Australia's GRANT BALFOUR certainly earned his fifth hold of the year after some extended middle relief for the Tampa Bay Rays helped them to maintain the edge for a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. 'Balf' pitched a rather long 2.2ip 1h 1er 1bb 3k (5.48ERA) in relief of starter David Price who made way after securing two outs in the sixth inning but a runner in scoring position at second base. His first task was effected when he got Carlos Gomez to swing over a wicked slider after a succession of fastballs. He then took care of the seventh inning in rapid-fire style with Alexi Casilla flying out to left field, Denard Span grounding out to the first baseman and Joe Mauer grounding out to the second baseman. In one of his best displays for the season Grant then sat down the eighth 1-2-3 with Justin Morneau struck out whiffing, Michael Cuddyer grounding out to the short stop and Matt Tolbert struck out flailing at a 93mph fastball. Not to make excuses for him, but Balfour's petrol gauge must have been fluttering on "E" when he returned for the ninth which started with a five pitch walk to Brendan Harris. He then induced Delmon Young to fly out to centre field before Carlos Gomez singled to right field, signalling the end for Balfour after his long stint. The walk was to cost him an earned run later in the inning.

In yesterday's game Aussie PETER MOYLAN did not escape unscathed, although he would have enjoyed his Atlanta Braves' 10-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pete pitched 0.2ip 2h 1er 1bb 0k (5.40ERA) in a rare unsteady performance for him lately. Moylan took over to start the seventh inning and it began poorly with a seven pitch walk to Miguel Montero, followed by line drive singles to Ryan Roberts and Gerardo Parra who drove in Montero. After the unsteady start he redeemed himself somewhat by inducing the dangerous Justin Upton to ground into a double play to the second baseman. He then handed the ball to Eric O'Flaherty.

DAVID ROSS (MLB All-Stars 2001) could not be blamed for the fact that his Atlanta Braves were "squeaked" 2-3 by the Arizona Diamondbacks after batting a solid 2-3 (.274) with a walk and a run.

In the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999 batted 1-4 (.270) with a RBI for the Jays, while NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) batted 1-3 (.300) for the Bosox. Wells also batted 1-3 plus two walks in Toronto's 6-3 win over Boston yesterday.

... and from other games yesterday:

MATT HERGES (Adelaide Giants 1999) also went a little deeper than usual with 2.0ip 1h 0er 1bb 0k (1.17ERA) for the Cleveland Indians who lost narrowly 1-3 to the New York Yankees.

Doing his best for the Kansas City Royals in their 2-11 defeat by the Chicago White Sox was lefty reliever RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996) who pitched 1.0ip 1h 0er 1bb 0k (4.08ERA).

Australia's comeback kid PETER MOYLAN traded one hit for one out  pitching in middle relief for the Atlanta Braves during their 3-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Our Pete was faced with a two on and two out predicament in the bottom of the sixth inning just as the game was already going "pear shaped" for the Braves. His second pitch changeup was dispatched for a RBI single into left field by Nate Schierholtz to deposit the last of starter Kenshin Kawakami's runs for the day. He then needed only two more pitches to get Bengie Molina to ground out to the first baseman, finishing his line at 0.1ip 1h 0er 0bb 0k (5.06ERA). In this game his team mate DAVID ROSS (MLB All-Stars 2001) batted 0-2 (.254) as starting catcher.

Playing with his eighth major league team, veteran right-hander MATT HERGES (Adelaide Giants 1999) collected the 41st win of his long career with a most efficient 1.2ip 1h 0er 0bb 3k for the Cleveland Indians as an important part of their narrow 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. His record improves to a most valuable 1-0, 1.35ERA with the 'Tribe'.

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) batted 2-5 (.269) with a RBI and a run scored for the slumping Toronto Blue Jays who lost again 10-12 after 11 innings to the Baltimore Orioles. Wells batted 1-4 the previous day in a 2-7 defeat by the 'Orange Birds'.

Like the proverbial "broken record", veteran starter KEVIN MILLWOOD (Melbourne Monarchs 1997) this time had one of his shortest starts for the 2009 season and, although it wasn't his best performance, he ended with a no decision while setting his Texas Rangers on the path to a 7-3 win over the New York Yankees. 'Big Kev' toiled for 5.2ip 9h 3er 4bb 3k (3.25ERA) on this occasion.

Aussie flame thrower GRANT BALFOUR might have been expecting a day off but when the sirens were blaring in the Tampa Bay Rays fire station, he was needed as one of seven Rays' pitchers near the end of a game that they lost in horrible circumstances. The game was already starting to melt-down for Tampa when Grant came into the ninth inning at a time when the Cleveland Indians were mounting a stunning comeback with seven runs in the ninth for an amazing 11-10 victory. He inherited a two on and one out situation which he quickly improved by getting the experienced Mark DeRosa to line out to the third baseman. Unfortunately, Balfour my have been lured into a mistake after throwing two off-speed pitches to powerful Ryan Garko then trying to sneak a fastball by him; only to see Garko crush the 95mph heater over left field for a three run jack... ouch! A possibly rattled Balfour then walked pinch hitter Asdrubal Cabrera on four straight fastballs before being relieved by Jason Isringhausen who let the game slip completely for a loss and a blown save! Balfour's unusual 0.1ip 1h 2er 1bb 0k (5.75ERA) will not feature among his most pleasant baseball memories that's for sure!

Former No.1 overall draft selection VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) batted 2-4 (.266) with a RBI, but it was not enough to prevent his Toronto Blue Jays from losing 1-4 to the Baltimore Orioles.

RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996) saw his recent struggles continue with a nasty 1.0ip 4h 2er 0bb 1k (4.32ERA) for the Kansas City Royals in their 1-13 hammering by the Detroit Tigers.

Aussie PETER MOYLAN was again the first Atlanta Braves' pitcher called from the bullpen in relief of starter Jair Jurrjens when their eventual 10-2 hammering of the Toronto Blue Jays was still very much in the balance. Pete had an eventual stint on the hill with 0.1ip 1h 0er 1bb 1k (5.17ERA) when he took the ball to initiate the top of the seventh frame. The first batter he faced, Marco Scutaro beat out an infield single to the short stop, before he struck out Aaron Hill with a steady diet of four-seamers working the outside and the inside of the plate. However, the pressure was applied when a slider "pinged" Alex Rios for a hit by pitch followed by a ten pitch walk to the dangerous Vernon Wells. Moylan was relieved in more ways than one when bullpen mates Jeff Bennett and Eric O'Flaherty kept his ERA at zero for the day. The mentioned VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) batted 2-4 (.262) with a walk and two runs for the Blue Jays.

Not unlike the single out effort of fellow Aussie reliever Moylan, GRANT BALFOUR also contributed one victim for the Tampa Bay Rays during their 4-5 loss to the Florida Marlins. Grant tucked away the final out of the seventh inning after inheriting a two on and two out situation from ace starter James Shields. It took him four "heaters" to get powerful slugger Dan Uggla to pop out to the second baseman. His brief line today amounted to 0.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 0k (4.95ERA).

Evergreen reliever MATT HERGES (Adelaide Giants 1999) pitched 2.0ip 0h 0er 0bb 1k (1.54ERA) for the Cleveland Indians as a solid contribution to their 3-4 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds over 11 innings.

NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) continues to be a very pleasant "surprise packet" for the Boston Red Sox as a backup infielder with another highly productive 2-5 (.309) with two RBIs certainly helping his team to overrun the New York Mets 12-5.

After his home run yesterday, GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) earned another start at third base with the Houston Astros, batting 1-3 (.266) in their 0-5 shutout defeat by the Texas Rangers.

Australian star GRANT BALFOUR needed to procure just one out today to collect his second win of the season when his Tampa Bay Rays romped away to a 10-3 victory over the Florida Marlins with a six run ninth inning. Grant replaced J.P Howell with two on and two out in the bottom of the seventh and he had the richly talented Hanley Ramirez stuck out whiffing at his fifth straight four-seam fastball that were all in the 94-96mph range. It was just in time for the Rays to break the 3-3 deadlock in the top of the eighth. His brief but effective 0.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 1k improved his record to 2-0, 5.03ERA.

Aussie relief compatriot PETER MOYLAN also secured his seventh hold of the 2009 season with a sturdy 0.2ip 0h 0er 1bb 0k (5.28ERA) that helped his Atlanta Braves hang on for a tight 4-3 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. Pete helped to preserve the win for starter Derek Lowe when he took the ball from him with one out in the eighth inning. It didn't start too well when Pete walked Aaron Hill on five pitches, but he made amends in typical fashion by getting Alex Rios to ground into an inning ending double play via a designed sinker ball. In this game Toronto's biggest bat VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) was subdued for 0-4 (.257).

GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) "went yard" for the first time this season but, alas, his 1-4 (.264) with two RBIs was not enough for his Houston Astros who fell 3-6 to the Texas Rangers.

Specialist lefty reliever RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996) was unusually untidy today with a wayward 1.2ip 2h 1er 3bb 0k (3.45ERA) at the end of his Kansas City Royals 0-5 shutout defeat at the hands of the St.Louis Cardinals.

NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) made another start at short stop for the Boston Red Sox, batting 1-3 (.303) in their dramatic 2-3 ninth inning loss to the New York Mets.

Rocket launching Australian righty GRANT BALFOUR was once again thrust into a tough situation for the Tampa Bay Rays in what would be a disappointing 6-7 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Grant was called upon early to douse the embers of an out of control fire after ace starter Scott Kazmir had allowed seven runs on eight hits with one out in the fifth inning. Although much of the damage had already been done, Balfour did a solid job under the circumstances with 1.2ip 1h 0er 1bb 1k (5.12ERA) to restore some sanity in the game for Tampa Bay. He inherited runners at second and third with one out in the fifth but he quickly added Ryan Sweeney to the out list when he struck out peering at a 94mph four-seamer that clipped the outside of the plate. Unfortunately Grant cashed in the last two runs for Kazmir when Orlando Cabrera slapped a two-RBI single into left field. He ended the fifth when Kurt Suzuki flied out to centre field. 'Balf' then banked a scoreless sixth that was punctuated only by a one out walk issued to Matt Holliday. He got Jack Cust to ground out to the second baseman, Jason Giambi to fly out to left field and Adam Kennedy to fly out to centre field. His 21 pitches were enough for him on this day.

Aussie reliever PETER MOYLAN was the first pitcher used by the Atlanta Braves today who was able to apply the brakes on a runaway Colorado Rockies freight train in a game that they were already trailing by the final score of 0-9. Our Pete put up a blank for the eighth inning with his 1.0ip 0h 0er 1bb 0k (5.52ERA) effort. Pitching to a tough part of the 'Rox' lineup he got dangerous veteran Todd Helton to ground out to the first baseman before losing a nine-pitch battle to walk Brad Hawpe. This was quickly eradicated when he induced Chris Iannetta to ground into an inning ending double play that he started by fielding the came-backer himself. He had done his job for the day, even if others hadn't!

KEVIN MILLWOOD (Melbourne Monarchs 1997) found himself on the losing side of his "topsy-turvy" season today with a tough-luck fourth loss handed to him after his Texas Rangers were narrowly out lasted 3-4 by the Detroit Tigers. 'Big Kev' pitched a typically lion hearted 8.0ip 6h 4er 4bb 3k, but he saw his record levelled out at 4-4, 3.12ERA after a couple of home run balls really hurt his cause today.

Not even a healthy 2-4 (.268) plus a walk from slugger VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) could help his Toronto Blue Jays from slumping to a series sweep at the hands of their division rival Boston Red Sox in a series finale 1-5 loss to the 'Bosox' at Fenway Park.

... and from other MLB games yesterday:

Outfielder GARY MATTHEWS JNR. (Brisbane Bandits 1997) batted 1-3 (.276) plus a walk, but it was not enough to prevent his Los Angeles Angels from coming up short in their 0-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

DAVID ROSS (MLB All-Stars 2001) enjoyed another successful start as catcher for the Atlanta Braves with a strong 1-4 (.263) plus a walk, two RBIs and a run scored in their 12-4 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Australian right-hander PETER MOYLAN was called upon to finish off the final two outs of a game where his Atlanta Braves were destined to a 1-5 defeat by the Colorado Rockies. Even though none of the runs he allowed were attributed to his earned run tally, I'm sure that Pete would not have enjoyed allowing the Rockies' 2-1 lead blow out to 5-1 after the top of the ninth. As it was, Moylan was handed the unexpected task of mopping up for reliever Eric O'Flaherty who handed him a two on and one out situation after the reliable Derek Lowe had pitched eight strong innings for the Braves. Pete was rudely greeted by a line drive RBI single into left field from Chris Iannetta, then another RBI single up the middle from Ryan Spillborghs. After Spillborghs stole second base, he secured the second out when Ian Stewart lined out to the second baseman. However, the second error of the inning allowed a third run when superstar third baseman Chipper Jones allowed Clint Barmes to reach first. The torment ended when Pete got Garrett Atkins to pop out to the catcher in foul territory. His line today concluded at 0.2ip 2h 0er 0bb 0k (5.93ERA).

Aussie ace GRANT BALFOUR collected his third hold of the 2009 season with an impressive eighth inning display of 1.0ip 0h 0er 0bb 2k for his Tampa Bay Rays in their 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Balfour was throwing "gas" in the 93-94mph range when he got Jhonny Peralta to fly out to centre field and then he stuck out Matt LaPorta swinging. After hitting David Dellucci with a 95mph rocket he then disposed of Kelly Shoppach who was left watching a wicked curveball cross the plate. It mattered little that pinch runner Ben Francisco has stolen a base during the at bat. Grant was positively NASTY!
BALFOUR then backed up again today to add hold number four with 1.0ip 1h 0er 2bb 0k (5.60ERA) in a wild and even spiteful 7-5 win over the 'Tribe'. 'Balf' was under a little more pressure on this occasion when he was asked to relieve starter Any Sonnanstine with one on and two out in the top of the sixth. He ended this inning with Mark DeRosa grounding out to the short stop. After walking Ben Francisco on four pitches to open the seventh inning, Grant helped himself by getting Asdrubal Cabrera to ground into a double play to the short stop. Balfour then found himself handing the ball to J.P Howell after Jamey Carroll cracked a line drive ground-rule double to left field and he issued a six pitch walk to Victor Martinez.

Although he has been a revelation for the Boston Red Sox so far this season, backup infielder NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) was cast as the villain today when his ninth inning throwing error allowed the Seattle Mariners to pinch a tight 3-2 win. Unfortunately it overshadowed his 2-3 (.302) with the bat.

... and from other action yesterday:

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) batted 2-3 (.270) with a walk and a run scored for the division leading Toronto Blue Jays in their 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Back in favour and doing his best for the Los Angeles Angels in their 3-5 defeat by the Texas Rangers was inconsistent GARY MATTHEWS JNR. (Brisbane Bandits 1997) who batted 2-4 (.284).

GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) batted 1-3 (.270) for the Houston Astros who went down 4-5 to the Chicago Cubs.

PETER MOYLAN seems to be enjoying his current role as a "hit and run" single-out guy for the Atlanta Braves, earning his sixth hold of the 2009 season during their narrow 4-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pete secured the last out in the top of the eighth, but not before allowing a two out single to Justin Upton who beat out an infield hit to the second baseman. Any threat was quickly averted when he had Mark Reynolds ground out to the first baseman. Moylan is slowly chipping away at the ugly ERA he has carried after a slow return from injury with 0.1ip 1h 0er 0bb 0k (6.23ERA).

As we have so often said this year when discussing the performances of MLB veteran KEVIN MILLWOOD (Melbourne Monarchs 1997), his results have not often mirrored the value of his pitching. But, one thing that is rarely in dispute regarding Millwood, is that he more often than not produces a quality start and, very importantly, he is one guy who has always taken the ball for the Texas Rangers in their "pitcher unfriendly" home environment. Once again 'Big Kev' has pitched far better and lost this season, so he won't be feeling any indignity in taking his fourth win today after pitching 6.0ip 9h 2er 2bb 5k and improving his record to an underrated 4-3, 2.93ERA.

Australian favourite PETER MOYLAN continues to stabilise an inconsistent comeback to the big leagues this year with another solid inning of scoreless relief for the Atlanta Braves in their epic 8-7 win over the New York Mets, as a vital part of their 12 inning success. Pete's 1.0ip 1h 0er 0bb 0k in the bottom of the seventh was pivotal as the Braves had just levelled the game with a run in the top half of the frame. He threw nine of his 13 total pitches for strikes in a most efficient performance. He started by getting Daniel Murphy to line out to the short stop before the speedy Jose Reyes doubled into left field. With the dangerous runner in scoring position, Moylan got experienced Luis Castillo to ground into a fielder's choice force out to the short stop then the inning ended with Castillo out trying to steal second base. Nice job Pete!

Fellow Aussie GRANT BALFOUR was again pressed into extra duty today for the Tampa Bay Rays during their 7-11 defeat by the Cleveland Indians. In the context of a high-scoring game, Grant's 2.1ip 4h 2er 0bb 3k (6.32ERA) was quite effective, requiring a total of only 28 pitches. He started today by getting the heady Mark DeRosa to fly out to left field for the third out in the sixth with one runner aboard. In the seventh he had Ben Francisco struck out looking at a 92mph fastball, Matt LaPorta popped out to short stop and Luis Valbuena was called out on strikes. Once again his trouble came after he was "stretched" beyond his customary distance, starting with a Grady Sizemore line drive single up the middle as he pitched to the top of the Cleveland lineup. Sizemore promptly scored on an Asdrubal Cabrera triple into right field. A third successive hit saw star catcher Victor Martinez whack a RBI single into left field and then a fourth came when Sin Shoo Choo singled into right field. Balfour finally saw some relief when he induced Jhonny Peralta to ground into a double-play to the third baseman, enabling him to end the inning with mark DeRosa struck out swinging at a nasty slide piece. In the same game veteran reliever MATT HERGES (Adelaide Giants 1999) pitched 1.2ip 1h 1er 0bb 0k (2.57ERA) for the 'Tribe'.

Enjoying a very productive day for the Houston Astros in their wild 15-11 victory over the Colorado Rockies was GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) who batted 2-6 (.268) with five big RBIs.

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) batted 1-4 (.276) for the Toronto Blue Jays in their 2-8 loss to the New York Yankees.

Filling in at second base, just as he has done at short stop so often this season for the injury plagued Boston Red Sox was NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) who batted 1-3 (.293) with a RBI in their 4-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

Australia's GRANT BALFOUR was back in action earlier than usual for the Tampa Bay Rays in their 5-7 defeat by the Baltimore Orioles. Grant was called into the fray after Rays' starter Andy Sonnanstine had been shelled for nine hits and seven runs after banking just two innings. He managed to steady the sinking ship in fine style with a highly effective 2.0ip 0h 0er 0bb 2k (6.08ERA) that gave his team a chance of getting back into the game. Balfour entered the game with two on and none out in the third frame and he stopped the flood by having Gregg Zaun fly out to centre field after a nine pitch battle. He then completed the scoreless inning with Felix Pie struck out looking and Cesar Izturis flying out to centre field. Balfour then needed only seven more pitches to put up another zero with Brian Roberts flying out to centre field, Adam Jones grounding out to the short stop and Nick Markakis grounding out to the second baseman. With his job very well done, 'Balf' handed the ball to J.P Howell to start the fifth inning.

Aussie PETER MOYLAN contributed double the number of pitches from his previous outing but not with the same success on this occasion for the Atlanta Braves who were unlucky to lose 3-4 to the New York Mets after ten innings. After two pitches last time, 'Big Pete' delivered just four yesterday. He was called from the bullpen to nail the third out of the eighth inning in relief of brilliant starter Jair Jurrjens who had just seen his lead in the game vanish into a 3-3 tie at the time. With a hint of "Aussie bias" it did appear that Pete may have been squeezed on a couple of close inside pitches when he issued a four pitch walk to the pesky veteran Alex Cora. As it eventuated, his 0.0ip 0h 0er 1bb 0k (6.94ERA) had no influence.

NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) batted 1-3 (.291) plus a walk to help the Boston Red Sox to get the better of the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 in a hard-fought game.

Evergreen baseball "survivor" MATT HERGES (Adelaide Giants 1999) did what was asked of him in solid style yesterday, soaking up the end of The Cleveland Indians 4-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Herges kept the ChiSox from adding-on with his 2.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 2k (1.69ERA) in late relief.

RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996) couldn't do much to help the Kansas City Royals in their 3-12 massacre by the Oakland Athletics. He pitched a tidy 1.0ip 1h 0er 1bb 2k (4.09ERA) in the losing cause.

Certainly doing his best to help the Houston Astros in their 1-12 hammering by the Colorado Rockies was GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) who batted 2-4 (.264).

I had the opportunity to watch Aussie star PETER MOYLAN back in action for the first time this season in ESPN's televised game yesterday, albeit for only two pitches in his Atlanta Braves 8-3 win over the New York Mets at their new Citi Field Stadium. Our Pete was asked to secure the third out in the bottom of the seventh, in relief of gallant starter Derek Lowe. The Mets had just scored in the inning to trail 2-5 and Jeremy Reid had just hit a two out double to place himself in scoring position. With typical "sinking" movement on his fastball, Moylan needed only two pitches to get Omir Santos to ground out to the short stop. It was enough for him to collect his fifth hold of the season with 0.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 0k (6.94ERA).

It might have been just my imagination, or my failing memory, but it did appear to me that Moylan's arm angle was even lower than I remembered before his Tommy John surgery. I would have said that he was around "three-quarter side-arm" around the time of the 2006 World Baseball Classic, whereas he looked almost "drop-down side-arm" in this game. As I say, it might have been my imagination, or just a "one off" in this game, but we will be keeping a lookout in the future. In any case it is GREAT to see him back!

Nick Green

Matt Herges

NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) was again a key performer for the Boston Red Sox, playing both middle infield positions during the Bosox pulsating 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He also continues to be a pleasant surprise offensively with another 2-3 (.289) and a vital RBI in this game.

Journeyman reliever MATT HERGES (Adelaide Giants 1999) soaked up the final inning for the Cleveland Indians in their 3-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers with 1.0ip 1h 0er 0bb 2k (3.00ERA)

GARY MATTHEWS JNR. (Brisbane Bandits 1997) batted 1-4 (.271) for the Los Angeles Angels in their tight 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Helping the Toronto Blue Jays to stay atop the American League East was All-Star slugger VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) who batted 1-5 (.283) as a small contribution to their 5-0 shutout win over the Oakland Athletics. Yesterday Wells batted a much more busy 3-5 (.286) and scored a run to help propel the Blue Jays to a 6-4 win over the A's.

... and from Sunday's MLB games:

The win some, lose some bobsled ride continued today for veteran major league starter KEVIN MILLWOOD (Melbourne Monarchs 1997) who supplied yet another whole-hearted quality start for the Texas Rangers but he came up on the short end of a narrow 2-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. 'Big Kev' pitched a very good 7.0ip 7h 3er 3bb 2k, but his record slid to 3-3, 2.92ERA.

Australian reliever GRANT BALFOUR was pressed into extended action just after his Tampa Bay Rays had lost the momentum in what was to be a 3-7 defeat by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. His Rays had already seen a 3-0 advantage evaporate into a 3-5 deficit by the time that Balfour was asked to finish out the game with 2.0ip 5h 2er 0bb 2k (7.15ERA). He took over to start the bottom of the seventh inning where he was promptly greeted by a Dustin Pedroia single into right field. Things looked better when he had a scuffling David Ortiz line out to centre field and the in-form Jason Bay struck out swinging. When Mike Lowell singled up the middle, 'Balf' faced runners at the corners by he escaped the threat by getting J.D Drew to ground out to the first baseman. Back for the eighth Grant secured two quick outs with Jeff Bailey struck out looking and Jason Varitek grounding out to the second baseman. His trouble started when Julio Lugo dumped a floater into right field and he scored on Jacoby Ellsbury's double into left field. The speedy Ellsbury then scored on Dustin Pedroia's single to centre field before 'Big Papi' Otriz lined out again, this time to the right fielder. To be fair, it is not often that Grant is stretched out to 39 pitches as he was today, and it may be no coincidence that the runs came when he was beyond his usual pitch count?

RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996 pitched an abbreviated 0.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 1k (4.50ERA) for the Kansas City Royals as part of their 1-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Unable to prevent his Totonto Blue Jays from falling to a 3-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics was slugger VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) who batted 1-5 (.274) while leaving four team mates on base.

Aussie GRANT BALFOUR will have fond memories of his first outing at New Yankee Stadium after he collected the win for his Tampa Bay Rays who snipped the New York Yankees 4-3 after 10 tension packed innings. Grant was the sixth of seven pitchers used by the Rays when he was asked to put the clamps on a potential game winning two-out rally for the Yanks with runners on second and third bases in the bottom of the ninth. 'Balf' responded to the challenge the best way he knows by bombarding the dangerous hitting catcher Jose Molina with three successive 94mph four-seamers that were each thrown for strikes. With two strikes against him Molina was compelled to fly out to right field to end the inning. Balfour was not required to do any more on this day and he was anointed as winning pitcher after Carlos Pena homered for Tampa in the top of the tenth. He pitched 0.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 0k for his improved 1-0, 6.75ERA record.

Compatriot and fellow relief ace PETER MOYLAN also pitched solidly to earn his fourth hold of the season, pitching 1.0ip 0h 0er 0bb 0k (7.15ERA) for the Atlanta Braves in their tough 8-6 win over the Florida Marlins. Pete came into the game as part of a double-switch and he delivered an important blank for the seventh inning of a game where there was no more scoring after five frames. 'Big Pete' pitched to the most dangerous part of the 'Fish' lineup, starting with superstar Hanley Ramirez who he induced to ground out to the short stop. He then got Jorge Cantu to fly out to right field, finished of by John Baker who grounded out to the second baseman. The recent increase in his ground ball outs may be indicative that Moylan is getting back to where he was before his "Tommy John" surgery last year. In this game Pete's battery mate DAVID ROSS (MLB All-Stars 2001) batted 1-4 (.279) and he scored a valuable run. Ross backed up by crushing his third home run of the season while batting 2-4 (.298) with two RBIs to help the Braves to beat the Marlins again 4-2 today.

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) went deep for the fifth time this season with his three run dinger adding to the pain of the Los Angeles Angels who were trampled 1-13 by Wells' Toronto Blue Jays. Vernon batted 1-6 in this game, but his one hit was certainly a loud one! GARY MATTHEWS JNR. (Brisbane Bandits 1997) batted 0-4 (.270) for the Angels in a game where he struck out three times. Wells batted 1-3 (.277) for the Jays in their 1-6 loss to the Halos today.

... and from some of today's action:

NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) was in the thick of a record breaking day for the Boston Red Sox who piled on a record 12 runs to start the sixth inning before recording an out, en-route to a 13-3 romp over the visiting Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. Green batted 2-4 (.278) and he scored a run to continue his terrific contribution as a fringe player who wasn't expected to make the Red Sox roster until short stops Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie were both injured. An almost forgotten man returned to major league action with his eighth big league club in this game when MATT HERGES (Adelaide Giants 1999) pitched a useful 2.0ip 1h 1er 0bb 2k (4.50ERA) for the 'Tribe'. He was by no means their worst pitcher on a day the Indians' bullpen will want to forget in a hurry!

Earning his second hold of the 2009 season was lefty specialist RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996 who pitched a solid 1.0ip 1h 0er 0bb 1k (4.66ERA) for the Kansas City Royals who just overcame the struggling Seattle Mariners 3-1 today.

GARY MATTHEWS JNR. (Brisbane Bandits 1997) batted 2-5 (.288) with three RBIs as a major contributor to the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Once again doing his bit to help the Boston Red Sox to defeat his former club the New York Yankees 7-3 was reserve infielder NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) who batted 1-4 (.281) with a RBI.

RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996) pitched 1.0ip 2h 0er 0bb 1k (5.18ERA) to help his Kansas City Royals to outlast the Chicago White Sox 8-7.

Having a solid season as the backup catcher for the Atlanta Braves in the absence of Brian McCann is DAVID ROSS (MLB All-Stars 2001) who batted 1-2 (.282) in their 3-4 loss to the New York Mets.

GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) batted 1-5 (.282) with a RBI for the Houston Astros in their "wild" 10-10 deadlock with the Washington Nationals in a game that was suspended after 11 innings.

Aussie right-hander GRANT BALFOUR was mighty effective again for the Tampa Bay Rays with a neat and tidy 1.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 1k (7.00ERA) that could not influence their 4-8 defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles. Grant performed the last rites in the game for the Rays just after the 'O-Birds' had established their grasp on the game, entering with a runner on second base and two out in the eighth inning. He quickly put paid to that threat when he had Melvin Mora fly out to right field. "Balf' then kept Tampa hopes flickering with a scoreless ninth, starting with Aubrey Huff who popped out to the first baseman. His next victim was Ty Wiggington who grounded out to third before he peppered Felix Pie with fastballs and then struck him out swinging at a nasty curveball. Balfour threw 10 of his total 15 pitches for strikes.

Fellow Australian reliever PETER MOYLAN also pitched a scoreless stint of 1.0ip 0h 0er 0bb 1k (7.84ERA)to no avail for the Atlanta Braves who were overrun 4-6 by the New York Mets. Pete was asked to take care of the eighth inning while facing the dangerous heart of the Mets lineup, which he did with superb efficiency. He began by getting David Wright to ground out to the first baseman, then he had powerful Ryan Church struck out looking at a 90mph four-seamer that followed two off-speed offerings. The scoreless frame ended with Ramon Castro grounding out to the third baseman. Moylan threw 6 of 9 pitches for strikes in what was clinical display of late innings relief pitching. Pete's battery mate in this game was DAVID ROSS (MLB All-Stars 2001) who batted 0-2 (.270) but he did walk and then produce a smart piece of base running to break up a double-play, allowing the Braves to score three runs in the second inning. 

Boston Red Sox infielder NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) played a small part in helping the Sox to win their first ever game at New Yankee Stadium, even though he batted 0-4 (.283) and drew a walk in their 6-4 victory over the Yankees in the historic game.

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) drove in two runs while batting a decent 2-6 (.288) for the Toronto Blue Jays in their 7-9 loss to the Cleveland Indians. On the down side, he also struck out twice and left six team mates stranded on base, which would annoy any cleanup hitter!

While he has pitched much better and lost this year, veteran starter KEVIN MILLWOOD (Melbourne Monarchs 1997) will not refuse his third win of the season which he achieved with 7.1ip 8h 5er 0bb 3k for the Texas Rangers who held off the Seattle Mariners 6-5. 'Big Kev' improved his record to 3-2, 2.78ERA.

Aussie favourite PETER MOYLAN continued his "up and down" fortunes this season when he was saddled with his second loss of the year after pitching 1.0ip 2h 2er 2bb 1k (8.68ERA) in the Atlanta Braves 5-7 home defeat by the Houston Astros. Pete was asked to navigate the seventh inning of a game that was balanced at 4-4, but the Astros had shifted the momentum with three runs in their previous frame. Bad things are often destined to happen when you walk the leadoff batter as he did when he lost a full-count battle with former ABL import Geoff Blum. The base runner allowed Kazuo Matsui to drop down a sacrifice bunt that Moylan fielded himself for the assist then, typically, the advanced runner was driven home by Michael Bourn's "seeing eye" single up the middle. With renowned slugger Lance Berkman at the plate Bourn stole second base to leave first base open and, under these circumstances, there was not much thought required for Moylan to issue an intentional walk to Berkman. The pressure was further applied when Bourn stole third base, allowing veteran slugger Carlos Lee to lift a sacrifice fly to right field for another run. Another veteran slugger Miguel Tejada next hit one hard back to the mound for an infield single that was deflected by Moylan. Pete finally put an end to the inning when he struck out Hunter Pence on a foul tip. Not much went right for Moylan on this occasion and we will take this opportunity to remind everyone that pure numbers do not always do justice to the way someone has pitched. Pete will be the first to admit that the leadoff walk was a killer, but he really wasn't too bad after that. As mentioned, former ABL import GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) was an interesting contributor to the Astros victory. He took over at third base during the game and, although he batted 0-0, he walked and scored a run and he produced a run batted in via a sacrifice fly... he was a "difference maker" without recording a hit!

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) "went yard" for the fourth time this season with 1-4 (.286) and the two RBIs that certainly helped his Toronto Blue Jays to scrape past the Baltimore Orioles 4-3.

Especially when you are a relief pitcher, baseball proves time and again that it is a great "leveller" and there are always ups and downs on the roller-coaster ride! Just a few days ago Aussie flame-thrower GRANT BALFOUR enjoyed the luxury of adding a few comfortable outs for the Tampa Bay Rays who were stomping unmercifully on the visiting division rival Boston Red Sox. Today Grant was back in at the deep end, trying to help the Rays to swim against a tide of Bosox offence. It was to little avail as Balfour took a couple of lumps with 0.1ip 1h 2er 2bb 1k (8.22ERA) in Tampa's 10-6 defeat by Boston. Things started well for 'Balf' when he took over to start the sixth inning and he had game MVP Nick Green struck out swinging after a typically steady diet of 90mph-plus four-seamers. The warning lights began flashing when speedster Jacoby Ellsbury beat out an infield hit to the third baseman followed by successive steals of second, then third, base. Next was a seven pitch walk to Dustin Pedroia, then a ten-pitch free pass to 'Big Papi' David Ortiz. Grant was replaced by Brian Shouse who allowed a Kevin Youkilis double to deposit two earned runs into Balfour's account. As mentioned, Boston Red Sox fill-in short stop NICK GREEN (IBLA Internationals 2001) had an outstanding game with the timber, batting 3-5 (.304) with three RBIs.

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) batted 2-5 (.287) and scored run to help his Toronto Blue Jays to just edge the Baltimore orioles 5-4.

Converted outfielder RON MAHAY (Gold Coast Cougars 1996) did his job as a lefty reliever for the Kansas City Royals with 1.2ip 2h 0er 0bb 1k (5.87ERA) in a wild game that was deadlocked at 7-7 after 10 innings.

GEOFF BLUM (Hunter Eagles 1995) batted 1-3 (.296) to help the Houston Astros to dominate the Atlanta Braves 5-1 today, while opposing catcher DAVID ROSS (MLB All-Stars 2001) had a tough day in the batter's box, striking out three times and leaving four on base with his 0-4 (.281).

At the time of writing Australia's PETER MOYLAN had thrown the last pitch for the Atlanta Braves in the top of the seventh inning and they were leading the Houston Astros comfortably 7-2 when a rain delay intervened after the bottom of the seventh. It remained to be seen whether Pete would be asked to return for the eighth if the game was re-started? As it was, Moylan had done an important job for the Braves to button down the seventh with the big lead intact when he was asked to remove the dangerous veteran slugger Carlos Lee with two on and two out. Our ground ball specialist summoned another one at just the right time to get Lee to ground into a force to the short stop to conclude the inning. If his line ends here Pete will have finished with 0.1ip 0h 0er 0bb 0k (7.56ERA) from his four valuable pitches today.

Not even a monster offensive performance from right fielder GARY MATTHEWS JNR. (Brisbane Bandits 1997) could prevent the Los Angeles Angels from collapsing to a 9-10 defeat against the New York Yankees with six runs coming for the Yanks in the eighth and ninth innings at new Yankee Stadium. Matthews did all anyone can ask with 3-4 (.306) with four big RBIs and a run scored.

VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) batted 1-4 (.282), plus walked and scored a run to help his Toronto Blue Jays to double the Baltimore Orioles 8-4 today.

Australian relief star GRANT BALFOUR is more accustomed to pitching in high-pressure situations with the game on the line, so he may have enjoyed the rare experience of doing some "mopping up" at the end of his Tampa Bay Rays' 13-0 shutout romp over the baffled Boston Red Sox. The Bosox had already been totally frustrated by Rays' starter Matt Garza by the time that Grant was requested to snuff the last four outs of the blowout. He started by securing the final out of the eighth inning with former IBLA import Nick Green struck out on a foul tip on just three four-seam fastballs. In the ninth he had George Kottras pop out to the second baseman before his one blemish came with an uncharacteristic five pitch walk to Julio Lugo. No further action came on the Boston bases when Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to centre field and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to the third baseman. Balfour did not allow the Red Sox to add to their paltry one hit for the game with his clinical 1.1ip 0h 0er 1bb 1k (6.14ERA) today.

... and from yesterday:

GARY MATTHEWS JNR. (Brisbane Bandits 1997) batted 1-4 (.267) to help his Los Angeles Angels to barely overcome the plucky Baltimore Orioles 3-2.

Not even his 13th RBI of the new season could help VERNON WELLS (Sydney Storm 1999) save his Toronto Blue Jays from an 11-3 hiding at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. He batted 1-3 (.281).