CRESTWOOD — It never fails. Write a story for Miners Extra about a guy doing (or not doing) something and undoubtably he’ll do the opposite.
Take Brandon Jones for instance.
I wrote a story on Jones’ struggles at the plate and at driving in runs, especially as they related to hitting to the opposite field, and Jones comes out last night and plates a pair on a pair of hits. What was even better about it was, Jones drove in a run with a double to right-center. That’s “oppo” for a right-handed batter.
“That was a great sign for him,” said manager Mike Pinto after the game.
Yep, sure was. And once again, when a story on a player is written hours before a game starts, said player will come out and do the exact opposite.
Now, don’t go thinking I’m disappointed that Jones went “oppo” of the story I wrote, because that’s just not the case.
As a journalist, I’m not supposed to root for guys, but certain players always make themselves available for interviews after great days or bad days and they offer honest assessments on their and the team’s performances. Jones is one of those guys, as are pretty much all the Miners, and it’s tough to stay totally indifferent to their ups and downs.
Maybe last night’s game will turn things around for Jones.
Here’s a link to the pre-series notebook.
For the love of Mike:
Baseball fans have Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. Football fans have the frozen tundra (which is redundant, by the way) of Lambeau Field. Elvis fans have Graceland.
Me? I’m a nerd and a huge Mike Royko fan. Royko was a great Chicago voice as a newspaper columnist and author. As a fan, whenever I make it to Chicago I try to stop by the Billy Goat Tavern.
I made my pilgrimage to its flagship location at 430 N. Michigan Ave. earlier this afternoon. It’s Mecca to me. The Billy Goat is located near the former location of the Chicago Sun-Times building and the Tribune Tower. The tavern was a meeting spot for old-school journalists who would sit at the dark basement bar, drink and tell stories about politicians and sports figures. It’s an unofficial newspaper museum and Royko would hold court near “Wise Guys Corner.”
I had a “Doublecheezborger,” chips (because there are no fries) and a draft beer in honor of my guy today. Royko died in 1997, but for a newspaper nerd he’ll live forever.
Here are a couple classic Royko quotes:
“Hating the Yankees is as American as pizza pie, unwed mothers, and cheating on your income tax.”
“It’s been my policy to view the Internet not as an ‘information highway,’ but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies.”
And, my favorite: ”Show me somebody who is always smiling, always cheerful, always optimistic, and I will show you somebody who hasn’t the faintest idea what the heck is really going on.”
But enough about Royko, the author of “Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago,” among other books. Let’s get back to baseball.
Here are tonight’s lineups.
Lineup notes:
2B Tony Roth is back in the lineup at his customary No. 2 spot in the batting order. Roth has missed all or parts of the Miners’ last seven games with deep bruise on his lower back. Roth injured himself after an awkward slide into second base in a July 8 game against Kalamazoo. ”We may fight this for a while,” said Pinto of Roth’s back problems, which included bouts with spasms. ”He may have to alter what he does in certain situations in order to compensate for it, but Tony is a pro and he knows what he has to do on any given day.” Roth being in the lineup means Tyler Lairson moves to the bench, but don’t be surprised if Lairson comes into the game late if the Miners have a nice lead.
Mike Scanzano batted in the two hole last night, but moves down to the seven spot in the batting order…Eric Suttle will play left field and bat ninth.
Clay Zavada update: The former Miners lefty is still the man, only he’s plying his trade for South Bend, the Arizona Diamondbacks Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. Zavada is 1-1 with one save. Doesn’t seem very impressive, does it? Well, how about this: 20 strikeouts versus three walks in 10.2 innings over eight appearances. Zavada has allowed two earned runs and three hits in 35 at-bats. Opponents are batting a Ben Sheets-like .086 against Zavada.
Tanner Roark update: Roark is pitching for the Diamondback’s Bakersfield club in the Class A California League. He’s made one appearance and allowed one earned run on a home run in two innings. Roark gave up three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Tonight’s weather forecast: Partly cloudy and humid tonight with a low temperature of 69 degrees. Winds from the northeast at five to 10 miles per hour.
Tonight’s starting pitchers:
Right-hander Ryan Bird (7-3, 3.32 ERA) makes his 12th start of the season tonight. He enters the game as the Frontier League strikeouts leader, with 78. Bird has allowed 23 earned runs on 57 hits and 23 walks in 62.1 innings. Opponents own a .243 batting average against him. Bird pitched a seven-inning, complete-game shutout earlier this season. He’s 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in his one start versus Windy City. Bird gave up four earned runs on seven hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in six innings on June 17. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Bird, 23, has a high-80s, low-90s fastball with a good curveball and a changeup.
Windy City counters with righty Amos Ramon (3-2, 4.53 ERA), who’s making his ninth start and 10th appearance. Ramon ranks third on Windy City in innings pitched (53.2) and has allowed 27 earned runs on 61 hits and 12 walks. Opponents have a .281 batting average against Ramon with 26 strikeouts. Ramon is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA against the Miners this season. He’s pitched 11 innings and allowed 11 earned runs on 19 hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in two starts versus Southern Illinois. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound Ramon, 25, has a low-80s sinking fastball, a curveball, a changeup and a slider.
We’ll be back after the Miners take their first-inning at-bats here at Standard Bank Stadium in Crestwood…We’ll be a little late tonight. Windy City is honoring living and fallen military personnel in a pre-game ceremony. There will also be a delay in the seventh inning for an in-game presentation on the field.
First pitch, ball, 7:12 p.m.
First inning:
The Miners got to Windy City starter Amos Ramon early. Center fielder Kevin Koski grounded a 2-2 pitch to deep second base for an infield single. Second baseman Tony Roth laid down a 2-3 sac bunt. Koski moved to second base. First baseman Brad Miller struck out swinging on a full-count offering. Right fielder Joey Metropoulos pulled a 1-0 pitch to left for a run-scoring double that plated Koski from second base for a 1-0 lead. Designated hitter Tim Dorn lifted a fly-out to left.
Starter Ryan Bird took the first step in improving Southern Illinois’ record when scoring first to 17-6 with a shutout opening frame. Right fielder Scott Billak lifted a 1-1 offering to shallow right for the first out. Bird walked left fielder Mike Coles on six pitches. Shortstop Wes Long grounded Bird’s first pitch into a 6-4-3 double play. 1-0 Miners.
Second inning:
Southern Illinois could not add to its lead on Ramon in the second. Third baseman Brandon Jones grounded out, 5-3, on a 1-2 pitch. Shortstop Mike Scanzano sliced a 2-1 offering for a fly-out to right. Catcher Brendan Akashian pulled a one-ball offering to right for a single. Left fielder Eric Suttle swung through a 1-2 pitch for the final out.
Southern Illinois got its second double play of the night in a scoreless second inning. Bird walked first baseman Phil Hawke on five pitches. Bird fell behind designated hitter Brett Amyx, 2-0, met with Akashian at the mound, evened the count and then induced a 5-4-3 double play. Third baseman Josh Horn was called out on strikes to end the inning. 1-0 Miners.
Third inning:
The Miners got the leadoff man on for the second time tonight. They scored him for the second time tonight. Koski pulled a 2-2 pitch to right field for a standup double. Roth laid down a 3-4 sac bunt that advanced Koski to third base. Miller’s sacrifice fly to center on a 2-2 offering scored Koski from third for a 2-0 lead. Metropoulos flied-out to left on an 0-1 pitch for the final out.
A pair of nifty defensive plays by Jones at third kept the ThunderBolts scoreless through three innings. Catcher Danny Sawyer was called out on strikes. Jones backhanded center fielder Mike Sullivan’s groundball to third base for a 5-3 putout. Akashian and Bird had a brief meeting on the mound as second baseman Chris Klepps stepped to the plate. Jones scooped Klepp’s bounding grounder and fired to first for a 5-3 putout. 2-0 Miners.
Fourth inning:
The Miners went down in order for the first time tonight in the fourth. Dorn was called out on strikes on Ramon’s full-count offering. Jones flied-out to right field on a 2-1 pitch. Scanzano lifted a fly-out to right field.
Bird has this one on cruise control. He’s faced the minimum through four no-hit innings. Billak grounded out, 6-3, on Bird’s 1-1 offering. Coles watched a 1-2 curveball for a strikeout. Coles lined-out to center field for the fourth’s final out. 2-0 Miners.
Fifth inning:
Southern Illinois got a one-out single but no runs in the fifth. Akashian struck out swinging on three pitches. Suttle lined a 1-1 offering to right for an opposite-field single. Koski flied-out to center. Roth grounded a two-balls, two-strikes pitch into a 5-3 putout.
Bird has faced one over the minimum through five no-hit innings. Bird walked Hawke on four pitches. Jones gloved a stinging liner off Amyx’s bat for the first out. Bird picked up his fourth strikeout of the night when Horn swung through a 1-2 pitch. Bird picked up his fifth when Sawyer was called out on strikes. 2-0 Miners.
Sixth inning:
Ramon sat the Miners down in order in the sixth. Miller struck out swinging on a high fastball in a 1-2 count. Metropoulos lifted a fly-out to center on an 0-2 offering. Dorn grounded a one-ball, two-strikes pitch into a 6-3 putout.
Bye-bye for Birdy’s no-hit bid, but the T-Bolts’ are still scoreless through six. Bird struck out Sullivan swinging. Klepp broke up Bird’s no-hit bid with a 2-2 single past a diving Jones at third base. Billak struck out swinging. Coles grounded into a 5-4 fielder’s choice to end the inning. 2-0 Miners.
Seventh inning:
Quiet inning for the Miners. Jones flied-out to left. Scanzano followed with a fly-out to right. Akashian grounded out, 4-3.
Bird picked up his eighth and ninth strikeouts of the night in a scoreless seventh. Long went down swinging. Hawke lined a 1-2 offering to right for a single. Amyx struck out swinging. Horn grounded out, 5-3. 2-0 Miners.
Eight inning:
Right-hander Kyle Zweber (0-0, 0.00 ERA) relieved Ramon in the eighth and held Southern Illinois scoreless. Suttle struck out swinging. Koski grounded a 2-2 offering into a 6-3 double play. Roth took a four-pitch walk. Miller’s foul popup to first base ended the Miners’ frame.
Ramon’s line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO.
A scoreless eighth might be Bird’s last inning of the night. Justin Tellem (.000) came in as a pinch hitter for Sawyer in the eighth and grounded out, 5-3. Right-hander Armando Carrasco tossed in the Miners’ bullpen. Sullivan lofted a full-count offering to center for a fly-out. Klepps popped-up to Miller in foul territory. 2-0 Miners.
Ninth inning:
Southern Illinois got an insurance run and then some in the ninth inning. Metropoulos blooped a single to center on the first offering from reliever Anthony Rebyanski (1-2, 6.75 ERA). Dorn took a four-pitch walk. Bradley Goldsmith, Metro’s pinch runner, moved to second base as the T-Bolts’ infield converged on the mound for a defensive strategy meeting with Jones at the plate. Jones feigned a bunt, took a ball and new catcher Justin Tellam’s throw to a vacant second base advanced both runners into scoring position. Jones pulled a single to left that scored Goldsmith for a 3-0 lead. Dorn advanced to third base. Scanzano grounded an opposite-field single to right. Dorn scored for a 4-0 lead. Jones advanced to third from first. Jones scored on Akashian’s sac fly to left for a 5-0 lead. Suttle lined to the pitcher, now Matt Petty, who tossed to first to double up Scanzano.
Right-hander Armando Carrasco (2-2, 6.20 ERA) relieved Bird in the ninth and kept the shutout intact. Suttle moved from left to right field. Goldsmith stayed in the game and played left field. Billak flied-out to left. Coles struck out swinging. Long reached when Miller slipped trying to field his dribbler to the right side of the infield. Hawke singled to right. Amyx’s fly-out to right ended the game. Final score: 5-0 Miners.