Richmond, VA (Richmond Times Dispatch) - On August 15, the Panthers were told by the top brass that they were
conceding the season and seriously looking at making some major trades.
The Panthers didn't particularly like that kind of talk, and have responded
by going 7-3 in their last 10 games. Too little, too late, and doesn't stop
the trades, but it sure is exciting.
The Panthers began this exciting stretch by beating up on a divisonial foe.
The Panthers didn't take it to kindly when that Larimer team nosed by them into
third place. The once second place team now find themselves occupying
the fourth slot. And they took out their dissappointment on the Larimer team.
Larimer scored first off of one of Charlie Pate's rare starting opportunities, in
the first inning. Pate was only able to go five innings, but that was one inning
longer than Larimer's Quantrill. Pate allowed 5 hits in his five innings,
and had the same number of strike-outs as walks (3), but he only allowed 2 runs in the
game.
The offense really helped Pate get his first win of hte season. During the 9
inning game, the Panthers had 22 hits, and scored 15 runs, and only had 3 walks
to help their cause. After Larimer jumped into an early lead in the first, the
Panthers responded by scoring 4 runs in the second. But that wasn't the high
scoring inning. In the sixth, the Panthers added 6 runs to their total.
Steve Finley had an outstanding game, going 6 for 6, with 3 runs, 3 RBI, and
4 doubles (Finley was traded to Deadwood a week after the game). Finley was
no the only player on the team to bat a 1.000 for the game. Jeff Frye hit
4 for 4 and had 2 runs, 1 RBI and 1 double. Eisenrich, the 36 year old wonder,
legged out two doubles, and went 3 for 6, with 3 runs and 2 RBI. Darren Bragg
also hit .500 for the game, and also went 3 for 6, but he had 2 runs, 3 RBI,
1 double and 1 home run. Travis Fryman provided only one hit out of 5 chances and
scored only one run (Fryman was traded with Finley to Deadwood). The Panthers
hit 11 doubles in this game, and had one home run. During the three hour 35 min.
game that saw Pate (1-2)record his first win of the year, the winds were 24 mph
in towards home plate. During this hot, 81 degree game in Denver, Quantrill worsened
his record to 7-11.
After taking out some of their frustration on Larimer, the Panthers turned to that
other divisional foe that has annoyned them. On a very pleasent day in Washington,
DC, the Panthers confronted the team that knocked them out of second on their home
field. Robert Person pitched for the Panthers. Person did not start the season
on the starting rotation, but has become a very important part of the rotation
after the poor health knocked four starters out of the rotation. The Panthers
faced a tough foe in the star youngster, Leefenhaufenhauz (14-8). Person threw
his first 3 hit shutout. Leefenhaufenhauz last just three innings, and allowed
7 hits and 4 earned runs. Person evened out his record at 5-5. The two men who were
later traded to Deadwood, Finley and Fryman, both hit homeruns in this game. That was
the only hits for both men. The Panthers offense scored 9 runs off of Washington's
feared pitchers.
Richmond won two of the three games of the series. Ben Hamlin, the Panthers
best closer, started the game due to the many injuries to the rest of the Panthers
pitchers. Hamlin pitched 7 innings, allowed 5 hits, 2 walks, only 1 run,
struck out 4 and won the game improving his record to 5-4 (Hamlin
was later traded to Washington). The young Shawn Estes started for
Washington, only lasted 2 innings, and took the loss (12-4).
The Panthers scored 11 runs in this game, and limited the Washington team
to 3 runs. The Panthers hit 4 doubles and two homeruns (one homerun by
Fryman, the other a rare one by Clayton). Washington hit 3 doubles.
Richmond then won two games over Phoenix, the divison leader. During this
series Person raised his record to 6-5, and LHP Joey Eischen recorded his only
win so far this year (1-3). Richmond won the first rain soaked game, with 111
minutes or rain delay, at home, 7 - 2. The second game was won 4 - 1 by Richmond.
The second game was a hot short game that both teams were happy when it was over.
Today Richmond beat Washington at home. The game lasted a short 2 hours and 47 minutes,
and was a cold rainy day, an the game was briefly interrupted by the rain for 6
minutes in the fourth inning. This time Washington actually faced one of Richmond's
star pitchers, in the form of Nomo, the top strike-out artist in the league, with
160 strike-outs to his credit. Today Nomo increased his strike-out total to 167, and
lasted 7.1 innings, for his first win in six starts.
The Panthers hurriedly placed 7 runs on the board in the first two innings on the
support of 9 hits. They didn't score again, but the 9 runs were enough. Washington
only scored 4, 3 in the third inning and one more in the 8th inning. Only Craig
Paquette hit the ball more than once for the Panthers, and that was just one
extra hit. On the Washington side, however, Chuck Knoblauch acquired 4 singles in
4 tries and stole second base, but was only able to score once. Gary Sheffield also
hit the ball more times than most Panthers, with 2 hits in 4 tries, one of them
being a double (Sheffield was traded shortly after the game). Back on the Panthers
side, both Frye and Finley stole 1 base apiece, both hit one double, and both scored
twice. During the game, Eisenriech, the aged warrior, turned an ordinary single into
a great triple. Unfortunatly no one was on base at the time. No error was charged
on the play. Nomo won his 9th, to add to his 12 losses (he is on the leader
board for both top strike-out artist and losses), Charlie Pate, the one who
just recently won his first game, acquired his first hold, and Kent Mercker,
the great closer of last year who had been replaced by Hamlin, recorded his
fourth save. Ogea took the lose for the Washington team, and his record fell to
4 and 9.
In other news, Finley and Fryman were traded to the Deadwood Outlaws for
Roger Clemens and Jeff Brantley. Scott Erickson, Paul Spoljaric, and Leskanic
combined for a shutout today, over the Thunder Bay team that has suffered
tremoundous health problems. Erickson improved his record to 13 and 5, and
Leskanic recorded his 6th save. Unlike the recent Richmond Panther shutout handled
solely by Person, the Deadwood team only put three runs on the board, while the
Panthers helped their pitcher with nine runs. The Richmond area, and the team
are looking forward to the arrival of Roger Clemens and Jeff Brantley, and hope
Mariano Duncan and Andre Hacker also have a pleasent flight to Richmond. The team,
and this newspaper hope that Finley, Fryman, and Hamlin have success with their new
ballclubs.
