Barnstormin’

	Yamel Guevara 1-2, 4.86 ERA		Aaron Myette 5-5, 5.56 ERA

Of all the players to ever wear the Barnstormers uniform, none has generated more interest outside of Lancaster County than Yamel Guevara. The former Cuban phenom remains a curiosity for all of those who saw him at his peak.

Every week or so, someone who watched Guevara in the past will send an email my way to ask about him. How did he end up in Lancaster? What kind of velocity is he showing? Is he still that phenom? The righthander has even been featured in The Sporting News.

Guevara is not the fireballing superstar he was when he went 10-0 with a 2.06 ERA in the Cuban National Series. The 94 mph fastball he once displayed is now clocked in the 88-90 range. He doesn’t have great command with it. Since his debut with the Barnstormers on May 11, he has relied heavily on his slider – particularly against right-handed batters.

Even though Guevara’s stuff has taken a dip from his early-20s prime, he has proven an effective pitcher at this level. He is one of the few Atlantic Leaguers to average more than a strikeout per inning and opponents are hitting just .217 against him. The pitcher’s problem has been control – he’s averaging 7.5 walks per nine.

Guevara is making his third start today. If Jason Scobie arrives and fills out that fifth slot in the rotation – as expected – Guevara will head back to the bullpen where the team believes he can be more of a weapon. Regardless of his role, people will always keep an eye on him here because they remember him as a Cuban legend.

Independence Day:

July 4 is a significant date in Barnstormers history. It was the date – back in 2005 – when the team traded Norm Hutchins to Newark in exchange for Jeremy Todd. Without that deal, you could make a strong case that the Barnstormers never win their championship the following year.

Quotable:

“I know we’ve had a lot of injuries,” said pitcher Josh Hall said after his eight shutout innings Thursday. “But I’ve always said we’ve got a good team if we play together and get our act together.”

Perry promoted:

OF Jason Perry, who was with the Barnstormers in spring training, has been promoted to the big leagues by the Braves. Perry was signed by the Braves on April 18 and assigned to Double-A Mississippi. He batted .309 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs in 69 games at Mississippi and Triple-A Richmond before getting the call. This will be his first crack at the majors.

Scoring summary …

WP: Judd Songster (3-1)
LP: Matthew Trent (0-4)

FINAL: Barnstormers 9, Revolution 8

Revs 1st: Ashby hits solo home run,
York leads 1-0.

Revs 3rd: Ashby’s single scores Cruz.
York leads 2-0.

Revs 4th: Jones’ single scores Aracena and Hillenbrand.
York leads 4-0.

Revs 5th: Aracena’s single scores Padgett.
York leads 5-0.

Revs 6th: De Renne hits solo home run. Ashby’s single scores Jones. Padgett’s single scores Cruz.
York leads 8-0.

Stormers 6th: Gonzalez’s home run scores Evans and Woods.
York leads 8-3.

Stormers 7th: Evans’ double scores Kotch.
York leads 8-4.

Stormers 8th: Mejia’s home run scores LeCroy. Kotch’s home run scores Hileman. Game tied at 8.

Stormers 10th: Hileman’s single scores Gonzalez.
Lancaster wins 9-8.

Box score:

RECORD: 30-38

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Danny Gonzalez

It’s hard to pick one in a game of this nature. Gonzalez’s three-run homer in the sixth got the Barnstormers off the mat and made the deficit more reasonable. It was his ninth of the season.

Notable:

*The Barnstormers rallied from an 8-0 deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. They improved to 6-2 against the Revolution and clinched a share of third place in the first half.

*What can you say about Kevin Kotch? While his energy and enthusiasm have been a boost for the team, his results have been even better. Kotch belted his third home run in nine games as a member of the Barnstormers. It was a two-run shot that pulled the team even in the bottom of the eighth.

*Joe Evans made his professional debut and delivered an RBI double. The newly-acquired infielder replaced Juan Francia as a pinch-runner.

*D.J. Mattox made his first appearance since June 24, which was the game where he failed to get an out. The righthander posted 2 1/3 shutout innings.

*Judd Songster extended his streak without an earned run to 21 2/3 innings.