Around the ABL: May 6-May 26

May 6: Boston 10, Cabo San Lucas 7. The top two teams in the Munson League hook up in a wild one. The Toreros score six in the first: Miguel Torres (Torres de los Toreros) hits a grand slam. Wilfred Brooks holds the Cardinals to two runs over eight innings of work, and leaves with the game safely in hand. In the ninth, with two outs and a runner on first, Boston trails, 7-2. The Cardinals rally, and Ed White stuns the Cabo crowd by doubling in two runs to tie the game. In the 10th, Alex Austin singles in a pair of runs, the game-winners, and Boston steals one away from their rivals.

Dan Smith

May 7: Boston 4, Cabo San Lucas 5. Boring Dan Smith goes 4-for-5 with a two-run home run and then almost excites the crowd by driving in the winning run with a walk-off single. Cardinal Miguel Ramos has a game he'd rather forget as he strikes out in each of his five at-bats.

Ron Hamm

May 8: Washington 14, Minnesota 10. In a quirk of statistics, star sluggers Peter Blanchard, Bryan Gardner, Ron Hamm, and Chance Everett each hits his 11th home run of the season. Hamm's is both the shortest (only 322 feet down the right field line) and the biggest: his eighth-inning grand slam turns a 10-8 deficit into a 12-10 Capitalist lead.

Jeremy Rogers

May 8: San Francisco 0, South Carolina 4. Jeremy Rogers struggled last season for the Bombers, going 9-11 with a 6.06 ERA, and he began this season with the Bronx in Triple-A. Rogers dominated in the minors, posting a 2.18 ERA and striking out 55 in 41 innings. Today, in his first start back with the big club, Rogers throws seven shutout innings, allowing only four hits (all singles) and two walks. Juan Marín and Fernando Guzmán homer.

Evan Warner

May 9: Georgia 3, Boston 0. When Evan Warner's changeup is working, he is unhittable. The Cardinals learn this the hard way. Warner (4-4) dominates: he strikes out nine without issuing a walk and allows just three hits, all singles.

Martin Merritt

May 9: Las Vegas 1, Kansas City 2. Tornado starter Martin Merritt makes his major league debut by, lucky him, squaring off against the best pitcher in baseball, Maurice Gould. Gould is sharp, pitching eight shutout inning and striking out 11, but the 23-year-old Merritt matches him, pitching seven shutout innings of his own. The game heads into extra innings as a scoreless tie. The Jokers finally break through in the 10th when a James Davis sac fly scores José Ortíz, but the Tornadoes score two in the bottom half of the frame. Armando Rodriguez draws a game-winning walk to win it.

May 9: Montreal 5, Minnesota 4. Trailing by three runs, 4-1, entering the ninth, the Bandits come back on a two-run double off the bat of Greg Forrest and a two-run home run by Richie Rich himself, Gordon Thornton. The Berserker bullpen meltdown throws away a brilliant performance by struggling ace Guillermo Martínez: he gives up one run over eight innings.

Lawrence Fox

May 10: Las Vegas 4, Kansas City 10. Speed-burner Lawrence Fox triples in two runs in the fifth, then triples again in the sixth, this time with the bases full. Overall, he goes 4-for-5 with two triples, a double, and five RBIs.

May 10: So Cal 8, Carolina 0. John Holt pitches 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, allowing only three hits. Willis Parks goes 3-for-5 with a double and a homer, scoring three runs.

Montrell Sturzo

May 10: New York 0, Dallas 5. It's easy to overlook Montrell Sturzo (2-2) in the Dallas rotation: he quietly went 12-10 a year ago and quietly has a 3.70 ERA this year. New York took notice of him today as the Venezuelan pitches his first career shutout.

May 11: Nottinghamshire 14, Ann Arbor 0. What a difference a year makes! Recently acquired ace Juan Fernández (3-3) pitches seven shutout innings, striking out seven, while the Outlaw offense explodes for 17 hits and 14 runs. Jim Crawford goes 3-for-4 with a triple, double, three RBIs and three runs scored.

May 11: Jacksonville 5, Cabo San Lucas 6. Yawn. With the Toreros down by one, with two outs and two on in the ninth, Dan Smith wins another game with another walk-off single.

May 12: Nottinghamshire 6, Ann Arbor 5. Leslie Whitney goes 4-for-4, including a two-run home run in the ninth to win the game for the Outlaws.

May 12: Mile High 3, Eureka 6. Michael Brown doubles in Mike Bergeron to tie the game in the eighth. In the 11th, Bergeron hits a three-run walk-off home run.

Anthony Lewis

May 12: San Francisco 7, Maple 8. Anthony Lewis strides to the plate. It's the ninth inning, his Marauders trail by three runs, and the bases are loaded. Lewis hits a fly ball that hooks around the right field foul pole for a walk-off grand slam!

Dave Lee

May 13: Minnesota 0, San Diego 3. Dave Lee (6-4) takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning. With two outs, nine-hole hitter Juan Rodríguez breaks it up by grounding a ball through the left side of the infield. Lee gives up just the one hit over eight innings of work, striking out eight and walking two.

Jimmy Drake

May 14: Boston 9, Jacksonville 0. Jimmy Drake (3-1) pitches a one-hit shutout.

May 14: Kansas City 3, Mile High 0. On May 9th, Martin Merritt pitched seven shutout innings in his major league debut but received a no-decision as his opponent, Maurice Gould, dominated. Today in his second major league start, Merritt again pitches seven shutout innings. This time, his opponent allows a run, and Merritt earns his first major league win. Jesús Cruz and Armando Rodríguez homer as the Tornadoes defeat their rivals.

May 14: Maple 7, South Carolina 8. Bomber Mario Antonio doubles in the tying run with two outs in the ninth. In the tenth, Fernando Guzmán homers to right, giving South Carolina a walk-off win.

May 14: Jersey 9, San Francisco 0. John Woodward goes 3-for-3 with three walks and two solo home runs. Kevin "Doodle" Sampson (4-3) throws a four-hit shutout.

Manuel Ruíz

May 15: Kansas City 0, Mile High 1. Manuel Ruíz (6-3) gives up a pair of singles to Jesús Cruz, in the first and the sixth. Those are the Tornadoes only base runners of the game. Iron Manuel pitches a complete game shutout, striking out nine and walking none, but his effort almost goes for naught. Kansas City's Fabrizio Palgani (5-4) pitches eight shutout innings himself. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Tommy Harris singles in Francisco Morales to give the Mustangs the win.

Stanislav
Izyurov

May 15: Washington 2, Montreal 14. Stanislav Izyurov hits two doubles, a three-run home run, and a grand slam. "Le Tsar" ties an ABL record (set by teammate Tom Becker on September 12, 2012) by driving in nine runs in a single game.

Nolan Lyons

May 16: Carolina 0, Seattle 14. Nolan Lyons (6-0) becomes the first pitcher in ABL history to throw a no-hitter! He retires the first 22 batters that he faces: Greg Beard's walk with one out in the eighth breaks up the perfect game. Lyons strikes out 10 batters—including striking out the side in the fourth. The young southpaw has improved greatly in his second season in the league. Last year he went 14-7 but posted a 6.16 ERA. This year, Lyons is unbeaten through nine starts and has a 2.70 ERA.

Victor Welsh

May 16: Montgomery 10, So Cal 3. Mountain Cat Victor Welsh hits for the cycle! Welsh leads off the third with a solo home run, flies out in the fourth, and singles in the sixth. Then in the eighth, he lines one into the gap in right-center. The ball bounces off the wall at an odd angle, causing right-fielder Colt Smith to double back, and Welsh, a slow-footed catcher, manages to reach third on a stand-up triple. (Welsh did not hit a triple in 508 at-bats last season, but he did hit one earlier this season.) Finally, with two outs in the ninth, Welsh doubles down the third base line and makes history as the first ABL player ever to hit for the cycle!

May 18: Dallas 6, Ann Arbor 7. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Texan Jesse Clark doubles in the tying and leading run. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Barn Owl pinch-hitter Javier García ties the game with a two-run homer. In the 10th, Z-Rod smashes a walk-off 459-foot home run to win the game for the Ann Arbor.

Mike Miller

May 18: Kansas City 1, Eureka 2. Mike Miller (4-0) pitches eight innings, allowing one unearned run while striking out nine. He out-duels Tornado ace, António Gómez (5-4). The young Miller has a 3.83 ERA in his nine starts this season.

May 19: San Diego 13, Montreal 11. It's a good old-fashioned slugfest in Quebec! Montreal scores six in the second on three two-run homers (single, home run, hit-by-pitch, force out, home run, single, home run). Stanislav Izyurov continues to tear the cover off the ball: he slams two home runs and drives in five. But it's not enough to defeat the Hops. Cornel Pîrcalab leads the San Diego offense by going 4-for-4 with a home run, double, and three RBIs.

May 20: Montgomery 10, Seattle 8. The Mountain Cats take the lead in the eighth when backup catcher Dave Carpenter hits a three-run home run. Curt Dempsey goes 5-for-5 with a solo home run.

Clarence
Wauchope

May 20: Nottinghamshire 5, Ann Arbor 6. Down by two runs with two outs in the ninth, Brooks Davis homers for the Barn Owls. Ki-moon Pak reaches on a throwing error, Tommy Shaffer walks, and Clarence Wauchope steps to the plate. "Ghost Runner" lines the ball down the third-base line. Pak and Shaffer come around to score, and the Barn Owls swoop in for a victory!

May 20: Kansas City 2, Las Vegas 13. Troy Tracy hits two home runs, and Maurice Gould (7-1) continues his incredible season. Gould strikes out 12 over eight innings and raises his ERA to 1.44 by allowing two runs.

Jon Andrews

May 21: South Carolina 0, Jersey 4. Pop quiz! Which Jester starter had the best ERA in 2012? Answer: Jon Andrews with a 3.88 ERA. The 25-year-old junkballer has continued his success this year, posting a 3.39 ERA over 10 starts. Today Andrews (7-1) pitches his first career shutout, striking out six while scattering six hits and a walk. Stan Cheslin and Hunter Wine homer.

Brad Anderson

May 21: San Francisco 5, Maple 0. Brad Anderson (3-5) takes a perfect game into the seventh, where he hits Chris Stephens with a pitch and surrenders a single to Eric McSwan. He allows a second hit in the eighth, but that's all that Maple gets off of Anderson, who strikes out eight en route to his first career shutout.

Miguel Angel
Ortíz

May 21: San Diego 5, Washington 4. Miguel Angel Ortíz is making a case for MVP this season. Today he goes 4-for-4 with a double and a home run. Mario Vásquez wins the game for the Hops with a two-run home run in the ninth.

Juan Rodríguez

May 21: Minnesota 6, Montreal 3. Juan Rodríguez goes 4-for-4 with two doubles and a home run, leading the Berserkers to victory, but this proves to be only a preview ...

May 22: Minnesota 11, San Diego 4. Catcher Juan Rodríguez came into today having hit only two home runs all season—one of them in his 4-for-4 day yesterday. Today he becomes just the second ABL player to hit three home runs in one game! He hits a two-run homer to left-center in the fourth. In the sixth with the bases empty, he hits a no-doubt 436-foot home run to dead center. In the seventh, he flies one just over the wall in left—oh yeah, and the bases were loaded. His third home run of the day is also a grand slam!

May 23: Eureka 6, Las Vegas 5. Orlando Corranzo ties the game in the ninth with a two-run home run off of closer Nick Fox. Mike Bergeron wins it on the very next pitch with a solo home run.

May 24: San Francisco 0, South Carolina 3. Jeremy Rogers (2-1) has the Earthquakes' number. He shut them out for seven innings on May 8. Today Rogers strikes out seven of the first eight batters that he faces and finishes with 12 strikeouts total. A single in the third inning is the only hit that he allows over 8 1/3 innings of work.

May 26: Jacksonville 13, Georgia 14. One night after the Ghostbusters defeated the Jacks, 4-3, in 13 innings, the two teams again go into extras. This time, the game is a see-saw slugfest. Georgia takes the early lead, but the Jacks come back. Dennis Woods's seventh-inning grand slam puts the Jacks up, 11-6. Home runs from Ghostbusters Coy Walton and Dave Hall chip away at the lead, and with two outs in the ninth, pinch-hitter Tommy McCauley hits a tying two-run home run. The Jacks score twice in the 10th: catcher Cal Godleman singles in two runs. Hall strikes out, but Godleman lets the ball get by him, allowing Hall to reach first base. A walk and a single loads the bases, and José García hits a fly ball to right that Jorge Valdéz drops, scoring Hall. A sac fly from Steve O'Donnell ties the game yet again. Finally, in the bottom of the 11th, Jesús Guareno singles in McCauley to win the game.

May 26: Montreal 7, San Diego 3. Emílio Guerrero sparks a four-run 14th inning with a solo home run, but the story of the day is Bandit Tim Shield going 6-for-7 with two doubles and a walk.