Lookout Landing

- Despite being one of the lightest hitting teams in the VSL, the VSLMs are 3rd in OPS in the VSL with a .685, behind the VSL Astros (.698) and the VSL Pirates (.717). Like those two, the VSLMs are one of the better VSL teams at getting on base, at a .346 clip. These three teams are the only teams with an OBP over .335.

- Because I'm sure you're waiting for the news with bated breath: the DSL AL All Stars defeated the DSL NL All Stars 6-5 in 10 innings, clinching home island complex advantage for the DSL World Series (provided the DSL has the budget to hold playoffs, and hahaha to that).

Efrain Nuñez did pinch hit in the 6th, struck out, played left field and finished 0-2. Miguel Celestino pitched the 3rd inning, allowing only a hit while recording 3 groundouts.

If you have to ask which team they were playing for, you and your ignorance deserve puke-mop duty in the Safeco Field beer garden.

- Apparently, the 1st half of the AZL season ended right under my nose, after fewer than 30 games. For those also waiting with bated breath for these results, a) you might want to see a doctor because you might have asthma and b) the AZL Angels won the 1st half title. Who knew that scrappy play and legions of fluke hits played well in Rookie ball? I don't believe the AZLMs were in contention.

- More hacking in Pulaski: under the watch of home plate ump Tim Rosso, the PMs and the Princeton Rays combined for 25 Ks in the PMs' 4-2 win. Three Pulaski pitchers combined for 14 of those.

- As the Aquasox found out the hard way this weekend, this year's Northwest League superteam is the Spokane Indians, now 30-10 after coming from behind in the 9th to beat the Aquasox 5-4. Last year, it was Salem-Keizer, who rattled off more than 40 victories before recording their 10th loss, and effectively ending their division race early.

Spokane's doing it with effective pitching and defense. Their .664 defensive efficiency is easily tops in the NWL, and their pitching staff leads the NWL easily with 355 Ks (yeah, and they have a 2.96 ERA, but that's a byproduct). They don't have the best hitting in the NWL but with those other two strengths, they don't need it as much. Their .746 OPS, 3rd in the NWL, is good enough.

- Luis Nuñez apparently tweaked his hamstring after reaching base in the 3rd inning of the Aquasox game. He took a seat, and Anthony Phillips finished the game at SS for him. Per Jose Moreno, Nuñez probably won't play tonight, and he's not sure of the extent of the injury. I'd count on a few days off for Nuñez, one of the Aquasox's leading talents.

- Walks don't slump and neither do extra base hits: Dennis Freaking Raben walked, hit his 9th double of the season and added a single.

- From one of the flash ads on the T-Rats MiLB.com page: Qdoba presents Q'MONDAYS at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton! Purchase an entree at an Appleton Qdoba Mexican Grill and receive a free ticket to tonight's Wisconsin T-Rats game against Beloit!

... wow. You know it's getting hard to fill seats for the home team when a chain restaurant is passing out free tickets with $6 meals.

- Carlos Triunfel hit another home run last night, this time to left field despite a crosswind. It's his 5th of the season. Someone's growing up.

- The Tracy Thorpe Starter experiment in West Tenn ran take one last night and it was a rousing success, as Thorpe allowed only one hit over 4 frames after facing 14 batters in West Tenn's 6-2 win over Birmingham. Don't get too excited, though: aside from AA being a step down, Birmingham has one of the weaker offenses in the Southern League: They score the 2nd fewest runs in the league (4.29 per), their .705 OPS is 3rd worst in the league and their .320 OBP is league-worst.

- Another new face joined the DIAMOND JAXX: catcher Gabe Johnson. He actually debuted on Thursday, going 0 for 3. Drafted as a 3B, the 28 year old washed out with the Cards organization after converting slowly to catcher but still logging time at 1B/3B. Injuries derailed his 2007 season, and he was recently let go after 33 forgettable games with the Memphis Redbirds this season. The M's love making these random scrap-heap pickups for org depth, so here he is. Adam Moore needed a new backup with Luis Oliveros in Tacoma for good (and rightfully so: Oliveros has been overdue for a promotion for about a year due to the Clement/Rob situation), and Johnson gives the DIAMOND JAXX a decent one, even granted that he has only caught 91 games in his entire 6 year pro career.

Let's look at stats.

VENEZUELA~! The VSLMs and the VSL always take Sunday off.

Dominican: The DSLMs are off for the DSL All Star Break.

Rk-AZL: Athletics 7, Mariners 1
(League: 268/351/387... 4.59 ERA)

Fray Martinez: 2.1 IP, 8 H, (6 R) 5 ER, walk, K, balk (6 GS +2, 7.49 ERA, 33.2 IP, 4 HR, 16/32 BB/K)
Yao Wen Chang: 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 2 K, wild pitch (9 app, 2.38 ERA, 11.1 IP, 12/8 BB/K)
Nick Love: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K, wild pitch (7 app, 10.43 ERA, 14.2 IP, 4/9 BB/K)
Colin Buckborough: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk, 2 K, wild pitch (9 app, 6.10 ERA, 20.2 IP, 1 HR, 15/18 BB/K)
Taylor Stanton: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, hit batter
Emmanuel Familia: 2-3, 2 doubles, R, K (228/250/298)
rest of AZLMs lineup: 2-25, walk, 8 K

Rk+: Pulaski 4, Princeton 2
PMs: 25-14... PRI: 14-21
(League: 261/334/390... 4.21 ERA)

Brooks Mohr: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER (HR), 3 walks, 4 K (8 GS, 2.87 ERA, 37.2 IP, 2 HR, 17/34 BB/K)
Jose Rios: 4 IP, 1 H, 2 walks, 6 K, hit batter (9 app, 3.26 ERA, 30.1 IP, 2 HR, 5/35 BB/K)
Philip Roy: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K (12 app, 1.69 ERA, 21.1 IP, 5/25 BB/K)
Blake Trinkler: 1-3, triple, R, walk, K (221/346/353)
Mario Martinez: 1-3, 2 run HR, sac fly RBI, K (315/346/483)
Dwight Britton: 1-3, RBI, K (237/280/376)

A-: Spokane 5, Everett 4
EVE: 16-24... SPO: 30-10
(League: 254/343/365... 4.13 ERA)

Steven Hensley: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER (HR), 2 K, balk (6 GS +2, 5.22 ERA, 29.1 IP, 3 HR, 9/32 BB/K)
Doug Salinas: 3 IP, 2 H, walk, 2 K (12 app, 4.96 ERA, 32.2 IP, 2 HR, 18/29 BB/K)
Bradley Reid: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, 2 K
Bennett Billingsley: 0-5, 4 K: The Golden Sombrero (245/306/398, 30 K in 98 AB)
Anthony Phillips: 1-3, double, 2 R, 2 K (222/294/378)
Dennis Freaking Raben: 2-3, double, R, walk (328/473/586)
Kevin Reynolds: 1-4, RBI (345/397/460)
Nate Tenbrink: 1-4, RBI, 2 K, SB #19 (226/335/372)
Brandon Fromm: 1-4, solo HR, K (260/297/385)

A: Beloit 3, Wisconsin 1
WIS: 9-27... BEL: 18-18
(League: 252/323/374... 3.71 ERA)

Edward Paredes: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 8 K (20 GS +1, 4.52 ERA, 99.2 IP, 10 HR, 41/72 BB/K)
Keith Meyer: 3 IP, 2 H, (2 R) 1 ER, 3 K (32 app, 5.59 ERA, 46.2 IP, 4 HR, 24/48 BB/K)
Ronald Garth: 1-4, double, K (263/319/402)
Juan Diaz: 1-4, double, RBI (239/283/305)
rest of T-Rats lineup: 2-26, 2 walks, 11 K

A+: Lancaster 8, High Desert 6
Mavs: 15-22... Jethawks: 20-16
(League: 274/343/413... 4.58 ERA)

Alfredo Venegas: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 walks, 6 K, wild pitch, balk, 2 hit batters (11 GS +8, 5.14 ERA, 84 IP, 8 HR, 26/78 BB/K)
Bryan Harris: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 walks, wild pitch, balk (28 app, 7.53 ERA, 34.2 IP, 9 HR, 8/23 BB/K)
Justin Souza: 1 IP, 2 H, 91 R) 0 ER, walk (5 app, 1.59 ERA, 11.1 IP, 1 HR, 3/13 BB/K)
Ricky Orta: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER (HR), K (12 GS +4, 6.00 ERA, 54 IP, 13 HR, 20/50 BB/K)
Carlos Triunfel: 1-4, 2 run HR, 2 K (276/326/384)
Ronnie Prettyman: 1-4, double, K, SB (344/375/583)
Jose Yepez: 1-3, solo HR, 2 R, walk, K (271/347/403)
Joe Simokaitis: 1-3, RBI, walk (311/364/557)
Geraldo Valentin: 2-4, R, RBI, 2 K, SB (250/264/365)
Jamie Davenport: 2-4, double, R, RBI, K

AA: West Tenn 6, Birmingham 2
WTN: 15-21... BIR: 18-18
(League: 262/340/396... 4.16 ERA)

Tracy Thorpe: 4 IP, 1 H, 2 walks, 4 K
Justin Thomas: 4 IP, 2 H, walk, 2 K (17 GS +2, 4.46 ERA, 109 IP, 11 HR, 48/100 BB/K)
Marwin Vega: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, walk, K, 2 wild pitches (36 app, 5.68 ERA, 52.1 IP, 3 HR, 37/35 BB/K)
Marshall Hubbard: 2-3, double, solo HR, 2 R, walk (320/445/562)
Mike Wilson: 2-4, double, triple, 2 R, 2 RBI (287/384/560)
Johan Limonta: 1-4, RBI (293/375/506)
Gabe Johnson: 2-4, double, R, K
Mark Kiger: 3-4, 2 doubles, RBI (215/349/275)

AAA: Memphis 8, Tacoma 3
TAC: 54-54... MEM: 59-49
(League: 275/347/441... 4.81 ERA)

Scott Shoemaker: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 ER (2 HR), 4 walks, 2 K (25 app, 5 GS, 6.00 ERA, 60 IP, 11 HR, 26/39 BB/K)
Andrew Baldwin: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER (HR) (15 GS +8, 5.40 ERA, 101.2 IP, 9 HR, 32/56 BB/K)
Mumba Rivera: 2 IP, 2 H, walk, 5 K, wild pitch (9 app, 6.55 ERA, 11 IP, 2 HR, 6/11 BB/K)
Tug Hulett: 1-4, solo HR (305/386/530)
Victor Diaz: 1-4, solo HR, 2 K (284/366/526)
Michael Saunders: 1-3, double, R, walk (239/307/402)
Shawn Garrett: 2-4 (288/320/416)
Luis Oliveros: 1-3, RBI, K (234/265/319)