Thursday, July 22, 2004
The 5-3 win over Hudson Valley tied Mahoning Valley for the league's wild card spot.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers spent 22 of their first 33 games this season under the .500 mark.
Lately, however, they have been making a push upward in the New York-Penn League standings.
"It's nice that we're not playing Auburn," Scrappers manager Mike Sarbaugh said of his team's Pinckney Division rival, which has a 25-7 record. "They got off to such a great start."
And if it weren't too early to mention playoffs, it'd be worth noting that Wednesday's 5-3 victory over Hudson Valley tied the Scrappers (18-15) for the league's wild card spot.
Improvement
That shows just how far Mahoning Valley has come in the season's first half. The Scrappers go for a three-game sweep of the Renegades (18-15) tonight at Eastwood Field.
"It'd be nice to do that and send a message -- to tell Auburn that we're trying to catch up with them," said Scrappers third baseman Brett Parker, who then added with a chuckle, "even though they won't lose."
The Doubledays aside, the Scrappers have been the ones impressing their Pinckney peers, winning four straight games to tie a season high and 10 of their last 12.
"You have certain teams where it takes a while for everybody to mesh," Sarbaugh said. "You have so many guys coming from everywhere, and you're trying to feel things out for the first two, three weeks.
"Everybody is starting to get locked into what they need to do and what to expect," he added.
That includes Parker, whose game Wednesday included two walks and two runs scored, a double and a sacrifice bunt.
"You go up there and be patient," Parker said of his approach. "It was just one of those days where everything worked out."
In addition to Parker's double, Chris Gimenez drove home two runs with a seventh-inning double that gave the Scrappers a cushion.
"People have got to learn their roles, where they're comfortable in the lineup," Parker said. "We're just starting to jell right now."
Mound dwellers
Four Scrappers pitchers -- starter Tony Sipp, Mark Jecmen, Roger Lincoln and Mark Harris -- worked to slow Hudson Valley.
Jecmen, a first-year player from Stanford, earned his first professional victory, while Harris recorded his seventh save, which ranks among the league's best.
"Until guys got into routines, we were giving up some runs early in the game and playing catch-up," Sarbaugh said. "Recently, the pitching's been keeping us in the game and we've been scoring early. That really helps for momentum."
HUDSON VALLEYSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Perez cf3020Reyes cf4120
Cooper 2b3001Szabo 2b5120
Leandro lf3010Parker 2b1210
Baty 1b4010Butia dh4011
Cottrell dh4000Gimenez lf3012
Nowak 3b4000Encarnacion rf3000
Spring c4111Pacheco 1b4000
Frias rf2000Casillas c3000
Cumblnd ph/rf1000Finegan ss2010
Asanovich ss3221Clem pr0100
Totals31373Totals29583
Hudson Valley001010010--3
Scrappers10101020x--5
DP--Scrappers 2, Hudson Valley 1. LOB--Scrappers 9, Hudson Valley 4. HR--Spring, Asanovich. 2B--Asanovich, Parker, Gimenez. SB--Reyes 2, Asanovich, Perez, Parker. CS--Finegan. SF--Cooper. SH--Parker.
IPHRERBBSO
Hudson Valley
Delacruz L, 1-2422146
Barriger2 1-343302
Price2-310011
Weimer110000
Scrappers
Sipp4 1-342214
Jecmen W, 1-02 2-310000
Lincoln1-321110
Harris S, 71 2-300000
WP--Barriger, Price. HBP--by Delacruz (Gimenez), by Delacruz (Reyes), by Weimer (Casillas). PB--Spring. Umpires--Home, Phil Mulroe; Bases, Howard Perez. T--2:33. A--3,740.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 1, HUDSON VALLEY 0
Scrappers: Eduardo Delacruz pitching. Argenis Reyes singled to center, stole second. Marshall Szabo flied out to center. Reyes stole third. Brett Parker walked, Mike Butia singled off the pitcher, Reyes scored, Parker to second. Chris Gimenez struck out. Teo Encarnacion struck out. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
THIRD INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 2, HUDSON VALLEY 1
Renegades: Tony Sipp pitching. Fernando Frias lined out to second. Josh Asanovich doubled to left center, Fernando Perez walked. Asanovich stole third, Perez stole second. Chad Cooper flied out to center to sacrifice Asanovich home, Perez to third. Francisco Leandro flied out to left. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
Scrappers: Delacruz pitching. Szabo grounded out to first. Parker walked, stole second. Butia struck out but advanced to first on a passed ball, Parker to third. Parker came home on catcher's throw to first in an attempt to get Butia. Encarnacion struck out. Fernando Pacheco grounded out to second. 1 run, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
FIFTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 3, HUDSON VALLEY 2
Renegades: Sipp pitching. Matt Spring homered over the left-field wall. Frias struck out. Mark Jecmen in to pitch. Asanovich grounded out to short. Perez grounded out to second. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left.
Scrappers: Marcus Barriger pitching. Parker doubled down the left-field line, Butia grounded out to short, Parker to third. Parker scored on a wild pitch. Gimenez struck out. Encarnacion flied out to center. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left.
SEVENTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, HUDSON VALLEY 2
Scrappers: Barriger pitching. Reyes singled by bunting, Szabo singled to right, Reyes to second. Parker bunted to sacrifice Reyes to third, Szabo to second. John Price in to pitch. Butia hit into a fielder's choice, Reyes out 1-2 coming home, Szabo to third. Chris Clem in to pinch run for Butia. Clem to second on a wild pitch. Gimenez doubled down the left-field line, Szabo, Clem scored. Encarnacion intentionally walked. Pacheco struck out. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 left.
EIGHTH INNING
MAHONING VALLEY 5, HUDSON VALLEY 3
Renegades: Roger Lincoln pitching. Asanovich homered over the left-field wall. Perez singled to left. Cooper hit into a fielder's choice, Perez out at second. Leandro walked, Cooper to second. Mark Harris in to pitch. Ryan Baty hit into a 6-4-3 double play. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
richesson@vindy.com