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In the few weeks since Cockeysville Last released their news, the Crazies have lost their winning edge and slipped from a few games ahead of the Galena Hamsters to a few games behind. They new trail by 2.5 games, but still maintain a 2 game lead over the 3rd place Macon Whoopie. Their main nemesis has been close games, as they are 4-12 in 1-run affairs. They have also struggled to a 9-16 record out of division. However, they are still within close striking distance of Galena.
Game notes from the last few weeks:
On May 13th, Cockeysville suffered a tough loss, falling to Brooklyn 3-2 in 12 innings. Michael Tucker led the offense as he went 2-5 and homered. Starter Mike Hampton threw 6 fine innings, giving up 7 hits, 2 walks, and just one run. He also struck out five. Relievers Al Thornton and Bill Brandt finished the game, only giving up 2 more runs over the last 6 innings that were played, but Brandt took the loss after allowing a run in his 5th inning of work, the 12th.
May 14th was even worse. After the emotional game the day before, Cockeysville lost again to Brooklyn, again in 12 innings. This time the final was 5-4. Mike Macfarlane and Larry Walker account for most of the offense, going a combined 5-9, driving in all 4 runs, scoring 2, and each had one homer. MacFarlane also doubled. Paul Wilson was the starter in this game, and he lasted just 4 innings, giving up 4 runs. It looked to be a high scoring game, as Brooklyn led 4-3 after just 3 innings. However, only one more run would be scored--MacFarlane's solo HR in the bottom of the 6th--until the 12th inning. Sean Bergman relieved Wilson and threw 7 incredible innings of relief. He gave up 3 hits, walked none, and struck out 8. However, when Ira Colon relieved him in the 12th, Colon allowed a run on 3 hits and a walk, and the game ended 5-4. Bergman amazing averaged just 11 pitches an inning over those 7 innings.
Finally, the losing ended on the 16th. Cockeysville rolled over the New Diggens Budweiser Frogs 8-2, led by Eric Young, Shane Andrew, Quintin McCracken, and Tony Graffanino. Young was 3-4, hit a solo HR, and doubled. Andrews, McCracken, and Graffanino combined to go 5-7, knocked in 4 runs, scored 5, and both Andrews and McCracken homered. David Wells was the starting pitcher, and he threw 4 2/3 innings of scoreless, 1-hit baseball before he was removed. Bobby Munoz relieved him and allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, over the next 2 1/3 innings. Jose Fusselman and Dennis Cook each threw a scoreless inning to finish up.
The next game resulted in another close game, but it was a 3-1 loss to the Budweiser Frogs this time rather than a win. Chad Kreuter's solo homer accounted for the entire Crazies offense, and he added a single to that. Larry Walker also had 2 hits, going 2-4. The pitching was strong as well, but Scott Sanders, who went 6 1/3 inning allowing just 1 unearned run, took the loss. Dennis Cook threw the last 2 2/3 innings, allowing 2 more runs. Sanders was very annoyed after the game, complaining, "Our offense has been really poor this week. I give up one measly run, which wasn't even earned, and I get the loss!" Sanders was likely mad because it was his first loss, dropping his record to 5-1.
On May 20th, the Crazies had a doubleheader against the red-hot Deadwood Outlaws. In the first game, they were shutout 2-0 by Randy Johnson, Jose Mesa, and Jeff Brantley. Stanhoviak, McCracken, and Young each had 2 hits. Young and McCracken also each stole a base. Wells once again had a short start, going 3 innings and allowing 2 hits while striking out 6 and walking none. Sean Bergman took the loss, but his 5 innings of pitching were fairly decent. He gave up 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. He also 2 runs in his first inning and then threw 4 scoreless innings after, but the Crazies couldn't score. Randy Johnson was just too good, going 7 2/3 innings, allowing 7 hits, walking none, and racking up an incredible 14 strikeouts. Jose Mesa and Jeff Brantley added 2 more strikeouts and 2 walks to those totals, but no more hits, through the last 1 1/3 innings.
The second game of the doubleheader resulted in a loss as well, this time by a score of 4-1. Shane Andrews' home run was all of the offense, although Eric Young was also 3-5. Scott Sanders gave another phenomenal start in this game, throwing 6 innings of 1 hit, no walk, 7 strikeout baseball. Al Thorton, who relieved him, gave up 4 runs in 2 innings and took the loss. Starting for Deadwood was Mark Garnder, who got the win after 7 1/3 inning of 1 run ball. Bruce Ruffin and Jose Mesa finished up.
Another doubleheader was scheduled for the 23rd. The Crazies lost the opened 4-1 to New Diggens, again struggling to find offense. Dave Howard's double, and subsequent single by Mike MacFarlane was pretty much the entire offense. There were only 2 other hits by the Crazies in this game. Mike Hampton was the starter, and he was pulled after just 4 innings, giving up 4 runs and 6 hits, along with a walk and a strikeout. Reliever Bobby Munoz threw the last 4 innings, throwing shutout ball. However, the Crazies couldn't figure out John Smiley and Mike Jackson, and Smiley coasted through 8 innings and Jackson recorded his 6th save.
The losing continued in the nightcap, a 3-2 loss. Michael Tucker scored both Cockeysville runs and drove in one with a homer. Stanhoviak drove in the other run. But the 2 runs scored were just not enough to get the win. Paul Wilson got his first loss in this game, going 6 innings and allowing 3 runs, 2 earned. Dennis Cook threw 2 scoreless innings of relief to hold the Budweiser Frogs, but Mike Witt and Mike Jackson were able to hold the Crazies at 2. Witt threw 8 innings, giving up 7 hits, 2 runs, walking 1, and striking out 6. Jackson threw the 9th for his 7th save.
A few days later, Cockeysville was facing Deadwood again in a doubleheader on May 28th. They lost the first game 12-1 as Michael Tucker homered again to account for the Crazy run. MacFarlane also had 2 hits. However, the Outlaws slaughtered Hampton, Bergman and Cook, scoring a total of 12 runs, 10 earned, on 15 hits and 4 walks. They did managed to rack up 11 strikeouts in the loss. Gary Sheffield had an exceptional game for Deadwood, going 4-4, scoring 3 times, hitting a pair of homers, a sacrifice fly, walked once, and drove in 5 runs.
Cockeysville also lost the nightcap by a score of 4-2. They got those 2 runs on just 4 hits and 3 walks. Tucker and McCracken both doubled, Tucker driving in a run and McCracken scoring one. Paul Wilson was saddled with the loss, giving up 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings. He allowed 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. But Boddy Munoz did his best to hold Deadwood, going 5 1/3 inning giving up just 2 hits and 1 walk. The stalled Crazies offense never got going as Rheal Cormier, Jeff Brantley, and Jose Mesa combined for a great game, Cormier getting the win and Mesa getting the save, his 10th.
Cockeysville had another doubleheader on the 30th, this one against the DC United. The opening game was close, but it was another loss, this time 8-7. The offense which had been scoring no more than 2 runs a game for a few weeks showed some of its old spark. Eric Young was 2-5 and drove in 2, Stanhoviak was 3-5 and scored twice, and Mike MacFarlane drove in 3 runs with a homer and scored twice. This time, the pitching was culpit. David Wells gave up 6 runs over 5 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits but also striking out 9. Al Thornton threw a scoreless 2 1/3 innings to get the Crazies into the top of the 9th with a 7-6 lead. Unfortunately, close Ira Colon blew the save, going to 0-4 on the year. He gave up 2 runs and Cockeysville found themselves down 8-7. They couldn't score off Chuck Bonner in the bottom of the 9th and lost by that score. They did, however, knocked DC starter Salamon Torres from the box in the 3rd inning by scoring 7 runs off him. Bonner threw the next 6 1/3 innngs in relief and the Crazies returned to their old ways, only getting 4 hits off Bonner.
The nightcap was a moment of Salvation for the stuggling club. This time, a close game went their way as they beat DC 3-1. Eric Young drove in 2 of the runs with a homer as he went 2-4. McCracken brought in the other run with a walk. It was the pitching to credit in this game as Scott Sanders threw another phenomenal game, giving up 1 unearned run over 7 innings. He also struck out 7. Jose Fusselman and Ira Colon managed to hold the game where it was, making Sanders 7-1 on the season. Fusselman recorded his 7th hold and Colon got his 2nd save.
Cockeysville continued the winning streak in the next game against DC, a 6-5 win. Scott Stanhoviak was 3-4, and doubled, driving in 2. Eric Young, Chad Kreuter, and Shane Andrews each had 2 hits and an RBI. Andrews had a home run as well. The Crazies won in the bottom of the 9th, scoring a single run off Eric Beeler. For the Crazies, starter Mike Hampton went 6 innings giving up 1 earned run and struck out 8. Fusselman blew the lead, giving up 3 more runs in the 7th inning. However, Al Thorton, who threw a scoreless 8th and 9th, got the win.
Following the DC series, the Crazies headed to Hartford for a series against the powerful Whalers. They dropped the opener 11-6 but were in the game until the bottom of the 7th when Hartford scored 6. Larry Walker and Mike MacFarlance each contributed to the offense as Walker drove in 1 and scored twice while MacFarlane drove in two. McCracken was also 2-4 with a solo homer. Paul Wilson threw the entire game, but was roughed up for 11 runs, 9 earned, on 14 hits and 5 walks, striking out just one.
In today's action on June 3rd, Cockeysville dropped another game to Hartford by a score of 7-4. This was a heartbreaker. After staying with the Whalers for 10 innings, Ken Griffey Jr., recently back from injury, blasted a 3 run homer off of reliever Bobby Munoz to give Hartford a 7-4 victory. But the offense showed signs of revival as Michael Tucker was 4-5, Larry Walker 2-4, Dave Howard and Mike MacFarlane 2-6, and Shane Andrews 3-6. Walker had a home run as well. Each of the others had a double. Starter David Wells managed to make it into the 9th inning, allowing 4 runs, 10 hits, and striking out 6. Sean Bergman managed to hold Hartford scoreless until the 11th, but with 2 outs and 2 on, Bobby Munoz allowed a 3 run, game-ending home run to The Kid, and Cockeysville walked off the field, emotionally drained.
However, even with all these losses, Cockeysville maintained the division lead for quite some time until Galena, riding a 4 game winning streak, went ahead of them in this last week. Cockeysville is looking to make a number of trades right now to try and strengthen their sputtering offense.
Written by Dan Shapiro (on behalf of Ian Preece)