- Congratulations to the DSL Mariners, who completed the DSL regular season with easily the best record in the Santo Domingo North division (42-24) and will be one of the 6 teams in the DSL playoffs. The other DSL teams joining them are the DSL RangersUno (46-22, just ahead of the DSL Angels by a game in the San Pedro division), the DSL NacionalesUno (a runaway winner at 54-17 in the Santo Domingo West division and easily the best record in the DSL), the DSL Twins (45-24, winning the tightest division of the DSL, the Boca Chica North, by a game over the DSL CubsUno and DSL YankeesDos (GringosDos?), with the BlancoSoxUno 3 ames back and the DSL Reds Rojos, in 5th place, only 5 games back), the DSL Gigantes (49-20, an easy winner by 5.5 games in the Boca Chica South) and the wildcard DSL Angeles (46-24 in San Pedro for the best record among all non division winners).
Team OPS:
DSL Giants: .742
DSL RangersUno: .714
DSL NationalsUno: .713
DSL Mariners: .705
DSL Twins: .671
DSL Angels: .645
The Gigantes have the DSL's best offense, scoring 6.74 runs a game and running a .742 OPS, impressive in the dead-ball DSL. The Nats lead the DSL with 198 stolen bases. The two scrubs on this list, the Twins and Angels, don't hit for as much power as the others and don't steal as many bases. The M's had the best offense in their complex but compared to the other teams, they aren't particularly spectacular.
Team ERA:
DSL NationalsUno: 2.29
DSL Twins: 2.36
DSL RangersUno: 2.47
DSL Angels: 2.57
DSL Mariners: 3.42
DSL Giants: 3.98
Team strikeouts:
DSL NationalsUno: 703
DSL Angels: 637
DSL RangersUno: 560
DSL Mariners: 559
DSL Giants: 521
DSL Twins: 512
Team walks allowed:
DSL Twins: 154
DSL Mariners: 232
DSL NationalsUno: 244
DSL Angels: 264
DSL RangersUno: 286
DSL Giants: 316
It's pretty easy to see how the teams with pop-gun lineups got this far: good pitching, which also indicates solid defense. The Giants' relatively prolific offense allowed them to get away with relatively meh pitching, and the Nats' solid offense was more than enough given they had some of the best pitching in the DSL. The DSLMs are good overall, but not particularly spectacular at anything, and they'll probably need some luck to swipe the DSL title.
- One previously unsigned draft pick the M's did manage to sign is 14th rounder Luke Burnett out of Louisiana Tech, and Luke made his pro debut yesterday with the AZLMs, striking out two in a scoreless inning. Of their first 20 picks, 15 are signed and playing professionally for the M's, so not too bad so far... though one of those that isn't, unfortunately, is their 1st pick, reliever Josh Fields.
I still have no word on whether Fields signed or not. Of course, if he doesn't, the M's get a compensatory pick in 2009, and given where the team is currently at depth-wise... losing Fields and having to take a make-up pick next year wouldn't be the worst fate in the world. The pick was a bad one anyway, given the ease of finding relievers in baseball, and if the team can get a chance to fix their mistake by taking a more useful player with a similar pick in 2009, then why not do that instead of cave to silly over-slot demands from an unproven college closer?
- All three active Mariners-org rookie ball teams (DSLMs, AZLMs, Pulaski) combined for 12 hits yesterday.
- It seemed like his season was over, but Chris Jakubauskas took a drive up I-5 to make a rehab start in Everett and looked incredible, striking out 7 of the 9 batters he faced and getting two outs into the 3rd. Given this fine head start, Walter Suriel proceeded to... throw suck pitches, allowing 4 runs in 4.1 IP to give Salem-Keizer the 4-3 win.
- Two interesting changes manifested in the Mavs pitching staff last night. SP Anthony Varvaro came out of the bullpen to relieve Jake Wild in the 6th and worked through the 7th without allowing a hit or a run.
6th: Groundball, groundball, pop up
7th: Strikeout (swing), walk, flyball, groundball
Varvaro's obvious Achilles heel right now is his propensity for walks, so perhaps finishing the season by having him work from the bullpen against 4-6 batters, and focusing on hitting his spots in smaller doses, may be the best bet for now... though for all I know, they probably just used him on the spot on a throw day or something.
But one legitimate change is the return of Austin Bibens-Dirkx to the Mavs bullpen. ABD came in and worked a hitless 8th, going groundout, pop out, swinging strikeout. A most triumphant return.
- Edward Paredes got a carrot-callup to AA West Tenn and started yesterday. It went about as badly as you'd expect for someone who was up-and-down in A ball making the leap to AA. Paredes got shelled for 8 runs and did not finish the 4th in a 15-5 drubbing from Mobile. For what it's worth, Ryan Ketchner wasn't much better, getting pounded himself for 6 runs in 1.1 IP.
Aaron Cotter also got a promotion from High Desert to AA, and looked far better than the other two, finishing the 5th for Ketchner, then working the 6th and 7th without allowing a run.
- The resumption of the suspended game in Portland allowed another returning player some action: Robert Rohrbaugh pitched the final 3 innings once play resumed for a curious "save", allowing only one hit while striking out three. Also, order was restored in the Universe, as Kevin Howard did not hit a 4th home run.
Stats below the jump.
Dominican: DSL AthleticsDos 3, DSL Mariners 1
DSLMs: 42-24... DSLA2s: 31-32
(SD North Complex: 232/340/312... 3.46 ERA)
Joan Vizcaino: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 walks, 2 K (11 app, 2 GS, 3.32 ERA, 19 IP, 9/9 BB/K)
Henry Perez: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, walk, 4 K, wild pitch, balk, hit batter (11 GS +4, 2.25 ERA, 72 IP, 26/78 BB/K)
DSLMs lineup: 4-30, 2 walks, 8 K
Rk-AZL: Angels 4, Mariners 1
AZLMs: 9-13... AZL Angels: 11-10
(League: 263/345/373... 4.35 ERA)
Luke Burnett: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Ariel Alcantara: 3 IP, 5 H, (2 R) 1 ER, walk, 5 K (7 GS +3, 5.54 ERA, 37.1 IP, 3 HR, 21/41 BB/K)
Jean Tome: 3 IP, walk, 4 K (7 app, 6.46 ERA, 15.1 IP, 8/16 BB/K)
Colin Buckborough: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER (14 app, 6.75 ERA, 29.1 IP, 1 HR, 22/23 BB/K)
Scott Savastano: 1-4, RBI, K (275/333/348)
rest of AZLMs lineup: 4-27, 2 walks, 13 K
Rk+: Burlington Royals 10, Pulaski 1
PMs: 37-26... BUR: 24-38
(League: 263/333/390... 4.19 ERA)
Nick Czyz: 3 IP, 8 H, 5 ER (HR), walk, 4 K, 2 wild pitches
Jordan Alvis: 2.1 IP, 1 H, (3 R) 0 ER, walk, 2 K
Brent Gaphardt: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER (HR), hit batter
Tommy Johannesen-Ellis: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
PMs lineup: 3-31, 7 K
A-: Salem-Keizer 4, Everett 3
EVE: 27-37... S-K: 35-29
(League: 256/345/374... 4.22 ERA)
Chris Rehabbing Jakubauskas: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 7 K
Walter Suriel: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER (HR), walk, 6 K (12 GS +1, 5.48 ERA, 70.2 IP, 11 HR, 23/62 BB/K)
Doug Salinas: 2 IP, 3 K (19 app, 5.55 ERA, 48.2 IP, 5 HR, 27/48 BB/K)
Tyson Gillies: 2-4, walk (306/405/444)
Bennett Billingsley: 1-4, 2 run HR, K (242/312/424)
Welington Dotel: pinch RBI single (264/322/417)
A: Wisconsin 5, Quad Cities 2
WIS: 21-39... QC: 30-30
(League: 252/323/373... 3.71 ERA)
Michael Pineda: 5.2 IP, 4 H, (2 R) 1 ER, walk, 6 K, hit batter (19 GS +5, 2.05 ERA, 122.2 IP, 5 HR, 35/108 BB/K)
Jose Escalona: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 5 K (33 app, 3.97 ERA, 45.1 IP, 6 HR, 21/47 BB/K)
Natividad Dilone: 1 IP, 1 H, K (22 app, 3.86 ERA, 32.2 IP, 2 HR, 15/35 BB/K)
Maximo Mendez: 1-4, triple, R, 2 K (240/324/344)
Alex Meneses: 1-3, R, RBI, walk, K (234/332/281)
Joe Dunigan: 2-4, R, RBI, K, SBs #26 & 27 (231/291/407)
Alex Liddi: 2-4, solo HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K (233/302/352)
A+: Visalia 5, High Desert 3
Mavs: 22-39...Oaks: 27-33
(League: 273/341/412... 4.52 ERA)
Jake Wild: 5 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 5 walks, 5 K, wild pitch (5 GS, 6.95 ERA, 22 IP, 5 HR, 14/17 BB/K)
Anthony Varvaro: 2 IP, walk, K (24 GS +3, 7.02 ERA, 118 IP, 21 HR, 81/107 BB/K)
Austin Bibens-Dirkx: 1 IP, K (30 app, 8.15 ERA, 38.2 IP, 9 HR, 14/28 BB/K)
Steven Richard: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk, hit batter (28 app, 4.78 ERA, 37.2 IP, 2 HR, 22/37 BB/K)
Carlos Triunfel: 1-4, 2 RBI, 2 K (288/339/413)
Chris Minaker: 2-4, R (295/325/428)
Ogui Diaz: 1-4, RBI (244/266/313)
Gavin Dickey: 3-4, R, K (252/306/342)
AA: Mobile 15, West Tenn 5
WTN: 25-34... MOB: 28-31
(League: 264/342/401... 4.21 ERA)
Edward Paredes: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 8 ER (HR), 3 walks, 4 K
Ryan Ketchner: 1.1 IP, 8 H, 6 ER (2 HR) (20 GS +3, 4.65 ERA, 112.1 IP, 11 HR, 35/67 BB/K)
Aaron Cotter: 2.1 IP, walk, 2 K
Roman Martinez: 1 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 2 K, wild pitch (34 app, 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 4 HR, 18/30 BB/K)
Adam Moore: 1-2, 2 run HR, walk (312/392/498)
Greg Halman: 1-4, solo HR (282/328/484)
Mark Kiger: 1-3, 2 run HR, K (213/344/279)
AAA: The Rainiers resumed their suspended game (power outage) from Thursday, then played a full game Friday.
Conclusion of Thursday's game: Tacoma 11, Portland 2
Brandon Morrow: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, walk, 10 K, wild pitch
Justin Thomas: 1.1 IP, 1 H, walk, 2 K
Robert Rohrbaugh: 3 IP, 1 H, 3 K (15 GS +1, 5.32 ERA, 88 IP, 7 HR, 27/71 BB/K)
Prentice Redman: 3-6, double, R, K
Luis Valbuena: 4-6, 3 R, K, 3 SB (!) (266/350/339)
Shawn Garrett: 1-4, RBI, walk
Craig Wilson: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, walk (261/380/464)
Rob Johnson: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, K (310/370/453)
Kevin Howard: 3-4, 2run HR, solo HR?!, solo HR?!?!?!
Friday's game: Tacoma 6, Portland 4
TAC: 71-62... POR: 68-65
(League: 277/347/443... 4.84 ERA)
Scott Shoemaker: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER (2 HR), walk, 3 K (30 app, 9 GS, 5.98 ERA, 84.1 IP, 17 HR, 31/56 BB/K)
Randy Messenger: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk (41 app, 3.96 ERA, 63.2 IP, 6 HR, 23/46 BB/K)
Jared Baek Bait Wells: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 walks, K (49 app, 5.95 ERA, 56 IP, 6 HR, 33/50 BB/K)
Prentice Redman: 2-4, solo HR, 2 R, walk, SB (312/385/554)
Shawn Garrett: 2-4, 2 RBI, walk (296/335/435)
Victor Diaz: 2-5, double, RBI, K (280/365/521)
Jon Nelson: 2-4, solo HR, 2 R, SB?! (295/313/474)
Kevin Howard: 1-4, double, RBI (261/353/445)
Oswaldo Navarro: 2-4, 2 R (261/327/332)