Washington Continues to Lose, Playoffs Uncertain August 11, 2000
(AP) WASHINGTON--A day after Joey Hamilton's first Sea Dog start brought
a win and hope to the Washington fans, the Sea Dogs went back to their
losing ways.
Moncton received five shutout innings of relief from Hal Cruz and Moncton
eviscerated Washington starter Mackenzee Leefenhaufenhauz in the seventh
inning as they defeated the Sea Dogs 6-2.
Leefenhaufenhauz, who had pitched a shutout up until the seventh, began to
tire. In doing so, he allowed six consecutive Moncton baserunners - and
subsequently six runs, capped by a three-run homer by Moncton third
baseman Kevin Orie.
Leefenhaufenhauz, who had only allowed five Moncton baserunners to that
point, was pulled with two outs in the inning. His final line, 6 2/3
innings, six runs, seven hits and four walks, was hardly indicative of how
well he pitched.
"Mack was really shutting them down until that seventh inning," Sea Dogs
manager Aaron Weiner said. "It's my fault; I knew he isn't really full
strength yet coming off his injury, but he was rolling over them."
Up until the seventh inning, it looked as if Washington was secure. They
had one of their better pitchers on the mound in Leefenhaufenhauz, a man
with a lifetime 2.37 ERA coming into this season. They had a solid 2-0
lead on a Knoblauch homer and a Matt Williams RBI single.
But Leefenhaufenhauz seemed to run out of gas, and the solid Moncton
hitting took full advantage.
"We've got to start taking control," said Weiner, whose team has lost ten
of their last fifteen and eight of their last ten. "Right now, we still
control our own destiny, but we have to start meaning it."
Washington drops to a 65-52 record, and holds just a one-game advantage
over Binghamton for the wild card, two in the loss column. With 45 games
to go for the Sea Dogs and cleanup hitter Larry Walker returning this
week, they know there's hope.
"There's no question that we can win this thing," centerfielder Ernie
Young said. "We don't want to lose, and we're certainly not going to
choke to that...Mets Militia."
