Around the ABL: September 14-17

This edition may only cover four days, but they were four days with a lot exciting baseball! The Boston Cardinals became the first team to clinch their division. Playoff-contending teams in the Munson League competed in several key series. Another team pulled off an incredible ninth-inning comeback. There were shutouts galore and so much more!

September 14: Cabo San Lucas 3, San Francisco 2. The Toreros came into this series with the Quakes reeling. Losers of nine of their last ten games, Cabo had lost their lead in the wild card to Los Angeles. They needed a win badly, but they go into the ninth down a run. Domingo Blanchard doubles and takes second on a sac fly, but Attis Veloukhiotis pops out. With two outs, Clarence Sutton grounds a ball through the left side of the infield, and Blanchard scores to tie the game. In the 11th, Brad White triples and scores on a Veloukhiotis sac fly. Cabo goes on to sweep San Francisco—quite possibly saving their season.

Peter Kelly

September 14: Greenville 6, Nottinghamshire 8. In a see-saw battle, young Peter Kelly's three-run home run in the fifth gives the Outlaws the lead, 5-4, but the 84's recover the lead in the sixth when Joe Leftwich doubles in two runs. In the seventh, Kelly homers again, this time with one on, and the Outlaws hold on for the win. Kelly has had a strong rookie season: the sixteen-year-old phenom is hitting .305 with 14 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases.

Davey Holmes

Evan Warner

September 14, 15, and 16: Los Angeles 2, Mile High 0. Numerologists everywhere have a new favorite team. After playing in seven straight one-run games, the Mustangs lose three consecutive games by the identical score of 2-0. The Evil Empire's arm dominate: not only do they shut out Mile High for the series, they allow the Mustangs only nine hits and three walks over the three games. In game one, Davey Holmes (10-12) and Gary Payne combine on a one-hitter, facing just two batters above the minimum. In game two, Kingfish Crawford (13-6), Jim Dorsey, and Payne strike out nine. In game three, Evan Warner (15-8) goes the distance, pitching a two-hitter and facing one batter above the minimum. The sweep all but eliminates Mile High, as they trail Los Angeles in the wild card by 6 1/2 games.

Oliver Davis

September 14: Seattle 11, Minnesota 10. The Berserkers came into Friday eager to erase the memory of their collapse on Thursday night, when Greenville scored eight runs in the ninth to come back from a six-run deficit. Minnesota's offense struck early and often, and while their defense gifts the Sasquatch with four unearned runs, the Berserkers take a six-run lead into the ninth, 10-4. The leadoff hitter, León Oditón, taps the ball to pitcher Tsumemasa Okada, but Okada's throw to first pulls Dale Watson off the first-base bag: Minnesota's fifth error of the game. A double, sac fly, and single score two runs. Artie Carlson hits a two-run home run to make the game 10-8. A walk and a single brings up pinch-hitter Oliver Davis, and Davis hits a three-run homer to put the Sasquatch up 11-10. Incredibly, Minnesota blows six-run, ninth-inning leads in back-to-back games.

Aaron Nelson

September 14: Eureka 0, South Carolina 1. Aaron Nelson (5-11) has had his struggles this season. Today he not only pitches his fourth consecutive quality, he shut out the Hornets for 7 2/3 innings, allowing five hits while walking none. Chris Johnson (0-3), just returned from three months on the disabled list, gets the hard-luck loss. He allows an unearned run in the fourth when Orlando Bustamente singles to left and left fielder Willis Parks lets the ball go by him, allowing Bustamente to advance to second. Gunner Smart doubles on the very next pitch, driving in Bustamante.

Guillermo
Martínez

September 15: Seattle 1, Minnesota 4. Guillermo Martínez (14-4) says enough is enough and holds Seattle to a single run over eight innings. Roy Cole pitches a 1-2-3 ninth. Roderick Gray triples in the game's first run and later adds a solo home run. The Berserkers recover their winning ways and go into the final weeks of the season with the best record in the Clemente League, 92-57.

Doug King

September 15: Carolina 6, Dallas 7. Doug King was drafted in the 55th round, but the 26-year-old first baseman surprised the scouts by putting up a 1.101 OPS and slugged 29 home runs in Double-A. The Crush brought him up for a cup of coffee, and, in only his 10th major-league game, King hits a single, walks twice, slugs two home runs, and drives in four. Unfortunately, it's in a losing effort. The Texans, trailing 6-1, score six in the sixth. Eric Waddell delivers the big blow, smashing a three-run homer down the left field line.

Tom Becker

September 16: Montreal 10, New York 9. Perhaps no player is doing more to help his team's cause than Tom Becker. In the four games previous to this one, he homered five times and drove in 14 runs. Today, he homers twice and drives in four—in a single inning. Horseface leads off the fourth with a home run. The Bandits bat around, scoring four more runs, and Becker comes up with on-base machines Tim Shields and Robert Carr on base. He launches a 440-foot home run to right-center. Becker now leads the league with 54 home runs and 181 RBIs—which is also an incredible 106 RBIs more than any other player on the Bandits. Montreal leads Montgomery for the wild card by 2 1/2 games.

September 16. It was Shutout Sunday as five different teams held their opponent scoreless. In all five cases, it was the visiting team that shut out the home team. As mentioned above, Los Angeles shut out Mile High, 2-0. Montgomery 6, Ann Arbor 0: Kevin Black (7-6) goes 8 1/3 innings, striking out six while allowing five hits; Juan Ramírez hits a three-run home run. San Diego 16, So Cal 0: Joshua Craig (8-6) shuts out the Republic, striking out five; Stan Sanders doubles, homers, and drives in three. Eureka 10, South Carolina 0: Larry Smiley (7-5) pitches eight shutout innings; Mike Bergeron hits two home runs, scores three, and drives in five. Jersey 5, Kansas City 0: Millard Marsh (1-4) returned to the rotation and pitched seven shutout innings despite not striking out a single hitter; Bill Flynn (who has quietly hit 26 home runs while stealing 29 bases for the Jesters) goes 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs.

September 17: San Francisco 8, Las Vegas 0. In a possible playoff preview, Ray Larson (12-9) shuts down the powerful Jokers lineup. Going 7 1/3 innings, he gives up four hits and a walk, lowering his ERA to 2.85. Eric Ware and Kieran Simmons homer.