Boston Men's Baseball League - MABL Game Archive, 2001

MABL GAME ARCHIVE - 2001

10/05/01: Congratulations to the MABL and MSBL Champions!!

MABL: Yankees beat Rockies 3-2
MSBL Booth Division: Brockton Indians beat Somerville Senators 2-0
MSBL Perry Division: Wellesley Monarch beat South Shore Rangers 2-1
MSBL Diamond Division: Boston Mets beat Brockton Athletics 2-1
MSBL 40+: Hyde Park Braves beat Duxbury Twins 2-1

9/30/01: Today, Sunday, September 30th from the 2001 MABL Banquet was held at the McKeon Post in Dorchester. Trophies for Champions and awards for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Player's Choice and iMassRadio were handed out. There are tons of 2001 MABL Banquet Pictures.

See 2001 MABL Awards for MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year and Player's Choice selections at each position can be viewed at this link. 2001 MABL Saturday League Awards are also available for review.

9/27/01: The Yankees win the MABL Championship Series by defeating the Rockies 3 games to 2 and by a score of 13-5 in Game #5. Yankee pitcher Jon Mugar was named Series MVP as he recorded all 3 MABL Championship Series Finals victories. View the Championship Page or View Photos.

Yankees 13, Rockies 5. Game 5 provided was a back and forth game right up to the final inning where the Yankees put the game out of reach with a 5 run 7th. Behind Jon Mugar's 3rd win of the Championship Series, the Yankees won their 2nd straight title. Mugar pitched 5 innings allowing 5 runs (2 ER) on 6 hits while striking out 2 and walking 3. Mugar also went 2-4, with 4 RBIs including a huge 7th inning bases loaded clearing double. Ken Kilduff came in to close the door retiring 6 or the 8 batters he faced over the final 2 innings to earn the save. For the playoffs, Kilduff let up no earned runs in just over 6 innings of work. For the Rockies, Chris Webb took the loss.

Through 3 innings -- Rockies 3, Yankees 0 -- highlighted by a Rick Corson RBI single, the lead would have been greater if not for Mike Moloney throwing out his 2nd runner of the series at the plate from right field.

Through 4th Innings -- Yankees 5, Rockies 4 -- With 5 hits and a few Rockies errors, the Yankees scored 5 runs in the 4th to take a 5-3 lead. Frank Kowalski, Mike Ganley and Jon Mugar had consecutive RBI singles. The Rockies battled back in the bottom of the inning with Corson's 2nd RBI single.

Through 5th inning -- Yankees 8, Rockies 5 -- 3 runs crossed the plate for the Yankees with 2 outs highlighted by Kowalski's RBI single. For the Rockies, Kevin Spitz followed with a bomb over the center field fence for a homerun.

7th Inning -- Yankees 13, Rockies 5 -- Yankees pull away. After Greg Crossman led off with a double, Jeff Coveney reach on an error and Kowalski was hit with a pitch, the stage was set. Ganley ripped a bases loaded single up the middle scoring Crossman. Mugar then hit a seed double that cleared the bases scoring 3 runs. Ganley was injured at the plate and was replaced by Brian Nolan who did a great job catching the final inning. Ken Kilduff retired the Rockies in order in the 7th to seal the win and the championship.

9/23/01:

Rockies celebrate come from behind win. Rockies 9, Yankees 7. The Rockies won to even the MABL Championship Series at 2 wins apiece to force a Final Game #5. Game 4 was exciting right out of the gates.

Top of 1st Inning - Rockies 2, Yankees 0 -- the Rockies loaded the bases and scored 2 runs.

Bottom of 1st inning - Yankees 3, Rockies 2 -- the Yankees came right back to score 3 of their own.

Bottom of 4th inning - Yankees 5, Rockies 2 -- the Yankees added 2 more runs on a triple by Nick Stenzel, a Brian Nolan sac fly and a Jon Mugar RBI single.

Top of 5th inning - Rockies 7, Yankees 5 -- Dave Mitrou led off the inning with a triple. Following a Mike Close walk and stolen base, Kevin Spitz brought them both home on double. But the damage wasn't done. Neal Roper scored Spitz on a single, Kyle Philson walked, and Bart Lawyer's double into right field brought in the final 2 runs of the inning.

Top of 7th inning - Rockies 9, Yankees 5 -- a John Sutich line drive up the middle scored with Roper and Philson in scoring position.

Bottom of 7th inning Rockies 9, Yankees 7 -- The Yankees wouldn't go down easily. Hits by Jeff Coveney, Greg Crossman, and an HBP to Mike Ganley, found the bases loaded and one out. Two runs crossed on an error, but the second out was recorded on the play. So with 2 outs, 2 runs across, the Yankees still had life with the tying run at the plate. But as Brain Cooper did all game, he got Andrew Burton to ground out. Cooper picked up his second win of the series as the Rockies forced a Game #5 this Tuesday night.

9/23/01: Red Sox 11, Diamondbacks 0. The Red Sox win the MABL NIT. Corey Aldoupolis pitchedd 6 shut out innings. Dan Williams closed out by hitting two and striking out three preserving the shut out. The Sox lineup was productive from top to bottom.

9/16/01: Yankees win Game 3 of the MABL Finals to take 2-1 series lead.

Mike Ganley delivers game-winning RBI in the 9th inning. Yankees 9, Rockies 6. In a nail biting extra inning thriller, the Yankees win in 9 innings on a Mike Ganley RBI single. The game featured some clutch hitting on both sides as well as some key plays. This is what playoff ball is all about. Jon Mugar gallantly pitched all 9 innings for the Yankees to earn his 4th playoff win. After starting out slow (4 R, 7 hits, 4 BB thru 3 innings), Mugar took it up a notch allowing just 4 hits and 2 R (0 ER) over the last 6 innings.

Through 4th inning - Rockies 4, Yankees 1 -- The Rockies owned the 1st part of the game scoring 4 runs in the first two innings on a Neal Roper 2-out RBI 1st inning single and a Rick Corson 2nd inning homerun. With Yankees starter Mugar starting out slowly, Rockies starter Chris Webb was cruising allowing just 1 run through the 1st 4 innings.

5th inning - Yankees 4, Rockies 4 -- the Yankees tied it up 4-4 with RBI singles from Mike Moloney, Dave Galehouse and Frank Kowalski.

Top of 6th inning - Yankees 5, Rockies 4 -- Andrew Burton put the Yankees ahead with an RBI single to knock in Nick Stenzel.

Bottom of 6th inning - Rockies 6, Yankees 5 -- With 2 outs, Leland Boutilier came up huge with a 2-out, 2 RBI triple to give the Rockies the lead.

7th inning - Yankees 6, Rockies 6 -- Mike Moloney led off the Yankees 7th with a single and stole 2nd. The Yankees made 2 quick outs and matters were left up to Greg Crossman who delivered the tying run with a game saving 2-out hit. In the bottom of the 7th with the chance to win it, the Rockies had the bases loaded with 1 out after a hit and a few intentional walks. After getting behind on the count 3-0, Mugar fought back to strike out Bart Lawyer and then induced an inning ending ground out to 3rd baseman Jeff Coveney.

9th inning -- Yankees 9, Rockies 6 -- just like the 7th inning, Mike Moloney led off with his 3rd single. The Yanks again made 2 quick outs and the Rockies intentionally walked Crossman putting Mike Ganley at the plate. Ganley then delivered the eventual game winning single scoring Moloney. Two more insurance runs were added with a clutch Nick Stenzel hit. What a game!

9/20/01: NIT Gamebreaker -- Diamondbacks will face Red Sox in NIT Finals this Saturday, 11:00 a.m., Cleveland Circle:

Diamondbacks 9, Brewers 2. The Diamondbacks eliminated a pesky Brewer team as Ryan
Chase picked up the victory allowing one unearned run on three hits. Rich Baldwin drove in 3 key runs to lead the D'backs to victory.

9/18/01: NIT Gamebreakers:

Brewers 11, Diamondbacks 9. The Brewers edged the D' Backs to stay alive in the NIT. Tom Deveau started the game strong on the hill but the D' Backs offense could be held down only for so long. Chris Arenda pitched well in relief but the D'backs mounted a comeback in the 6th and 7th until Eddie Barber got the final 2 outs to seal the victory. Arenda went 2-3 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI, Matt Baier went 2-3 with 3 RBI, Jeff Burns went 1-1 with 3 walks and Zack Wells was 2-4 with 2 RBI.

9/16/01: Rockies win Game 2 of the MABL Finals to tie the Best of 5 series 1-1.

Dave Mitrou leads off game with 17-pitch at-bat;
Brian Cooper pitches a 6-hit gem. Rockies 5, Yankees 1. In what might have been the longest at bat in MABL history, Dave Mitrou set the tone early as he faced 17 pitches from Brian Gauvin to lead off the game, including 11 straight pitches for foul balls. Mitrou eventually drew the walk and later scored on a Kevin Spitz single as the Rockies jumped ahead 1-0 in the first ininng. However the Yankees plugged away for a run of their own in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff single by Dave Galehouse and an RBI single by Jeff Coveney. This was all the Yankees would get as Brian Cooper pitched a gem to shut the Yankes down going 7 strong innings allowing only 1 run on 6 hits. Spitz was the only multi-hit performer as both teams faced good pitching. The turning point in the game came in the 4th inning as the Rockies scored 2 runs on a hit by Gary Moran, a bunt single by Kyle Philson, and a sacrifice fly by Ricky Corson. In the 5th, the Rockies added 2 more run to take the game and even the series.

9/14/01: Yankees win Game 1 of the MABL Finals to take a 1-0 lead in the Best of 5 series.

A Day of Remembrance... Yankees 14, Rockies 7. Prior to the game, players and fans held a moment of silence as respect for our nation. And as the game begun, seven Yankee runs in the second inning was the difference in this game. The Yankees pounded 14 hits led by Andrew Burton who went a perfect 4 for 4 with 4 RBIs and a double. 9 of 10 Yankees starters crossed the plate. Mike Moloney (2-4) and Greg Crossman (2-4) both had deep triples. Dave Galehouse also had a multi-hit game while Mike Ganley had a 3 RBI day. For the Rockies, Dave Mitrou, Gary Moran and John Sutich all had multi-hit games. On the pitching front, Yankee Jon Mugar was not a sharp as usual (7 IP, 10 H, 7 ER, 6 BB), but picked up his 3rd win of the playoffs. Mugar allowed no runs in the last 3 innings after giving up 5 runs in the 4th. Kyle Philson took the loss for the Rockies.

9/13/01: NIT Gamebreakers:

Brewers 9, Giants 4. Eddie Barber gave up 4 hits in 6 innings to keep the Brewers alive and eliminate the Giants. Chris Arenda came in and shut the door in the 7th to seal the victory. Matt Baier went 3-4 with 3 RBI and Dave Nemi went 2-3.

Tigers 11, Mets 2. The Tigers win their second straight game by a score of 11-2. Jason Joyce lead his team to a victory with his arm and his bat. Jason threw a complete game to pick up the victory allowing one earned run. Jason also went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI's. Jason's brother Mark Joyce also went 3 for 5.

9/09/01: MABL Conference Finals Gamebreakers, as of 9/09

Manager Brian Cooper leads on the mound to send Rockies to Championships. Rockies 6, Cardinals 3. Manager Brian Cooper pitched 6 innings of 3 R, 2 ER baseball to help the Rockies advance. Kevin Spitz came in to get the save. At the plate, Neal Roper had a perfect day going 3-3 with 1 RBI and 1 run. Chris Clark added 2 hits on the day as he also had a 1 RBI and 1 run. With the game tight at 4-3 going into the 5th inning, the Rockies added 2 insurance runs on a Kevin Spitz RBI single and a Bart Lawyer sacrifice fly. Leland Boutilier's RBI single in the 4th proved to be enough, though, as the Cardinals couldn't put much together and went down in order in the final inning.

Bryan Gauvin seals Yankees victory. Yankees 5, Pirates 3. In the best game of the series, Bryan Gauvin out dueled Mike McCarthy as the Yankees advance to the League Championship Series. In 7 innings, Gauvin struck out 11, including 5 out of the last 6, to seal the victory. The key to the Yankee's win was pitching and clutch hitting; all 5 runs were scored with 2 outs. Jeff Coveney and Frank Kowalski (2 hits each) teamed up to knock in the 1st two runs in the 1st inning. Dave Galehouse added an RBI single in the 2nd to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. The Pirates pecked away to tie the score 3-3 with single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th innings. Eric August and Vin Paquette both had RBI triples for the Bucks. August was cut down at the plate attempting to stretch the triple into a home run. Kowalski's relay throw from right fielder Mike Moloney was on the money to catcher Mike Ganley. The Yankees retook the lead in the 5th with a Mike Moloney triple where a relay throw got away. Nick Stenzel then added some huge insurance in the 6th with another 2-out RBI hit. The drama continued in the 7th. After Gauvin struck out the 1st two batters, Pirate Jay O'Brien knocked a double to left to bring the tying run to the plate in Eric August. August lofted one into the mid-day sun that SS Greg Crossman caught at the last moment.

9/08/01: NIT Gamebreakers, as of 9/07

Tigers 11, Marlins 2. Dave Burr pitched a solid game for the complete game victory over the Marlins. Burr also contributed with the bat as hit a three-run homerun. Brian Pratt also went 2 for 3 with a triple and 2 RBIs. The Marlins have been eliminated from the tourney.

Red Sox 4, Mets 3. The Red Sox scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to take a 4-3 lead and Mark Doucette collected the win for the Red Sox throwing innings 5, 6 and 7 -- yes, for the Red Sox.

9/07/01: MABL Conference Finals Gamebreakers, as of 9/06

Joe Milbury leads Cards, again. Cardinals 9, Rockies 3 (series tied 1-1). The Cardinals took advantage of 11 walks and 1 HBP to even the Baystate Conference Finals. Joe Milbury pitched the complete game only allowing 5 hits, and came up big at the plate as he hit an opposite field homer, scored twice, and collected 3 RBI. For the Rockies, Gary Moran's 2 hits (3B, 1B) highlighted the offense. There were a combined 10 hits all night by both teams.

Mike Ganley is perfect at 3 for 3. Yankees 11, Pirates 1 (series tied 1-1). Facing elimination, the Yankees came out swinging. After taking a 1-0 lead in the 2nd, the Yankees erupted for 8 runs in the 3rd to give starter Jon Mugar more than enough to work with. Mugar tossed 5 innings to pick up the win allowing just 1 run (0 ER) on 3 hits while striking out 6. Conrad Paquette took the loss for the Pirates. Offensively, the later part of the order came up huge going 9-12 with 7 RBIs and 7 runs. Mike Ganley led the charge with a 3-3 night including a double, an RBI and 3 runs scored. Nick Stenzel, Greg Crossman and Andrew Burton also had multi-hit nights. In an unusual turn of events, the game was officially over after just 5 innings. With no bench players left, a Pirates player was ejected. With only 8 players, the Pirates could not continue.

9/06/01: NIT Gamebreakers, as of 9/05

Diamondbacks 6, Brewers 1. Lefty ace Ryan Chase shut down the Brewers allowing only 1 run on three hits and recording 10 strikeouts. Offensively, nine different D'backs reached with hits, led by Rich Antash going two for two and scoring twice.
Giants 11, Orioles 1. Tom Hague pitched near perfect ball over the last five innings for the win. He also contributed offensively with 2 hits, a couple stolen bases, and an RBI. Brandon Moore, Mike Byrne, and Steve Corda each tripled. With the Giants victory over the Orioles, the O's have been eliminated from the tourney.

9/05/01: The Rockies make habit of winning in the bottom of the 7th inning. And the Pirates defeat the Yankees 4-3. Both teams taking 1-0 leads in the MABL Conference Semi-Finals.

9/05/01: Gamebreakers, as of 9/04

Craig Vecchiarelli gets the big win for the Bucs. Pirates 4, Yankees 3. In the opening game of the Atlantic Conference Championships, spectators were treated to a superb pitchers duel. In a battle of lefties, Craig Vecchiarelli (2-0, 1.91 ERA in the playoffs) squared off against Cy Young hopeful Bryan Gauvin (1-1, 1.17 ERA in the playoffs). Both pitchers pitched great, but Vecchiarelli got the win. Vecchiarelli pitched four strong innings allowing only 5 hits before giving way to closer Eric August who notched the save allowing no hits in 3 innings of relief. Jay O'Brien (2-4, 2 runs) had a stellar game at the plate and in the field. Brian Houle drove in an insurance run late in the game with a clutch base hit. Turning Point of the Game: With the score 4-3, the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 5th inning, August entered the game to close the door -- August got the first batter on a fielder's choice and proceeded to strike out the next two batters. Gauvin (7 innings, 10 Ks, 2 earned runs, 9 hits) pitched very strongly for the Yankees but absorbed the hard-luck loss.

Ouch! Mike Close takes one for the team as Rockies win. Rockies 5, Cardinals 4. Kyle Philson and Jeff James went head-to-head in a battle of pitches. Tied at 4 a piece going into the 6th innning, both pitchers had kept the game tight and in control. In the bottom of the seventh, a leadoff single by Bart Lawyer, a 1-out single by Chris Clark, and HBP to Leland Boutilier loaded the bases as AJ Camelio battled in relief for the Cards. Camelio got Dave Mitrou to ground into a FC 6-2. So with 2 outs and bases still loaded. Mike Close drew the count to 3 and 2. In yet another string of strange events, Close gets hit in the hand by the pitch and forces in the winning run. Mike Close finished the day 3-3, a homerun shy of the cycle as he collected 2 RBI and scored twice.

8/30/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/30

Joe Milbury hits 4th triple in 2 games. Cardinals 5, Indians 3. In what was probably the most evenly matched series of the first round, The Cardinals and Indians traded blows to the bitter end once again in Game #3. Striking first, the Indians plated 3 runs in the top of the 2nd with a Lee Hughes double and back-to-back singles from Daryl Pina and Matt Dawes. However, momentum shifted as the game was moved from Boston English to Ross Field in mid stream (Field Permit Conflict). Across town and in the bottom of the 2nd, Indians pitching struggled to regain control after the delay, walking in a run, followed by the Cardinals Brian McCarthy lacing a 2-out 2-RBI single up the middle, tying the game at 3. The final scoring for the Cardinals came in the bottom of the 5th when two Indians errors and a triple from Joe Milbury (4th of the series) made the score 5-3. On the mound for the Cardinals Brian Thorndike pitched well, going 6 strong innings to pick up the win.

Bart Lawyer gets 7th inning series-winning RBI as Rockies advance. Rockies 6, Dodgers 5. In likely the most amazing turnaround of events this season, the Rockies overcame a 5-1 seventh inning deficit to win the deciding Game 3 to head to the Baystate Finals. Bart Lawyer was the hero with the walk-off game-winning, series-winning RBI. Garrett Fisher, pitching for the Dodgers, took a shutout into the 6th inning before the Rockies scored one. Then, in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Rockies overcame the odds and won in dramatic fashion as Gary Moran scored on a Bart Lawyer infield single after a huge Rockies rally to win the game! The Rockies will now advance to face the Cardinals.

8/29/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/29

Chris Allen throws 4 no-hit innings. Red Sox 12, Marlins 8. In NIT action, Chris Allen no hit the Marlins for 4 innings striking out 7 before being pulled. Corey Aldoupolis (1-2, 2B 2RBI, 2 BB, 3 ) had a key wood-bat double and played exceptional defense at shortstop. Cesar Cabral was 4 for 4 with a double and stolen base. Brave additions to the Red Sox, Paul Schneider, Mark Doucette and Sean McCarty were each were 1 for 2. For the Marlins, the first hit came off of the bat of Eric Ferreira who was 1-1, with a double and 2 runs. The Marlins took the lead 8-7 in the 6th by exercising great patience at the plate, taking 6 walks in the inning before the Red Sox came back to win.

Seth Grossman knocks in tying and game-winning RBIs in bottom of 7th. Mets 6, Tigers 5. In more NIT action, Seth Grossman stroked a single over the outstretched glove of the Tigers' firstbaseman to score the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the 7th as the Mets rallied to beat the Tigers. In a reversal of the teams' regular-season meeting (in which the Tigers rallied from a 4-1 deficit to win 5-4 in 9 innings), the Mets trailed 5-2 before scoring once in the 6th and 3 times in the 7th to pull out the win. Justin Wetherby and Kevin McGowan both pitched well in no-decisions. Wetherby scattered 7 hits and allowed 2 earned runs with 8 strikeouts in 6 innings, and McGowan allowed only 2 hits and 2 earned runs with 5 strikeouts in 5+ innings. Bill Beauchesne pitched a perfect 7th to get the win in relief of Wetherby. The Mets move on to face the Brave Sox; the Tigers take on the Marlins.

Kevin McGovern allows only 3 hits in 6.1 innings for NIT victory. D'backs 5, Orioles 3. In even more NIT action, the D'backs defeated the Orioles behind the masterful pitching of Kevin McGovern. Big Mac went 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs only 1 earned, on only 3 hits while notching 6 strikeouts. Ryan Chase slammed the door on a seventh inning Oriole rally to earn a save. Jeremy Broadwell hit a two-run homer while Bill Schellbach, Jesse Abair and Dave Woods each drove in a run.

8/28/01: The Yankees and Pirates both sweep their series to advance to the MABL Atlantic Conference Finals! The Indians defeat the Cardinals in 8 innings to even their series 1-1. And the Rockies win to even there series 1-1 versus the Dodgers. The deciding Game Threes will be this Thursday evening.

8/28/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/28

Rich Bergskaug collects 6 RBIs. Pirates 15, Cubs 4. The Pirates completed their two-game play-off sweep with a thrashing of the Cubs on Tuesday night. Mike McCarthy picked up his first MABL post-season win by pitching 5 1/3 innings allowing only two runs, 7 hits and striking out 5 before he was ejected with one out in the sixth. Rich Bergskaug (1-3, Bases loaded triple, 2 Sac Flies) once again led the offense for the Bucs by driving in 6 runs (9 total for the series). Vin Paquette had a perfect day going 3 for 3 with 2 triples, 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored. In a heated game marred by a near bench clearing brawl, the Pirates scored 5 runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Brian Houle added some insurance for the Bucs with 3-run blast in the 5th inning. Jim Belcastro, Brian Dooley, Jay O'Brien and Jeff Sullivan all had a multi-hit game for the Pirates. Shane Steffens was the losing pitcher for the Cubs. For the series, the Pirates outscored the Cubs 26-8, banged out 35 hits (9 for extra bases) and batted a lofty .507. The Pirates now move on to the Atlantic Conference finals against the Yankees in a rematch of last year's MABL finals.

Mark Bowles scores tying run in the 7th and drives in winning run in the 8th. Indians 8, Cardinals 7 (8 innings). For the second night in a row, games in the Indians/Cardinals series have been decided by 1 run as the Tribe tied the series one game a piece with the 8-7, 8-inning victory. Going into the bottom of the 7th and the Cardinals leading 7-5, Grant Emde and Jason DeVeau came up clutch with base hits to score Josh Hale and Mark Bowles knotting the game up at 7. In the 8th, Hale beat out an infield hit and Bowles plated him with the game winning hit to left field. On the mound in relief, Rob Dexter and Daryl Pina combined over the final 4 frames to hold the Cardinals offense to 1 run. For the Cards, Joe Milbury had a monster day going 3 for 4 with 3 triples and 2 RBI's.

Jon Mugar notches victory and adds 2 hits and 2 RBI. Yankees 10, White Sox 3. On Tues night, the Yankees swept the White Sox 2 games to none to advance to the Atlantic Conference Finals vs the Pirates. For the 2 game series, the Yanks hit .380 and posted a 0.50 ERA. Jon Mugar pitched 6 strong innings picking up his 1st playoff win allowing 2 runs (1 ER) on 5 hits. Mugar also shined at the plate knocking in 2 runs on 2 hits including a gap double in the 6th. Ken Kilduff pitched the 7th to close it out allowing 1 run (0 ER). Offensively, the Yanks jumped out to an early lead by scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning. 8 of 10 Yanks starters had hits. In addition to Mugar, Nick Stenzel and Greg Crossman both had multi-hit games. For the White Sox, while the score wouldn't reflect it, Rob Gnoinski was the tough luck loser, throwing a great complete game, as all 10 Yankees runs were unearned.

Kyle Phileson tosses compete game and homers. Rockies 25, Dodgers 2. A leadoff homerun by Dave Mitrou paved the way as the Rockies never looked back and even the score at 1-1 in this best of 3 playoff series. Kyle Philson pitched the complete game and got the win, only allowing 6 hits and striking out 6. Mike Close and Kyle Philson also added HR's. Multiple hit performances go to Mitrou, Mike Close, Kevin Spitz, Neal Roper, Brian Cooper, and Chris Webb.

8/28/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/28

Tom Deveau shuts down Giants in his Brewer debut. Brewers 16, Giants 1. Behind a strong pitching performance by Tom Deveau in his team debut, the Brewers downed the Giants 16-1 to take the first round of the NIT Tournament. In a time shortened game Deveau went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1ER and striking out 7. The key play early was 1st and 3rd 2 outs for the Giants, Deveau struck out MVP Candidate Steve Corda to end the inning and keep the Brewers lead. Offensively Adam Beckett went 2-3 with 3 runs and Jeff Burns also went 2-5, with 2 runs and 2 RBI.

8/26/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/26

Garrett Fisher collects 3 hits and falls a homer shy of the cycle. Dodgers 12, Rockies 7. Behind the bat of Garrett Fisher and the pitching of John Yirak, the Dodgers picked up win #1 in this best of 3 series. Pitching a complete game, Yirak allowed 7 runs on 11 hits, but never let the Rockies get the key hits when needed. Fisher highlighted the day offensively with 3 hits at the plate (1B, 2B, 3B) while scoring twice and driving in 2 RBIs.

Bryan Gauvin improves to 6-0 in his MABL post-season career. Yankees 14, White Sox 0. Bryan Gauvin (5 IP, 2 H, 8 K, 0 R) and Ken Kilduff (2 IP, 1 H, 0R, 2 K) combined on a 3-hitter as the Yanks shut out the White Sox in the 1st game of the Atlantic Conference Semi-finals. The 4 runs scored by the Yanks in the 1st inning were all Kilduff and Gauvin would need. Offensively, 9 of 10 Yankees starters hit safely as the Yanks combined for 14 runs. Jeff Coveney led the attack with 3 hits while Mike Moloney, Frank Kowalski and Nick Stenzel all had 2 hits. Mike Ganley and Andrew Burton each tripled while Jon Mugar scored all three times he was on base. For the White Sox, in what is believed to be a Boston MABL record, Sam Voolich struck out all 4 Yankees he faced in the 4th inning (one of which reached on a 3rd strike wild pitch).

Rich Bergskaug leads the Bucs attack with 3 RBIs and 3 hits. Pirates 11, Cubs 4. The Pirates used an offensive outburst and solid pitching to take the series opener from the Cubs. Craig Vecchiarelli pitched masterfully allowing only one earned run and striking out 6 on his way to a complete game. On the offensive end, 8 Pirates' players recorded hits, while 5 players recorded multi-hit games. Rich Bergskaug was 3 for 5, with a double and 3 RBIs, doing the most offensive damage. Yet, Eric August had a stellar day going 5 of 5 with an RBI, SB and 4 runs scored while Sean Devan was another Buc who had a perfect day going 4 for 4 also with a double and 3 RBIs. Brian Houle and Jeff Sullivan also had multi-hit games for Pirates. Keith Umlauf took the loss for the Cubs. Chad Besegai and Chris Patnode each notched 2 hits for the Cubs.

8/25/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/25

Scott Bevis tosses 3-hit shutout as Whitesox win elimination game. White Sox 3, Braves 0. The White Sox won the Atlantic wildcard game in a true pitchers dual. Scott Bevis picked up the win, allowing only 3 hits in a complete game performance. Chris O'Sullivan pitched nearly as well for the Braves, allowing only 5 hits and no earned runs in a complete game tough loss. The White Sox played classic small ball: Mike Gennaro scored the first run in the 3rd inning when he walked, stole second and reached when Jon Mead put the ball into play reaching on error. Dave Timmons then hit Mead in with an RBI single. In the 4th inning, Brett Rudy singled and advanced to third on a Gennaro single, Rudy then scored on an erant pick-off play to first. The White Sox now advance to the Atlantic Conference Semi-Finals to face last year's champion Yankees.

Dodgers 8, Astros 7. The Dodgers score in the 7th inning to win the Baystate wildcard game. More details to come. The Dodger now may look forward to the Rockies.

8/22/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/22

BRAVES WIN!! With the Braves defeating the Yankees Wednesday night, including winning 10 of their last 12, while the Red Sox finished the season losing 12 of 16, the Braves have clinched the final MABL playoff slot over the Red Sox. Congratulation to the Braves for what is arguably the best seasonal finish in MABL history.

Braves defy odds and clich wildcard. Braves 10, Yankees 7. The Braves (13-12) capped off an outstanding second half of the season with a 10-7 win over the Yankees. Mark Doucette pitched a gutsy 7 innings for the win, allowing 11 hits, 5 earned runs, while walking 3 and striking out 6. Offensively, the Braves were led by Mike Knell's 3-4 and 3 runs scored, along with RBI's from Doucette, Chris O'Sullivan, Rick Swanson, Jesse Kennedy and Jon Danielson. The win sets the Braves up with a wild card matchup vs. the White Sox Saturday at Fallon Field. In defeat, Ken Kilduff was hot at times on the mound, striking out 11 in 4 innings of work. Dave Galehouse and Frank Kowalski went also had good nights for the Yankees, each going 2-4.

Mark Joyce pounds game-winning RBI with 7th inning double. Tigers 5, Dodgers 4. Mark Joyce's RBI double in the top of the 7th ended up being the winner in a hard fought game by both teams . Dave Burr picked up the complete game victory. Tiger base runners added to their league leading base stealing total by stealing 11 bases.

8/22/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/22

Rookie Jon Mugar, 7-1 with 1.00 ERA, secures #1 seed. Yankees 9, Dodgers 2. The Yankees clinched the #1 seed by beating the Dodgers. Jon Mugar pitched 7 strong innings picking up his 7th win allowing 2 runs (0 ER) on 5 hits. Mugar finishes his spectacular rookie season with a 7-1 record and 1.00 ERA. Offensively, Mike Ganley (2-3, 2 RBI, 1R, SB) came up with a key bases-load hit in the 1st to give the Yanks a 3-0 lead they would never lose. Jeff Coveney, bidding for his first batting crown went 2 for 2 and added some insurance during the 4-run 4th with a deep run scoring double to left center. Greg Crossman (2-3, 1 RBI, 2R) added another run with a single
to right.

Brian Fodera leads Mets to 6 wins in last 9 games, as Mets head to MABL NIT. Mets 9, Astros 5. Bill Beauchesne (4 innings for the win) and Justin Wetherby (3 innings for the save) combined to scatter 9 hits as the Mets completed a season sweep of the playoff-bound Astros. Geoff Tierney was 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs to lead the Mets' offense. After a 2-14 start, the Mets won 6 of their last 9 to finish one game shy of a playoff spot. The Mets take a 3-game winning streak into the MABL NIT. For the Astros, Mike Vernon was 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs and Nate Kenyon ripped a 2-run triple in his only at-bat of the game.

8/21/01: On Sunday, August 19th, at St.Peter's Field in Cambridge, MA, Adam Messom of the MSBL Cambridge Cardinals tossed a no-hitter. Messom was 2 walks away from a perfect game and won the 7-inning contest 3-0 versus the Orioles. Congrats on a job well done!

8/21/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/21

Angelo Amico scores game winning run on a walk-off balk to keep Braves playoff hopes alive. Braves 7, Royals 6 (8 innings). The Braves (12-12) somehow managed to dodge the rain, dodge the Royals by coming from behind to win in 8 innings, and keep their playoff hopes alive. Mike Bertolami's 2-run, 2-out double in the bottom of the 7th scoring Mark Doucette and Sean McCarty tied the score at 6, sending the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the 8th, with runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs, a balk was called, scoring Angelo Amico with the game winning run. Chris Filiberto received a no decision, despite allowing only 6 hits over 5.2 innings. Mark Doucette pitched 2.1 innings for the win. For the Royals, Dan Cawley had an outstanding outing in long relief, allowing only 2 earned runs and 5 hits over 5.2 innings.

8/20/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/20

Dan Williams blasts 2-run house-bomb. Red Sox 7, Cubs 1. Chris Allen went the distance and allowed only 1 unearned run to pick up his 7th win. With score tied at one each, Dan Williams (3-4, 2B, HR 4 RBI) hit a 2-run bomb off of the house in left field at Healy. Andy Herbine (3-4, 2R, RBI) continued to swing a hot stick.

Sean Kennedy tosses 1-hitter as no-hit bid is broken in 6th inning. Astros 11, Dodgers 7. In a playoff-locking victory, the Astros beat the Dodgers for the third time this year. Cy Young candidate Sean Kennedy took a no-hit shutout into the 6th inning before Fred Callori doubled with one out. Kennedy finished with one hit, one earned-run, and eight strikouts over six innings. Offensively for the 'Stros, Cory Edgar started the scoring with a 2-RBI single in the 2nd inning. Tony Ricupero was 3 for 4 with two RBI, Gary DiPerna was 2 for 2 with two RBI, and Sean Kennedy was 2 for 4 with two RBI. Mike Vernon and Tyler Walsh also had two hits a piece.

Mark Bowles, Indians steals 7 bases; Scott Hruzd, D'backs, delivers walk-off single. Indians 10, D'backs 8 (Game 1). Daryl Pina notched his 4th win of the season, going 6 1/3 innings, striking out 7, walking 1, and giving up only 1 earned run. Mark Bowles had another monster game going 3 for 3 with 5 stolen bases, 2 runs and an RBI while Josh Hale had 2 hits and Jason DeVeau and Pina each chipped in with 2 hit, 3 RBI performances as well.

D'backs 6, Indians 5 (Game 2). The D'backs end the season with a come from behind win in the back-end of Sunday's doubleheader. The D'backs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on the bats of Jeremy Broadwell (4-4, 2B, RBI) and Bill Schellbach (5 for 7 on the day). The Indians took the lead with some clutch hitting in the 7th but the D'backs responded with 2 runs from a Rich Antash (3 for 5 on the day) sac fly. Josh Congdon-Martin kept the rally alive in the 8th with a hard earned single after falling 0-2 in the count. Then the game's hero Scott Hruzd (4 for 9 on the day) came to bat and blasted a walk off single to deep center for the victory. Paul Coppola (4 K's, 2 ER) pitched 7 strong innings and Ryan Chase came on to strike out two batters in the 8th and pick up the win. For the Indians, Mark Bowles added 2 more stolen bases (7 on the day, 28 on the year).

Gary Moran, Rockies, homers twice to lead MABL with 6; Marty Henning, Giants, goes 6 for 7. Rockies 15, Giants 5 (Game 1). A total of 6 Rockies HR's were hit. In the 2nd, back to back HR's helped cap an 8-run inning. In the 5th, back-to-back-to-back HR's plated 5 more. Homerun honors go to Gary Moran (with 2), Dave Mitrou, Chris Clark, John Sutich, and Chris Webb. The offense was alive as 3 batters had 3 hits (Mitrou, Lawyer, and Sutich), 3 batters had 2 hits (Webb, Moran, Cooper). Each Rockies starter collected at least one hit. Greg O'Keeffe picked up his 5th win on the season as he held the Giants to 3 ER on 5 hits. For the Giants, Marty Henning went 3-3.

Giants 8, Rockies 7 (Game 2). In the Giants effort to keep their playoffs hopes alive, they win Game 2 in 9 innings. Unfortunatley it was too late to save the Giants playoff hopes. Jose Parra and Joe Cavaleri led the Giants offensive attack, each with solo home runs. Marty Henning completed a 6 for 7 day by driving in 3 runs in the second game. Tom Hague came in to pitch the final 3 innings for the victory. The Giants scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning on RBI's from Mike Cosco and Steve Corda to close out the victory. The Rockies got one run back in the bottom of the 9th before the game ended.

Adam Hocherman gets winning hand with Cards he's dealt. Mets 3, Cardinals 2. Adam Hocherman stymied the potent Cardinal offense, scattering 6 singles and 1 walk in a complete-game victory as the Mets avenged two prior one-run losses to the Cards. Geoff Tierney and Dennis Wassung provided the Mets' offense -- Wassung twice drove in Tierney to account for the Mets' first two runs. Chris Angelillo knocked home Wassung for the go-ahead run in the 4th, and Hocherman held the Cards in check the rest of the way, stranding the tying run at third in the 7th. For the Cardinals, A.J. Camelio was the tough-luck loser in relief of Jeff James. Camelio allowed 6 hits and 3 runs in 5 innings.

8/18/01: The MABL Phillies are Saturday League Champions!

The Phillies are crowned 2001 MABL Saturday League Champions! Congratulations to managers Brendan Power and Paul Cassidy and the rest of the Phillies' on their inaugural Saturday League series victory.

Phillies 10, Orioles 6 (Game 1). Matt Englander continued his mastery on the mound pitching a complete 7 innings while giving up only 6 hits and 3 earned runs. Matt had an impressive post-season with 2 wins, 10 K's in 15 innings pitched, and a 1.40 ERA. The Phillies spread their offense as nine of the starting line-up's 10 batters crossed the plate. EJ Freni reached base in all four plate appearances picking up a stolen base and two runs scored. Brian Wildeman and Paul Bracco each went 2 for 4 with a combined 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Phillies 5, Orioles 2 (Game 2). Pitching was the key in this decisive game. Tom Deveau threw a gem allowing only 2 earned runs on 7 hits while picking up 3 K's along the way. Tom finished his post season with 2 wins and an impressive 3.00 ERA. In a 1-run ballgame going into the top of the seventh, with runners on second and third and no outs, the Phillies got clutch hitting from both John Verdeaux and Pat Ellard who drove in back-to-back RBI's on sac flies for insurance runs. Tom finished the game strong, pitching a 1-2-3 seventh. Mark Balfe made a Hollywood-like circus catch in foul territory for the second out in the bottom of the seventh to help secure the win. Congratulations to the Orioles on a well played championship series.

MABL Saturday League MVP and Cy Young Awards will have announcement schedules posted shortly.

8/18/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/18

Rob Gnoinski pitches 7.1 innings to finish season 3-0 with 2.84 ERA. Whitesox 4, Pirates 1 (Game 1). Rob Gnoinski pitched 7.1 innings, allowing only one earned run a sun-enduced infield popup that later scored. Down 1-0 in the 5th inning, the Sox tied the game when Kevin Gazda singled, Mike Gennaro pinch ran, stole second and then scored on a Josh Gordon single. In the top of the 8th inning, the Whitesox scored 3 runs, highlighted by a single by Jon Mead that proved to be the winning run when knocked in by Sam Voolich. Al Wiesner pitched the final 2/3 inning for his MABL leading 6th save. For the Pirates, Mike McCarthy threw all 8 innings, allowing only 4 hits leading into the 8th inning.

Pirates 10, Whitesox 6 (Game 2). The Pirates won Game 2 of the doubleheader capped by the Pirates #3 Slot which hit for the cycle -- in order! Rich Bergskaug began the game in the #3 Slot and singled. He was then replaced by Craig Vecharelli who doubled, then tripled and then homered.

Bryan Gauvin and Mike Ganley each record wins and rip 2 hits. Yankees 10, Royals 0 (Game 1). Bryan Gauvin (8-1) pitched a 1-hitter while striking out 10 to lead the Yanks to their 16th victory. Greg Crossman (3 hits, 2B, 1 RBI, 2R) and Mike Moloney (2 hits, 1R) led the offense. Ian McPherson, Frank Kowalski and Bill Pappas also pitched in with 2 RBIs each.

Yankees 10, Royals 7 (Game 2). Mike Ganley (1-1) pitched 5 innings allowing 4 runs and 5 hits for his 1st victory of the year. Greg Crossman finished up the last 2 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits to get the save. Frank Kowalski (3 for 3) provided most of the offensive force and was a home run short of the cycle. Overall, the Yankees knocked out 16 hits with 5 Yankees having multi-hit games: Kowalski, Dave Galehouse, Mike Ganley, Jon Mugar and Bryan Gauvin.

Neal Roper smacks 2-run homer. Rockies 4, D'backs 2. In a rain shortened game, a 4-run Rockies 4th inning proved to be the key. Neal Roper's second homer of the season, a 2-run shot, drove in the winning to help Chris Clark pick up his third win.

8/17/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/17

Phillies and Orioles advance to the 2001 MABL Saturday League Championship Series. Phillies sweep Marlins. Matt Englander dominated Game 1 throwing an 8-inning complete game, striking out 9, holding the Marlins to 5 hits and no earned runs in his first playoff win. In Game 2, Tom Deveau also hurled a gem, throwing a 7-inning complete game, holding the Marlins to four earned runs, striking out 3, and picking up his first playoff win. At the plate, Brian Wildeman went 6-8 on the day, with 4 RBIs.

Orioles upset Brewers. The Orioles completed a stunning semifinal round upset, edging the first place Brewers 6-5 to take Game 3 of the best-of-three series. Joe Knaus picked up the win, stifling the potent Brewer offense, allowing only 4 hits through 6 innings. Jay Thomas then pitched a perfect 7th to close out the game in style. Thomas also went 2 for 3 from the plate, while Dan Gomes drove in 2 and Steve Gray (GWRBI), Shawn Dumont, Larry Charbonneau, and Frank Grant each drove in 1. The Orioles had won only 2 regular season games while the Brewers had lost only 2 prior to this series.

The MABL Saturday League Championship Series, Games 1 and 2, begin this Saturday, at 10:00 a.m. at Fallon Field.

8/15/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/15

Indians 9 Giants 0. The story of this game was pitching and clutch base hits for the Tribe. In a combined team effort, Jason DeVeau (3IP, 1H, 4K's), Rob Dexter (2IP, 1H, 2K's) and Daryl Pina (2IP, 2H, 3K's) each threw well in the shutout. On the offensive side, with the score 1-0, Lee Hughes (1-2) had a 2 RBI Triple to give the Indians some breathing room in the 5th, and DeVeau added a 3 RBI double to help seal the victory in the 6th.
Braves 7, Tigers 4. Mark Doucette and Paul Schneider each went 3-3, as the Braves (9-12) kept their playoff hopes alive with a 7-4 win over the Tigers. Kevin Szoke pitched 4 2-3 innings for the win, allowing 10 hits, 3 earned runs, while walking 4 and striking out 5. Doucette pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings for the save. Mike Bertolami's 2 run single in bottom of the 6th broke open a 5-4 game to give the Braves some breathing room in the 7th. The Braves received multiple hit games from Mike Knell and Chris Filiberto.
Astros 9, Dodgers 6. Craig Genualdo threw his fourth complete game of the season while picking up his third win. The Astros managed only five hits but took advantage of eight walks and two hit batters to take an early lead at The Jeff. Sean McGuinness was 2 for 3 with three RBI for the 'Stros.
Dodgers 8, D-Backs 7. Kevin Beliveau's 2-run home run to deep center in the bottom of the 7th capped an important comeback victory for the Dodgers Tuesday night at the Circle. Jeremy Broadwell's solo bomb to left had given the D-Backs a one run lead in the top of the stanza. Jose Medina went the distance for the victory, allowing 7 runs (4ER) on 8 hits, while striking out 7 along the way. Medina helped his own cause by tying the game in the bottom of the 6th with a key two-out RBI single with the sacks full. Medina's battery mate Scott Batsch pitched in as well, scoring 3 times and playing solid D behind the dish. Beliveau had himself a night going 4-4 with a 2B, HR, 2R and 3 RBI's. Josh Congdon-Martin and Jeff Cain each had two hits for the D-Backs.
Cubs 21, Red Sox 8. Cubs Clinch 1st Place in the Eastern Division -- The Cubs defeated the Red Sox 21-8 yesterday to clinch first place in the Eastern Division. Brian Simone continued his hot hitting by going 2-3 with another home run and Alex Keyes had a huge game going 2-3, a double, 3 runs scored, 2 walks and 6 RBI's. Shane Steffens went the distance for the victory and struck out 14 while giving up Red Sox homeruns to Cesar Cabral and Dan Edgehille.
Royals 8 Tigers 5 (Game 1). The Royals swept a doubleheader against the divisional rival Tigers. In the first game the Royals jumped out to a lead by scoring 8 in the first two innings capped by 2 RBI triples from John Palumbo and Drew Kowalevicz. Jay Legere then went 5 stong innings giving up only 4 runs (1ER) off of only 1 Tiger hit for his first win of the season. Ariel Martinez then closed it out earning his first save.
Royals 9 Tigers 8 (Game 2). The second game was a back and forth nailbitter with 7 lead changes. It came to a close as Drew Kowalevicz scored the winning run in the bottom of the 7th on a Tom Spoth single. Not only did Tom drive in the tying and winning runs, but he earned himself the 'W' as he pitched a perfect top of the 7th to put the Royals in the position to rally. For the day, Kowalevicz was the man as he went 5 for 5 (2B, 3B, 3BB, 2R, 4RBI) and was a HR short of the cycle in game 1.

8/11/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/11

Chad Besegai and Mike Petro come up big to help Cubs win. Cubs 7, Whitesox 6. In a divisional battle, behind the pitching of Cy Young candidate Keith Umlauf, the Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead with help from a 2-run homer by Brian Simone (2 hits). After a Whitesox run, two more Cub runs were tacked on in both the 5th and 6th innings with help by Chad Besegai and Mike Pietrasiewicz (2 hits apiece) to give the Cubs a 6-1 lead. But the Whitesox battled back and knocked Umlauf out of the game with 3 runs via a walk and three consecutive singles. With Mark Andelina pitching in the bottom of the 7th inning for the Cubs, the Whitesox led off with a single by Jon Mead and a double by Al Wiesner (both who later scored). Later that inning, with 2-outs and runners reaching via a single and a HBP, the tying and winning runners were stranded on base as the Cubs held on to win in dramatic fashion.

Eric August, Dave Kwajewski and Mark Bowles all fall 1 hit shy of hitting for the cycle this week. Pirates 7, Red Sox 3. In an important divisional battle with playoff implications, the Pirates (15-8) knocked off the Red Sox (12-10) to take the season series 2 games to 1. Mike McCarthy (1-0) picked up his first MABL win by pitching a complete game allowing only 2 earned runs while striking out 10. Offensively, Eric August tripled (6), homered (3) and drove in four RBI (31 total). Mike Mahoney went 3-5 with solid defense, and Vin Paquette chipped in with two hits. With the win, the Pirates pulled into a points tie of first place with the Cubs. Eric August is the third MABL'er in a week to fall 1 hit shy of hitting for the cycle. Dave Kwajewski (Astros) and Mark Bowles (Indians) are the others to fall short this week.

8/09/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/09

Cards Win Division
Third MABL team to Clinch Cardinals 20, Dodgers 6. Joe Milbury picked up the win and A.J. Camelio pitched 4 innings as the Cardinals defeated the divisional rival Dodgers to win the division. Steve Vetere went 4 for 5 with two singles, a double and a homer with 4 RBIs to lead the offense. Dan Jalbert and Steve Camelio also picked up 3 hits each.

Only the Atlantic East conference is up for grabs for a winner. But 100% of the seeds and wilcards remain open in both conferences.

Dave Galehouse hits his first MABL homer onto school roof. Yankees 12, Braves 3. Jon Mugar pitched 6 innings allowed 2 earned runs while striking out 9 to earn his 6th victory. Mike Ganley finished up pitching a scoreless 7th. Five Yankees had multi-hit games led by Mike Moloney (3-3, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB) and Greg Crossman (2-3, BB, 4 RBI). Frank Kowalski, Jeff Coveney and Mike Ganley (doubled off the school at The Jeff) also recorded multiple hits. Plus, Dave Galehouse hit his 1st ever MABL homerun onto the Jefferson Field school roof.

Dennis Wassung goes 2 for 3 with game-winning RBI. Mets 8, Astros 5. Dennis Wassung went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs, including a two-run single that snapped a 4-4 tie in the 6th inning as the Mets kept their playoff hopes alive. Justin Wetherby battled through 6 innings for the win and Arthur Lecesse, who drove in the Mets' first run with a long triple, came on in the 7th to close it out. Al Becker was 2-for-2, reaching base safely in all four at-bats, and Adam Hocherman stole home in the 7th for a key insurance run. For the Astros, Dave Kwajewski fell a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored. Tony Ricupero was also 3-for-3.

Jeff Burns hits safely in every MABL Saturday game -- 15 straight. Brewers 18, Phillies 15. Jason Gesing lead the charge of this wild mud bowl to end the MABL Saturday Regular season going 4-4, 3 RBI. Jeff Burns finished the the season hitting safely in every game, a 15-game hit streak, and going 3-5. And Matt Baier went 4-5. A Hard fought game all around the Phillies mounted a comeback in the bottom of the 7th but the brewers hung on for the win to end the regular season 13-2.

Steve Corda and Mike Byrne go 4 for 4 (no photo for Byrne avail.) Giants 13, Cubs 6. The Playoff races get closer in both division as the Cubs lose and the Giants win. Marc Calamito pitched a strong complete game in the Giants victory, striking out 4, while supported by good team defense. Offensively, the Giants were led by Mike Byrne, Steve Corda (both 4 for 4, 3 runs scored, 3 and 2 RBI's respectively) and Jose Parra (3 for 4, 3 rbi's). The Giants offense scored in all but one inning keeping the pressure on the Cubs the entire game.

8/06/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/06

WIN! Royals 3, Astros 2. The Royals (1-18) picked up their first MABL win ever as Ariel Martinez threw a two-hitter, beating Sean Kennedy who threw a four-hitter. Martinez allowed no earned runs while striking out three and walking none, and faced the minimum amount of batters after the first inning thanks to a double-play and a pickoff. Tom Spoth scored the winning run in the bottom of the 5th inning on a Felix Villalobos sacrifice fly

Mark Bowles misses chance at cycle: settles for 3 for 3. Indians 5, Pirates 2. Josh Hale notched his 4th win of the year, tossing a 6 inning, 5 K, 3 hit, 2 run gem for the Tribe (12-10) and Daryl Pina came in to throw a perfect 7th to pick up the save. Offensively the Indians were lead by Mark Bowles who had a monster day at the dish, going 3 for 3 with a single, double, triple and 2 RBI's. Lee Hughes (2 for 3) also picked up a double and RBI on the day.

Chris O'Sullivan throws six scoreless innings. Braves 10, Mets 2. Chris O'Sullivan (2-6) threw 6 scoreless innings and struck out 9, while allowing only 4 hits, to lead the Braves (8-11) to a 10-2 win over the Mets. Offensively, the Braves received multiple hit games from Mark Doucette (2-3), Angelo Amico (2-4, 2 RBI's), and Chris Filiberto (2-3, 1 RBI). Additionally, rookie Josh Benet nailed a two-run homerun in the second inning.

Kevin McGowan tosses gem against 1st Place Cards. Tigers 4, Cardinals 2. The Tigers handed the 1st Place Cardinals (16-5) their fourth loss in five games. Kevin McGowan (3-4) pitched a complete game allowing no earned runs. The offensive stars for the Tigers were Ryan Thompson who went 3 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 SB and TJ Martin who went 2 for 2.

Scott Bevis throws 2-hitter and is tied for MABL lead in wins. Whitesox 4, D'backs 0. Scott Bevis threw the 8th shutout of the MABL season with a 2-hit, no walk, complete game victory. Bevis (7-4) now shares the MABL lead for wins and lowered his ERA to 3.05. Offensively, the Sox capped a 3-run 1st inning with 4 hits, including a double by Aarron Hutchins who had 2 hits on the day. Josh Gordon and Jon Mead also collected 2 hits in the game. For the Diamondbacks, the lone hits came from Mike Connolly (double) and Jesse Abair.

Dave Mitrou goes 3-4 with 4 RBI and a homerun. Rockies 8, Red Sox 7. Dave Mitrou provided most of the offense as he went 3-4 at the plate, hitting his first HR, and collecting 4 RBIs. John Sutich was perfect on the day as he collected 2 hits, but his situational hit as he drove the ball through the empty shortstop-slot on a SB attempt provided an added cusion going into the 6th inning. Greg O'keeffe (4-1) pitched well enough to get the win. Keith Philson finished the game on the mound and got the save, his 3rd on the season.

8/04/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/04

Marlins 12, Orioles 4. The Marlins continued their winning ways through a steady rain. Bill Elliott led the attack on both sides of the ball, throwing five strong innings to pick up the win, and hitting a towering homer to left in the 9th inning. Joe Dunne went 1 for 2 to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, and provided a defensive spark with a sliding catch in center. Ryan Giddings called a gem behind the dish, and added 2 hits in 5 trips. The Marlins have averaged 12.5 runs over their past four games, and have posted a 3-1 record in that stretch.

Josh Congdon-Martin at bat as game-winning run scores D'Backs 3, Indians 1. Staking their claim to the final Bay State Conference Wild Card position, the Diamondbacks defeated the Indians. Only a two-out seventh inning double spoiled the shutout bid by Ryan Chase who gave up the unearned run while scattering four hits and notching eight strikeouts. Jeff Cain went 2-3 with a homer while D'Back All-Star Josh Congdon-Martin went 1-3 and was at bat when the eventual game-winning run scored. Rob Dexter hurled five strong innings for the Indians in defeat.

7/29/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/29

MABL Braves Atlantic All-Star Mark Doucette hits 2-run homer. Atlantic All-Stars 4, Baystate All-Stars 0. Two-time MABL MVP Mark Doucette of the Braves was selected player of the game, driving in 3 of the 4 Atlantic All-Stars' runs, and smacking a 2-run homer over the left field fence. Jeff Seng of the Cubs singled and scored the first run of the game for the Atlantic. Last year's MABL Cy Young, Bryan Gauvin of the Yankees was the star on the mound, striking out 5 of the 6 batters he faced to start the game. Keith Umlauf of the Cubs also pitched a ninth inning without allowing a hit. For the Baystate All-Stars, of their four hits, the big one was a double off the bat of Gary Moran of the Rockies that nearly cleared the right-center field fence, but fell short. Jeff James of the Cardinals also pitched 2 perfect innings.

See Game and Team Photos.

Managers Eric August and Brian Cooper were live-mic'd the entire game, un-censored. John Breslin (Mets) worked the PA. Scott Gilefsky (Dodgers) and Tyler Walsh (Astros) did the play-by-play. Bart Lawyer (Rockies) worked the scoreboard and sound system. Brian Fodera (Mets) performed the National Anthem. Brett Rudy (White Sox) and Marc LeMay (iMassRadio) were the executive producers.

What: MABL 2001 All-Star Game (download the promo)
Where: LeLacheur Park in Lowell (Home of the Lowell Spinners)
Who: Meet your MABL Atlantic and Bay State Conference All-Stars

MABL All-Star Select Combined Statistics

Statistics entered through 7/18/01.

AB

H

AVG.

IP

ER

ERA

Atlantic
932

361

.387

431

205

3.32

Baystate
1103

438

.397

313

149

3.33

7/26/01: MSBL 2001 All-Star Game

Perry All-Stars 5, Booth All-Stars 3. On the collaboration of 8 pitchers and some timely hitting and solid defense in the field, the Perry Division All-Stars were able to overcome an early 2-0 lead by the Booth Division and some fine pitching from Gerard Powers to take control of the lead in the 5th inning. Winning pitcher was Tom Tish of the Lexington Astros and closing the game pitching 2 strong shutout innings to get the save was Tom Manning.

8/02/01: Gamebreakers, as of 8/02

Yanks Win Division
Second MABL team to Clinch Yankees 9, Cardinals 2. After losing his 1st ever MABL game is his last start, Bryan Gauvin (7-1) put on the performance of the year striking out 15 in 7 innings. Gauvin had a no-hitter going into the bottom of the 6th until the Cardinal's Steve Camelio knocked a hit to left. Final Gauvin line: 1 ER, 15 Ks, 3 H, 3 BB. Jeff James (7-1) picked up his 1st loss of the year for the Cardinals.

League batting leader, Jeff Coveney (3-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R) improved to .567 and provided a 1st inning 3-run homerun that was all Gauvin would need. Plus, Jon Mugar hit his 1st ever MABL homerun and Ian McPherson collected his 1st MABL hit.

The Rockies had clinched their division last week, as the Indians can only tie them at best -- but the Rockies hold the tie-breaker having beat the Indians twice.

Mark Doucette records win #2 Braves 4, Dodgers 2. Mark Doucette, fresh of his MVP all-star appearance, outdueled the Dodger All-Star Garrett Fisher in a terrific game. Both pitchers worked beautifully, getting into and out of trouble all night. The game was tied 2-2 going into the 7th when the Braves put up 2 runs to put them ahead for good. For the Braves, Jesse Kennedy went 2 for 4 with an RBI.

Craig Genualdo rings up win in 3rd complete game in 3 starts. Astros 10, Tigers 8. Craig Genualdo picked up the complete game win for the 'Stros, his third complete game in three starts. Dave Kwajewski was 2 for 2 with two RBI and a stolen base. Tony Ricupero, Nate Kenyon, Sean Kennedy, and Mike Vernon all added two hits a piece.

The Astros, Diamondbacks and Giants are now in a 3-way tie for the final wildcard slot in Baystate Conference.

Carlos Portocarrero picks up first MABL win - in relief. Cardinals 6, Mets 5. Brian Wachob singled home Dan Jalbert to break a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the fifth as the Cardinals edged the Mets. Carlos Portocarrero escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the inning to preserve the tie and notched his first win of the year in relief of Brian Thorndike. The Mets threatened again in the 7th, but A.J. Camelio came on to strike out pinch-hitter Steve Julian with runners on second and third to end the game. Wachob and Steve Vetere were each 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Cards, and Steve Camelio drove in two runs. For the Mets, Al Becker was 2-for-4 with a run scored and Matt Wertz had 2 RBIs. In an unusual turn of events, Becker singled with the bases loaded and no one scored - the batted ball hit the runner going from first base to second.

7/30/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/30

Bill Beauchesne, back from knee injury, tosses 4 scoreless innings. Mets 11, Giants 6. Bill Beauchesne returned from a knee injury to allow only two infield singles in four scoreless innings, and the Mets' bullpen held on. Beauchesne walked one and struck out three in the short stint. Seth Grossman powered the Mets' offense, going 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs, Greg Cote went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs for his fourth multi-hit game in the past five, and Jim Horne continued his hot streak with 2 hits and 2 runs scored. All-Star Justin Wetherby also chipped in with an RBI double. With the score 7-6 and the bases loaded in the top of the 6th, Rich Diskin robbed Mike Cosco of the Giants of the go-ahead hit with a sliding catch in right field. The Mets tacked on four in the bottom of the inning and Matt Wertz came on in the 7th to close things out with a scoreless frame. For the Giants, All-Star Joe Cavaleri was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.

Jon Mugar improves to 5-1. Yankees 9, D'backs 3. After the D'backs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second, the Yanks bounced back with 4 runs in the 4th and 5 runs in the 5th to win their 13th game. Jon Mugar (5-1) went the distance on the mound pitching out of several jams along the way. Mugar struck out 10 while allowing 3 runs (2 ER) on 9 hits. Mugar (3-4), Greg Crossman (2-3, triple) and Mike Moloney (2-3, triple) provided the power with multiple hit games each.

Marlins 20, Brewers 11. The Marlins defeated the first place team on the strength of a 16 hit attack and a solid outing by starting pitcher Bill Elliott. Leading the way on offense were Pat Allen, 3 for 5 with 5 RBIs, and Matt King, 2 for 4 with a double, triple, walk and three runs scored. Matt Flynn broke the game open with a three-run double in the seventh inning.

All-Stars Gary Moran and Leland Boutilier are perfect at plate. Rockies 10, Cardinals 5. Homeruns by Gary Moran, Mike Close, and Kyle Philson highlighted the15 hit performance that allowed Greg O'Keeffe to capture his 3rd win of the season. O'Keeffe struck out 11 batters in his complete game performance. Gary Moran (3-3, HR, 2B, 1B, 1R, 1RBI) and Leland Boutillier (3-3, 2R, 1RBI) were perfect at the plate collecting 3 hits each. Two hit perfromers were Dave Mitrou, Bart Lawyer and Kyle Philson.

All-Star Jeff Seng tacks
on a single and a double. Cubs 9, Whitesox 4. Mark Andelina (4-1), Shane Steffens and Keith Umlauf shared the pitching duties to shut down the Whitesox and take over 1st place in the Atlantic East from the Pirates. Offensively, All-Star Jeff Seng (double), Chad Besegai and Brian Simone each displayed muti-hit performances. For the Whitesox, Brett Rudy smacked 3 hits, including a double.

7/26/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/26

Vin Paquette takes MABL HR lead with 5. Pirates 16, Red Sox 5. Vinny Paquette hit his league leading fifth homerun and Mike Mahoney did it with his arm and his bat as the Pirates upended the Red Sox in an important division battle. Mahoney (3-0) picked up the win pitching a complete game allowing only six hits, while striking out six. Mahoney also had two doubles at the plate and drove in six runs to help his cause. Vin Paquette was 2 for 2 with a homer, double, three RBIs and four runs scored. Ben Galper added some insurance with an RBI single late in the game. Galper also made a shoe-string catch in right field in the seventh inning to stifle the Red Sox rally.

Steve Corda: Streak ends at 14.
Jon Mead: MABL record stands at 18. Indians 19, Giants 5. The Indians follow-up ending the Cardinals 15-game Winning Streak on Sunday with snapping Steve Corda's 14 game Hitting Streak on Wednesday, as the Tribe defeated the Giants. Steve Corda's 2001 MABL-best hitting streak ending at 14 games means that the MABL all-time single-season record will remain held by Jon Mead of the Whitesox at 18 games (set in 2000) until at least 2002.

Matt Wertz: complete game and game-winning hit. Mets 8, Royals 7. Matt Wertz pitched a complete game and stroked the game-winning hit as the Mets rallied from a 7-6 deficit with two runs. Greg Cote hit 2 doubles and 3 RBIs, including the game-tying hit in the 6th. Al Becker was 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs, Seth Grossman was 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, and Jim Horne was 3-for-3 with a run scored as the Mets pounded out a season-high 13 hits. For the Royals, Dan Cawley was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI and went the distance on the mound, and Drew Kowalevicz was also 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs.

With 3 walks, Al Wiesner leads the MABL with 16. Whitesox 18, Tigers 9. Scott Bevis (6-4) picked up his 6th win. In a slugfest, Dave Timmons picked up 3 hits, and Josh Gordon, Jon Mead and Mike Gennaro all picked up 2 hits for the Sox. Sam Voolich homered, a blast. Al Wiesner tripled and drew 3 walks, including his league-leading 16th. For the Tigers, Jason Forester had 3 hits (including a homer) and Jay Joyce also had 3 hits.

Mario Saenz delivers walk-off game-winning single in 8th. Dogers 5, Rockies 4 (8 innings). Mario Saenz' RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the 8th capped a comeback by the Dodgers. The Rockies had taken the lead in the 4th when Leland Boutilier hit a solo homerun to deep left, only to see the Dodgers tie it in the 5th when Josue Feliciano legged out a homerun to center just off the glove of David Mitrou. In the Dodgers 8th, Kevin Beliveau lined a single to center with one out. Garrett Fisher then moved Beliveau to second with a fielder's choice to the right side. Paul Blanchard then punched a single through the left side of the infield, setting up the game-winning situation for Saenz. Dodger veteran John Yirak pitched 8 innings for the victory, settling down after giving up 3 runs in the 1st. Tony Soto and Feliciano played solid D in the infield, and Joe Ryther made a game saving catch over his shoulder in center in the top of the 8th to keep the score tied. Beliveau led the Dodgers attack with 3 hits, with Fisher (triple, 2 RBIs) and Blanchard picking up two apiece. Neal Roper (2B 3B), Chris Clark and Mitrou led the Rockies attack with 2 hits each.

All-Star Justin Wetherby tosses 3-hitter. Mets 7, Diamondbacks 2 (game 1). All-Star Justin Wetherby tossed a gem for the Mets, allowing only 3 hits and 1 earned run over 7 innings, striking out 10 while walking no one. 2000 All-Star Greg Cote was 3-for-4 for the Mets with two triples and 4 RBIs. Cote is now hitting .355 and he continued his season-long errorless streak.

Diamondbacks 13, Mets 2 (game 2). Ryan Chase scattered eight hits and allowed no earned runs in a complete-game victory for the D-backs. Chase struck out 7 and walked 3. The Diamondbacks rebounded from their 3-hit performance in the first game to pound out 20 hits in Game 2. Josh Congdon-Martin was 3-for-4 with a double and a home run. Aaron Molloy and Rich Antash also had 3 hits each.

Jay McGilvery sparks 10 inning victory with lead-off single. Indians 9, Cardinals 7 (10 innings). The Indians snapped the Cardinals 15-game winning streak in a 10-inning thriller. Daryl Pina in on relief in the 6th inning, pitched the final 5 frames, scattering 4 hits, striking out 5 and giving up only 1 unearned run. Offensively the Tribe pulled out the victory in true team fashion with Mark Bowles, Josh Hale and Frank Vinci leading the way, each with 3 hits. Matching frames from the 6th inning on, the Indians lead off the 10th with a base hit by Jay McGilvery, followed by singles from Brian Greene and Josh Hale to put the Tribe up by the deciding margin.

Brian Delaney throws out tying runner at the plate to end game. Cubs 2, Royals 1 (game 1). In a thrilling 2-1 game, the final out came from rightfield when Brian Delaney threw out the potential tying run at the plate. Doug Rexrode threw a gem for the Cubs, striking out 9, issuing only one walk and going the distance for the win.

Cubs 15, Royals 1 (game 2). The Cubs bats got hot in the second game to complete the sweep with Michael Ferris, Brian Simone, and Brian Delaney leading the way. Mark Andolina and Keith Umlauf teamed up for the victory. Umlauf struck out every one of the last 8 outs he came in to get.

All-Star Jim Belcastro smacks 2 hits. Pirates 8, Tigers 1. The Pirates completed the season sweep over the Tigers with a victory. Eric August (4-1) picked up his fourth win of the season by pitching six strong innings, allowing only one run on 5 hits, striking out six and walking none. On the offensive side for the Bucs, All-Star Jim Belcastro was 2-4 (double) on the day with two runs scored and an RBI. Jay Day and Brian Houle also drove in runs for the 13-7 Pirates.

Eric Bennett becomes first pitcher to defeat Bryan Gauvin in the MABL. Red Sox 3, Yankees 2. Eric Bennett (2-0) and the Red Sox defeated the Yankees and Bryan Gauvin, handing Gauvin his first MABL loss ever (17-1). Benet pitched six shutout innings before the Yankees got to him for two runs in the seventh. Adam King had the biggest hit of the day, a 2-RBI single in the second to start the Red Sox offense. Andy Herbine played stellar defensively at third base stealing several hits from the Yankees. Dan Williams pitched the 7th for his 3rd save of the season. For the Yankees, Bryan Gauvin threw the complete game allowing 1 earned run with 11 K's. MABL Batting Leader, Jeff coveney, went 3-3 to increase his average to .574.

Astros All-Stars prove worthiness.
Sean Kennedy: 2- hitter
Dave Kwajewski: monster homer Astros 6, Giants 1 (game 1). Sean Kennedy tossed a 2-hitter to pick up his 4th win. Dave Kwajewski was 2 for 3 with two RBI while Nate Kenyon and Matt Cronin were each 2 for 3 with one RBI. Kwajewski and Kenyon also had two stolen bases a piece.

Astros 11, Giants 4 (game 2). Cort Montross (5 IP, 6H, 2K) notched his first win of the season. Dave Kwajewski sparked the Astros offense with a monstrous home run off of Giants pitcher Steve Corda in the 3rd inning. Sean Kennedy added a key two-out base-clearing triple in the 4th inning. Fred LaBrecque was 3 for 4 with an RBI and three stolen bases. Tony Ricupero, Craig Genualdo, and Tyler Walsh all had two hits a piece.

Steve Corda of the Giants reached safely in both games, extended his MABL-best hitting streak to 14 games.

Jeff Burns has hit safely in all 12 MABL-Saturday games. Brewers 22, Orioles 10. Jeff Burns went 2-2, 4 BB 3 SB, 4 RS to up his hitting streak for 2001 to 12 g ames. Eddie Barber hit his first HR as a Brewer, a 3-run shot while Adam Beckett went 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI. Matt Baier went 3-4, 3 RS 2RBI and Zack Wells went 2-4, 2B and 3 RBI. Colin Campbell and Chris Arenda went the distance on the mound.

Nirav Patel, Whitesox and Kevin Szoke, Braves each win their 3rd. Whitesox 9, Braves 5 (game 1). Nirav Patel pitched 6 innings allowing only 5 hits to improve to 3-0. Kevin Gazda was big at the plate recording a double and a triple. Patel and Gazda shared the iMassRadio Player of the Game honors. Al Wiesner also went 2-3. For the Braves, Chris O'Sullivan had his curveball working on the hill, striking out 9 and allowing 7 scattered hits.

Braves 10, Whitesox 3 (game 2). Kevin Szoke shut down the Whitesox allowing only 5 hits -- 3 in the first 6 innings -- to improve to 3-2. Offensively, Mike Bertolami had a huge game, going 3 for 3 with a homerun. Mark Doucette also collected 3 hits including a double.

Phillies 8, Marlins 6. Still recovering from an injury, Matt Englander came on in the second to pitch 7 and a third scoreless innings while striking out 7 along the way. Matt retired the last 14 batters in a row to pick up his fourth win. Ej Freni continued to play great defense at shortstop while going 2 for 4 at the plate including an RBI triple. Brendan Power went 3 for 3, with a walk, 2 doubles, and a single.

7/19/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/19

Mike Mohoney, 2 hits and a save. Pirates 15, Tigers 13. In a offensive slugfest, the Pirates outlasted the Tigers. Conrad Paquette (4-2) picked up the win pitching five innings. In a game with 30 total hits, Eric August (2-3, HR, 4 RBIs), Paquette (2-4, 2B, RBI) and Brian Dooley (1-2, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs) were the offensive stars for the 12-7 Pirates. Mike Mahoney came on to pitch final two innings to pick up the save. Mahoney also had two hits and a run scored for the Bucs. All-Star Selection Jason Joyce had four hits for the Tigers including an RBI double. Kevin McGowan (2-4) took the loss for the Tigers.

Corey Aldoupolis hits game winning HR and makes All-Star team as reserve. Red Sox 7, Yankees 4. Chris Allen (6-2) worked six innings and struck out seven to pick up his sixth win of the season. With the score tied 3-3, Corey Aldoupolis (2-3, HR, 4RBI) hit a three-run homerun in the fourth to give the Sox the lead for good. Apparently, Corey's HR made an impression on Atlantic All-Star manager and Yankee, Jeff Coveney, who selected Aldoupolis today as an All-Star reserve to replace an absent Royal player. Other notable game contributions came from Dan Moyer (3-3, SB), Andy Herbine (1-2, 2B, SB, HBP) and Dan Williams who worked the seventh inning to get the save.

7/16/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/16

Bryan Gauvin is 17-0 in his 2-year MABL career. Yankees 7, Tigers 1 (game 1). Jon Mugar (4-1) went the distance allowing just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 6. Mugar also helped his cause at the plate knocking in 2 runs on 2 hits (2-2, 2 RBI, 2B). Mike Ganley also picked up a few hits and Frank Kowalski knocked in 2 more runs on a triple to left center. The game took just 1 hour and 41 minutes.

Yankees 12, Tigers 3 (game 2). Bryan Gauvin (6-0) struck out 10 in 5 innings while allowing 1 run to pick up the win. The Yanks 8-run 4th gave Gauvin more than enough runs to work with. Nick Stenzel pitched the last 2 innings striking out 3 while allowing 1 earned run. Offensively, Jeff Coveney collected 3 more hits, while Frank Kowalski, Greg Crossman and Mike Moloney each collected a pair.

Chris Sansome of the Mets slugs 13 bases in 5 innings. Dodgers sweep Mets. While the Dodgers may have swept the doubleheader, the real story is Chris Sansone of the Mets. Sansone went 5-6 on the doubleheader, including a homerun and 3 triples. To put this feat in perspective, only 3 triples and 1 homerun had been hit at Kelley Field all year by the entire MABL in 387 at-bats!! Sansone matched that feat in a 5-inning span, plus tacked on a single for good measure. What a performance.

Shane Steffens and Keith Umlauf: top MABL pitching duo? Cubs 5, Pirates 1 (game 1). Shane Steffens threw a complete game 4-hitter and struck out 10 to lead the Cubs to victory. Brian Simone returned to the Cubs with a 2 for 2 performance. Brian Delaney also had 2 hits with 2 RBI's and a triple.

Cubs 6, Pirates 3 (game 2). The Cubs defeated the Pirates 6-3 in 8 innings. The game was tied 3-3 going into the top of the 8th when back to back singles by Michael Ferris and Michael Pietrasiewicz and a sac fly from Jeff Seng drove in the final 3 runs. Keith Umlauf (5-2) picked up another victory by throwing the final 6 innings, allowing only 1 earned run and 5 hits while striking out 4.

With the Cubs sweep, they have taken over first place with a 7-game winning streak.

Brett Rudy and Dave Timmons each collect 5 hits. Whitesox 5, Red Sox 4 (game 1). Scott Bevis (5-4) notched the win tossing 6 innings of 4-hit ball. Al Wiesner recorded his League Leading 5th save. The Whitesox took a 5-0 lead into the 7th inning before the Red Sox battled back for 4 to make the game exciting until the end. Brett Rudy had 2 hits and Murray Reed had 2 sac flys (3 total on the day).

Whitesox 8, Red Sox 6 (game 2). Rob Gnoinski (2-0) went 5 innings strong to help secure the sweep. Offensively, Dave Timmons (4 hits) and Brett Rudy (3 hits) came up big. For the second straight game, the Red Sox battled back for 4 runs in the final inning.

The Whitesox are 10-1 when they score 5 or more runs.

Chris O'Sullivan is back in the win column. Braves 10, Royals 4. 1998 MABL Cy Young winner, Chris O'Sullivan, broke a personal 5-game losing streak as the Braves defeated the Royals. O'Sullivan threw 6 innings allowing 7 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 9. Offensively, Chris Filiberto, Mark Doucette, and Angelo Amico each had 2 hits for the Braves. For the Royals, skipper John Palumbo went 3-3 in the losing effort.

Dave Mitrou with 3 steals brings his total to 14 -- MABL 2nd best. Rockies 5, Indians 2. Mike Close's 3-run homer in the 3rd inning appeared to be enough to help Greg O'Keefe get his 2nd win on the season. Close ended the day with 4 RBIs on 2 hits. Dave Mitrou also hit a pair of singles, but showed he has speed on the bases as he added 3 more SB to his yearly total. Defense once again was tight, turning 2 double playes on the day. Brain Cooper made 2 nice diving grabs as he held strong at the hot corner. The Indians were only able to scatter 3 hits on the day.

Kyle and Keith Philson book-end the Rockies to victory. Rockies 9, Indians 5. Kyle Philson (3-0) and Keith Philson (save) helped the Rockies to victory. Dave Mitrou and Mike Close both had full speed diving catches with runners in scoring position. Leland Boutillier played the bricks nicely to cut down the runner trying to stretch a double. Brian Cooper made a stellar diving play also. Offensively, Gary Moran hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 6th and Bart Lawyer plated 2 and scored 2. Two hit performances go to Brian Cooper and Chris Clark. The Indians Daryl Pina went the distance on the mound only allowing 4 earned runs.

Brewers 11, Phillies 3 (game 1). Jason Gesing (3-4) led the way for the Brewers. Pitching, Eddie Barber gave up 3 runs (1 earned) and struck out 4. Barber also went 2-4 with one of the longest bombs to date in the Saturday league.
Brewers 4, Phillies 3 (game 2). Zack Wells (Brewers) and Tom Deveau (Phillies) dueled one of the best pitched game this year. To help himself, Wells tied the game in the 4th, scoring Andy Courneyer. Matt Baier brought home what would be the winning run in the 5th with a clutch bases-loaded single. Dave Petrelli also went 2-3.
Orioles 11, Phillies 5. Frank Grant drove in 5 runs to lead the Orioles to their second victory of the season. Joe Knaus picked up his second win on the mound, scattering 8 hits through 7 innings and allowing just 3 earned runs. Further helping the cause, Dan Gomes, Mike Melnicki, and Mike Veloso, the O's 1-2-3 hitters, combined to score 7 runs.
Marlins 12, Orioles 3. Mathew Khoury went the distance allowing only one earned run while striking out 8 over 9 innings. Khoury also singled, walked and scored two runs. Jeremy Katz had a productive game hitting cleanup by driving in 3 runs with a single and a sacrifice fly.

7/12/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/12

Steve Corda - 2 homeruns and a 12-game hitting streak. Giants 15, D'Backs 9. Homeruns were the story of the night -- 4 for the Giants, 2 for the Diamondbacks. Steve Corda hit 3-run and 2-run homers, Tom Hague hit a 3-run homer and Dan Sullivan hit a solo shot for the Giants. For the D'Backs, Bill Schellbach hit a solo homer and Scott Hruzd hit a 4-run homer (they call those a grand slam) which tied the game 9-9 in the 5th. The Giants scrapped for more runs in the 6th before Corda's second homer of the day provided a necessary cushion. Marc Calamito pitched a complete game for the win, shutting down the D'Backs in order in the 6th and 7th innings. Steve Corda extended his hitting streak to 12-games. Corda now holds the longest hit streak of the season and trails Jon Mead of the Whitesox for the longest hit streak of MABL all-time - 18 games.

Mark Doucette wins first start of the season. Braves 14, Red Sox 7. Mark Doucette's first start on the mound this year was outstanding, going the first 6 innings while allowing only 2 runs, as the Braves snap a 3-game losing streak. Offensively, Rick Swanson (3 hits and 2 RBI's), and Jeff Gauthier (2 runs scored, 3 SB's) performed well.

7/09/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/09

Dodgers 7, Giants 3 (game 1 and 2). Dodgers sweep the Giants. In Game 1, Dodger starter Garrett Fisher picked-up the complete game victory as he scattered eight hits in allowing two earned runs. Fisher added eight strikeouts to bring his season total to 59. In Game 2, Jose Medina pitched six strong innings for his first victory of the season. Like Fisher, he scattered eights hits and allowed two earned runs. Josue Feliciano pitched a hitless, scoreless seventh inning to preserve the victory. Kevin Beliveau and Matt Hayes led the Dodger attack in the doubleheader. Beliveau was 4-6 while Hayes was 4-7. Catchers Scott Batsch and Chris Bisbano went a combined 3-6 in the doubleheader and both were stellar defensively. Adam Gabriel was a key tablesetter in game two as he was 2-3 with two runs scored. Super fan Ryan Callori provided key encouragement throughout the game.

Mark Bowles steals 3 bases, upping his league-lead to 17. Indians 4, Mets 1 (game 1). Rob Dexter (2-1) went the distance on the mound, scattering 4 hits, giving up 1 run, and striking out 9. Offensively Jason DeVeau was 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and Lee Hughes added 2 RBI's. For the Mets, Justin Wetherby threw well, giving up 6 hits in the complete game effort.

Indians 7, Mets 3 (game 2). The Indians picked up the double-dip sweep behind Josh Hale's (3-1) complete game effort (7H, 3R, 3K's). Offensively the Tribes bats erupted for 12 hits, led by Matt Dawes (2 for 3, HR) and Mike Lantz (2 for 2, 2 doubles). Mark Bowles, Daryl Pina, and Andy Rowlings had two hits apiece, while speedster Bowles added 3 stolen bases to his league leading total (17). For the Mets, Seth Grossman went 3 for 3 with a stolen base.

Jeff James delivers game winning walk-off single in bottom of 7th. Cardinals 7, D'backs 6. Jeff James came up big in the bottom of the 7th inning with a walk-off game-winning single to give the Cards the victory. The D'backs had been winning 6-5 going into the 7th, but the Cards rallied back for the big win. The Cards are now 12-1.

Keith Umlauf records Win and Save, all in one day. Cubs 6, Yankees 5 (games 1 and 2). Cubs sweep the Yankees. Keith Umlauf led the Cubs picking up a save and a win on the day. Umlauf came in for the final 2 innings of Game 1, allowing no runs, 1 hit and striking out 3. He also relieved Game 2, throwing the final 3 innings, allowing no earned runs and only one hit. Down 5-1 with 2 innings to play of Game 2, the Cubs marched back, capped by a dramatic single by Alex Keyes to knock in the game-tying and game-winning run in the bottom of the 7th inning. Kevin O'Toole (4 hits) led the Cubs offense for the day. Jeff Seng reached base in 6 out of 7 appearances at the plate as well. For the Yankees, Frank Kowalski hit one of the longest homeruns in MABL history out of Fallon Park.

Jim Martino guns out 2 runners from centerfield. Red Sox 17, Royals 14 (Friday). Eric Bennett pitched three strong innings and picked up the win in relief. Andy Herbine's towering three-run homerun over the parking lot in right field was the difference.

Red Sox 5, Royals 0 (Sunday). Corey Aldoupolis took a no-hitter to the fifth and pitched a complete game shutout to notch his 3rd win of the season. Cesar Cabral homered and Dan Moyer tripled and scored providing all of the offense the Sox would need. The Red Sox turned a rare 5-3-2 double play and gunned down two other Royal runners, centerfielder Jim Martino had two assists.

Craig Genualdo (Astros) and Brian Cooper (Rockies) each notch complete game victories. Astros 6, Rockies 1 (game 1). The Astros beat the Rockies behind a complete game pitching performance by Craig Genualdo. The General allowed only five singles, struck out three, and walked two. Sean Kennedy was 2 for 4 while driving in the first three 'Stros runs. Rich Newman and Matt Cronin also collected two hits each.

Rockies 3, Astros 2 (game 2). The Rockies won an exciting 9-inning affair behind the arm of pitcher Brian Cooper -- their 4th extra inning win in four attempts. Coop threw all nine innings allowing only four hits while striking out three and walking four. The Rockies won in the bottom of the 9th when Rick Corson scored on a Sean Kennedy wild pitch that rolled out of play.

Scott Bevis (4-4) holds half of Whitesox victories. Whitesox 7, Tigers 5. The Whitesox improved to 8-7 behind the strong pitching of Scott Bevis. Bevis (4-4) tossed 5 innings allowing only 4 hits and now holds half off all Sox victories. Al Wiesner picked up his MABL league leading 4th save throwing 0.2 innings. Offensively, Sam Voolich was 2 for 3 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Zeph Varley was 2 for 2 with a double and 2 RBI. Of note, Josh Gordon ended his hitting streak at 9 games. For the Tigers, Jason Joyce made some noise when he tripled and then stole home on a delayed-steal.

2000 MABL MVP, Eric August is bidding for a repeat in 2001. Pirates 8, Braves 3 (game 1). Eric August (3-1) pitched a complete game allowing only 2 earned runs while striking out 7. August also was 3-4 with a double and 2 RBIs. Mike Mahoney had a stellar day going 3-4 with 2 triples. Rich Bergskaug and Brian Houle also had multiple hit. For the Braves, Sean McCarty and Mike Knell each picked up a pair of hits.

Pirates 3, Braves 2 (game 2). Eric August delivered a bases-loaded walk-off single in the bottom of the 7th inning for the Buc's victory. Mike Mahoney (2-0) pitched a complete game for the Pirates allowing only 5 hits and no earned runs with 9 Ks. Kevin Szoke pitched very well for the Braves only allowing 2 runs in 6th innings and left the game with the no decision.

Phillies 9, Orioles 8. Nabs Englander captured his 3rd win, firing 6.1 scoreless innings, striking out 3, with two critical defensive plays, including a ninth inning pickoff at second, while at the plate going 1 for 3 with a run scored and steal. Jeff Graham came off the bench with a huge 2-run, game-tying single in the bottom of the seventh, and scored the go-ahead run on Brian Wildeman's 4th sac fly of the season (also went 2-3, 1 R, 2 RBI).
Brewers 12, Marlins 3. Chris Arenda pitched 8 innings allowing only 3 hits and 2 runs while striking out 7. Colin Campbell finished out the game in the 9th striking out the side. Matt Baier (2-3, Sac Fly, 1 BB, 3 RBI) and Jeff Burns (3-3, 2 BB, 3 RBI) extended their hitting streaks to 9 games as the Brewers improved to 8-1 on the season.

7/04/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/04

Dave Mitrou gets 8th inning game-winning hit (going 3 for 4). Rockies 8, Royals 7 (8 innings). Gary Moran and Neal Roper had back-to-back HRs that helped power the Rockies to victory. Leland Boutiller stole home (1 of his 2 SBs on the evening) and sparked a 2-out rally that tied the ballgame in the 4th inning. But the game-wining hit went to Dave Mitrou, who had a great day at the plate and on the bases, going 3-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 3 SB. Chris Clark and Keith Philson (3-0) pitched well and combined for 10 Ks and allowing only 8 hits. Also of note, Neil Roper hit a monster shot out of Fallon over the left field fence.

Jeff James (5-0) lowers ERA to 2.94 striking out 8 with no walks. Cardinal 15, Whitesox 3. The Cardinals scored at least 1 run in every inning to defeat the Whitesox. Nine different Cards collected hits, led by Dan Jalbert who tripled and doubled. On the hill, Jeff James pitched 6 strong innings allowing only 4 hits, 1 earned run, while striking out 8 and walking none. James improved to 5-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.94. For the Whitesox, Josh Gordon extended his hitting streak to an MABL best 9 games.

Orioles 12, Marlins 8. The Orioles won their first game of the season, finally. Following up a strong starting pitching performance by Jon Christensen, Joe Knaus came in to pitch 4 2/3 strong innings, striking out 11 and giving up just 3 runs (1 earned) on 1 hit en route to leading the O's to their first victory. At the plate, Dan Gomes and Jay Thomas each drove in 3 runs, while Frank Grant and Shaun Stack each scored 3 runs, and Jason Bressner and Steve Pica each had a pair of hits.
Pirates 23, Mets 1. Jim Belcastro, Jay Day, Rich Bergskaug and Vinny Paquette all homered for the Pirates who recorded 23 runs on Sunday. Craig Vecchiarelli (3-0) notched his third win of the year by pitching 5 masterful innings, allowing only two hits and one run, while striking out nine. The Pirates, who improved to 9-5 on the year, also received strong days at the plate from Brian Houle and Conrad Paquette.

Steve Corda and Marty Henning each homer in 3-hit performances. Giants 14, Mets 6. Homeruns by Steve Corda (3 for 3, 4 runs, 3 SB, 2 RBI's) and Marty Henning (3 for 4, 3 runs, 3 RBI's, SB) led the Giants offense over the Mets. Marc Calamito pitched a strong game for the win, retiring the last 8 players he faced. The Mets, led by Justin Wetherby's triple, scored 6 runs in the third, which was later matched by a 6-run Giant 6th. Jose Parra's bases-clearing double gave the Giants the lead for good.

7/02/01: Gamebreakers, as of 7/02

Phillies sweep Marlins in DH. In Game #1 of a double-header, Matt Englander hurled his first complete game and picked up the win, holding the Marlins to only 2 runs in seven innnings. In Game #2, Tom Deveau matched the performance, also firing his first complete game, collecting his 3rd win of the season, and allowing only 1 earned run through seven innings. Mark Balfe went 5-8 in the double header with a homerun, triple, 6 runs scored, three RBI's and a steal. Paul Bracco, 3-5, also swatting 2 doubles and drove in 2.

Lightning and Hale do damage (Daryl Pina and Josh Hale). Indians 6, Braves 2. The Indians pounded out 10 hits and Daryl Pina went the rain shortened distance to pick up the win for the Tribe. Pina allowed only 4 hits over 6 1/3 inning before the thunder and lighting moved in, ending the game. Josh Hale was 3 for 4 and Mark Bowles went 2 for 3 with a triple for the 7-6 Indians (7-6). Mike Daly (2 for 3, double) and Jason DeVeau (2 for 3, 2 RBI) also were big contributors.

Mike Moloney, 3 hits on the day. Yankees 9, Giants 4. Mike Moloney (3 hits), Frank Kowalski and Jeff Coveney all had multi-hit games to help the Yanks win their 10th game of the season. Bryan Gauvin struck out 3, allowing 1 run (1 ER) in 6 innings to pick up his 5th victory. The Yank's big inning was the 6th when they scored 4 runs on RBI singles from Dave Galehouse and Andrew Burton. Nick Stenzel also has a deep RBI double in the 3rd. A Giants 3 run, 7th inning rally, which was highlighted by a Joe Cavaleri 2-run bomb to dead center rally fell short.

Rich Newman gets it started for the 'Stros with 2-RBIs in 1st inning. Astros 7, Red Sox 6. The Astros punched out 13 hits for the second straight game as they beat the first-place Red Sox. Rich Newman ignited the 'Stros offense with a 2-RBI single in the first inning. Pat McGann, Terry Belli, Nate Kenyon, and Sean Kennedy all added two hits and an RBI each. Kennedy (7 H, 10K, 0 BB) also pitched the complete game win. For the Red Sox, Cesar Cabral (3 for 3, RBI) had two triples.

D'Backs 5, Tigers 3. The Diamondbacks defeated the Tigers behind a strong pitching performance by Scott Hrudz (7 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 K, 4 BB). Offensively, Josh Congdon-Martin led the way going 2-2 with a triple and 2 RBI while Jeremy Broadwell brought home an insurance run in the 6th with a sacrifice fly.

Chris Clark and Kevin Spitz homer back-to-back in the 1st inning. Rockies 10, Pirates 8. Chris Clark and Kevin Spitz hit back-to-back HR's in the 1st inning to help the Rockies become the first 10-game winning team this season. Chris Webb notched his 2nd win of the season, pitching 4 innings, while striking out 4. Clark, Kevin Spitz, Leland Boutillier, and Rick Corson each had a pair of hits. The winning RBI came in the 5th inning when Corson layed a perfect suicide squeeze to score Boots. Greg O'Keefe recorded his first save, pitching 3 innings, 0 R, 7 strikeouts. For the Pirates, Vinny Paquette and Rich Bergskog each hit homers.

6/28/01: Gamebreakers, as of 6/28

Sam Voolich records his first MABL win in his first start.

Whitesox 8, Giants 3. The Whitesox defeated the Giants with likely the most unique final out in Sox team history -- an appeal play to thirdbase after a Giant runner missed the bag prior to coming home. Sam Voolich, in his first start on the hill, pitched 4 strong innings allowing 4 hits to pick up the win. Scott Bevis then pitched the final 3 innings of shutout relief to earn the save. Offensively, Murray Reed led the attack with a 2-run homer, alongside Josh Gordon who launched a 3-run base-clearing triple. Defensively, the Sox were flawless, committing no errors.

Corey Aldopoulis hits 2 homeruns in a losing effort. Diamondbacks 17, Red Sox 16. The Diamondbacks held on for a 17-16 victory as Ryan Chase picked up his second victory of the season. The D'Backs were powered by 2-run homers from Scott Hrudz and Jeremy Broadwell. This game also marked the return of leader Dave Woods (1-3, 2 RBI) in his first game back after a lengthy stay on the DL following kidney surgery. For the Red Sox, Corey Aldopoulis hit two homers and Jeremy LeBlanc hit one in a losing effort.

Watertown Redsox 12, Metro Giants 4. The MSBL 40+ Watertown Red Sox won their first game in convincing fashion behind the dominating pitching of Phil Sartori who gave up but 2 unearned runs and 3 hits in six strong innings. The Red Sox marched out to a 5-run first inning lead and never looked back. Sartori struck out 9 while walking only two. Scott Hand and Bob Moschella each had 2 hits and combined for 5 RBI and 4 runs scored in the 13-hit attack. Local favorite, 72 year-old Ralph Sabatino, while hitless in two at bats, continues to make good contact at the plate.

Chris Seng leads the Cubs with the bat (GWRBI) and glove. Cubs 3, Indians 2. Keith Umlauf (3-2) picked up his third win of the season as the Cubs improved to 7-6. Both Umlauf and Josh Hale (Indians) pitched complete games in this pitchers dual. For the Cubs, Chris Seng drove in the game-winning RBI to allow the Cubs to take their 3-2 lead. Seng also made 2 tremendous plays at 3rd base in the sixth inning to keep the tying Indians runner stranded at third. These activities earned Seng the iMassRadio Player of the Game. Both Indians runs were scored on a 2-run homer by Lee Hughes. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS iMassRadio "GAME OF THE WEEK"

6/25/01: Gamebreakers, as of 6/25

Greg O'Keefe tosses no-hitter. Rockies 1, Yankees 0. Rockie, Greg O'Keefe pitched the first MABL NO HITTER of the season versus the 1st Place Yankees from the Western Atlantic Conference!! O'Keefe also become the 8th Rockie pitcher to record a win (out of 9 total Rockie wins). In 7 strong innings, O'Keefe struck out 12. Neal Roper scored the only run of the game for both sides in the 5th inning after tripling to lead off the inning. Yankees pitcher Jon Mugar pitched a gem as well, allowing only 4 hits in 6 innings. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS iMassRadio "GAME OF THE WEEK"

Mike Gennaro rips game-winning RBI double in 7th inning. Whitesox 10, Mets 9. The Whitesox overcame a 0-7 deficit to defeat the Mets. With the score 9-9 in the top of the 7th inning, Mike Gennaro doubled home Jon Mead to take a 10-9 lead. Al Wiesner pitched the bottom of the 7th inning for the save, stranding the tying and winning Mets runners in scoring position. Seven different White Sox batters slugged extra base hits, but none more impressive than the 2-RBI blast triples by both Zeph Varley and Cesar Urena. Scott Bevis tossed 2/3 inning in middle-relief to notch the win.

Chris Allen becomes the first MABL 5 Game Winner. Red Sox 10, Dodgers 2. Chris Allen (5-0, 2.23) overcame first inning control trouble to pitch 6 strong innings for his fifth win of the season. Dan Moyer (2-4, 2R, RBI, SB) set the table for the Sox before leaving the game with a concussion in the 6th. Moyer collided with the Sox shortstop while diving for a pop-up but is recovering well at home today. Ken Drew (2-3, 2B, R, RBI) and Eric Bennett (2-4, 3B, 2B, R, 3 RBI) provided the power for the Red Sox offense.

Phillies 12, Brewers 8. Brian Wildeman finally made his first out of the season going only 3-4 with 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored, and a pair of steals (Wildman is 8-9 on the season). Brendan Power went 3/4 with 3 runs scored, an RBI, and two doubles. EJ Freni brought his usual noisy bat going 2/5, with 3 RBIs, a run scored and 2 steals. Scott Miller also slugged a pair of doubles with 2 RBIs. Tom Deveau continued his mastery of Saturday League batters, shutting out a potent Brewer offense for 5.2 innings, holding them to only 4 hits, picking up the win.
Giants 9, Royals 8. Joe Cavaleri's 2-out single in the bottom of the 7th brought home Marty Henning with the walk-off winning run in the Giants come from behind victory over the Royals, 9-8. The Royals took an 8-1 lead in the 4th inning keyed by manager John Palumbo's single. From that point on, Steve Corda shut down the Royals, striking out the last 6 batters he faced, giving the offense the opportunity to comeback and win the game.
Cardinals 3, Pirates 2. Jeff James had a complete game, 4-hit, 8 strike out game against the hard hitting Pirates today. He was backed by a solid Cardinal defense. He also ripped an RBI to help the team gain the win. Vin Paquette should get noticed for taking a rare mistake by James nearly over the softball field for a two run homer. Conrad Paquette also had a great day on the hill for the Pirates.
Braves 10, D'Backs 3. Kevin Szoke got his 2nd win of the season, pitching a compleye game for the Braves.
Indians 4, Tigers 1. Jason DeVeau was the star of the day for the Indians, throwing a complete game 2-hitter. DeVeau struck out 8 Tigers, walked 2 and gave up only 1 earned run. Tiger pitching also allowed only 2 hits - one to Josh Hale and the other to Andy Rowlings.

6/23/01: Gamebreakers, as of 6/23

Jeff Coveney leads MABL in batting at .600 (18 for 30) after 10 games. Yankees defeat Mets. Backed by home runs from Frank Kowalski and Jeff Coveney (2-3, 3 RBI, Hr), Bryan Gauvin pitched 5 innings to pick up his 4th win. Bill Pappas (2-3, 2B, 3 RBI) and Paul Stumita (2 hits, 2B) also provided the offensive spark. Ken Kilduff and Greg Crossman closed out the game pitching an inning apiece of shutout ball.

Sean McCarty, Braves, belts homer vs. former team, Astros. Braves 8, Astros 4. Angelo Amico notched his first MABL win, a complete game 7-hitter. Amico had 10 strikeouts and allowed 1 earned run, while walking only 1. The Braves hit 3 homeruns on the night: Mike Knell and Sean McCarty each hit a dinger, combining for 5 hits (McCarty with 3, Knell with 2) and droving in 3 runs apiece. Plus, John Danielson hit a 2-run HR. For the Astros, Dave Kwajewski hit 2 doubles in defeat.

Conrad Paquette hits homer and tosses 6 scoreless innings. Pirates 2, Dodgers 1. Jim Belcastro's bases loaded RBI walk in the bottom of the sixth inning propelled the Pirates to a 2-1 win. In a game dominated by pitching, Conrad Paquette (3-1) took over in the second inning on the mound for the Bucs, (Eric August started the game but ran into arm trouble in the first) and pitched masterfully the rest of the way. Paquette pitched the final six innings, allowing no runs, only 3 hits and striking out 8. Paquette also homered for the Pirates, who have won five straight. John Yirak took the hard-luck loss but pitched extremely well for the Dodgers.

Daryl Pina retires first 11 Royals, seals win, and gets 2 hits. Indians 10, Royals 0. hurler Daryl Pina retired the first 11 Royals he faced on the way to picking up his first victory of the season. Battling through ridiculously humid conditions, Pina threw the complete game gem striking out 5 and allowing only 3 hits. On the offensive side, the Indians were led by Mike Daly (3-5, 2 runs, RBI) and Lee Hughes (3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI's), while Pina, Jay McGilvery, Josh Hale, and Mark Bowles each chipped in with 2 hits.

Sean Kennedy notches Astros win and drives in game-winning RBI. Astros 4, White Sox 2. Sean Kennedy (2-2) threw 5 innings allowing 5 hits collecting the win. Mike Vernon entered the game in the 6th, pitched the final 2 innings, and allowed no hits or runs to record the save. Vernon also led Astros offense, going 2-3, including a monstrous triple in the fifth inning. Kennedy helped his own cause by droving in the game-winning RBI with a sac-fly in the 6th inning. Rich Newman singled in an insurance run to make the score 4-2. Sox starter, Scott Bevis, brought a no-hitter into the 5th inning for the 2nd time this season, but took the loss. Josh Gordon scored both Sox runs.

Giants 8, Braves 3. Steve Corda threw a complete game 5-hitter, while striking out 15 to defeat the Braves.

John Breslin leads Mets with a first inning 3-RBI triple. Mets 12, Res Sox 5. John Breslin's bases-clearing triple keyed an 8-run first inning against his former team as the Mets rolled to victory. Chris Sansone stroked 3 hits (including 2 in the first inning) and picked up a steal and 2 RBIs for the Mets, leading off the 8-run 1st and a 4-run 6th with base hits. Justin Wetherby pitched a workmanlike 5 innings in the 95-degree heat, striking out 7 and picking up the win, and Arthur Lecesse tossed two scoreless frames to close it out. For the Red Sox, former Met Dan Moyer was 4-for-4 and Chris Allen was 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs.

Brian Cooper becomes the 7th Rockie pitcher to record a win this season. Rockies 17, Tigers 4. Every Rocky contributed to help Brian Cooper pick up his 1st win of the season to become the 7th different Rockie pitcher with a win. Coop allowed only 3 ER on 4 hits, not allowing any Tigers to cross the plate after the second inning. Brothers Kyle Philson and Keith Philson powered the offense as they combined for a 4-5 (2 Hits each), 6 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB performance. Gary Moran added with 3 more hits, 2 triples. Chris Clark, Neal Roper, and John Sutich each recorded 2 hits on the day.

Nirav Patel, Rob Gnoinski and
Al Wiesner 3-hit the Rockies. White Sox 5, Rockies 2. Three Whitesox pitchers, Nirav Patel, Rob Gnoinski and Al Wiesner combined for a 3-hitter against the first-place Rockies. Patel (2-0) picked up the win allowing singles to Bart Lawyer and Les Dakin and a homerun to Gary Moran. The Sox smacked 4 doubles from Josh Gordon, Al Wiesner, Dave Timmons and Zeph Varley to help secure the win offensively.

6/14/01: Gamebreakers, as of 6/14

Red Sox 8, Indians 7. The Red Sox stayed just ahead of the Indians all night by getting timely hitting and defense when it mattered most. Eric Bennett made a spectacular diving catch in right to save a run in the 3rd. Jim Martino and Dan Edgehille shrunk the outfield by ranging in all directions for five tough put-outs. With the Sox leading 6-4, Pat Donovan lead-off the sixth with a pinch hit single and Edgehille doubled to set the table for Corey Aldoupolis' monster of a ground rule double in the 6th to put the Sox up 8-4 and seal the win.
Pirates 8, Giants 3. The Pirates' won their 4th straight behind the strong pitching of Mike Mahoney (1-0) who scattered 5 hits and only allowed 3 runs in 5 innings. Mike McCarthy came on to pitch the last two innings and record his second save of the year. On the offensive end, the Bucs pounded out 13 hits (5 for extra bases). Leading the offensive charge was Jay O'Brien (2-3, 2B, RBI), Rich Bergskaug (2-4, 2B, 2RBIs) and Brian Dooley (2-3, 2 2Bs, 2 Runs, RBI). Last year's homerun king, Conrad Paquette also chipped in with a double and 2RBIs. Jay Day (2-3, 3B, RBI) also hit well for the Pirates.
D'Backs 6, Cubs 1. The DBacks recorded their third consecutive victory behind their third consecutive complete game pitching performance. This time lefty Ryan Chase notched the win. Chase scattered two hits over seven innings and struck out 9 Cubs. Offensively, Mike Connolly went 2 for 2 with a triple and 2 RBI, Scott Hruzd went 1 for 2 with 2 RBI, and Orpheo Speer and Jesse Abair each had two hits. Additionally, the D'Back pitchers have only allowed 4 base on balls over the last 23 innings.
Red Sox 7, Tigers 4. Dan Edgehille scattered four hits and six walks over four innings to notch his first win in the MABL. Aaron Leanhardt (4-4, 2 R, 5 SB) was a one man offensive machine. Eric Bennett (1-1, HR, HBP, 2RBI) hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Dan Williams (2-3, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) went deep in the fifth inning. Jeremy Colby (3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 4 BB, 3 K) worked the last three innings to notch the save.
Marlins 17, Phillies 16. After spotting the Phillies 10 runs, the Marlins pecked away at the lead and scored 5 runs in the 5th and 9 runs in the 6th to edge the unbeaten Phillies 17-16. Jim Reardon led the way at 2 for 3 with 3 SBs. Offensively and defensively catcher Matt Khoury also took center stage for the Marlins going 2 for 3 and caught the tying run attempting to steal third ending the top-half of the seventh inning and squashing the Phillies hopes to retaliate.
Indians 7, Dodgers 6 (Game 1). Josh Hale recorded his second win of the season going 6 2/3 innings, scattering 5 hits, striking out 11 and giving up only 1 earned run as the Indians won the first game of the twin billing. At the plate, Mark Bowles went 2 for 5 with a triple while Jay McGilvery added a 2 for 3 performance with a double. Leading 7-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning and two outs, the Dodgers plated 5 and had the tying run on 3rd base when Jason DeVeau came in to pick up the last out and the save.
Dodgers 10, Indians 9 (Game 2). In a see-saw battle game two, while the Dodgers notched the win, Mark Bowles continued his hot hitting on the day going 3 for 4 with a double, 2 runs scored for the Indians. Mike Daly and Josh Hale each added Tribe triples to the cause.
Rockies 12, Mets 8 (Game 1). Jeff Daigle was the sixth different pitcher to pick up a win this season for the Rockies. The Rockies took the lead in the first, were up 6-0 by third and never looked back improving to 6-1 on the season. Offense was led by Leland Boutilier (2-3, HBP, 2 SB, 3 R, RBI), and Chris Clark (2-3, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R, 4 SB). Brian Cooper (2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 K) picked up his second save, shutting the door in the sixth & seventh.
Rockies 9, Mets 4 (Game 2). The Rockies swept their doubleheader as Kyle Philson allowed only 5 hits in 6 innings of work. Philson struck out the side in both the third and sixth innings, and fellow fire-baller Kevin Spitz came in to stike out the side in the seventh. Les Dakin, Chris Spadaccini, Brian Cooper, Leland Boutilier and John Sutich all picked up 2 hits, contributing to the well balanced Rockies attack.

Tigers 7, Red Sox 1. The Tigers handed the Red Sox their first loss of the season behind another strong pitching preformance by Kevin Mcgowan. Kevin gave up one run in five innings and Chris Gilbert pitched the final two innings for his first save of the season. Jason Joyce had two hits and stole three bases.

Bryan Gauvin (3-0) K's 12
in 5 innings. Yankees 10, White Sox 2. Frank Kowalski led the hit parade against the White Sox, gathering 3 of the Yankees 14 hits, including a triple. Nick Stenzel and Jeff Coveney also had multi-hit games. Ken Kilduff legged out a triple. Bryan Gauvin earned the victory, pitching 5 innings and giving up just 1 unearned run on 2 hits, with 12 Ks. Ken Kilduff and Nick Stenzel tossed the final 2 innings to keep the White Sox from getting back in the game.

D'Backs 3, Astros 2. The Diamondbacks took the first game of the doubleheader behind the complete game pitching of Scott Hrudz who gave up only three unearned runs on seven strikeouts and no walks. Astros pitcher Sean Kennedy (6 IP, 7 SO, 0 BB) took the loss
allowing one earned run on four hits. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS iMassRadio "GAME OF THE WEEK"
D'Backs 6, Astros 5. The Diamondbacks sweep the doubleheader with a complete game winning performance from Kevin McGovern who pitched eight solid innings as the D'Backs won it on a two-out RBI single from McGovern in the bottom of the eighth. This hard-fought and well played 15 inning doubleheader was completed in an astonishing 4 hours and 15 minutes. Nate Kenyon and Rich Newman of the Astros each
finished the day 4 for 6 with 3 stolen bases.

6/07/01: Gamebreakers, as of 6/07:

Pirates 16, Royals 2. The Pirates beat the Royals behind the strong pitching of Craig Vecchiarelli (2-0, 11Ks). Vec only 0 earned runs on 2 hits while striking out 11. Jay O'Brien (3-3, 2B, 3 Runs, 2 RBIs, 3 SBs) led a Buc's attack, where a total of 10 Pirates collected basehits.

Jeff Coveney knocks in 2 of his 4 RBIs on the day. Yankees 18, Whitesox 3. The Yankees scored 18 runs on 15 hits to improve to 7-1. Offensive was led by Nick Stenzel's 3 run dinger, Jeff Coveney's second straight 3-hit 4 RBI performance and Dave Galehouse's 3 hits. Greg Crossman and Mike Ganley each had 2 hits as well. Jon Mugar pitched and improved to 3-0 hurling 5 innings allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits while striking out 9. For the Whitesox, Al Wiesner hit a solo homerun onto the Jefferson school roof.

6/05/01: Gamebreakers, as of 6/05:

Cubs 9, Braves 5. The Braves drew first blood in the 1st when Mark Doucette (3-3, HR, 3 RBI) crushed a 2-run homerun scoring Paul Schneider. The Cubs came right back in the bottom half of the same inning when Shane Steffens (2-3, HR, 4 RBI's) hit a 3-run homer to put the Cubs up 4-2. Michael Ferris also went 2-3 with a solo home run in the 4th. Chris Seng provided the most timely hit with a bases-loaded, 2-out double in the 5th to provide much needed insurance runs. It should prove to be an exciting rematch this Sunday.

Eric August and Vinny Paquette
hit back-to-back HR's and triples. Pirates 7, Yankees 5. The Pirates knocked the Yankees from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 7 to 5 win. Eric August (2-0) scattered 12 hits, struck out 8 and went the distance for the Bucs, who improved to 4-3 on the year. The Pirates started their scoring in the bottom of the first when Vinny Paquette (2-3, HR, 3B, RBI) and August (2-3, HR, 3B, 2RBIs) hit back to back homeruns. Paquette and August also added back to back triples two innings later. Jay Day (2-2, 3B, 2 Runs), Brian Dooley (2-3, 3B, 1 Run) and Rich Bergskaug (2 RBIs) also had productive days at the plate.

Cesar Urena interviewed after named iMassRadio "Player of the Game." Whitesox 12, Royals 9 (Game 1). On iMassRadio, Sox 18-year-old rookie Cesar Urena was selected the "Player of the Game." In a perfect day, Cesar was HBP, singled and walked. But most impressively, he stole 3 bases, scoring each time, including from 2nd-base on a sac-fly to left, and from 2nd-base on a sac bunt to thirdbase. Scott Bevis recorded the Win for Sox, Peter Milano grabbed the Hold and Al Wiesner picked up the Save. For the Royals, John Palumbo (2 singles and a HR) and Brandt Engstrom (single and 2 doubles) each recorded 3 hits. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS iMassRadio "GAME OF THE WEEK"

Whitesox 14, Royals 5 (Game 2). The Sox swept their doubleheader to gain a 4-3 record. Nirav Patel threw a masterful complete game for the win allowing only 6 scattered hits. Aarron Hutchins picked up 3 hits and Kevin Gazda and Al Wiesner each picked up 2 hits. Cesar Urena scored 3 more runs (6 for the day) and 4 more bases (7 for the day), including home on a double-steal.
Tigers 3, Cubs 0. The Tigers won a pitchers duel as both teams combined only gave up three hits. Kevin Mcgowan picked up the complete game win for the Tigers as he retired 19 straight batters. Mark Joyce picked up the only Tiger hit which was a homerun. Keith Umlauf pitched a complete game for the Cubs as he only gave up the one hit and struck out 13 Tiger batters.
Indians 11, Astros 2. The Daryl Pina went 2 for 3 with a double, 3 RBI's and 2 runs scored, and Rob Dexter gave up 2 runs on 3 hits over 5 innings of mound work as the Indians defeated the Astros and won their third game in a row. Mark Bowles (2-3, 3 runs), Jason DeVeau (2-4), Josh Hale (2-5) and Lee Hughes (2-5, 2 runs) all added two hits a piece for the Tribe.

6/01/01: Gamebreakers, as of 6/01:

Indians 10, Astros 3. Mike Daly (2-4, 3 RBI's) homered twice and Mike Lantz (2-3, 2 Runs) added a round tripper of his own as the Indians defeated the Astros. On the mound, Jason DeVeau went 6 innings, scattering 3 hits and striking out 6 on his way to notching the victory. Also for the Tribe, Brian Greene added a 2 for 3 performance. A total of 7 Indians picked up RBI's.

Frank Kowalski, Andrew Burton and Mike Moloney all hit dingers. Yankees 9, Pirates 6. Frank Kowalski, Andrew Burton and Mike Moloney (in his 1st game back from the DL) all homered as the Yankees defeated the Pirates and improved to 6-0. Bryan Gauvin (2-0) notched the win, striking out 10 and allowing 5 hits over 5 innings. Ken Kilduff finished the game, pitching 2 innings, and striking out 3. Play of the game, situation: 2 outs in the 7th, bases loaded with the tying runner on 1st, and 2000 League MVP, Eric August, at the plate. August proceeded to hit a deep drive to right field which Mike Moloney caught on a dive to end the game. This saved a sure extra base hit which would have at least tied the game.

Tom Deveau tosses 7 strong for
the win and also went 2-2. Phillies 15, Orioles 2. Tom DeVeau led the charge on the mound by pitching 7 innings, giving up 1 ER on 4 hits and had 4 K's. He also was hot at the bat going 2-2 with a single, double and 2 RBI. Hugh Quinn made his debut on the mound pitching 2 scoreless innings. Brian Wildeman smacked 2 triples, going 3-3 on the day. Dominic Moruzzi made some key plays and had a solid defensive outing at second base. The Phillies are now 2-0 overall.

5/20/01: Gamebreakers, as of 5/20:

Pirates 12, Whitesox 2. The Whitesox battled the Pirates in historic Cooperstown, New York at Doubleday Field at the Baseball Hall of Fame in the first Boston MABL game ever played outside of the Greater Boston Area. The Bucs' relied on the strong left arm of ace Craig Vecchiarelli (1-0) and some timely hitting from veteran Eric August (2-3, 2 Runs and 1 RBI) and rookie Sean Devan (2-2, 2 2Bs and 1 RBI) to beat the White Sox. The Bucs, who entered the game on a two game slide, scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first to regain the lead and never looked back. Jay O'Brien reached base all four times, scored twice and stole four bases. Jim Belcastro also drove in a run for the Bucs, who upped their record to 3-2 overall. The following players can all say they got base hits at the Hall of Fame field:
Pirates: Eric August (2 hits, 1 double), Conrad Paquette, Sean Devan (2 hits), Jim Belcastro, Shayne Guiliano, and Craig Vecharelli.

Whitesox: Aarron Hutchins, Al Wiesner (2 doubles), Sam Voolich, Murray Reed, Jon Banchick, and Mike Gennaro.

Whitesox in Cooperstown, NY
Pirates arrive at Doubleday Field.
Craig Vecharelli (center) will notch the win.

See the 2001 Cooperstown Photo Album.

Brewers 16, Orioles 2. The Brewers scored 16 runs in their debut in the MABL this Saturday against the Orioles. Offensive standouts include Matt Baier who was 2-3, HR, 2 BB, 3 runs and 4 RBI's, Jeff Burns who was 2-2, triple, 2 walks, 3 runs and 2 RBI, and Zack Wells who was 2-3, double and a triple, 2 walks, and 1 RBI. Wells also went the distance in this 7 inning affair giving up only 3 hits, 2 earned runs, and 8 strike outs. The Brewers also turned their first double-lay up the middle by Burns and Matt Mead.
Phillies 9, Marlins 7. Tom Deveau pitched 5 strong innings with 6 strikeouts. Matt Englander pitched the last four innings, picking up 3 strike outs and the win. Mark Balfe reached base in all five at-bats including 3 singles and a homerun. Other notables: Jeff Graham started the 5-run rally in the eighth with a base hit and made a great defensive play in left field. EJ Freni went 2 for 3 with a walk. The Marlins also displayed batting prowess. Joe Dunne started the season an amazing 5 for 6 with a double and an RBI. Additionally, Neil Doherty powered a two-run homerun in the second inning.

Jason Joyce notches
win and smacks HR. Tigers 5, Braves 4. Jason Joyce led the Tigers to the win as he hit a homerun on the first pitch of the game. He also pitched a complete game for his third pitching victory. Dave Burr also hit a homerun for the Tigers and Mark Doucette hit one for the Braves.

Chris Clark vs. Keith Umlauf.
Best matchup so far in 2001? Rockies 1, Cubs 0. The Rockies came away with a big win over the Cubs in a close 1-0 pitcher's dual -- Chris Clark, Rockies vs. Keith Umlauff, Cubs. Clark went 7 strong innings giving up 0 R, 6 K and 2 hits in route to recording his first win of the season. The only run of the game, the winning run, came when Kyle Philson tripled in the 5th and scored a passed ball. The total game time was 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Rockies 10, Giants 6. In an 8 inning game, Chris Webb pitched 6 innnings, striking out 10 and allowing 4 earned runs. Keith Philson got the victory after pitching the last 2 innings and allowing just one hit. Dave Mitrou, the iMassRadio player of the game, slapped 3 hits, scoring 2 runs, batting in 2, and stole 2 bases. Gary Moran also had 3 hits in the game and smacked in 3 runs himself. Neal Roper and Bart Lawyer each had a pair of hits en route to the Rockies 5th win of the season. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS iMassRadio "GAME OF THE WEEK"
Astros 11, Dodgers 5. A six-run 6th inning broke up a 5-5 tie as the Astros notched their first of many wins to come this season. Nate Kenyon (3-3, 2 doubles, 3 runs, 2 SB) and Gary DiPerna (2-3) each drove in three runs to lead the 'Stros. Cort Montross scattered 6 hits over 4.2 innings of work while Sean Kennedy picked up the win in relief.
Redsox 13, Cubs 9. Chris Allen started for the Red Sox and picked up his third win of the season. Aaron Leanhardt was 3-4, with a homerun. Ken Drew (2-4, 2 runs, 3B, RBI ) tripled in the fifth and scored the Sox eighth and most important run as the Cubs got 4 in the bottom of the fifth to pull within one. Eric Bennett came on for Allen with the Cubs threatening and struck out the final batter of the inning, and he also worked the final two innings to pick up the save in his MABL pitching debut. Pedro Gil (3-4, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 2 SB) and Dan Moyer (2-2, 2 BB, 2 runs, RBI) were also strong contributors.
Redsox 3, Giants 2. Red Sox Corey Aldoupolis (7IP, 2ER, 5H, 1BB, 7K) battled the Giants' Steve Corda (8IP, 3ER, 8H, 4BB, 12K) to 2-2 tie after 7 innings. In the top of the eighth Jim Martino doubled to lead it off and Chris Allen drove him in for the Sox third run. It would hold up as Dan Williams (1 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 1K) worked a perfect eighth for the save. Aaron Leanhardt and Jim Martino also had RBI for the Red Sox.The Giants Mike Byrne (2-3, 2SB, 2R) and Glen Glennon (1-3, 3B, RBI) sparked their offense.
Yankees 11, Royals 4. The Yankees, behind another strong performance by Jon Mugar (Now 2-0, 5 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 7K), are now 5-0. Eight Yankees had hits, led by Mugar, who went 3-3 (SAC), with 1 run scored and 2 RBI in his first 4 plate appearances of the season. Frank Kowalski, Paul Szumita, and Brian Nolan all had two hits. Greg Crossman, Mike Ganley, and Andrew Burton all had at least one RBI. Mike Ganley closed the game and also struck out the side 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 7th inning.

5/13/01: Gamebreakers, as of 5/13:

Yankees 6, Braves 2. Bryan Gauvin (1-0, 2.00 ERA) and Ken Kilduff (1-0, 1.50 ERA) combined to give the Yankees their fourth victory of the season. Gauvin went 5 innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 2 hits with 10 Ks. Kilduff closed out the win with 2 strong innings, giving up 1 unearned run on 2 hits. The Yankees bats worked quickly, scoring all 6 runs in the first three innings. Nick Stenzel (1-3, 2B, R) led off the game with a double. Greg Crossman (2-3, 3B, SB, 2 R, RBI), who continues to dominate league pitching at a .700 clip, followed with his second triple of the year, driving in Stenzel. Then, Mike Moloney (1-3, HR, SB, R, 2 RBI), in his first at-bat of the season, homered onto the concrete beyond right field to drive in 2 runs.

Mets 2, Astros 1. Astro, Sean Kennedy, had a one-hitter through 6 innings retiring 17 in a row from the 1st to the 7th. With two outs in the bottom of the 7th and the Astros leading 1-0, Al Becker of the Mets laced a double down the right-field line. Greg Cote came through with a clutch base hit to left to tie the game. In the bottom of the 8th, Mets Bill Beauchesne and Steve Julian drew back-to-back walks to lead off. Beauchesne scored the winning run on an infield hit by Jeremy Whitsitt. For the Mets, Justin Wetherby hurled 6+ innings, allowing five hits and one run, striking out six. Steve Joseph pitched the final 6 outs to pick up the win, striking out 5 of the 6 batters he faced.

Red Sox 4, Pirates 3. Lead off hitter Dan Moyer started the game with a home run and the Red Sox never looked back. Cesar Cabral belted a two-RBI triple in the fourth and scored on a single putting the Sox up 4-0. The Pirates got three in the 6th but Chris Allen worked a strong 6.2 innings and Corey Aldoupolis struck out the final Pirate batter for the save.

Sox' Scott Bevis
with no-hitter into 6 Whitesox 5, Cubs 4.
Scott Bevis grabbed a win as he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning that was broken up by a triple by Cubs, Steve Guarrera. The Whitesox scored four runs in the first inning capped by a bases-loaded single by Al Wiesner that resulted in a little-league grandslam due to two fielding errors. The Sox added an insurance run on a first-third double-steal by Dave Timmons and Jon Mead that scored Mead. Peter Milano picked up the save.

Neal Roper and Dave Mitrou
each collect 3 hits in Rockies win Curtin's Roadside Rockies 12, D'Backs 5.
Rookie pitcher Kyle Philson helped the Rockies remain one of three teams undeated MABL teams as they won their third straight, scoring in the double-digits in each game. Neal Roper and Dave Mitrou each contributed 3 hits, and Bart Lawyer added 2. The D'Backs had taken an early 4-1 lead, but Philson quickly settled in to pitch 4 solid innings not allowing another run. Brian Cooper pitched the final three innings in shutout relief to earn the save.

Indians 4, Giants 3. Jason DeVeau had 9 strikeouts and scattered 3 hits on the mound for the Indians as the Tribe picked up the 4-3 victory in dramatic fashion. With the game tied at 3, Mark Bowles (1-3, 2 runs scored) led off the bottom of the 7th with a triple and Jay McGilvery (2-3, 3 stolen bases) came up with the clutch RBI base hit to left field that ended the game. For the Giants, Steve Corda went the distance striking out 11 and had an RBI triple of his own to jump start the Giants 7th inning rally that tied the game at 3.

5/08/01: Gamebreakers, as of 5/08:

Dodgers 7, Mets 2. In the top of the first inning, Josue Feliciano (2-3 with a double ) and Adam Gabriel (1-2, 2 runs) both singled and Kevin Beliveau (1-2 with a triple and 3 runs) walked to load the bases for clean-up hitter Garrett Fisher (3-3 with 5 RBIs). Fisher delivered a bases clearing double. Those three runs would be all the Dodgers needed as John Yirak pitched four shutout innings, allowing only two hits and one walk, for his second straight win. Fisher (5Ks in 2 innings) and Giovanni Villomar combined to preserve the win for the Yirak.
Cardinals 2, Astros 1. In a pitchers dual, the Cardinals scored two runs in the bottom of the 6th to take a 2-1 lead. Cardinal pitcher Jeff James held the 'Stros to six hits while striking out nine and walking none. Astros rookie pitchers Scott Uhland and Daniel Murphy held the Cardinals scoreless on three hits until the 6th. Fred LaBrecque (2-2, 3B) scored the lone Astros run.

Redsox 13, Whitesox 5. The Red Sox' Pat Donovan battled the White Sox' Scott Bevis through four scoreless innings and each took one hitters into the fifth. The Red Sox scored five in the fifth, a pinch hit RBI double by Aaron Leanhardt (2 for 3, 2 doubles, 2 RBI). Dan Williams drove Aaron home with a single, and drove in three more on successive triples, he finished the day 3 for 4 with 4 RBI, two triples and 2 runs scored. Dan Moyer stole two bases and scored twice, Jim Martino, Adam King and Pedro Gil each added SBs to give the Red Sox five on the day. Chris Allen struck out five in three innings of relief for the win.

Curtin's Roadside Rockies 11, Indians 2. Strong pitching by rookie southpaw Chris Webb (6 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 8K's) and active bats throughout the Rockies lineup proved to be the difference. Leland Boutiler led the Rocks offense going 3 for 4 with a double, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Rightfielder Les Dakin also drove in 2 runs, while Kevin Spitz provided spectacular defense at thirdbase.

Giants 14, D'Backs 3. The Giants sent 15 men to the plate in an 11 run 2nd inning igniting them to victory over the Diamondbacks. Steve Corda's 3 doubles (2 in the second inning) led the Giants offensive attack. Tom Hague pitched his second consecutive complete victory, shutting down the D'Backs with only one hit from the 3rd inning on. Rich Baldwin struck out 9 for the D'Backs (6 in a row at one point) in a losing cause.

Yankees 12, Tigers 1. Behind the strong pitching of newcomer Jon Mugar (6 IP, 0 R, 1 H), the Yanks improved their record to 3-0. While picking up the win, Mugar also had 9 Ks and picked off a runner at 1st base. Ken Kilduff closed out the victory in the 7th, allowing 1 unearned run on 1 hit, with 1 BB and 2 K. Offensively, Jeff Coveney led the way with 3 hits (2B) and 2 runs scored, with his first stolen base of the year. Nick Stenzel went 2-4, scored 3 times and had an RBI. Greg Crossman, Frank Kowalski and Dave Galehouse all had hits for the Yanks.

Braves 13, Royals 0. Braves pitchers Kevin Szoke, Chris O'Sullivan, and Mark Doucette combined for a three-hit shutout against the expansion Royals yesterday. Szoke posted his first MABL win in the effort. Also, Mark Doucette capped of a 3 for 4 day with a grand slam.

5/05/01: Gamebreakers, as of 5/05:

Greg Crossman, Yankees and Eric August, Pirates
each had a 4 for 4 performance on Saturday.

Yankees 11, Astros 4. Greg Crossman led the Yanks with 4 hits (4-4, triple, 2 RBI, 2 R) as Ken Kilduff (0 R, 0 H) pitched 3 shutout innings in relief to pick up his first Yankee win. Rookie Matt McGrath (3-3, 2 RBI, 1, R SB) also punched out 3 singles while knocking in a pair. After Bryan Gauvin (4 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 5 Ks) departed after the 4th, the Yanks broke out for 6 runs in the bottom of the 5th to break a 4-4 tie.
Pirates 15, D'Backs 5. Down 0-4, Pirates' bats exploded for 15 runs in 5 innings. Eric August came on to relieve the Bucs' starter and shut down the D'Backs the rest of the way. August pitched 5 innings allowing only one hit and one unearned run, while striking out 8. August (4-4, 2B, 4RBIs, 2 Runs), Rich Bergskaug (2-4, 2RBIs), and Craig Vecchairelli (2 Hits, 2 RBIs) were the stars for the Bucs on the offensive side. Brian Dooley and Shayne Guiliano also had strong days at the plate for the Bucs, who pounded out 16 hits. The Pirates also welcomed the return of Vinny Paquette to everyday play. Paquette finished the day with a hit, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Welcome back, Vinny.
Whitesox 9, Indians 4. Rob Gnoinski picked up his first MABL win tossing 4 innings of 3-hit baseball to help the Whitesox even their record at 1-1. Three players drove in 2 RBIs to help lead the attack: Dave Timmons, 2 for 4 (double, 2 runs), Kevin Gazda, 1 for 4 (triple, 1 run) and Murray Reed, 1 for 2 (2 walks, 1 run).
Tigers 5, Mets 4. The Tigers pull off victory in a 9-inning contest, won on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly hit by Mike Baker. The Mets led 4-1 until the Tigers tied the score in the 6th inning. Jason Joyce pitched the final 5.1 innings without allowing a run and compiling 6 strikeouts to notch the win. Justin Wetherby pitched the first 5 innings for the Mets with 10 strikeouts. He received a no-decision for his efforts.

4/30/01: OPENING DAY HAS ARRIVED!!

Sean McCarty and Rob Dexter call the plays
for the first iMassRadio.com broadcast
2000's leader in triples, Eric August, comes
in standing for his second triple of the day

4/30/01: Gamebreakers, as of 4/30

Red Sox 8, Cardinals 3. A 3-3 tie in the top of the fifth with two outs, the Cardinals loaded the bases against an injured Jeff Farrar. Corey Aldoupolis came on and struck out a feared Cardinal to put out the fire. In the bottom of the fifth, Red Sox' Andy Herbine drove in two with a single. Later in the same inning Pedro Gil tripled with the bases loaded for some insurance. Aldoupolis pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh for his first win in the MABL.
Pirates 5, Astros 2. Conrad Paquette pitched five strong innings allowing only two hits and one unearned run. Eric August and Sean Devan were the hitting stars for the Bucs. August was 2 for 3 with two triples, an RBI and two runs scored. Devan was 3 for three including a double, triple and an RBI. Mike McCarthy pitched strong for the Bucs picking up his first save of the year. AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS iMassRadio "GAME OF THE WEEK"
Diamondbacks 20, Royals 11. 10 Diamondback players recorded hits and 16 scored runs, with starter Scott Hrudz recording his first win of the season and Rich Baldwin notching a save the hard way, finishing up with three strong innings allowing only two unearned runs.
Giants 8, Tigers 4. Tom Hague pitched a complete game for the victory, striking out 9 along the way. Offensively, the Giants were led by Mike Cosco (2 hits, 3 RBI's) and Mike Byrne (2 hits, 3 runs scored), both players key in a 4-run 4th inning that broke open the game.

4/30/01: Yesterday marked the Opening Day for the 2001 season, and also marked the inaugural broadcast for the iMassRadio broadcast of the "Game of the Week". Brett Rudy (Whitesox), Sean McCarty (Braves) and Rob Dexter (Indians) did the sportcasting. In this game, The Pirates defeated the Astros 5-2. Next week's "Game of the Week" will feature the Pirates vs. the Cubs. All featured games will air each Sunday at 6:00 p.m. sharply.

4/26/01: Be sure to catch the new HBO film, 61*, produced and directed by Billy Crystal, about the summer of 1961 and the great homerun race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. Many MSBL players are included in the movie and MSBL President, Steve Sigler is even listed in the credits. It airs this Saturday, April 28th at 9:00 p.m.