
Peter Moylan

Brad Thomas

Mike Hessman

R. Langerhans |
Aussie favourite PETER MOYLAN has enjoyed a
lot more good times than bad since his fairytale rise to the major
leagues, but I'll bet that his second loss of the season yesterday would
not be one of his fondest memories. Pitching for the Atlanta Braves in
their 2-3 extra innings loss to the San Francisco Giants, Pete was
uncharacteristically wayward with 1.2ip 1h 1er 4bb 0k to see his record
slide to a still very respectable 3-2, 2.56ERA. Taking over in the top
of the 10th inning of a 2-2 ballgame, he started by walking Nate
Schierholtz who he next had caught stealing before Andres Torres singled
into left centre. It all looked to be going to play for Moylan when
Freddy Sanchez grounded into an inning ending double play. Back for the
eleventh he couldn't please the plate umpire with successive walks to
Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey on just ten total pitches. He secured an
out when Juan Uribe grounded into a fielder's choice and he was then
told to load the bases by intentionally walking 'Kung-Fu Panda' Pablo
Sandoval. This tactic didn't prove successful this time when Pat Burrell
lifted the go-ahead sacrifice fly RBI to left field. It saw the end of
his outing for this day.
Australia's BRAD THOMAS was just one of
the Detroit Tigers' pitchers to struggle today as he failed to get an
out in their 1-10 hammering at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels. Brad
pitched 0.0ip 1h 2er 1bb 0k (4.69ERA) after coming in to relieve starter
Jeremy Bonderman with one on and one out in the top of the fifth. He
started poorly by issuing a wild pitch before walking veteran Hideki
Matsui. He was quickly lifted after Maicer Izturis cashed in with a RBI
double to right field.
Former No.1 overall draft selection VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm
1999) was just one of the Toronto Blue Jays hitters who feasted on the
Tampa Bay Rays pitching in a "football score" 17-11 slugfest win. In
this context he batted a relatively modest 1-4 (.273) with two walks and
a run batted in.
MATT WATSON (IBLA MLB All Stars 2001) batted a handy 1-3 (.200)
with a RBI for the Oakland Athletics who beat the Texas Rangers 6-2
today.
Baltimore Orioles evergreen starter KEVIN MILLWOOD (Melbourne
Monarchs 1997) enjoyed one of his better game lately with 6.0ip 4h 1er
2bb 2k (5.84ERA) but he didn't figure in the decision which the O's lost
2-4 to the in-form Chicago White Sox.
... and from other MLB games yesterday:
MIKE HESSMAN (Melbourne Monarchs 1999) landed his first major
league "big fly" for the season yesterday when he batted 1-1 (.231) with
three RBIs as a successful pinch hitter for the New York Mets in their
5-7 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Making a rare start at short stop for the Houston Astros was GEOFF
BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) who responded with a mighty 3-5 (.269) in
their narrow 5-6 defeat by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Another MLB stalwart, RYAN LANGERHANS (IBLA Internationals 2001),
batted a similarly superb 3-4 (.226) with a RBI for the Seattle Mariners
to help them to overrun the Kansas City Royals 7-1. |