Sacramento started the season 0-2, and have won 3 games since
then. The Otters
lost its first series against Binghampton, but won the last game of
the series to keep from
being swept. Against Coos Bay, the former Richmond franchise, the
Otters have won the
series, and will play tomorrow attempting to complete its first sweep
of the year. Tauscher,
the Otter ace, will start his second game, and hopefully he will have
a better game.
In the first game, Tauscher pitched 5 innings, recording 8 K's, and
kept hitters to a
.227 batting average.
In Sacramento's 2nd game of the year, Nomo pitched a complete game
9 K, 5 hit game.
Even though he limited the Mets batters to .179, but wasn't able to
get the win, as the
Otter offense has been slow to start producing. The chemistry of the
team hasn't started
to gell yet. The Otter's 3rd starter, Kerry Wood, limited the Mets
offense to an .043 batting
average, which actually allowed the team, eventually, to come from
behind and win their
first game. Mathews recorded the first Otter win of the season, and
Ardell recorded the
first Otter save. Frank Callahan started the fourth Otter game, the
first game against
Coos Bay. He accomplished a feat that had so far been an almost
unheard, he actually
won a game as a starter. The second Otter win was another game of
great pitching
limiting the Chameleons batting (.130 - by Callahan).
The Otter second game of the 3 game Chameleon series was started by
rookie Sidney
Ponson, taken by Otters with the 10th pick in the 2000 free agent
draft. Ponson pitched
7 innings, recorded 7 K's, limited batters to 1 hit - .045 OAvg. and 3
walks. The fabled
Otter offense once again kept a win from a great starting appearance
by a starter. Neither
team scored a run until the tenth inning. Cunnane came in for to
attempt to get the
win for the Chameleons. Tucker got into scoring position by hitting a
double, then
Nieves came in to pinch hit and drove in the winning run. Ardell had
been the pither of
record at the time and ended up with the 3rd Otter win. Matthews came
in to close out the
game and gave up 1 hit and 1 walk, but in the end saved the game.
To recap, the Otters have won 3 games merely by having great
pitching. The offense,
on the other hand has mostly been non-existent. Only Tucker with .318
average, 1 HR,
4 RC and 1 SB, and catcher Javy Lopez who has hit .294, with the only
other Otter home
run, and with the second highest rc on the team has produced any kind
of offense
ability.
