Around the ABL: July 1-13

Mario Vásquez

July 1: Washington 2, San Diego 12. Mario Vásquez, 34, has a track record as being a steady, dependable backup. He provides the lineup with an average bat, and he will be an average glove at third base. This season, however, he is anything but average.

Vásquez has been San Diego's first-half MVP. In a season that has seen star first baseman Miguel Angel Ortíz struggle, that has seen Cornel Pîrcalab suffer a career-ending injury, and that has seen last year's sensation Steve Cherry struggle and fall victim to injury—in short, in a season in which the Hops offense has been ravaged by bad luck and injury, Vásquez has managed to rise to the occasion and keep things afloat. He comes into today's game with a .347 average and a .929 OPS, both team bests. Despite the bad luck, San Diego trails Montreal by only 3 1/2 games in the standings.

Today, Vásquez goes 4-for-4, doubling three times, scoring three times, and driving in two runs. Jason Bolyard (6-6) pitches 7 1/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs. Most impressively, Bolyard and reliever Aurelio Mata combine to hold Tom Becker hitless: Horseface goes 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

Around the ABL: June 1-June 30

June 1: Nottinghamshire 19, Carolina 4. The Outlaws score 10 runs in the seventh inning. Amazingly, they score them on only five hits—all of them singles! How'd they do it? Seven walks, including three consecutive walks with the bases loaded. The inning proceeds: walk, wild pitch, single, steal of second and catcher throwing error (scoring one), single, single (scoring one), walk, sac fly (scoring one, first out), pitching change, walk, single (scoring two), walk, walk (scoring one), walk (scoring one), walk (scoring one), pitching change, single (scoring two), strike out (second out), and ground out. Jim Crawford goes 3-for-4 with two singles, a triple, four runs scored, and four RBIs.

June 3: Las Vegas 11, South Carolina 6. The Outlaws aren't the only team to score 10 runs in an inning this week. Not only do the Jokers score 10 in an inning, they score 10 before the Bombers even get a chance to bat. (Bad night for the home team fans.) The inning proceeds: ground out (first out), double, walk, single (scoring two), single (scoring one), walk, walk (scoring one), single (scoring two), pitching change, walk, single (scoring two), strike out (second out), a Colin St. John home run (scoring three), single, pitching change, strike out. The home run is St. John's 20th of the season.

Around the ABL: May 5-May 31

May 6: Kansas City 11, Minnesota 10. Bryan Gardner hits a two-run homer in the sixth, and gives the Bersekers the lead, 6-5. In the seventh, Jesús Cruz hits a three-run home run and the Tornadoes re-take the lead, 9-6. The Berserkers tie the game back up, with backup catcher Juan Carlos Carillo hitting a solo home run in the eighth and a sac fly in the ninth. In the 10th, Armando Rodríguez singles in two runs, and Kansas City wins the see-saw battle.

Around the ABL: April 21-May 4

Joe Frost

April 21: Minnesota 10, So Cal 14. Über-prospect Joe Frost is off to a blistering start. Crayon is batting .377, slugging .672, and he's gotten a hit in 14 of 15 games this season. This afternoon, he kicks off a seven-run rally in the eighth inning with a two-run home run. A few batters later, Ron Hutchins gives the Republic the lead with his first major league home run, a three-run fly down the line in right.

Rich Bussell

April 23: Ann Arbor 4, Dallas 6. Few things in baseball are as pretty as Rich Bussell's changeup—unless you're trying to hit it, that is. Texan Bussell (3-1) strikes out 15 Barn Owls over 7 2/3 innings, including striking out the side in the first, third, and sixth innings. He joins Raúl Pérez, Aurelio Ramírez, and Maurice Gould as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat.

Around the ABL: April 7-April 20

April 7: Montreal 1, Dallas 4. The Montreal Bandits, seeking their third consecutive ABL Championship, get mowed down by Rich Bussell. Bussell (1-0) strikes out nine and allows only one hit over seven shutout innings. The Texans go on to sweep the three-game series with the Bandits. The absence of Tom Becker looms large as Montreal scores only four runs in those three games.

Colin St. John

April 9: Eureka 2, Las Vegas 9. Colin St. John wastes no time silencing the skeptics. In 2012, he won the 2012 Silver Slugger Award and led his Las Vegas Jokers to the World Series. In June of 2013, he suffered a concussion and was lost for the rest of the season. At 32 years old, everyone wondered whether he would be the same player.

Well, everyone except St. John. "Imma gonna tear the cover off 'a that ball," the New Jersey native said, "You got a problem with that?"

And tear the cover off the ball he has. Today he goes 4-for-4 with a home run and three runs-batted-in. Over the next six games, he will rack up 15 hits in 26 at-bats with four home runs and 11 RBIs. And you can bet that if St. John is back, then the Jokers are back to contend for Sparky Anderson Division crown.

Around the ABL: September 27-September 29

September 27: So Cal 2, Montgomery 12. The Cats blow out the Republic, scoring 11 runs in the first inning. They score the old-fashioned way, hitting it where they ain't. They pepper Republic pitching for nine singles and a double. The inning proceeds: Curt Dempsey singles, single (runner advancing to third), sac fly (1), single, single (2), single (3), hit by pitch, strike out, walk (4), Dempsey singles in two runs (5 and 6), single (7), double (8), single (9 and 10), single (11), strike out.

Davey Holmes

September 28: Cabo San Lucas 1, Georgia 0. Ghost Buster Davey Holmes (19-10) pitches 10 shutout innings ... but he ends up with the loss! Holmes comes out to pitch the 11th, but Dave Carlisle doubles, moves to third on Maurice Knight's single, and scores on Carlos Martínez's sac fly. Gregory Erwin (8-6) strikes out five in two innings of work to get the win.

Around the ABL: September 20-September 26

Alfredo Yánez

September 20: Carolina 10, So Cal 11. The Crush dash out to a 4-0 lead, but Bill Smith's grand slam knots the game back up. Carolina re-takes the lead—Jeremy Gleave hits a home run, and Francisco Solano triples and scores—but So Cal takes it right back: Smith singles in a run, Alfredo Yánez hits a solo home run to tie it, and a Wilson Anaya sac fly gives the Republic the lead, 7-6. Yánez extends the lead with a second home run—a three-run blast in the seventh. The Crush tie it back up, 10-10: in the eighth, Justin Wallace triples with the bases loaded, and Greg Beard singles in Wallace. Finally, in the bottom of the eighth, Freddy Castillo doubles in Charles McConnell, and the Republic defeat their division rivals.

September 20: San Francisco 1, Jersey 0. Conor Nodder (4-14) and Tom Owens pitch dueling shutouts for seven innings. In the top of the eighth, Doctor Watson homers off of reliever Javíer González.

Around the ABL: September 6-September 19

Stephen Jackson

September 6: Montgomery 0, South Carolina 2. Montgomery's Marc Murphy pitches a shutout, striking out seven and surrendering three hits, all singles. Unfortunately, Jeremy Rogers and four Bombers relievers match him, also allowing only three hits over nine shutout innings. The 10th inning comes and goes without any runs. So does the 11th. In the 12th, the Bombers manage to get a runner into scoring position for the first time all game, but Francisco Alfonso strikes out with Stephen Jackson on third. The 13th is scoreless. Finally, in the bottom of the 14th, Action Jackson comes to the plate with a man on. He hits a 2-2 pitch to deep into the right-field bleachers—a walk-off home run and the only runs in the game.

Joe Fuller

September 6: Washington 0, Jacksonville 1. Joe Fuller (7-8) allows a second-inning single to Ron Hamm then retires the next 15 batters. He ends up allowing only the one hit and two walks over 7 2/3 innings of work. Nick Parks scores the game's only run.

Around the ABL: August 23-September 5

Brooks Davis

August 23: Ann Arbor 2, Seattle 1. Brooks Davis wins the game with his legs. In the sixth, he singles, steals second base and advances to third on a throwing error, and scores on a Stu Barnes single. In the 10th, Davis walks, steals second, and scores the winning run on a Tommy Shaffer single. Davis, a first baseman of only 23, is having a strong season, hitting 19 home runs to go with his 25 stolen bases.

August 24: South Carolina 8, Cabo San Lucas 3. The Bombers, trailing 3-0, erupt for eight runs in the eighth. Francisco Alfonso doubles in the tying and leading runs, and Mario Antonio, in his second at-bat of the inning, hits a three-run homer.

Johnny Graham

August 24: Las Vegas 6, Jersey 15. The Jesters don't just beat Maurice Gould, they destroy him, scoring seven off the Joker ace and kick him out in the third inning. Johnny Graham hits a grand slam off of Gould. Graham later tacks on a three-run homer. Stan Cheslin hits a three-run homer of his own.

Around the ABL: August 16-August 22

Tom Owens

August 16: Jersey 2, Eureka 1. It's youth vs. age! Jersey's Tom Owns (2-2) is 20-year-old rookie making his seventh major league start. Eureka's Jeff Williams (1-1) is a 38-year-old veteran. He went 13-13 with the Quakes last season, was claimed off waivers by Eureka in the off-season, and spent most of 2013 injured—in fact, this marks just his third start of the year. This odd couple pitch dueling shutouts for seven innings. In the eighth, the Jesters finally get to Williams: Bill Flynn doubles in Luis Castro for the game's first run. Stan Cheslin adds a solo home run in the ninth. Owens, meanwhile, pitches eight shutout innings.

August 16: Jacksonville 3, San Francisco 0. Edgar McNeal (2-3) and three relievers combine to shutout the Quakes. McNeal goes 7 1/3 innings, striking out four without walking a batter. The Jacks score a run in the first on a bases-loaded walk, then tack on two in the ninth when Joe MacKnight homers.

Around the ABL: August 9-August 15

Francisco
Concepción

August 10: Montgomery 7, Seattle 5. With the Cats leading, 4-0, Sasquatch Tim Duncan hits a solo home run in the fifth, then hits a three-run home run in the seventh. The game remains tied until the 12th when Montgomery's Francisco Concepción hits a three-run homer. Seattle tries to rally in the bottom half of the inning: they score one, but Charles O'Connor gets potential tying run Steve Frend to ground to second for the last out.

August 11: Kansas City 10, Las Vegas 11. The Tornadoes and Jokers trade punches. Jesús Cruz goes 3-for-5 with his 30th double of the year. (Too bad he had 148 at-bats last season, 18 fewer at-bats and he would qualify for Rookie of Year. With a .332 batting average, 26 home runs, and 86 RBIs, he would certainly be a favorite.) Joker Phillip Smith goes 4-for-5, scoring three, and driving in four. With the game tied, 10-10, in the bottom of the ninth and the bases loaded, Ray Stevens singles in the winning run.

Around the ABL: August 2-August 8

Jorge Mora

August 2: New York 10, Nottinghamshire 8. Jorge Mora is at it again. Two days after his dramatic walk-off grand slam against Dallas, Mora hits a pair of dramatic home runs against Nottinghamshire. The Outlaws take a four-run lead into the ninth, but Mafioso Herman Campbell doubles in two runs, and Mora hits a two-run homer, tying the game at eight runs apiece. In the 11th, with one man on, Mora homers again, and the Mafia come back to defeat their division rivals.

August 2: Jacksonville 2, Boston 1. Much of the Cardinals offense may be on the DL, but they're still dangerous. John Ritter (9-9) holds them back, throwing 7 1/3 innings and allowing only one run. Dennis Woods, who's having a nice bounce-back season, homers in the third. In the fifth, catcher Nick Parks triples and scores what proves to be the winning run. Norm Jackson (6-9) pitches well, giving up only two runs in seven innings, but gets loss.

Around the ABL: July 26-August 1

Adam Thomas

July 26: Boston 4, Minnesota 0. With Norm Jackson continuing to struggle, Adam Thomas (12-4) has had to step up for the Cardinals. Tonight he holds the Berserkers silent for seven innings, striking out eight while walking one. Alex Austin homers and drives in two.

Rodney
Armstrong

July 26: Kansas City 9, Ann Arbor 0. Rodney Armstrong (5-7) shuts down Z-Rod and the Barn Owl bats, striking out nine over 8 2/3 innings of work. It was a real confidence-booster for Armstrong, who got shelled in his past two starts. Jesús Cruz knocks in three, and Ricardo Marquis hits a two-run homer.

Around the ABL: July 12-July 25

July 12: Washington 1, Las Vegas 8. Over eight innings of work, Maurice Gould (14-2) strikes out 14 and gives up only one run. Vic Jennings hits two home runs, including a grand slam.

July 12: New York 9, Jersey 10. The Mafia look to have the game in hand, but, in the bottom of the ninth, John Woodard ties the game with a two-out three-run homer. In the 10th, Johnny Graham doubles in Bobby McClughan for the win.

Charlie Jackson

July 13: San Diego 6, Kansas City 5. With the Tornadoes leading, 5-4, and two outs in the top of the ninth, Dorian Knight singles and Charlie Jackson homers down the opposite-field line. Kansas City loads the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but Ricardo Marquis flies to center to end the game.

Around the ABL: June 24-July 7

Scott Andrews

June 24: Montreal 7, Carolina 11. In a possible playoff preview, the Crush out-slug the Bandits. Scott Andrews leads the Carolina hitters, going 4-for-5 with a grand slam.

Jim Thompson

June 24: Ann Arbor 7, Washington 0. Jim Thompson (6-7) strikes out 10 over 8 1/3 shutout innings of work, walking none while allowing five hits. Roberto Guzmán and Ki-moon Pak homer for the Barn Owls.

June 25: San Diego 3, Montgomery 5. Welsh has a flair for the dramatic this season. One month ago, he hit for the cycle. With the Cats trailing the Hops, 3-1, Victor Welsh comes to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the bases full. Welsh hits a walk-off grand slam.

Around the ABL: June 10-June 23

June 10: Jacksonville 4, Washington 0. Pat Heard (3-7) tosses eight shutout innings, scattering eight hits and two walks while striking out two.

Doug Smith

June 10: Seattle 8, Maple 9. Steve Frend hits a pair of two-run home runs, and Seattle takes an 8-5 lead into the ninth. The Marauders load the bases and, with two outs and an 0-2 count, Doug Smith hits a bases-clearing double to tie it. Smith then scores the winning run when Don Strickland lines a hit to right-center.

June 10: Montreal 1, Cabo San Lucas 6. Wilfred Brooks (9-1) out-pitches Raul Pérez (6-3). Brooks pitches a complete game and allows only one run, a home run to Jordan Borlase. Torero Keiran Simmons hits his 10th home run of the season, and Víctor Ramírez goes 3-for-5 and drives in a pair.

Around the ABL: May 27-June 9

Pat Everhart

May 28: Georgia 1, So Cal 0. Pat Everhart (3-7) has been pitching well this season (his ERA is 3.70), but he's had precious little run support this season. Tonight he gets only one run to work with, but Everhart makes that run count. He dominates the Republic, tossing eight shutout innings and allowing two hits while striking out eight.

May 28: San Francisco 10, New York 0. The Quakes score their first run when, on the game's third pitch, shortstop Bill Conway singles in Doctor Watson. Meanwhile, The Mafia hitmen see 154 pitches but can't score a run. Pete Barrett (3-3) only strikes out two over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, but his splitter gets plenty of ground outs.

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.

Around the ABL: April 15-May 5

April 15: Seattle 12, Nottinghamshire 15. The 2013 Outlaws are no pushovers. They fall behind early, 8-1, but come back. In the bottom of the seventh, a triple, an error, a hit-batsmen, and three singles scores Nottinghamshire four runs. In the eighth, Marlon Bentley ties the game with a solo home run. The Sasquatch regain the lead in the ninth—Artie Carlson homers—but with two outs and a runner on first, Allen Greene triples in the tying run. The offenses disappear in extra innings, and the game lasts until the bottom of the 17th inning. At 2:20 in the morning, Don Schwartz hits a walk-off three-run home run.

April 16: Boston 5, Mile High 4. The Cardinals score four in the third: doubles-machine Ed White doubles in a pair of runs, and Abel Baker hits a two-run homer. The Mustangs come back and Tommy Harris ties it on an eighth-inning home run. Mile High's bullpen pitches 12 shutout innings, but it's not enough: in the 16th, Boston's George White singles in José González.

Around the ABL: April 8-April 14

Sergio Ramírez

April 8: South Carolina 4, Las Vegas 0. In a battle of the brains, Sergio Ramírez (1-1) outsmarts the Jokers offense and beats Professor Magee (1-1). Ramírez pitches eight scoreless innings. Orlando Bustamante and Gunner Smart for the Palmettos. Magee reportedly defeats Ramírez in a chess match held behind closed doors after the game.

April 8: San Francisco 7, Mile High 10. The Earthquakes—the best team in baseball for much of last summer—are shades of their former selves. They take an early lead, 5-0, but cough it up in the late innings. Mustang Francisco Morales wins it for Mile High by tripling down the right-field line with the bases loaded.