Weekly Top Five: May 25-May 31

This week featured many exciting games and series. Mile High snaps the Cabo San Lucas 12-game winning streak by blowing them out, 12-2: Fernando Garza goes 4-for-5 with four runs and three ribbies. On Wednesday, San Diego's Dave Lee pitches a three-hit shutout against Minnesota. The next day, San Diego's Mike Johnson hammers Minnesota for five hits in five at-bats. Montreal rookie Dean Graham hits a pair of home runs against Washington, and one day later Montreal's Lou Smith comes one out from pitching a shutout against San Diego. So Cal's Luis López pitches eight shutout innings against New York.

This week's Top Five were even more exciting. Let's get to it!

#5: Lone Star Series

May 29: Dallas 6, Texas 5. Interstate rivals clash as the Dallas Texans visit the Texas Gunners. The Gunners enter the game with the worst record in baseball, but they take a lead, 4-2, into the ninth. Dallas left-fielder Luis García leads off the inning with a home run, and Francisco García later singles in the tying lead.

Brandon Farmer

In the 13th, Brandon Farmer gives Dallas the lead with a two-run home run.

The Gunners attempt a valiant comeback in the bottom of the 13th. Jun'ichi Ogura doubles. Two outs later, Mike Watkins singles him in. Alec Garrett singles, Victor Bailey walks, and Gary Lawson comes to the plate with the bases loaded.

Lawson, a backup catcher from Shawnee, Oklahoma, works the count full. With the Battlefield crowd on their feet, Lawson lines the ball—straight at the second baseman. Dallas wins, 6-5.

In fact, Dallas goes on to sweep the Lone Star Series.

#4: Close Game in Kansas City

May 26: Georgia 4, Kansas City 5. Teenager José Leal is providing Georgia with some solid innings this season: this evening, he allows two runs over seven innings, lowering his ERA on the season to 3.74. Paul Carter, only 23 years old, one-ups him: he pitches eight innings and allows only one run.

Despite their strong performances, neither starter gets the win.

The Grays tie the game in the top of the ninth without the benefit of a hit. Pinch-hitter Jake McGee walks, steals second, moves to third on a wild pitch, and scores on sacrifice fly. The game moves into extra innings.

In the top of the 14th, Georgia scores two more runs—again without the benefit of a hit. In one of the least exciting rallies in baseball history, three batters walk to load the bases, at which point two more batters walk to drive in two runs.

In the bottom of the 14th, Kansas City rallies in a more conventional manner. A double and two singles score one run. A John Byford single drives in another, tying the game at four. With two outs, Ricardo Marquis singles to right, driving in the winning run.

#3: Power Surges from Buchanan and Shelton

Mark Buchanan

May 27: Maple 5, South Carolina 8. Bomber Orlando Bustamante hits a solo home run and doubles in two runs, and phenom Flipper Martin (4-2) allows two runs over six innings while striking out 11, but the star of the game is rookie Mark Buchanan.

Buchanan, 25, has been a solid Triple-A hitter for the past several years. He's had some small opportunities to play in the big leagues (in 2012, at age 22, he batted .150 in 80 at-bats) but hasn't been able to stick with the Bombers. Last season he excelled in Triple-A (.935 OPS in 243 at-bats), but in July he suffered a knee injury that knocked him out for the season. He returned early this season, and hit the ground running. After two weeks in Triple-A, he was promoted to the Bombers.

Today he hits two home runs, giving him six in just 23 games and raising his OPS to .992. Buchanan wins May Munson League Rookie of the Month.

May 28: Maple 8, South Carolina 5. Anthony Shelton comes into the game with a league-leading 16 home runs and a batting average below the Mendoza line. Today he raises his average to .207 by hitting his 17th and 18th home runs of the season. He goes on to win Player of the Week.

#2: Insane Quake and Jester Series

May 26: San Francisco 16, Jersey 4. Ignacio Villarreal triples in a pair of runs. In the fifth, rain delays the game for 44 minutes. A new pitcher, Marvin White, takes over, and three batters later, Austin McCabe hits a grand slam. McCabe goes 3-for-5 on the day with a double, two runs scored, and five runs batted in. The Quakes blow out the Jesters.

Austin McCabe

McCabe is the son of an Air Force lieutenant who was born on Edwards Air Force Base in California. He was drafted in the 55th round of the inaugural draft, a relative afterthought. His chief value was his glove—he's always played an excellent center field—and his determination. With a work ethic befitting a lieutenant's son, McCabe has worked hard to improve his discipline and his swing. Last season he batted only .235, but he walked 91 times and posted a .351 on-base percentage while slugging 16 home runs. He continues to improve this season: he leaves this game with a slash line of .270/.401/.423. Coupled with his strong defense, McCabe is proving himself to be one of the most valuable center fielders in baseball.

May 27: San Francisco 13, Jersey 6. The second game of the series proves to be one of the more incredible games of the season. The Jesters take a lead, 4-1, into the eighth. Jeff Harris singles in one run, and Artie Sanders singles in two, tying the game at four runs apiece.

In the top of the ninth, McCabe hits a two-run home run. He ends the day having gone 4-for-4 with two walks, a double, a home run, three runs scored, and three runs batted in. The Quakes take the lead, 6-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, Johnny Graham scores from third as Hunter Wine grounds into a double play. With two outs, Juan Valdés ties the game up on a solo home run.

In the top of the 11th, the Quake bats explode. Three walks and three singles score three runs, and Villarreal puts the game beyond reach by hitting a grand slam to left-center. The Quakes score seven runs in the 11th inning.

May 28: San Francisco 1, Jersey 11. After suffering two rather spectacular losses, the Jesters finally deal out some punishment of their own. Kevin Sampson (5-2) and Juan Fernández (3-5) pitch dueling shutouts for the first half of the game.

Jersey gets to Fernández in the bottom of the sixth. The Jesters rattle off seven hits en route to scoring six runs. Hunter Wine triples in one run while Stan Cheslin homers in two more. In the eighth, the Jesters score five more behind a flurry of singles and four walks.

Meanwhile, Sampson finishes having pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings and allowing only five singles while striking out seven.

Jersey crushes the Quakes, 11-1, and salvages a win in the final game of the exciting series.

#1: Nottinghamshire Sweeps Seattle

In a rematch of last season's Divisional Series, Seattle goes to Trent Bridge to take on Nottinghamshire. Last October, Seattle won game one before Nottinghamshire took control, winning the next four and bouncing the Sasquatch out of the playoffs on their way to the championship. This May, Seattle fares even worse.

The Outlaws blow out the Sasquatch in the first three games, winning by a combined score of 28-7. Game four proves to be exciting.

May 31: Seattle 7, Nottinghamshire 8. Edgar Johnson goes 4-for-4 with a double and a home run, and Seattle takes a lead, 7-4, into the bottom of the ninth. Arlen Dixon works a full count and then a walk. Don Schwartz, better known for his golden glove than his leaden bat, doubles to the gap in left-center.

Then things go horribly wrong for the Sasquatch.

Jim Crawford then grounds to third—but the ball skips beneath Phil Kellum's glove and into left. Two runs score. A fly ball out, and then Leslie Whitney flies to center—but Steve Frend drops it, his second error of the game. Crawford scores the tying run on what should have been the inning's third out.

In the bottom of the 10th, pinch hitter Daniel Terry singles, and moves to second on a sac bunt. Crawford grounds a single through the left side of the infield, and Terry comes home to score the winning run!

The Outlaws sweep the Sasquatch.