2009 Game Summaries
Devils Use Big Eighth Inning to Rally
Sun May 31, 2009 High Acres … Devils 11, Lugnuts 5
The Devils and Lugnuts squared off in an early battle for first place. The Devils were the home team and took the field with MarcT on the hill to start the game. After a one-pitch out to start things, the Lugnuts strung 3 straight singles to score a run, but on the 3rd single the Lugnuts runner overran second and was nailed by Torlish & Zack (Torlish made a great diving stop on the play). In the bottom of the first Torlish reached on an E5 and stole second. MarcT lined a curve ball out into RF to score Torlish and tie the game.
Both sides failed to score in the second. In the Devils half Zack got a leadoff single and stole second but the Lugnuts pitcher, Darryl, K’d the side to end the threat. The Lugnuts got 3 in the third. An E4 to start the inning followed by a K and a walk put runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Back to back singles, combined with some sloppy play, scored 3 runs and after a walk it was looking ugly with runners on 1st and 2nd with still just only one out. Barny put an end to that, though, with a nice 5u-3 double play. The Devils went in order in their half. Jay Hamilton got nailed with a hard fastball but promptly got picked off. In the 4th the Lugnuts added another run. A leadoff walk, a stolen base, and a bloop over 3rd that actually landed in the dirt scored a run. But then JayT made a great running, over-the-shoulder grab on another flare over 3rd. A line-drive comebacker was turned into a 1-3 DP but MarcT’s day was done and the Nuts led 5-1 going into the bottom of the 4th. With two outs MarcT laced a single back thru the box. With Pete up, for some reason the Nuts catcher tried to throw down to 1st after the pitch and threw it away, sending MarcT to 2nd. He then stole third and that was thrown away too, allowing him to come home and get the devils within 5-2.
Big Ed came on in the 5th and threw lights out. In fact, he would blank the Nuts on one hit over the next 4 innings, striking out 7 and walking one. Meanwhile the Devils were chipping away. Zack led off the 5th with another single. Adam laid down a nice sac bunt to move him over. A wild pitch sent him to 3rd with one out and Big Ed up. The Nuts inexplicably brought the infield in and Ed hit a slow roller to the pitcher. Darryl never looked Zack back, so Zack alertly broke for home and just beat the return throw from first, making the score 5-3. A real heads-up play by Zack. In the 6th Big Ed got into his only jam, two errors leading to men on 2nd and 3rd with one out. With the infield in, Ed got a grounder to 3rd which JayT fielded, chased the runner back to 3rd, and then threw across for the out, preventing the run. After a meaningless walk, Ed got a big K to end the inning, keeping the score 5-3. The Devils went in order again in the 6th and the game headed to the 7th at 5-3.
Big Ed threw a quick zero and the Devils went to work with the top of the order. Rick drew a big leadoff walk to start the inning, stole second and advanced to 3rd on a bad throw. With the Nuts infield in again and no outs, Torlish popped to the C. MarcT followed with a slow roller to SS. The throw came home but they had no chance to catch the speedy Dyer who scored without a tag attempt. Seeing 2nd base empty, MarcT rounded 1st and headed for the empty base, but the throw beat him and the bonehead base running cost the Devils. Pete followed with a single but Bus stranded him there, score Nuts 5, Devils 4 thru 7.
Ed kept cruising, getting the side in the 8th on just 9 pitches, sending the Devils back to the plate for the bottom of the inning and time quickly running out. Zack, again, led off with a single (he was 3-for-3 on the day) but Adam hit into a force play. Ed laid down the perfect “swinging bunt”, ran hard all the way, and forced the Nuts pitcher into a bad throw, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. Barny followed with a great at bat, fighting off a good pitch and looping one into shallow RF where it dropped in for a hit. Adam ran the whole way and the Nuts RF’s throw was short and late … tie game. Chico then had a great at bat, fouling off two two-strike pitches and eventually working a walk to load the bases with one out. Jay Hamilton came up with a shot to be the hero and his AB lasted just one pitch when he was hit in the arm, forcing in the go-ahead run. After a wild pitch allowed another run in, putting the Devils up 7-5, Geno drew a 4-pitch walk to reload the bases and the wheels were officially off for the Lugnuts. Another wild pitch plated Barny and made it 8-5. Then Rick hit a ball in the 3B/SS hole that was stopped but bobbled and there was no play. At that point, the Nuts were forced into a pitching change, and Varney took the hill. Score Devils 8, Nuts 5, bases loaded, one out. Torlish grounded into a 6-2 force out at the plate but MarcT followed with a flare into RF that scored two more runs, putting the game away. Pete followed with a slow roller that he beat out, Rick scoring on the play, but more awful base running by MarcT saw him get nailed at 3rd, ending the inning with the Devils in command 11-5.
At that point the ump's called the game for time and it was over.
Play of the Day: JayT’s play with runners on 2nd/3rd and one out in the 6th, holding the runner on third and getting the batter at first, keeping the score 5-3.
Devils scored 11 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits, 4 walks, 3 hit batters, and 3 Padres errors.
Lugnuts scored 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits, 4 walks, and 3 Devils errors.
Devils Battle Back, Defeat Defending Champs
Sun May 17, 2009 @ Roth … Devils 12, Rockies 10
It was a cold, sunny, windy day for baseball. The Devils were the home team and sent MarcT to the mound to start the game. After getting a quick out, Mickey grounded a single. With Mickey stealing, John rolled another grounder thru the hole at 2b to put two men on. MarcT retired Chuckie Jr on a grounder to 3rd, but with two outs Bodie lined a single to LF scoring two. After a SB Larry’s single plated another run and the Rockies led 3-0 after a half inning. The Devils responded in their half. Dyer singled to start the inning, stole second and got WP’d to 3rd. After an infield pop by Torlish, MarcT singled over short to get one back. Three walks sandwiched around a K plated another run (RBI BB for Chico) and then an error by the Rockies SS scored the tying run. Another K left them loaded and it was 3-3 going to the second.
MarcT calmed down and worked 3 consecutive scoreless innings after that. He left the bases loaded in the 3rd when he got Junior to roll to short to end the inning. The Devils took the lead in the bottom of the third. Torlish singled, then MarcT lofted a wind-ball into RF for a double putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Pete walked to load the bases and Big Ed followed with another walk to drive in a run. A K and a groundout and the Devils left them loaded again. In the top of the 4th MarcT helped himself, picking Bodie off second on a great timing play with SS Torlish. In the bottom of the 4th the Devils tacked on a run without a hit. Arno walked with one out, got WP’d to 2nd, and with two down, stole 3rd. Mountain hit a shot to SS that got booted and plated the run. Devils up 5-3 into the 5th.
MarcT drilled the first batter with an inside fastball. The second batter leaned into a soft splitter that got away and the Rockies were in business. MarcT got a strikeout but Bill followed with a single to load the bases. Then a 4-pitch walk to the 13-hole hitter forced in a run – ugly. An error at 2B allowed the tying run. Another sharp single by Mickey put the Rockies ahead and the wheels were getting loose. MarcT enticed a tailor-made DP ball to 2b but it was just another error, another run, and the bases still loaded with one out. The lugnuts were off and the wheels were wobbling. On the next pitch, however, MarcT got Chuckie Jr. to hit another grounder to second and this time the Arno-Torlish-Martin combo came thru with the inning-ending double play. Rockies up 7-5. In true Devils form, they rallied immediately. Rick singled to start the inning. Torlish popped up for the first out. With Rick stealing, Taranto grounded to SS and it was booted, MarcT just beating the throw to 1st. Pete singled in a run and Big Ed followed with a single scoring two more, Devils back ahead 8-7 headed for the 6th.
Big Ed took over on the hill and promptly got two outs. He then walked two in a row setting up the drama. He got Steve to hit a grounder down to third. JayT knocked the ball down and was trying to pick it up to have a shot at going to 1st with it, but at that point the runner from second collided with him. The umps called Runners Interference, inning over. The Rockies went ballistic. After a lengthy argument and an umpire’s conference the call stood. The Devils failed to score in their half of the 6th.
Big Ed had an easy 7th, getting the side in order but the Devils failed to score also, sending the game to the 8th with the Devils clinging to an 8-7 lead. With the time limit approaching, the Devils handed the ball to Barny to close it out and he answered the bell, setting the Rockies down in order on 15 pitches. The Devils used their half of the 8th to put the game away. Pete led off with a single, went to second on a passed ball and stole third. Big Ed K’d for one out but Barny lofted a would-be sac fly to LF. In his effort to set up the throw home the LF dropped the ball, run scored and Barny on second. Chico grounded a sharp single up the middle to score Barny and then Adam hit a bomb to CF, one-hopping the fence at the 350 sign scoring Chico from 1st. After a pitching change Arno hit a sharp grounder to SS which was 5-holed for the 7th Rockies error on the day, scoring Adam and putting the Devils up 12-7. Despite being 3:15 into the game the teams went out for the 9th.
Barny quickly retired the first two batters when the cops arrived. Who were they after? JayT for domestic issues?? Barny for general shadiness-of-character? MarcT for past indiscretions ? Nope. The umps called them, worried for their post-game safety after the heated 6th-inning argument with the Rockies. The sight of Henrietta’s finest clearly unraveled Barny. A walk, a single, and another walk and all of a sudden it’s 12-8 with two on. Mark launched a bomb to the right-center gap that eluded a diving Chico and rolled to the fence. As the two runs came around, Gil collected the ball, hit his cutoff man, MarcT, who wheeled and threw to 3rd. The ball was on line but the question was would it make it ? It rolled thru the infield dirt, past the runner, and died into JayT’s glove in time for the easy tag and the end of the game. A little more thrilling than expected, but one wouldn’t expect a win over the defending champs to be easy. After a three-and-a-half hour marathon, the post-game beers at Tully’s went down quick and easy.
Play-of-the-Day: The double play by Arno/Torlish in the top of the 5th that put the brakes on a potentially huge inning for the Rockies. That DP kept the game close and pumped the Devils up for a quick rally in their half of the inning.
Rockies scored 10 runs (8 earned) on 10 hits, 7 walks, 3 hit batters, and 4 Devils errors.
Devils scored 12 runs (6 earned) on 11 hits, 6 walks, 1 hit batter, and 7 Rockies errors.
Sat May 9, 2009 Roth 10:00 am
The Devils opened the game used a walk and a hit to put two runners on with two out against Craig Jones and the Padres in the top of the first but jones struck out Pete O’Dell to end the threat. In the bottom of the first Ed Martin took the hill for the Devils and Dennis Tubelino lifted a fly ball to RF that was dropped for a two-base error. After a sac bunt Murphy poked a single to put the Padres up 1-0. Martin K’d Bo Mulholland for the second out. Schoen lined a single to RF but Zack Siembor came up throwing and nailed Murphy at the plate to end the inning.
Both sides went 1-2-3 in the second. Zack walked to start the Devils 3rd, went to 2nd when Tony Arno was HBP and scored when Big Ed Martin laced a single. The Padres put two men on with two out in their half of the inning and Jones answered Martin’s big hit with one of his own, putting the Padres up 2-1 after 3.
The Devils used a hit by John Torlish and a walk to Marc Taranto to put two on with no outs in the 4th but Jones beared down, striking out Dave Bryant, getting a fly ball from Pete O’Dell and striking out Gil Bussey to end the threat. Schoen led off the Padres 4th with a base hit but Marin retired the next two. Then Tavino singled to put men on 1st and 2nd with two out. Aagesen rolled a grounder down to third and Barny fielded the ball but threw wildly to first allowing one run in. Then Dennis Tubelino sinlged in two more making the score 5-1 Padres.
The Devils staged a two-out rally in the fifth on singles by Todd Campanella and Zack Siembor but Jones K’d Arno to end the threat. The Padres put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out in their half and the Devils brought the infield in. Martin got Schoen to ground back to him and hold the runners, but Zubrick followed with a wind-aided triple scoring two runs. A high, windy pop-up to short center was botched by MarcT and the Padres took an 8-1 lead into the 6th.
Big Ed walked to start the 6th. Jay Hamilton followed with a sharp single down the LF line. He rounded the bag and went for second before realizing Martin had held up. A hasty retreat to first just beat the throw in and the Devils were in business. Rick Dyer followed with a hard single into LF scoring Martin. Hamilton rounded second and was headed for third but he faceplanted halfway there and had to go back to second, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with none out. John Torlish grounded to third but it was booted, scoring another run and putting runners on 1st and 3rd. Torlish ran on the next pitch and Taranto grounded to 3rd . The throw to 1st was in the dirt for another error and the bases were loaded. After a strikeout and a wild pitch, Pete O’Dell worked a walk to reload the bases with the score 8-4. Gil Bussey lined a single scoring two more. Adam hit a roller back to the mound that was booted and the bases were loaded again. Barny just got under the ball and lifted a high, long, wind-aided ball to CF. For a moment it looked like the wind would give him a grand slam but Dennis made the catch on the track. The runners tagged and all of a sudden the Devils were back in the game, 8-7. Jones held the lead by striking out Siembor to end the inning. Rick Dyer replaced Martin in the bottom of the 6th and the Padres answered. Dennis hit a 1-out double and Scorsone walked. Murphy hit a sac fly to RF to plate the first run. A walk and a wild pitch made it 10-7 Padres. Then Bo hit a fly ball to LF that carried over the fence for a HR. After another walk and an error by Bryant at 2b Karp lifted another ball up into the wind in CF that carried over the fence for a 15-7 Padres lead. Taranto replaced Dyer and K’d Tavino to mercifully put an end to the very long 6th inning. The teams combined for 13 runs on 7 hits, 4 walks, 4 errors and one hit batter. Not the greatest baseball.
The Devils failed to score in the top of the 7th. The Padres got an infield single from Dennis T and a walk to jones to put two on with two out on Taranto in the bottom of the 7th. Jones hit an infield fly to SS that got lost in the sun to score one run. Then Bo lifted a fly to CF that the wind carried to the track to plate the final mercy run. (Editor’s note: Taranto struck Bo out looking on the previous pitch but didn’t get the call). Final score, Padres 17, Devils 7.
The home plate umpire sucked. His zone was erratic and inconsistent. Both sides had valid complaints all day. The field was sloppy at the start, making running (and pitching) difficult but it dried out quickly as the game went on. It was warm and muggy with a threat of rain all day. In the 3rd inning the wind picked up and blew out hard the rest of the day.
Play of the Day: The two-out error by Barny in the bottom of the 4th that changed a 2-1 game quickly to a 5-1 game. It got real ugly on both sides after that.
Devils scored 7 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits, 5 walks, 2 hit batters, and 4 Padres errors.
Padres scored 17 runs (8 earned) on 16 hits, 4 walks, and 5 Devils errors.
Devils Season gets off on right foot
The 2009 Devils opened the season at Mendon Center against the Phillies on Sunday May 3rd at 1:30pm.
The Devils were the visiting team and batted first so the season opened with Rick Dyer at the plate and he promptly laced a single. Tony Arno followed with a shot to 3rd that was booted, but two straight fielder’s choices and a flyout later the devils came up empty. MarcT took the hill for the Devils and the first batter grounded to third. Barny booted the ball and an errant throw (nearly killing one of our many young spectators) put the Phillies leadoff man, Dave Kiehns, on 2nd. After a comebacker for an easy out, a wild pitch, and a walk, the Phillies had 1st and 3rd with one out. MarcT used the old double-move and got the man on first (Tim Fadden) in a rundown. He got the tagout on Fadden but Kiehns snuck home and scored on the play putting the Phillies up 1-0.
Both sides went 1-2-3 in the second, the Devils aided when Tony Arno threw out Rich Fisher trying to steal second after drawing a walk. In the top of the third the Devils loaded the bases with one out on singles by Todd Campanella and Rick Dyer sandwiched around an E5. The Devils failed to score, however, when Arno flew to shallow right and Taranto K’d. In the bottom of the 3rd the Phillies worked a couple walks but Barny made a nice play in foul ground and MarcT K’d the 2-hole hitter, Ken Bianchi, to end the threat.
The Devils finally broke thru in the 4th when Zack drew a one-out walk. Adam followed by hitting into a fielder’s choice. A wild pitch put Adam on 2nd with two out. Gil smoked one down to third that got thru the 3rd baseman and caromed in LF. Adam ran the whole way, the throw home beat him by a hair but the catcher dropped the ball and the Devils were on the board. Gil showed some heads up baserunning and got into 2nd on the play. Barny followed with a bomb over the LF’s head, scoring Gil easily and the Devils were ahead 2-1. In the bottom of the 4th Fadden drew another walk from MarcT to start the Phillies half of the inning. Matt Delly followed with a gapper to LC, the Phil’s only hit of the day off Taranto, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with no out. A shallow sac fly to LF by Rich Fisher scored Fadden but Taranto escaped futher trouble getting a pop to 1st and a soft grounder to 3rd to end the inning with the score tied 2-2.
Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the 5th and the game went to the 6th still tied. Arno singled sharply to RF to start the Devils 6th but Taranto erased him with a fielder’s coice to 3rd base. John Torlish and Zack Siembor worked back-to-back walks to load the bases with one out. Adam popped to 1st and it looked like the Phillies would escape again, but with two outs Gil smoked a single into LF. Taranto scored but a nice play by the Phil’s LF gunned Torlish at the dish to end the inning. Taranto allowed a one-out walk and a SB in the bottom of the 6th, but pitched out of trouble and the game went to the 7th with the Devils up 3-2.
The Devils went down in order in their half. Rick Dyer took over for MarcT on the hill in the Phillies half. He allowed a leadoff single but, after a K, his own good defense led to a 1-5-4 fielder’s choice. Another FC got him out of the 7th with the score still 3-2 Devils. The Devils really broke it open in the top of the eighth, scoring 5 runs. Arno led off with a HBP. Taranto laced a single to LF moving Arno to 2nd. Torlish erased Arno at 3rd with a 6-5 FC. Zack hit a shot down to 3rd that was booted, loading the bases with one out. Adam smoked a 3-1 pitch right at the SS and it took a wicked hop over his shoulder, scoring Taranto and Torlish. Gil follwed with another hit, scoring Zack. After a pitching change, Adam scored on a wild pitch. Barny drew a walk and Chico follwed with an RBI groundout to 2b, capping the scoring and putting the Devils up 8-2 heading to the bottom of the 8th. Rick threw a lights out, 7-pitch, 1-2-3 8th and it went to the last inning with the Devils in command.
After the Devils went down in order, Barny came on to close it out. After an error, two hits (one good poke, one swinging bunt), two walks, and a few wild pitches the Phillies had 3 runs but the game was never in doubt. A 6-4 forceout ended things and the Devils walked away with an 8-5 win on opening day.
The Devils had 8 runs on 9 hits, 4 walks, 7 K’s and 6 Phillies errors.
The Phillies scored 5 runs on just 4 hits, 8 walks, 6 K’s and only 2 Devils errors.
The Devils won this one with good sticks up and down the lineup, solid pitching and real solid defense. The Phillies were helped by some real good OF defense and a great job behind the plate by Rich Fisher who blocked dozens of balls and limited the normally speedy Devils to just one stolen base. Good game, good weather, good guys, and good (consistent) umpire work.
Play of the Day: Adam’s shot at the SS that scored the first two runs of the 8th inning and broke the game open. Could’ve been an inning-ending DP and instead it scored two runs. Huge, Rochester, Huuuuuuuuuge.
