 |
Mac Nelson 3-0, 4.66 ERA |
|
Abe Alvarez 6-2, 3.75 ERA |
|---|
By my count, and this is by no means official, the Barnstormers have 37 players under contract. That includes nine on the disabled list and one on the inactive list. Assuming OF Gary Harris and C Argenis Tavarez arrive as expected, two more moves will have to be made to get the roster to 25.
As noted in Monday’s entry, the Barnstormers are determined not to let September become stale. They’re doing everything they can to make sure the team plays inspired ball down the stretch.
“The worst situation you can be in as a baseball player is playing meaningless games and nobody is having fun,” manager Von Hayes said. “I don’t want that to happen. I want the guys who have been busting their butts throughout the year to continue to do so. We’ll combine that with a couple of new additions and hopefully end the season on a good note.”
Who are the newest new guys? Let’s take a look:
Mac Nelson
| 3-0 | 4.66 ERA | 67.2 IP | 68 H | 36 BB | 62 K |
Nelson, 23, is a first-year pro out of Southern Utah who made 11 starts for St. George of the independent Golden League. The righthander will immediately be plugged into the starting rotation, taking Erik Dessau’s turn tonight. Dessau joined the growing list of guys on the DL.
Monte Mansfield
| 8-2 | 6.68 ERA | 90.1 IP | 103 H | 43 BB | 63 K |
Mansfield, 27, was Nelson’s teammate at St. George. The righthander also played for Orange County of the Golden League this season. His career stats are pretty good and he spent two full seasons at Double-A. He’s expected to be a starter here.
Gary Harris
| .305 | 12 HR | 41 RBI | 43 SB | .339 OBP | .480 SLG |
Harris, who turns 29 next week, split time between St. George and Reno of the Golden League. He’s a left-handed hitting speedster who has advanced as high as Double-A, including a brief stint at Reading. His primary position is center field. We’ll see if that’s where he plays here.
Argenis Tavarez
| .288 | 2 HR | 35 RBI | 15 SB | .346 OBP | .390 SLG |
Tavarez, 24, played for the Nashua Pride in the Can-Am League this season. His highest advancement in affiliated ball is low-A. He’s a versatile defender who also played second base, third base and outfield in Nashua. He replaces Brian Munhall as the backup catcher.
Lineups …
29-22 |
22-28 |
|---|---|
| Bryant Nelson, SS | Mike Woods, LF |
| Juan Francia, 2B | Lloyd Turner, 3B |
| Pete Rose Jr., 1B | Ian Bladergroen, 1B |
| Carl Everett, DH | Matt LeCroy, DH |
| Ray Navarrete, LF | Bryan Sabatella, RF |
| Damian Rolls, 3B | David Castillo, C |
| Melvin Falu, RF | Mike Caruso, SS |
| Jamie Pogue, C | Jutt Hileman, CF |
| Billy Kovatch, CF | Ron Fenwick, 2B |
Scoring summary …
| Ducks | 000 | 000 | 040 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| Barnstormers | 121 | 010 | 00x | 5 | 13 | 0 |
FINAL: Barnstormers 5, Ducks 4
Stormers 1st: LeCroy’s single scores Turner.
Lancaster leads 1-0.
Stormers 2nd: Woods’ home run scores Caruso.
Lancaster leads 3-0.
Stormers 3rd: Castillo’s single scores Sabatella.
Lancaster leads 4-0.
Stormers 5th: Sabatella hits solo home run.
Lancaster leads 5-0.
Ducks 8th: Nelson’s double scores Pogue and Kovatch. Rose’s home run scores Nelson.
Lancaster leads 5-4.
PITCHERS:
Barnstormers: Mac Nelson, Ricardo Gomez (8), Ryan Cullen (8).
Ducks: Abe Alvarez, Travis Wade (6), Brian Shackleford (8), Ben Grezlovski (8).
