Six Vero Beach Bums hit home runs today as Vero defeated the Duluth Bjork 9-2 in Vero Beach.
Ismael Valdes (6-6) got his sixth win with 6 good innings, giving up just 1 run and striking out 7. Jason Isringhausen (3-9), who continues to struggle for the Bjork, was charged with the loss after giving up eight runs in 6.2 innings of long relief.
Rex Hudler, Dave Hollins, Tony Fernandez, Omar Vizquel, Chuck Carr, and Marquis Grissom each hit one home run in the game. All but Hudler's came off of Isringhausen, who has given up 22 home runs in 92 innings this year.
Notes:
In nine games since the all-star break, Vero Beach has gone 4-5.... During that span, Kent Bottenfield (2-5, 3.72 ERA) and Willie Adams (7-7, 4.47 overall) lost 2 games each....
Injured 1B Jeff King is making an appearance on the DL batting average leaderboard this week, having hit .373 in his 73 games this season. He now ranks eighth in the league in batting but will not qualify for the hitting title by the end of the season....
Kevin Ritz (3.51 ERA) continues to benefit from consistent run support, with a 10-2 record in 16 starts (only 8 of them judged "quality" starts). Ritz leads the team with 56 walks, but has given up just 89 hits in exactly 100 innings and has struck out 62....
Albie Lopez (9-6, 3.38 ERA) continues to challenge Washington Sea Dog Chuck Finley for the DL strikeout total, with 132 K in 122.2 IP. Finley has struck out 141 batters in 136.1 IP. The strikeout crown will surely depend on which one pitches more innings by the end of the season....
After the 6-home run victory over Duluth, six Bums have 12 or more home runs; however, Jeff King still leads the team with 18. LF Ron Gant and 3B Dave Hollins are next on the list with 16 dingers, and Omar Vizquel has 14. Vero Beach is ninth out of 14 DL teams in home runs.
