Around the ABL: June 18-24

This week of divisional play was a week that several divisional leaders (and San Diego) would prefer to forget. It also led us to wonder if anyone swings the bat harder than Patrick Goff.

• Montreal's Tom Becker broke San Diego's heart in both games of a two-game series. The first game looked like it would be a dramatic win for San Diego. With two outs in the ninth, Miguel Angel Ortíz singled in the tying run; in the 10th, the Tomcats took the lead when back-up catcher Dorian Knight singled in Charles McConnell. But Becker stole the victory away, hitting a two-run, walk-off home run. In game two, San Diego again came back: down 7-0 after three, they rallied in the middle innings to tie the game at 8 apiece. The game stayed tied until the 12th, when Becker once again came to bat with a runner on base: once again, he homered to win the game in walk-off style.
• On Wednesday, Chance Everett of Los Angeles had his best game of the season, getting five hits in six at-bats. He doubled, homered, drove in three runs, and scored twice. Despite his effort, Cabo snuck away with an extra-inning win when, in the bottom of the 12th, Attis Veloukhiotis doubled in Dan Smith. Otherwise, the Evil Empire had a good week: they would go on to win 3 of 4 games against Boston, and Everett won the TML Player of the Week. His line on the week: 12 for 23 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI.
• A Ron Hamm sighting! Greenville's young shortstop has been struggling with injuries all year and has only played in 36 games. Over a four-game series with San Diego, Hamm went 5 for 13 with four walks, a double, and two home runs: he scored seven times while driving in six. It was a rough week for the Tomcats, as the 84's also swept this series. In the final game, the 84's scored 10 runs in the eighth inning: single, strike out, single, single, walk, single, single, strike out, single, home run, single, single, double, hit-by-pitch, fly out.
• Carolina's Jeremy Gleave went 4 for 4 against Seattle. He doubled, homered, drove in two, and scored three times. The shortstop began the year in a slump and was hitting below the Mendoza line as recently as the end of May, but he has turned things around in June. The Crush, meanwhile, continue to confound the Sasquatch: after winning 3 of 4 games this week, they are now 9-2 on the season against their rivals.
• San Francisco took a tumble. To begin the week, powerful Patrick Goff and the Jersey Jesters swept a two-game series. Then South Carolina came to town and won 3 of 4.
• Meanwhile, Jersey had a strong week. After sweeping San Francisco, they took 3 of 4 from Maple. Patrick Goff has been on a tear lately. He has a 12-game hitting streak. More impressively, he had a streak where he homered in eight out of nine games, including five in a row. They weren't cheap shots either: six of the eight home runs were over 400 feet, including a 445 moonshot against the Quakes. His line over his hitting streak: 17 for 45, 8 HR, 15 RBI, 10 R. His 26 home runs on the season leads the TML.
• Feuding teams Mile High and Kansas City split their four game series this week. In the final game, the Mustangs entered the bottom of the ninth down 6-2, but Callum Ritchie hit a two-run home run and aggressive base-running led to two more runs. The game remained tied until the 13th, when Todd Bradshaw singled in Fernando Garza for the winning run.
• Montgomery's Juan Ramírez won the RCL Player of the Week: he went 13 for 24 with 3 HR and 7 RBI.