Several interested parties belabored and troubleshooted the San
Benito County Babe Ruth League standings Saturday morning as they
gandered at the standings board which traditionally hangs on the
wall of the Vet’s Park snack shack.
Several interested parties belabored and troubleshooted the San Benito County Babe Ruth League standings Saturday morning as they gandered at the standings board which traditionally hangs on the wall of the Vet’s Park snack shack. The discussion bordered on the heated as the possibilities for the playoffs – which begin tonight – called for a higher court to decipher which team was squaring off with which.
After the hot air had settled and the laymen’s theories had mostly been discarded, the six playoff teams have been determined and properly seeded. Playing tonight are the No. 6 Giants (6-10) vs. the No. 3 Rockies (10-5-1). On Tuesday it’s the 4th-seeded A’s (10-5-1) vs. the 5th-seeded Marlins (8-8). Both games are at 5:30 p.m.
The Giants-Rockies winner advances to Saturday’s semifinals vs. the No. 1 seeded Cubs (13-3) at 10 a.m. The A’s-Marlins winner takes on the 2nd-seeded White Sox (12-4) on Saturday at 1 p.m. The two semifinal winners meet in the championship game on Sunday at 10 a.m.
The White Sox cleared up some of the mess with a 14-4 cruiser past the Giants Saturday. It was the surging White Sox’ seventh straight victory, which included a forfeit win over the Expos. The White Sox took advantage of five walks, four stolen bases, two wild pitches and a Giants error in the sixth to score eight runs. Kyle Ferguson’s single with two out plated Kevin Medieros to mercifully end the game an inning early. The White Sox had just three hits in the inning.
“We wanted to get it over with,” said White Sox manager Tim Ferguson on why his team was aggressive on the basepaths with the game already in hand. “We wanted to save our pitching as much as possible for the playoffs.”
Wtihout question, this game turned in the bottom of the fourth when Giants manager Sarino Torrise yanked starter Anthony Vasquez from the hill. Vasquez had quieted the White Sox for the first three innings, holding them scoreless on a lone single by Anthony Bengivengo in the first inning. Vasquez had retired eight of the final nine hitters he faced and had struck out five.
“I imagine our fans in the stands were wondering why I replaced Anthony,” said Torrise, whose team did not need to win the game to gain in the playoff seeding. “I wanted him to only work three innings. He hadn’t pitched in awhile. And Drew Daniels was done. I couldn’t pitch him.”
Daniels will pitch tonight’s game
against the Rockies. Vasquez will be available for duty, as well, and will have all of his pitching innings available to him.
The Giants led 2-0 when Vasquez was pulled from the mound. Vasquez had an RBI single in the first and he scored a run in the third on a White Sox fielding error for his club’s two runs.
Medieros greeted Giants reliever Seth Novack loudly in the fourth when he tripled over the head of Daniels in center field. Jeremy Bosio singled in Medieros, then Ryan McFall doubled in Bosio after Bosio had stolen second.
The White Sox chased two Giants pitchers in the fifth. Novack walked Bengivengo, then hit Medieros with a pitch. Josh Torrise was brought in and promptly yielded an RBI single to Ferguson. A walk to Bosio called for Sarino Torrise to summon Aaron Schulman from his catcher’s position to the mound. McFall reached first on a fielder’s choice play, then stole second. With Bosio on at third and McFall on at second, Bosio sprinted down the third baseline as Schulman started his windup.
Schulman, who had pitched only two innings all year, cut his windup short and offered at Bosio’s distraction at third, which was ruled a balk by base umpire Bruce Melo. Bosio scored the third run of the inning, while McFall eventually scored on a bases loaded walk to Todd Janisch.
The win went to Kyle Ferguson, who pitched the final three innings. Ferguson, who fanned five Giants batters, gave up two runs in the fifth. Schulman, who had singled in Vasquez, scored himsel on a passed ball.
The Giants were limited to three hits for the game.
SBCBRL notes: The Giants will be without two starters – Ryan Stevens and Chris DiSalvo – for the rest of the playoffs. Another starter, Josh Brown, missed Saturday’s game, but should be in uniform tonight….The White Sox sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth and sixth innings…The Rockies and A’s had played to a 4-4 tie after nine innings on June 2. The game was deemed not necessary to be replayed, as originally had been reported. “We called the District and they said we didn’t have to play it,” said league Vice-President and White Sox assistant coach Robert Hopkins……Hopkins’ son, Nathan, was hit with a pitch on the left elbow in the first inning and didn’t return until he pinch-hit in the sixth. It was the second time Nathan Hopkins had been hit with a pitch in the left elbow area this season…..The Cubs have won two in a row after losing two in a row…..The White Sox actually were defeated by the Expos 10-9, but the Expos were ruled to have a pitcher throw who didn’t have eligibility to pitch that week, hence the forfeit…..The District 1 15 year-old All-Star Tournament starts June 28 and continues through July 3 at Vet’s Park. It is a five-team tourney.
Giants 101 020 – 4 3 3
White Sox 000 248 – 14 8 2
WP-Ferguson. LP-Jo. Torrise. 2B – Medieros, McFall (WS). 3B – Medieros (WS). 2 hits – Medieros, Ferguson (WS). 2 RBI – Medieros, Ferguson (WS).
