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With a deceivingly unclose 11-6 victory over the North Spokane Titans, the Punxatawney Groundhogs became the first team in this inaugural season of the Pepper League to reach the 50 win plateau.Ê They did it in just 73 games, a winning percentage of .685.Ê The loss dropped the Titans back below the .300 mark, making them the worst team in the majors without question.Ê
This great game was a see-saw battle all the way through.Ê Things looked down for the Groundhogs after the top of the third as starter Rocky Coppinger was struggling and had allowed 4 runs while Punxatawney had not scored yet.Ê
"When we came in after the top of the third, the whole team looked like they were at a funeral, especially Rocky," said team manager Dan Shapiro. "But the spirit of John McGraw (speaking through team psychic Dionne Warwick) huddled everyone together and reminded them that this game could be win number 50."Ê
That was all it took to get the Hogs going.Ê Jason Giambi and Marty Cordova's power hitting combined with a bit of luck when Titans SS Edgar Renteria made an error ended up giving the Hogs 5 runs in the inning.Ê
"McGraw wanted us to win--how could we refuse one of the greatest managers of all time?" said Giambi.Ê "So I just went up there and ripped Paschall's first fastball over the right-center fence."Ê
The lead didn't hold very long as Coppinger allowed one more run in the 4th, letting the Titans tie the score at 5.Ê Coppinger has struggled since a few strong outing in the early season, and this game was no different. Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, the Hogs' pitching coach, commented, "I think he might be putting too much pressure on himself when he's out there.Ê We're going to work on that this week, some ways to calm him down.Ê I doubt he's ever seen how therapudic talking to the ball can be."
But Punxatawney still had the momentum and tallied another run in the bottom of the 4th to retake a 6-5 lead.Ê Although nobody scored in the 5th, Coppinger gave up another run in the top of the 6th and North Spokane pulled back into a tie game.Ê Coppinger stumbled off the mound after the 6th a confused and worried man.Ê He told reporters after the game, "I'm really worried about my game.Ê Maybe I'm hurrying too much out there. Either I can't find the strike zone at all, or I can put it wherever I want and the batters tear the hide off the ball.Ê And knowing how quickly he [Shapiro] has traded in the past, I'm just hoping I'm still wearing this uniform next week."
Shapiro responded to these comments later that night.Ê "Rocky is not available for trade.Ê Simply put, he is not being traded.Ê It is possible that he may see some time in the bullpen or even in Roswell, but he will stay a member of this franchise.Ê Rocky, if you're listening, just take it easy and pitch like you did back in April."Ê
However, the game obviously continued even without Coppinger on the mound. After a scoreless bottom of the 6th, Coppinger was relieved by one of the premiere setup men in the league, Scott Ruffcorn.Ê He was dominant, as usual, holding the Titans scoreless.Ê Scott Karl was now pitching for North Spokane and Punxatawney had only scored once off him in two innings.Ê
"This time it was my pep talk," said manager Shapiro.Ê "I just pointed out that Rocky [who had already gone into the clubhouse] was feeling real pissed at how badly he was pitching and if we won it might calm him down a bit.Ê The guys pulled together like we have all year and were all over Karl that inning."
It only took one hit, but after the Hogs had two baserunners, superstar Ryan Klesko came to the plate.Ê With the count 2-1, Klesko turned on a inside changeup from Karl and drove it over the right field fence for his 30th homer of the season.Ê "Scott has a great changeup but he relies on it way too much.Ê Teke [Kent Tekulve, the bullpen coach] mentioned that before the game in the clubhouse and I was waiting for it."Ê
Klesko's longball made the score 9-6, quickly putting distance between the Hogs and Titans.Ê In the top of the 8th, Ruffcorn came back out and quickly retired the side, getting through his two inning as the pitcher of record. Ruffcorn went 2 innings total, giving up 1 hit and 1 run.Ê The bottom of the inning was more scoring for the Groundhogs.Ê Rookie Scott Rolen doubled and scored on Rondell White's single.Ê White was out on a fielders choice but Tony Batista moved around on Jose Valentin's base hit and scored when Mike Piazza had a passed ball.Ê Those runs made the score 11-6.Ê Ricky Bottalico, who had been warming up in hope of getting a save with the score 9-6 was put in to finish up even with a 5 run margin.Ê Bottalico gave up 1 hit but no runs and closed the game out for an 11-6 win.Ê
Ruffcorn got the win, just his second of the year.Ê His numbers have been excellent so far.Ê Ruffcorn is 2-0 with a 2.56 ERA in 38 2/3 innings of work over 29 games.Ê He has held opponents to a .226 average while recording 5 savesand 6 holds.Ê Only 3 of 13 inherited runners have scored against him.Ê Bottalico has still thrown well but has only 5 saves total on the year.Ê
"Sometimes I wish I was back with my old club [DC, now in Montreal]," Bottalico jokingly said after the game.Ê "At least there I got some save opportunities.Ê Here we don't have enough close games for me to get saves. But seriously, I really enjoy playing here.Ê The rest of the bullpen is great and we we go into the late innings either tied or ahead, we almost always win, whether I get the save or not."
The players were very jubilant after the game.Ê Before allowing the press in for interviews, the team had a small closed door celebration and brief team meeting.Ê Inside sources say it was nothing more than a congradulations for how well the team has played this year and a special incentive given in the preseason for reaching the 50-win mark so quickly. When reporters entered, the smell of champagne was certainly hanging in the air.Ê
The fans were overjoyed to see their team win number 50 at home.Ê The attendance was a near sellout on this perfect 71 degree summer day, with over 57,000 pouring in to Punxatawney Phil Memorial Stadium to watch the Hogs victory.Ê A sellout would have been just 2,284 more.Ê Posters lined the railings of the upper deck, beckoning the team on to 50 wins.Ê
After the game was over and Coppinger found out the Hogs had won, he put his tough day behind him.Ê "Yeah, I'm not doing as well as I was back in April and early May.Ê I still have 7 wins because of my teammates.Ê A man with a 5.30 ERA doesn't deserve 7 wins but these guys keep me going.Ê I had my control back today, now I just need to slow myself down and keep my sinker down."Ê Coppinger, though he allowed 6 runs in 6 innings, certainly did have his control.Ê He walked only 1 and struck out 8.Ê
Stats 'n Stuff:
[Yeah, like you could get through a whole Hogs release without stats?Ê Fat chance] Rondell White continued his bid for June Player of the Month.Ê He went 2-4, drove in 1, walked once, and had a strikeout as well.Ê White has had multiple hits in nearly every game this month and as we close in on the end of it, he's hoping to take home the June trophy (mostly because his contract has a $100,000 bonus for winning a POM award).Ê
Is Klesko back?Ê That's what scared pitchers around the PVBL might be wondering.Ê After a long power draught with relatively less homers in the month of June compared to April and May, Ryan Klesko has gone yard in both of the last 2 games, going a combined 4-8 with 8 RBI and 2 homers.Ê If Klesko starts hitting homers at the pace he had in early May, Punxatawney may be back at .700 before the all-star break.Ê
Also, Shapiro wanted to note that the trade winds are not blowing through PA right now.Ê The Hogs have been playing excellent ball over the last 3 weeks and they are happy to keep it going.Ê
Tommorow is the final day of the North Spokane series.Ê The two teams will face off in a double header with Hogs #4 and #5 pitchers Jon Lieber (8-3, 3.83) and Dustin Hermanson (6-3, 5.26) facing North Spokane's #2 and #3, Charles Nagy (4-8, 5.15) and Carlos Castillo (1-9, 6.28).Ê
Shapiro left reporters with a final quote after the game.Ê
"Yes, we're admittedly a bit cocky.Ê But until we start losing, I say we have good reason to be.Ê We're 50-23, guys.Ê We've been lucky in some respects.Ê We've only had a few injuries, none too major.Ê If we took a few injuries like Vero, we'd probably stuggle a bit.Ê But right now we're coasting toward the break with a 17 1/2 game lead in our division and still a few games ahead of Brooklyn for PVBL best.Ê We have a potential league MVP in Klesko and a potential ROY in Rolen.Ê We're looking forward to playing some more games against the Data division and games against the Picard division.Ê But right now, its our year to lose.Ê We're 6 games better than anyone else in the DL and if we can manage two more wins tommorow we'll close in on the .690's again.Ê Everyone else has to catch us.Ê I won't be surprised if that happens--we're not as good as we've been playing--but they still have to catch us."
Written by Dan Shapiro