burns in the 2nd, hit a two-run home run off Scott Burns in the 4th, flied out in the 7th and hit a solo-shot off John Davis in the 9th.

Currently Garcia is hitting .235/.235/.588 and has collected 4 home runs, 6 RBIs and scored 7 times, while playing in 15 games. He was a 2x All-Star back in 2016 and 2017.

[Griever20]

Week 5: 4vs Boston Aeros(10-11), 3@ Cincinnati Eagles(15-7)
Bloody Cincinnati again? …

May 3rd

Expos Rocked By Aeros, 12-1

The Boston Aeros downed the Montreal Expos, 12-1. The hitting star was designated hitter Manny Rodriguez. Rodriguez was 3 for 5 with a home run and a double, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 4 for the Aeros. Their DH today, Rodriguez is now batting .195-3-12 .651OPS in 22 games.

The Expos fall to 8-14 and continue their lackluster start to the 2021 season.

Boston used the hitting of Mario Garcia to pick up the win. The shortstop clubbed a 2-run home run in the top of the first inning to put the Aeros on top, 4-0. For the game, Garcia had 1 homer and 1 single in 4 at-bats.

"It doesn't matter if you're 10 games over .500 or 10 games under, it feels good to win," Garcia told the Boston Chronicle.

Manuel Amezola(R, 1-1 2.93) – Danny Sandoval(R, 0-2 8.62) tomorrow.And now our king of walks gets his chance.

SP Bill Smith 2IP 6H 7R 7ER 2BB 3K
RF Ian Messer 1-3
LF Karl Ferguson 2-4 R DB
1B Dan Cook 1-3 DB
3B Vince Roman 1-3 RBI BB
HR BOS: Garcia(3), Rodriguez(3)
HR MON: none
W: Brian Peduzzi(2-1 2.35) L: Bill Smith(0-4 7.43) SV: none
Come to us! We even give sub .200 batters a Player of the Game performance for free!

May 4th

Boston Beats Montreal, 6-1

Boston Aeros starter Manuel Amezola was in a rhythm all game. He led his team to a win over the Montreal Expos, 6-1. The Expos drop to 8-15 and continue their inconsistent start to the 2021 season.

"Manuel is tough to beat when he's hitting his spots," said Boston manager Tony Rodriguez. The 25-year moved to the rotation this season after spending his first two seasons in the bullpen.

The Aeros got a big at-bat from first baseman Manny Rodriguez. For the game, Rodriguez went 2-4 with 2 doubles. He drove in 3 runs and scored once. In the top of the sixth, with a runner on 2nd, he stroked a run-scoring double. His 8th double of the season gave Boston a 2-1 lead. He is 5-9 so far in this series alone.

Peter Dewberry(L, 1-1 5.92) – Adrian Hilscher(R, 0-1 3.86) tomorrow. We have starter with a better ERA than our opponent. That won’t last.

SP Danny Sandoval 6.2IP 7H 2R 2ER 1BB 10K
CF Vicente Rodiguez 2-3 R TP
RF Ian Messer 1-4 RBI
1B Dan Cook 2-4
3B Vince Roman 1-4
HR BOS: none
HR MON: none
W: Manuel Amezola(2-1 2.65) L: Danny Sandoval(0-3 6.85) SV: Pedro Facundo(1, 5.23)
Well, Sandoval didn’t deserve THAT loss.

May 5th

Aeros Take Tight Tangle, Can Sweep Tomorrow

The Aeros grabbed a win, 4-3, at Olympic Stadium, overcoming a fine effort from Montreal pitcher Adrian Hilscher. Hilscher went 6.1 innings and allowed no runs. This lowers his ERA down to 2.30 in three stars.

Paul Ide earned the save for Boston, his 2nd of the year. For the Expos, the loss makes them 8-16.

Who knows how it would've ended, had it not been for Ruben Barrales? The fan favorite Barrales stroked a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning to put Boston up, 4-3. For the game, he was 2 for 4, including 1 double and 1 single.

Barrales called the win "a lesson in teamwork." The second-year pro is batting .344-6-14 1.034OPS in 23 games with great defense at second base.

Adam O’Herron Jr.(L, 2-0 4.03) – Sam Griffin(R, 0-4 5.72) tomorrow.Unfair matchup.

SP Adrian Hilscher 6.1IP 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 7K
CF Vicente Rodiguez 1-4
LF Karl Ferguson 1-4 R 2RBI HR
3B Vince Roman 1-3 BB
DH Alfonso Flores 1-4 R RBI HR
HR BOS: none
HR MON: Ferguson(3), Flores(6)
W: Bob Sims(3-1 2.89) L: Ryan Rasbach(1-1 2.45) SV: Paul Ide(2, 5.06)
Jep, that was our closer blowing the game. Nothing to see here. Move on.

May 6th

Our ace Dan Hinton was sent to AAA to make a couple of rehab starts before returning to the NMLB roster to learn how to lose ballgames.

Aeros Sweep Expos with 5-3 Win

Adam O'Herron Jr., who finished 2nd in the EL in innings pitched with 224.2 in 2013, was locked in. The left-hander led the Boston Aeros to a 5-3 win against the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium. He worked 7 innings of 8-hit and 2-run ball while walking two and striking out 7.

Paul Ide picked up the save for Boston, his 3rd of the year. The Expos fall to 8-17 and continue their uninspiring start to the 2021 season.

Boston used the timely hitting of Manny Rodriguez to seize the win. The first baseman stroked a 2-run single in the top of the seventh inning to put the Aeros on top, 5-2. It was his only hit in 4 at-bats, but it was a game-changer.

Rodriguez told a Boston Chronicle reporter that he was "satisfied" with the win. The 2019 EL All-Star went 8-18 with a home run and 9 RBI’s in this series.

Victor Lopez(R, 1-2 8.82) – Bobby Bloomfield(R, DNP) tomorrow.Replacement level arm from AAA, NMLB debut… he got lucky.

SP Sam Griffin 5IP 4H 1R 1ER 1BB 6K
CF Vicente Rodiguez 1-4 BB DB
LF Karl Ferguson 2-3 2R BB DB
3B Vince Roman 1-3 R RBI BB
2B Franklin Reyes 2-4
DH Alfonso Flores 1-4 RBI
HR BOS: none
HR MON: none
W: Adam O’Herron Jr.(3-0 3.75) L: Sam Rush(0-1 9.82) SV: Paul Ide(3, 4.63)
Yep, our bullpen deserves to get shot this series, together with your offense, and everyone else that runs in front my shotgun… Now, the Cincinnati Eagles to finish a 0-7 week?

Transaction news:
Dan Hinton pitched 3.2 innings before leaving the game with a mild shoulder sprain. He is day-to-day for 2 weeks and therefore back on the IL. Fragile is all I have to say…

RHRP Luis Solano(18, 0.5/3*) agreed to a international amateur free agent deal with the Montreal Expos worth of $520k. The kid from the DR was still out there and the Expos waited for his demands to drop so they could get him on the cheap.

May 7th

Expos Lose Five in a Row, Lose 2-7 to Eagles

Cincinnati third baseman Jorge Rodriguez had a 5-RBI game, which helped his team beat the Montreal Expos, 7-2. The Expos are now 8-18.

Early in the game, Rodriguez had a grand slam home run for Cincinnati. It was his 4th home run of the season and put the Eagles on top, 4-0. He was 2-4 2R 5RBI BB 2HR for the night and is batting .333-4-11 1.051OPS in 14 games as platoon player.

"We need better swings, better at-bats," said losing manager Aaron McCreery. The Expos have now lost five in a row.

Bill Smith(L, 0-4 7.43) – Jimmy McMahon(R, 0-3 4.15) tomorrow.Your chance to get a free win tomorrow buddy.

SP Victor Lopez 4.2IP 7H 5R 5ER 1BB 4K
1B Dan Cook 2-4
2B David Quiros 1-4 R SB(1)
3B Franklin Reyes 1-4 DB
C Steve Fitch 2-3 R 2RBI HR
HR MON: Fitch(2)
HR CIN: Rodriguez 2(4)
W: Bobby Bloomfield(1-0 2.57) L: Victor Lopez(1-3 9.00) SV: none
For the record, Lopez is on the brink of elimination as soon as Hinton is back.

News:
Atlanta Minuteman SS Paulo Marcelo(25, 3*) drove in five with a 4-5 2R 5RBI DB TP day in a 9-6 win in Miami. The switch-hitter is batting .306-0-9 .793OPS 5/6SB in 23 games.

May 8th

Eagles Win Squaker in Extras, 4-3, Over Expos

The Cincinnati Eagles picked up a win at Eagles Stadium, knocking off the Montreal Expos, 4-3. Starting pitcher Jimmy McMahon played a key role in the triumph. He worked 7 innings of 4-hit and 0ER ball, matching Expos starter Bill Smith who worked six scoreless.

"It's what good teams do, find a way to win," said McMahon.

The Eagles raised their record to 18-10.

The Eagles got a clutch hit from third baseman Kevin Jones. In the bottom of the 12th, he delivered a run-scoring single to win the game for the Eagles. Batting .329 in the first 19 games, Jones has been clutch so far this season.

Danny Sandoval(R, 0-3 6.85) – Matt Swanson(R, 2-2 4.01) tomorrow.I know who is the better pitcher here.

SP Bill Smith 6IP 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 4K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-6
2B David Quiros 3-6 DB SB(2)
3B Vince Roman 1-5 R RBI HR
RF Brian Oatley 1-5 R
PH/DH Ian Messer 1-2 R 2RBI HR
HR MON: Roman(3), Messer(2)
HR CIN: Tutton(2)
W: Ernie McCluskey(2-0 3.97) L: Andy Pelletier(0-1 7.20) SV: none
Oldt promptly allowed 3ER after Billy left the game, we crawled back, and then Pelletier finally broke… And totally ignoring the fact that Dave Tutton who we traded away this winter hit a 3-run jack against us today.

May 9th

Expos Earn 9-5 Win, Avoid Sweep

The Montreal Expos outlasted the Cincinnati Eagles, 9-5, in 10 innings. Montreal second baseman David Quiros stood out with his performance. He went 3-5 with a home run and a double. He scored 2 times and drove in 3. The win puts Montreal at 9-19.

Montreal used the clutch hitting of Karl Ferguson to capture the win. The left fielder drilled a run-scoring double in the top of the tenth inning to give the Expos the lead, 6-5. For the game, Ferguson had 2 singles and 1 double in 5 at-bats.

"Exciting game to play in," said Ferguson. "Getting the win makes it even better." The former first-round pick is batting .313-3-11 .880OPS in 27 games, good for 0.6WAR.

Adrian Hilscher(R, 0-1 2.30) – Steve Grant(R, 2-2 5.13) tomorrow.22-7 Chicago Rangers… is everyone having winning records except us???

SP Danny Sandoval 4.1IP 7H 3R 3ER 2BB 4K
2B David Quiros 3-5 2R 3RBI DB HR
RF Ian Messer 1-4 2R 2RBI HR
LF Karl Ferguson 3-5 R RBI DB
1B Dan Cook 3-5 DB
DH Alfonso Flores 2-5 2R 3RBI HR
HR MON: Quiros(2), Messer(3), Flores(7)
HR CIN: Lozano(2)
W: Ryan Rasbach(2-1 2.61) L: Andy Myers(4-1 4.15) SV: none
Rasbach blew the save and then we score four in the top of the tenth… insane game. The pains we have to go through to win a game.

Record: 9-19, 5th in EL Northeast, 6GB
Week: 1-6 (0-4 vs BOS, 1-2@ CIN)
Power Rankings: #28(-3)
Runs scored: 91(15th)
Runs against: 164(15th)
Starters ERA: 5.98(14th)
Bullpen ERA: 5.22(15th)
Defensive Eff.: .649(15th)
Fan Interest: 87(-1)

Who's hot?
nobody

Who's not?
SP Victor Lopez 3G 0-2 10.32 11.1IP 14K
SS Jose Robles 6G 1-21 .047 0HR 0RBIs

Houston Astros 1B Ed Bigalow(27, 3*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-22 4HR 6RBIs 8R. A 2018 All-Star and Silver Slugger, he is batting .369-8-12 1.190OPS in 19 games.

Calgary Beavers LF Jason Clem(24, 4*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 9-23 3HR 8RBIs with 5 runs scored. The third-year pro is batting .292-12-27 1.079OPS in 28 games.

[Griever20]

Dose Goes 5-for-6 Against Calgary
stadiumreport.bbn

May 11th, 2021

San Diego Padres first baseman David Dose(28, 3.5/4*) went 5-for-6 and paced the 17-14 San Diego victory over the Calgary Beavers at PETCO Park.

"Well, that was fun," Dose said, following the game.

David Dose struck out in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, hit a three-run home run off Andres Chavez in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, singled in the 7th and hit a two-run double in the 8th.

Dose is currently batting .325/.362/.525 with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs in 28 games. He was the first overall pick in the 2014 draft.

--

Matthews Crushes 3 Homers Against Kansas City
stadiumreport.bbn

May 15th, 2021

Players don't hit three home runs in a game very often and when they do, it is something to celebrate. After today, Bill Matthews(28, 4*) can celebrate.

The San José Killer Whales first baseman powered three into the stands at Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals.

"It's rare that you actually try to hit a home run," Matthews told reporters after the game. "Most of the time you fail, if you really try to hit one. But today, I was really trying on that last one."

In all, he was 3-for-4 as the Killer Whales toppled Kansas City by a score of 9-3, knocking in 4 runs and scoring 4 times.

"He is blessed with a natural home run swing," San José manager Ki-tong Su said. "He gets the ball up in the air."

Bill Matthews walked in the 1st, hit a two-run home run off Nick Baxter in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot off Juan Jimenez in the 5th, grounded out in the 6th and hit a solo-shot off Harold Tunnicliffe in the 9th.

A look at his season totals shows Matthews with 8 home runs, .288 BA, .359 OBP, 22 RBIs and 25 runs scored.

[Griever20]

Week 6: 3@ Chicago Rangers (22-7), 3vs Philadelphia Grizzlies(13-16)

May 10th

Rangers Clip Expos, 4-3

Starting pitcher Steve Grant pitched well enough to help the Chicago Rangers beat the Montreal Expos, 4-3. Grant picked up the win for Chicago, going 6.1 innings. He gave up 3 runs on 6 hits. He now sports a record of 3-2. Austin Berry closed the game out for Chicago, earning his 9th save.

Chicago shortstop Juan Ramos contributed a timely at-bat in the bottom of the fourth. With two down, he hit a fastball to left field for a run-scoring single. It was his 31st hit of the season and put the Rangers ahead, 4-0.

"We can always improve and get better, but we're feeling confident after that win," said Ramos. He is batting .277-3-21 .791OPS in 28 games.

Chicago is now 23-7.

Sam Griffin(R, 0-4 5.13) – Josh Gibson(R, 2-1 6.57) tomorrow.Already won once against us…

SP Adrian Hilscher 3.2IP 9H 4R 4ER 1BB 5K
DH Karl Ferguson 1-3 R RBI
3B Vince Roman 1-3 R BB
LF Brian Oatley 1-4 RBI
C Kyle Craddock 0-2 2BB
HR MON: none
HR CHI: none
W: Steve Grant(3-4.68) L: Adrian Hilscher(0-2 3.72) SV: Austin Berry(9, 0.82)
Hilscher now implodes… great.

May 11th

Rangers Earn 6-3 Home Win

Chicago and Montreal duked it out and the Rangers came out victorious.

Chicago pitcher Josh Gibson had a large part in his team beating the Montreal Expos, 6-3. The right-hander kept opposing batters in check throughout the game. For the Expos, the loss makes their record 9-21.

The Rangers picked up the win with a combination of good hitting and good pitching.

"Josh showed what he's made of," said Chicago manager Brett Morse. Josh Gibson is now 2-0 against Montreal.

Victor Lopez(R, 1-3 9.00) – Jacob Smucker(R, 2-0 3.66) tomorrow.

SP Sam Griffin 2.2IP 6H 5R 4ER 1BB 0K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-4 TP
3B Vince Roman 2-4
DH Alfonso Flores 1-4 R 3RBI HR
HR MON: Flores(8)
HR CHI: none
W: Josh Gibson(3-1 5.28) L: Sam Griffin(0-5 5.75) SV : none
Every pitcher we used worked 2.2IP…

May 12th

Vrable goes 3-for-3 to Ignite Rangers Offense

Getting a good performance from third baseman Andy Vrable, the Chicago Rangers defeated the Montreal Expos, 5-1. Vrable went 3-3 with a home run, a double, and a walk. He scored 2 runs and drove in 4 for the Rangers. Chicago, now 25-7, is setting the league on fire so far.

With Chicago leading 2-0 in the bottom of the third, Vrable hit a 2-run single off Montreal hurler Victor Lopez. It was the 35th hit of the season for Vrable and put his team ahead, 4-0.

Vrable said his team "played with determination." The 2018 World Series Champion is batting .347-9-25 1.130OPS 1.8WAR in 29 games.

Alberto Cordoba(R, 2-4 5.24) – Bill Smith(L, 0-4 5.90) tomorrow.A weaker opponent… but a strong pitcher unfortunately.

SP Victor Lopez 4.1IP 5H 4R 4ER 3BB 2K
RF Ian Messer 1-3 R BB SB(1)
DH Alfonso Flores 1-3 R BB
HR MON: none
HR CHI: Vrable(9)
W: Josh Gibson(3-1 5.28) L: Sam Griffin(0-5 5.75) SV : none
Sweep time…

News:
Philadelphia Grizzlies SP Hugh Kieninger(25, 4*) blanked the Memphis Bolts 9-0 with a complete game 4-hitter, striking out eight and walking 1. The 25-year old is 3-3 3.72 45K in 7 games, good for 1.4WAR.

May 13th
Offday

May 14th

Grizzlies Rebuff Expos, 5-4

The Philadelphia Grizzlies downed the Montreal Expos, 5-4, at Olympic Stadium. The Grizzlies were led by Roberto Jimenez. Jimenez was 1-4 with a home run and a walk, while adding 4 RBI and scoring once. Jose Gutierrez recorded his 7th save for Philadelphia. With the win, Philadelphia raised its record to 17-16.

Early in the game, Jimenez had a grand slam home run for Philadelphia. It was his 8th home run of the season and put the Grizzlies on top, 4-0. A six time Gold Glover at first base, he is batting .276-8-24 .877OPS in 32 games.

"We're playing like we're capable of," said Philadelphia manager Pat Pierce.

Oscar Guzman(R, 2-3 5.50) – Danny Sandoval(R, 0-3 6.75) tomorrow.He won 14 last season so…

SP Bill Smith 4.1IP 1H 4R 4ER 4BB 4K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-5 R DB SB(3)
1B Dan Cook 2-4 2R RBI HR
DH Alfonso Flores 1-4 R
2B David Quiros 3-4 R DB
C Steve Fitch 1-4 RBI
HR PHI: Jimenez(8), Fenster(3)
HR MON: Cook(3)
W: Alberto Cordoba(3-4 5.13) L: Bill Smith(0-5 6.21) SV : Jose Gutierrez(7, 0.93)
Our pitching sucks.

May 15th

Grizzlies win in 11

The Philadelphia Grizzlies withstood an impressive performance by Montreal left fielder Karl Ferguson to defeat the Expos, 5-4, at Olympic Stadium. Ferguson went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 walks. He drove in 3 runs and scored once. Jose Gutierrez came out of the bullpen to earn the win. The left-hander allowed no runs on 1 hit in 1.1 innings. His record now stands at 2-0. The third-place Grizzlies have won 5 straight games.

Philadelphia needed the clutch hitting of Jose Pena to seal the deal. The center fielder swatted a solo home run in the top of the 11th inning to put the Grizzlies on top, 5-4. For the game, Pena had 1 home run and 1 single in 4 at-bats. The 2016 EL All-Star is batting .236-6-16 .739OPS in 28 games.

"The game is never over 'til it's over," said a jubilant Pat Pierce, the Philadelphia skipper.

Jessie Dittus(R, 2-2 3.55) – Adrian Hilscher(R, 0-2 3.72) tomorrow.Another 10-game winner… they are better than their record.

SP Danny Sandoval 6.1IP 6H 4R 4ER 2BB 6K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-5 R BB DB SB(4)
RF Ian Messer 0-3 R 2BB
LF Karl Ferguson 3-4 R 3RBI 2BB 2DB
3B Vince Roman 1-5 RBI
HR PHI: Jimenez(9), Vargas(3), de Leon(9), Pena(6)
HR MON: none
W: Jose Gutierrez(2-0 0.82) L: Ryan Rasbach(2-2 2.70) SV : Dave Golberg(1 3.45)
Fergie is my boy… best player on this rotten team.

News:
Atlanta Minuteman SP Marty Murrietta(24, 3.5/4*) blanked the Los Angeles Angels 9-0, hurling a 6-hitter with 9K and 1BB. The young ace is 3-1 2.85 49K 1.5WAR in 7 starts.

May 16th

Grizzlies Win Sunday Night Affair, 4-3

The Philadelphia Grizzlies beat the Montreal Expos, 4-3, at Olympic Stadium. The win was due in part to second baseman Fidel de Leon, who went 2 for 4 with a home run and a double. He drove in 3 runs and scored once. Picking up the win was Jessie Dittus. He went 5.1 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits. The right-hander struck out 4 and walked 5. Colin Taylor earned the save, his 2nd, for the Grizzlies.

With Philadelphia leading 1-0 in the top of the third, de Leon hit a slider from Adrian Hilscher for a 3-run home run. It was his 10th home run of the season and put the Grizzlies ahead, 4-0. He is now batting .304-10-25 .982OPS in 32 games.

Philadelphia manager Pat Pierce called it "a darn good win."

Montreal's current losing streak is now 6 games.

Hugh Kieninger(R, 3-3 3.72) – Sam Griffin(R, 0-2 3.72) tomorrow. One more with PHI next week…

SP Adrian Hilscher 5.1IP 6H 4R 4ER 1BB 6K
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-5
1B Dan Cook 1-5
3B Vince Roman 0-1 R 4BB
DH Alfonso Flores 1-5 R
2B David Quiros 3-5 RBI DB
SS Jose Robles 4-4 R
HR PHI: de Leon(10)
HR MON: none
W: Jessie Dittus(2-3 3.53)L: Adrian Hilscher(0-3 4.38) SV : Colin Taylor(2 0.64)
Our light-hitting double play combo had 7 hits combined… still can’t buy a W.

News:
Detroit Trains 3B Anthony Mason(33, 2.5*) collected 7RBI’s in a 15-3 rout of the New York Mets, going 3-4 3R 7RBI BB 2HR. The 3x World Series winner is batting .257-9-27 .932OPS in 32 games.

Record: 9-25, 5th in EL Northeast, 11GB
Week: 0-6 (0-3 @ CHI, 0-3 vs PHI)
Power Rankings: #30(-2)
Runs scored: 109(15th)
Runs against: 193(15th)
Starters ERA: 6.33(14th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.49(12th)
Defensive Eff.: .656(15th)
Fan Interest: 85(-2)

Who's hot?
nobody

Who's not?
SP Victor Lopez 4G 0-3 9.77 15.2IP 16K

Houston Astros 1B Sean Fink(26, 3*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 13-23 0HR 6RBIs. A 10th rounder in 2016, he is batting .325-3-22 .896OPS in 33 games.

San José Killer Whales 1B Bill Matthews(28, 4*) was named WL Player of the Week after going 11-27 6HR 10RBIs with 9 runs scored. The 2018 WL Silver Slugger at DH is batting .279-8-22 .869OPS in 34 games.

[Griever20]

Acosta Reaches 2000 Milestone
stadiumreport.bbn

May 22nd, 2021

Denver's Ricardo Acosta(35, 3*) collected his 2000th career base hit, but San José collected the win. The Killer Whales ruined his special day by knocking off the Seahawks 7-5. The 35-year-old center fielder reached the milestone by going 2-for-4 in the game.

Acosta has a lifetime .282/.354/.416 slashline with 2000 hits, 526 doubles, 92 triples, 81 home runs and 790 RBIs to date and has stolen 336 bases over his career, having amassed 66.7WAR so far.

As for silverware, the career Denver Seahawks’ player has won three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger Award, three All-Star nominations and was part of SIX World Series winning teams.

--

Rangers End Marcelo Streak
stadiumreport.bbn

May 22nd, 2021

Atlanta Minutemen shortstop Paulo Marcelo(26, 3*) was one of the hottest hitters in baseball, coming into today's game against Chicago Rangers sporting a 24-game hitting streak. However, the Rangers put a chill into his bat, holding him hitless in 1 at-bat as the team cruised to victory, 5-2, at Globe Life Field.

The mercurial Marcelo was visibly upset following the game, offering only brief remarks to BNN reporters before storming out of the room.

"I've carried this team many times over the last 24 games, and I expected them to do the same for me," he said.

To date Marcelo has chalked up a .336 average with no home runs, driven in 17 runs and scored 21 times. He also stole 7 bases.

--

Alfaro’s Hit Streak Ends at 20
stadiumreport.bbn

May 22nd, 2021

All good things must come to an end -- and so it was today for Ignacio Alfaro(24, 2.5*) as he saw his 20-game hitting streak end. He went hitless in 3 at-bats at the hands of the Kansas City Royals.

It wasn't all bad for the 24-year-old shortstop and the Calgary Beavers however, as they defeated Kansas City, 6-5, at Beavers Field.

When asked about his hitting streak, a smiling Alfaro laughed and said, "I guess my luck ran out today."

This year, Alfaro is hitting .238 with 5 home runs, 23RBIs, 13 runs scored and a net zero in the WAR column.

[Griever20]

Week 7: 1vs Philadelphia Grizzlies(19-16), 2@ Las Vegas Gamblers(24-10), 3 vs Boston Aeros(20-14)

May 17th

Grizzlies Suffer 11-7 Loss To Montreal

The Montreal Expos knocked off the Philadelphia Grizzlies, 11-7, at Olympic Stadium. Ian Messer was a big reason Montreal won. The right fielder was 3-5 with a home run and a double. He scored 3 times and drove in 2. He is batting .222-4-9 .644OPS in 30 games.

With the win, the Expos are 10-25.

In the bottom of the fifth, Karl Ferguson delivered a clutch hit. With two gone and runners on 1st and 2nd, the Montreal left fielder hit a run-scoring single, putting the Expos in front, 11-7.

"We take it day by day here," said Ferguson, "and today was a good one for us." He went 2-4 2R 2RBI with a double.

Victor Lopez(R, 1-4 8.88) – Jesse Bahenan(R, 6-1 2.74) tomorrow. Just your regular 17-game winner…

SP Sam Griffin 6IP 7H 2R 1ER 0BB 3K W
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-5 2R 2RBI
RF Ian Messer 3-5 3R 2RBI DB HR
LF Karl Ferguson 2-5 2R 2RBI DB
1B Dan Cook 2-4 R 4RBI HR
2B David Quiros 1-3 R BB DB SB(3)
SS Jose Robles 2-4 R DB
HR PHI: Olmos(11)
HR MON: Messer(4), Cook(4)
W: Sam Griffin(1-5 5.14)L: Hugh Kieninger(3-4 4.42) SV : none
Ignoring the fact that Rich Nelson came on in relief and allowed 5 run and that Dave Quiros committed errors for 3 unearned runs, that was a good game…

May 18th

Behena Now 7-1 after Subduing Expos

Las Vegas got a strong outing from Jesse Bahena as the Gamblers defeated the Montreal Expos, 5-1, at Gamblers Stadium. Las Vegas now has a record of 25-10 with the win.

Bahena made it look easy. He scattered 5 hits over 8 innings, while racking up 8 strikeouts. The right-hander upped his season record to 7-1.

"Jesse was throwing strikes, locating well," said Las Vegas manager Josh Moore. The righty led the WL in Wins with 17 last season, but struggled with the ERA of 4.11.

The offensive power was delivered by 25-year old second baseman Phil Petry who went 3-4 2 RBI 2R with two solo home runs.

Bill Smith(L, 0-5 6.21) – Chris Harkless(R, 3-2 5.31) tomorrow. #7 prospect in baseball…

SP Victor Lopez 5.1IP 6H 1R 1ER 1BB 7K L
RF Ian Messer 1-4 RBI
3B Vince Roman 1-4
2B David Quiros 1-2 R BB
C Kevin Craddock 2-3
HR MON: none
HR LVG: Petry 2(6), Vega(8)
W: Jesse Bahena(7-1 2.51)L: Victor Lopez(1-5 8.80) SV : none
We didn’t stand a chance against Bahena here. Five hits, only singles and one run.

News:
Portland Bears 1B Willie Chacon(26, 4*) sunk the Pittsburgh Kings all on his own, going 4-4 2R 6RBI 2HR while driving in all runs in a 6-4 win. The 2x All-Star is batting .386-9-36 1.108OPS in 35 games.

Houston Astros 1B Ed Bigalow(27, 3*) continues his glowing white season, driving in seven in a 15-2 win in Memphis, going 4-5 R 7RBI BB DB HR. The 2018 EL Silver Slugger is batting .356-11-21 1.181OPS in 26 games.

May 19th

Harkless Now 4-2 Following 4-1 Win

The Las Vegas Gamblers got a stellar effort from pitcher Chris Harkless, helping Las Vegas score a win over the visiting Montreal Expos, 4-1. With the win, Las Vegas raised its record to 26-10.

Harkless scattered 5 hits over 8 innings for the Gamblers. With the win, Harkless goes to 4-2 on the year with 41 strikeouts.

"Chris gave us a huge shot in the arm," said Las Vegas manager Josh Moore. The #7 prospect in baseball moved to 4-2 4.65 41K in 8 starts. Phil Petry continued to torture the Montreal Expos as he drove in three with a 3-run double in the 7th to seal this victory.

Peter Dewberry (L, 1-1 4.97) – Danny Sandoval(R, 0-3 6.55) the day after tomorrow. The body still holds up, but he didn’t last more than 2.2IP in his last two games.

SP Bill Smith 5IP 4H 1R 1ER 4BB 4K ND
SS Jose Robles 1-4 R
LF Karl Ferguson 2-4
CF Brian Schill 1-3
C Steve Fitch 1-3
HR MON: none
HR LVG: none
W: Chris Harkless(4-2 4.65)L: Jeremy Oldt(2-1 5.60) SV : Noah Fletcher(14 1.69)
Two games against the WL East Division leader, no extra base hit. We are soo cooked.

May 20th
Offday

News:
Philadelphia Grizzlies SP Oscar Guzman(26, 3.5/4*) pitched eight innings of 4-hit, 1BB and 10K ball in a 2-0 win over the Cincinnati Eagles today, moving his team to 21-18. Guzman has now won two in a row and moved to 3-3 4.56 39K 8GS, good for 1.3WAR.

May 21st

Expos Sneak by Aeros, 3-2

The Montreal Expos earned a close win over the Boston Aeros, thanks in part to Danny Sandoval. The Montreal right-hander, who is tied for 3rd in the EL with a 10.7 K/9 rate, played a key role in the 3-2 victory. He worked five innings of scoreless ball, walking two and striking our four.

The win was credited to Dusty Leone in relief. His record improves to 3-0. Bob Sims took the loss. The win puts Montreal at 11-27.

Montreal took a 3-0 lead on Karl Ferguson's 4th home run of the season. The 3-run home run, which Ferguson hit in the bottom of the eighth, left Boston pitcher Bob Sims visibly frustrated.

"Trying isn't good enough in this league," said Ferguson. "You've got to get results." He is batting .294-4-21 .836OPS in 37 games.

Andy O’Herron Jr.(L, 5-0 3.40) – Adrian Hilscher(R, 0-3 4.38) tomorrow. A pitcher with no losses against one with no wins… what could go wrong.

SP Danny Sandobal 5IP 4H 0R 0ER 2BB 4K ND
1B Dan Cook 2-3 R HBP
LF Karl Ferguson 1-3 R 3RBI BB HR
3B Vince Roman 1-4 DB
SS Jose Robles 1-3 SB(2)
HR BOS: Dale(3)
HR MON: Ferguson(4)
W: Dusty Leone(3-0 1.88)L: Bob Sims(0-1 7.42) SV : Ryan Rasbach(7 3.77)
That was surprising. Sandoval may just come around…

May 22nd

Transaction News:
The Montreal Expos have claimed 1B Cody Kerzner(26, 2.5/3*) off waivers from the Vancouver Canadians today. The right-handed hitter is a career .303-0-10 .761OPS hitter in 72 games and was placed on the NMLB Roster. He will be our everyday 1B and Dan Cook will move to DH.
Corresponding to that move, DH Alfonso Flores(29, 2*) was banished to AA for good after batting .168-8-20 .567OPS -1.0WAR in 38 games. We tried to lure him on a sabotaged plane, but he took the bus to Golden Valley instead… Shame, he is due for $8.9M this and next season and obviously has no trade value.

Aeros Drop Expos, 8-1

Starting pitcher Adam O'Herron Jr. was a major factor in the 8-1 Boston Aeros triumph over the Montreal Expos. The win puts Boston at 21-18 this season. The lefty worked 8.1 dominant innings of 7-hit, 1-run and 6 strikeout ball.

Boston used the hitting of Victor Garcia to pick up the win. The left fielder clubbed a 3-run home run in the top of the third inning to put the Aeros on top, 4-0. For the game, Garcia had 1 home run and 1 single in 4 at-bats.

"Solid game, solid win tonight," said a smiling Garcia. He is batting .367-2-8 1.078OPS in 9 games.

Patrick Kallemeyn(L, 1-3 4.75) – Sam Griffin(R, 1-5 5.14) tomorrow. Fastball merchant…

SP Adrian Hilscher 2.1IP 4H 8R 8ER 4BB 1K L
DH Dan Cook 1-4 R
LF Karl Ferguson 1-3
3B Vince Roman 2-4
1B Cody Kerzner 2-4 RBI
HR BOS: Garcia(2)
HR MON: none
W: Andy O’Herron Jr.(6-0 3.07) L: Adrian Hilscher(0-4 6.67) SV : none
Kerzner with two hits and an RBI sweet. We still suck tho…

Transaction News:
RHRP Chris Ball(22, 2.5/3*) was placed on the 15-day IL with a forearm tendinitis and he will be out for 1-2 weeks..
RHRP Freddy Silva(24, 2.5*) was recalled from AAA after going 10 innings of 1.80ERA ball with Spring Valley after his demotion.

May 23rd

Mendia Excels, Boston Blows Out Montreal

Boston catcher Elias Mendia was instrumental in helping the Aeros triumph, 15-1, over the Montreal Expos. Mendia belted 3 home runs, while adding 7 RBI and scoring three times. The former Montreal Expos player is batting .271-10-25 .933OPS in 31 games.

Patrick Kallemeyn was the winner. Over 8.1 innings, he yielded 1 run on 5 hits, with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. With the win, Boston upped its record to 22-18.

Boston won the game in part because of Kurt Alexander. The left fielder ripped a run-scoring double in the top of the sixth inning to put the Aeros ahead, 2-1. For the game, Alexander had 1 double and 1 home run in 5 at-bats.

"That was brutal," said losing manager Aaron McCreery. "The sooner we can turn the page, the better."

Wait Laidlaw(R, 1-2 4.96) – TBD tomorrow. We have a meeting tomorrow and I have been on the phone…

SP Sam Griffin 5.1IP 6H 3R 3ER 1BB 4K L
DH Dan Cook 1-4
LF Karl Ferguson 2-4
1B Cody Kerzner 0-2 R BB
SS Jose Robles 1-3 RBI DB
RF Ian Messer 1-3
HR BOS: Mendia 3(10), Alexander(8)
HR MON: none
W: Patrick Kallemeyn(2-3 4.14) L: Sam Griffin(1-6 5.13) SV : none
Oldt 0.2IP 6R 2ER, Pelletier 1IP 5ER. No comment.

Record: 11-29, 5th in EL Northeast, 12GB
Week: 2-4 (1-0 vs PHI, 0-2@ LVG, 1-2 vs BOS)
Power Rankings: #30(+-0)
Runs scored: 127(15th)
Runs against: 234(15th)
Starters ERA: 6.22(15th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.63(14th)
Defensive Eff.: .655(15th)
Fan Interest: 85(+-0)

Who's hot?
nobody

Who's not?
SP Victor Lopez 5G 0-4 9.43 21.0IP 23K
SP Adrian Hilscher 2G 0-2 14.09 7.2IP 6K
C Steve Fitch 11G 4-39 .102 0HR 2RBIs
2B Franklin Reyes 9G 3-24 .125 0HR 0RBIs
CF Vicente Rodriguez 5G 1-20 .050 0HR 2RBIs
CF Brian Schill 8G 2-22 .090 0HR 0RBIs

Toronto Blue Jays 1B Mike Massie(27, 3.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 15-22 5HR 11RBIs 9R. The 2019 EL MvP is batting .321-11-25 .993OPS in 33 games.

San José Killer Whales 1B Bill Matthews(28, 4*) was named WL Player of the Week for the second week in a row, going 10-27 6HR 16RBIs with 8 runs scored. The 2018 WL Silver Slugger at DH is batting .295-14-38 .972OPS in 40 games.

[Griever20]

Montreal Swaps Smith to Vancouver for Boone
stadiumreport.bbn

May 24th, 2021

In a move that has fans in both cities buzzing, the Montreal Expos and the Vancouver Canadians have agreed to a deal that will have 24-year old LHP Bill Smith(24, 2.5*) heading to Vancouver in exchange for

Single A 24-year old minor league RHRP Jordan Robinson(2/3*)
R 23-year old minor league 2B Rich Meilleur(2/3* .238-2-6 .630OPS), and
2B/3B 24-year old minor league 2B Jonathan Boone(2.5*, .278-8-18 .835OPS 30G).

Provided they pass a physical, the players should be with their respective teams in time for tomorrow's games. Up to now Smith has recorded a record of 0-5. In 8 starts he has fanned 34 batters in 38.1 innings with a 5.63 ERA.

Context:
Scouting report Bill Smith update.
Current Stamina rating drops from 55 to 45

It is not exactly a sell high, but the best we could get. Meilleur and Robinson have some potential but are quite old, and Boone is a backup at 3B if we sell Vince Roman to the highest bidder.

As for the rest of the roster. SP Victor Lopez had no trade value at all and neither did SS Jose Robles. Apart from our top prospect in Julian Hernandez the best option to replace Robles would be Orlando Gonzalez(26, .175-0-2 .408OPS 13G -0.3WAR)… and he is ice cold.

Yet, we decided to make some moves.
To AAA:
SP Victor Lopez(26, 2.5*, 1-5 8.80 34K 30.2IP 7GS 0.0WAR)
RHRP Jeremy Oldt(25, 2/2.5*, 2-1 6.38 18K 18.1IP 12G -0.1WAR)

In NMLB:
RHP Sam Rush(25, 2.5*) 0-1 5.68 16G 25.1IP 16G 0.4WAR (.368 BABIP) into the rotation

To NMLB:
SP Dan Hinton(22, 4/5*) off the IL
RHRP Jon Marquardt(23, 2.5*) 2-0 1.96 31K 6GS 36.2IP 0.9WAR AAA
RHRP John Martinez(23, 2.5*) 4-1 3.21 32K 9G/7GS 47.2IP 0.8WAR AAA

This is not working out well. Rush was McCreery’s call, he got good stamina and three pitches. Can’t get worse. McCreery also wants Marquardt back in the rotation, but I can’t sell one 45 stamina pitcher to get another one in…

[Griever20]

Ramos Swats #400
stadiumreport.bbn

May 25th, 2021

400 home runs is a lot of home runs to hit. It's a number that very few players reach. Today Leo Ramos(33, 3*) became a member of that exclusive club. He belted it at Eagles Stadium against the Trains. But sometimes milestone homers don't win the game. The powerful Cincinnati right fielder got all the headlines, but Detroit came away with the victory. They beat the Eagles 3-1.

During the postgame interview he told the press, "It's a big relief to get it over. I tried not to think about it, but it's kind of hard when you have a huge sign on the scoreboard staring at you every time you step up to the plate. The home run was nice, but I would have preferred to win the game."

His batting totals for the game showed 1 hit in 4 at-bats, 1 home run and 1 RBI.

The hardworking and dedicated Ramos also said, "I'll celebrate a little with my family tonight but not too much. This is not the last home run I will hit. I think I have a lot of baseball left in me and have other goals. I'll get back to work tomorrow."

In his career, Ramos has played in 1594 games with a .276/.346/.541 slashline. Among his 1634 hits are 292 doubles, 37 triples and 400 home runs. He has also scored 968 runs and driven in 1139 runs.

Over his career, he was the EL MvP in 2017 and 2018, an All-Star six times, and a Silver Slugger five times.

--

Detroit Punchless in 9-0 Loss to Eagles
stadiumreport.bbn

May 26th, 2021

Jimmy McMahon(24, 3.5/4*) bent a little, but he didn't break against the Detroit Trains. The Cincinnati Eagles pitcher hurled a 3-hit, 9-0 shutout in a fine performance, surrendering 1 walk and tallying 4 strikeouts.

"Jimmy is good at getting out of jams," Eagles manager Jason Swarens told reporters after the game. "He's almost more effective when he gets guys on base or gets behind in the count, because he uses your aggressiveness against you."

McMahon has made 9 starts this season, posting 1 win and 4 losses. Opposing clubs are batting .190 against him and he has 58 strikeouts in 67.1 innings with a 2.27 ERA.

[Griever20]

Week 8: 3vs Toronto Blue Jays(24-18), 3@ Arizona Diamondbacks(13-26)

May 24th
Offday

May 25th
Season debug for our ace!

Jays Spoil Hinton’s Debut and Win, 5-4

The Montreal Expos got a sterling performance from pitcher Dan Hinton, but the Toronto Blue Jays still prevailed, 5-4. Hinton threw 6.0 innings of 3-hit ball. Toronto reliever Willis Quevedo snagged the win, upping his record to 1-0. Adam Rudolph shouldered the loss. Ron Palovich earned the save for Toronto, his 11th.

Toronto needed the clutch hitting of Oscar Cabrera to seal the deal. The first baseman swatted a 2-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to put the Blue Jays on top, 4-3. For the game, Cabrera had 1 home run and 1 single in 4 at-bats. Rumors say, Cabrera is on the trading block despite batting .261-8-27 .795OPS in 40 games.

Said Toronto manager Art Tierney: "At the end of the day, these guys have to perform between the lines, and I think they did."

The win for the Blue Jays raised their record to 25-18.

David Villalobos(R, 4-2 5.32) – Danny Sandoval(R, 0-3 5.68) tomorrow. Once a 15-game winner, but the body is falling apart.

SP Dan Hinton 6IP 3H 1R 1ER 3BB 6K ND
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-5 R
DH Dan Cook 2-4 R RBI
3B Vince Roman 2-2 R 2BB
1B Cody Kerzner 1-4 R 2RBI HR
HR TOR: Cabrera(8)
HR MON: Kerzner(1)
W: Willis Quevedo(1-0 9.00) L: Adam Rudolph(1-1 3.63) SV : Ron Palovich(11 0.47)
Silva promptly allowed a run in his return, but at least, Hinton is back and has not blown his arm out on 100 pitches.

News:
Memphis Bolts 2B Arturo Sanchez(25, 2.5*) had a 5-hit night at the plate today, going 5-5 4R 2RBI TP 2HR in a 12-6 rout of Chicago. The former minor league free agent is batting .224-4-9 .758OPS in 26 games.

May 26th

Expos Beaten by Blue Jays, 5-3

The performance of Ryan LaRiviere proved critical in helping Toronto beat Montreal, 5-3. The Blue Jays shortstop went 2-5 with 2 home runs. He drove in 4 runs and scored twice. The winner was David Villalobos, who threw 84 pitches over 6 innings. The right-hander was charged with 3 runs on 9 hits. Ron Palovich nailed down his 12th save.

With Toronto trailing 3-1 in the top of the fifth, LaRiviere hit a fastball from Danny Sandoval for a 3-run home run. It was his 12th home run of the season and put the Blue Jays ahead, 4-3. The 28-year old is batting .345-12-35 1.077OPS in 39 games.

Toronto manager Art Tierney praised his team's "businesslike approach."

Montreal has now lost 4 straight.

David Rodgers(R, 1-1 6.00) – Sam Rush(R, 0-1 5.68 as RP) tomorrow. Rush gets his first shot…

SP Danny Sandoval 5IP 6H 4R 4ER 2BB 6K L
CF Vicente Rodriguez 3-5 DB
DH Dan Cook 1-4 R DB
3B Vince Roman 1-3 R BB DB
1B Cody Kerzner 1-4 DB
2B David Quiros 1-4 R RBI
C Steve Fitch 1-4 2RBI DB
HR TOR: LaRiviere 2(12), Torres(7)
HR MON: none
W: David Villalobos(5-2 5.23) L: Danny Sandoval(0-4 5.86) SV : Ron Palovich(12 0.45)
Hey, it’s close games… (trying to find something positive after we shuffled our roster around)

May 27th

Expos Score Late, Top Blue Jays, 4-1

Sam Rush propelled his team to victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. He worked six scoreless innings of 2-hit ball while walking four and striking out four.

The final score was 4-1, Montreal. The win went to Dusty Leone in relief, making him now 4-0. Danny Ancira took the loss for Toronto. The last-place Expos own a record of 12-31. Montreal manager Aaron McCreery called it "a darn good win."

Montreal took a 3-1 lead on Jose Robles's 3rd home run of the season. The 3-run home run, which Robles hit in the bottom of the eighth, left Toronto pitcher Danny Ancira visibly frustrated. The shortstop was reportedly on the brink of getting send down to AAA, batting .202-3-10 .596OPS in 41 games.

Adrian Hilscher(R, 0-4 6.67) – Jason Banchero(R, 2-2 2.38) tomorrow. Not as good as his stats, he barely lasts five.

SP Sam Rush 6IP 2H 0R 0ER 4BB 4K ND
RF Ian Messer 1-3 R BB SB(2)
DH Dan Cook 1-3 RBI BB
3B Vince Roman 0-2 2BB
C Steve Fitch 1-3 R
SS Jose Robles 1-3 R 3RBI HR
HR TOR: none
HR MON: Robles(3)
W: Dusty Leone(4-0 1.65) L: Danny Ancira(1-1 5.47) SV : Ryan Rasbach(8 3.31)
That was surprising. Rush with a good start and a series win. Can we stabilize a bit?

May 28th

Diamondbacks Stymie Montreal, Take 3-0 Win

Jason Banchero, who is tied for 3rd in the WL with a 2.08 ERA, was terrific for the Arizona Diamondbacks in his team's 3-0 triumph over the Montreal Expos. His performance earned Banchero rave reviews. He worked 6 innings of scoreless 4-hit ball.

"It was our day today," Banchero told the Arizona Observer. "But we've got to keep our nose to the grindstone." The Diamondbacks go to 17-27 with the win.

Jason Nicol, the 35th overall pick in the 2013 draft, came through for Arizona with a run-scoring double in the bottom of the third. The designated hitter went 2 for 4 for the game, including 1 home run and 1 double. He scored 1 run and collected 2 RBI. He is batting .268-6-13 1.012OPS in 23 games.

Sam Griffin(R, 1-6 5.13) – Miguel Ricketts(R, 5-2 1.92) tomorrow. Young Phenom, former 5th overall pick.

SP Adrian Hilscher 4.1IP 6H 2R 2ER 2BB 7K L
RF Ian Messer 1-3
DH Dan Cook 2-3 BB
1B Cody Kerzner 2-4
SS Jose Robles 1-3 DB
HR MON: none
HR ARI: Nicol(6)
W: Jason Banchero(3-2 2.08) L: Adrian Hilscher(0-5 6.32) SV : Justin Whitt(6 2.95)
Banchero maybe isn’t that bad…

May 29th

Expos Grind Out 2-1 Win

Montreal got a strong outing from Sam Griffin as the Expos defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-1, at Chase Field. Griffin yielded 1 run over 6.1 innings to notch the win. He scattered 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. His record improves to 2-6. Montreal, with the win, climbs to 13-32.

Cody Kerzner had a direct impact on the outcome. Kerzner contributed a run-scoring single in the top of the sixth inning to put Montreal up, 2-1.

Kerzner attributed the win to his team's "steely resolve." He is batting .320-1-4 .850OPS in seven games since he was claimed off waivers last week.

Dan Hinton(R, 0-0 1.50) – Hector Ontiveros(R, 0-0 3.38) tomorrow. Called up with a 3-3 5.14 record in AAA…

SP Sam Griffin 6.1IP 6H 1R 1ER 1BB 2K W
RF Ian Messer 1-3 R BB SB(3)
DH Dan Cook 1-4 RBI
3B Vince Roman 2-4 R DB
1B Cody Kerzner 2-4 RBI
HR MON: none
HR ARI: Nicol(7)
W: Sam Griffin(2-6 4.70) L: Miguel Ricketts(5-3 2.00) SV : Dusty Leone(1 1.56)
Griffin with a good start here against the young and upcoming ace… nice.

News:
Denver Seahawks 2B Bruce Locey(30, 3.5*) went 4-4 R 5RBI TP BB HR in a 9-4 win over Sacramento Cavaliers today. The 4x All-Star is batting .217-2-21 .644OPS in 43 games, but is on the rise.

Houston Astros SP Orlando Turrietta(34, 5*) pitched a gem today, eight innings of 3-hit ball with three strikeouts and no walks in a 3-0 win over Memphis. The three time Pitcher of the Year is 5-0 2.25 32K in seven starts.

San José Killer Whales SP Eddie Baiamonte(29, 4*) allowed four hits and no walks over eight innings, beating the Angels 3-0 while striking out five. The 3x All-Star moved to 6-3 3.03 58K in ten starts.

May 30th

Expos Upend Diamondbacks, 3-2

Montreal pitcher Dan Hinton did his part in helping his team defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2. The opposition could never get too much going against the right-hander. He worked 7.2 innings of 6-hit ball, allowing 2ER.

The Expos sport a record of 14-32.

Steve Fitch had a direct impact on the outcome. Fitch contributed a run-scoring single in the top of the ninth inning to put Montreal up, 3-2.

"I'm just trying to make good contact," said Fitch, "one at-bat at a time." He is batting .219-2-11 .543OPS in 37 games.

Danny Sandoval(R, 0-4 5.86) – Agdun Jumaane(L, 3-4 4.44) tomorrow. Great stuff, but struggling with flyballs.

SP Dan Hinton 7.2IP 6H 2R 2ER 3BB 2K ND
CF Vicente Rodriguez 1-3 BB DB SB(5)
1B Cody Kerzner 2-3 2R RBI BB DB HR
C Steve Fitch 2-4 RBI
SS Jose Robles 1-3 R RBI HR
HR MON: Robles(4), Kerzner(2)
HR ARI: none
W: Jon Marquardt(1-1 6.23) L: Justin Whitt (2-3 3.22) SV : Ryan Rasbach(9 3.12)
Hinton can’t buy a win, but pitched well again.

Record: 14-32, 5th in EL Northeast, 13GB
Week: 3-3 (1-2 vs TOR, 2-1 @ ARI)
Power Rankings: #30(+-0)
Runs scored: 143(15th)
Runs against: 251(14th)
Starters ERA: 5.64(15th)
Bullpen ERA: 4.53(14th)
Defensive Eff.: .663(15th)
Fan Interest: 85(+-0)

Who's hot?
nobody

Who's not?
SP Adrian Hilscher 2G 0-2 13.50 6.2IP 8K
2B Franklin Reyes 10G 3-24 .125 0HR 0RBIs
2B David Quiros 7G 1-25 .040 0HR 1RBIs
CF Brian Schill 9G 2-26 .076 0HR 0RBIs
LF Karl Ferguson 6G 3-23 .130 0HR 0RBIs

Jacksonville Patriots 3B Fernando Robles(26, 3.5*) was named EL Player of the Week after going 11-18 3HR 8RBIs 7R. The 3x All-Star is batting .359-10-30 1.048OPS in 44 games.

Los Angeles Angels 1B Joe Milem(30, 2.5*) was named WL Player of the Week for the second week in a row, going 11-21 2HR 8RBIs. The righty batter is batting .294-4-20 .812OPS in 44 games.

[Griever20]

Week 9: 3@ Jacksonville Patriots(28-19), 4@ Miami Marlins(21-25)

May 31st

Expos Earn Win with Late Rally

In a low-scoring contest between the Montreal Expos and the Jacksonville Patriots, Danny Sandoval was the X factor. The Montreal right-hander spearheaded the 2-1 win. He worked 6.1 innings of 1-hit and 1 run ball, but did not get the win today.

"Winning the game is always the first objective," Sandoval said.

Dusty Leone picked up the save for Montreal, his 2nd of the year. The Montreal win streak is now 3 games.

Dan Cook, who is tied for 10th in the EL in doubles with 12, had a direct impact on the outcome. Cook contributed a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning to put Montreal up, 2-1. The 28-year old is batting .275-4-20 .745OPS in 46 games this season.

Sam Rush(R, 0-1 4.60) – John Sanchez(R, 4-2 4.62) tomorrow. 22-year old former 6th overall pick that still has some work to do on his pitches, not a future ace tho.

SP Danny Sandoval 6.1IP 1H 1R 1ER 4BB 8K ND
CF Vicente Rodriguez 2-3 R BB
DH Dan Cook 1-3 RBI DB
1B Cody Kerzner 0-3 RBI
3B David Quiros 1-3 R
HR MON: none
HR ARI: Crews(12)
W: Adam Rudolph(2-1 3.04) L: Agdun Jumaane(3-5 4.20) SV : Dusty Leone(2 1.47)
Sandoval with a gem by his standards…

Transactions.
C Kevin Craddock(24, 2.5*) left today’s game after he was hit by a pitch and will be placed on the 10-day IL with a fractured thumb and will be out for four weeks.
AA C Jordan Chavis(23, 2*) was promoted as he was the third catcher on our 40-man. He hit .233 in AAA.

News:
Las Vegas Gamblers SP Chris Harkless(23, 3/4.5*) pitched almost a complete game but was pulled with one out to go, working 8.2IP 3H 0ER 1BB 6K in a 5-0 win over San Francisco. The rookie moved to 5-2 3.888 49K in 10 starts.

END OF MAY

[Griever20]

EL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Jacksonville C Rich Crews(24, 4.5*) .360-10-30 1.137OPS 1.3WAR 2020 EL All-Star, 2nd in batting average in EL
Pitcher of the Month: Toronto RHCL Ron Palovich(30, 3.5*) 2-0 12SV 0.00 6K 13.1IP 0.8WAR Second closer to win Pitcher of the Month...
Rookie of the Month: Boston C Elias Mendia(23, 3*) .299-7-18 .975OPS 21G 0.9WAR We got -0.3WAR in return for him. The trades I make.

WL Awards:
Batter of the Month: Portland 1B Willie Chacon(26, 4*) .410-8-28 1.227OPS 2.3WAR 2x All-Star, leads WL in RBI’s and hits.
Pitcher of the Month: Las Vegas SP Jesse Bahena(24, 4.5/5*) 5-1 2.35 47K 6GS 46IP 1.3WAR Leads WL in K WAR
Rookie of the Month: Las Vegas SP Chris Harkless(23, 3/4.5*) 5-0 2.38 26K 41.2IP 1.3WAR Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month, but different arms…

We followed up a 7-12 month with a 8-20 month, so in other words, we are bad. Our Pythagorean Record is 13-34 so we are even worse than we stand, however, the last 10 games we are 5-5. Having Hinton back will surely help us, but we are lacking comparable talent. Trading Bill Smith was a ‘little’ panic move to shake things up, but so far he allowed 5ER in 7.1IP with Vancouver. We got little more than a bag of balls, but well…

We are preparing for the First Year Player draft and will monitor the trade market, but so far we plan to stand mostly pat until the All-Star break unless we get a good offer from another player of a opportunity arises that we can not pass up. It is another month of pain until the draft, so may the suffering continue.

Around the league, we had our run-in with the Las Vegas Gamblers and we learned the hard way why they are first in the WL and second in all of baseball. Their 1-2 punch with Jesse Bahena(24, 4.5/5*, 8-2 2.86 80K) and Chris Harkless(23, 3/4.5*, 5-2 3.88 49K) is still developing but strong nonetheless, and RF Trevor Wolthuis(28, 3*, .263-17-31 1.032OPS) is on his way to lead the WL in home runs and strikeouts for the third straight season… how can someone strike out 284 times???

Pitching:

DL: RHRP Chris Ball(22 2.5/3*) forearm tendinitis unknown 0-0 4.09 16K 22IP -0.4WAR

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
RHSP Danny Sandoval 10.8 K/9 – 3rd
RHSP Sam Griffin 1.8 BB/9 – 3rd
RHSP Sam Griffin 6 losses – 3rd

Shuffling our pitchers around helped some the last weeks, but we are far from good. Sandoval recovered with a 3.74ERA month and Sam Griffin was at 3.73. Adrian Hilscher is on the hot seat right now as he got lit up badly lately, but I can not pull the trigger on putting Marquardt into the rotation.

And I’m not recalling Victor Lopez. We also have Juan Miranda on the 40-man, and while he is 3-3 2.92 in 7 starts in AAA, we want to keep him in AAA for the season to make sure he gets the development time he needs as Dave G. officially sees him as a 3* prospect.

Our bullpen… we will see what we can do here. Rasbach, Leone, Rudolph and Nelson are save, every other reliever is in danger to see Spring Valley soon…

Some interesting news from your scouting department. AAA Closer Kevin Cowden was rated up to a 3.5* potential reliever and seems to be a good trade acquisition AND is not on the 40-man yet. He is unfortunately having a 6.38ERA so… he needs some time.

Position Players:

DL: C Kevin Craddock(24 2.5*) fractured thumb 3-4 weeks .158-0-1 .449OPS 16G/10GS -0.2WAR

NMBL Montreal Expos Players on the leaderboard:
none

Let’s open that can of worms, shall we. With Fitch, Quiros/Reyes, Robles and Messer we have four lineup positions where we post a zero or sub-zero WAR right now, and it was five before we axed Alfonso Flores and his -0.8WAR. Of those guys, Messer is the one where I expected more and where our scouts believe in an improvement as his contact ability is better than what we see.

The others… are replacement level players with a “standout” tool, and for most of them, it isn’t enough. We won’t be able to move Fitch out of the way unless someone is willing to take on $11.8M this season and next season, and we don’t have a good replacement around. Kevin Craddock is the best of the replacement level catcher bunch, and he is out for the next month anyway so.

As for middle infielders, we have a ton of those in AAA that can hit a bit better than Robles, Quiros and Reyes, but they are all worse on the defensive side, and that is one area where we also suck… happy days huh.

Cody Kerzner has been a little bright spot between a lot of darkness, but .323 in nine games is not (yet) enough sample size to get excited about. The secret about him is, while he is 26 and won’t develop much, there is a lot of power potential in his old scouting reports. Dave Gomez feels that there is some untapped potential that can be worked out in a offseason development routine… that is if we don’t trade him away for a better bag of baseballs.

Karl Ferguson was on his way to capture my heart… until he went ice cold and batted .212 in May, and Vinnie Roman also is making a strong bid to be traded. We won’t get much for him, but there are teams that want him for a prospect or two. Not yet tho.

Prospect Watch:
AAA SS Julian Hernandez .240-5-17 .647OPS 43G 1.2WAR
AAA RHRP Kevin Cowden 2-3 12SV 6.38 21K 18.1IP -1.3WAR
A LHSP Brett Asselin 0-7 4.53 37K 9GS 45.2IP 0.5WAR
R SP Matt Porter 2-1 0.57 48K 47.2IP 9GS 1.5WAR
R 1B Joe Townsend .250-3-5 .790OPS 12G 0.9WAR broken bone in elbow 6-7 months
R LF Santiago Rodriguez .226-9-17 .747OPS 42G 3.5WAR

Hernandez picked up some pace with a .252 month but his contact ability and is power is ways away from where he needs to be, so no rushing here. Our single A team is an absolute dumpster fire this season and Brett Asselin unfortunately has to cover that a bit, but he has done some good despite those losses he amassed, but has work to do in every category from movement, to control, to all his five pitches.

Nothing here that will help us out this season, and we won’t trade any of those kids away unless we have a 22-0 June.

[Griever20]

Montreal’s Sandoval Sidelined for Season
stadiumreport.bbn

June 5th, 2021

The doctors have spoken and Danny Sandoval of the Montreal Expos didn't like what he heard. The 23-year-old starting pitcher is almost certainly gone for the rest of the year and depending on his progress could miss some of next season as well. Sandoval sustained his season-ending injury during the Miami Marlins game yesterday at LoanDepot Park. He had to leave the game because he hurt himself while throwing a pitch. Today the Montreal medical staff reported Sandoval had a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament and would be absent from the lineup for at least 13 months.

To date this season, Sandoval has compiled a 0-4 record with a 5.36 ERA in 11 starts. He was acquired via the Rule 5 Draft.

Sandoval was placed on the 60-day IL and with RHSP Cesar Alvarado(21, 2.5*, 3-2 2.65 20K 34IP 0.8WAR) was called up to NMLB. The starter was acquired via trade from Cincinnati this offseason.

--

Oseguera Collects Cycle
stadiumreport.bbn

June 5th, 2021

The Portland Bears topped the Calgary Beavers by a score of 10-7 at Beavers Field, but all the talk was centered on shortstop Victor Oseguera(25, 4*).

The Portland star hit for the cycle in a show-stealing performance, powering his club to the win. Oseguera went 4-for-4, collecting 1 single, 1 double, 1 triple and 1 home run to go along with 3 runs batted in and 3 runs scored.

"I felt comfortable at the plate in a way I haven't felt all season," Oseguera said after the game. "It was like they were throwing beach balls at me - the ball seemed that big. And it just floated in."

Victor Oseguera singled in the 1st, hit a sac fly in the 2nd, hit a solo-shot off Eddie Puga in the 5th, hit an RBI triple in the 6th and doubled in the 8th.

For the season, Oseguera is hitting at a .250 clip with 10 home runs, 31 RBIs and has scored 37 runs. He has 47 hits, 24 walks and a .335 on-base percentage.