Notes From The Nat

When I used to coach high school soccer teams, there was one rule that I always drummed in to the kids from day one; anticipate the error. Always anticipate the error. Even if your opposite number only makes one mistake per game, if you?re anticipating that mistake, you can turn that single slip-up into a victory.Anticipating the error works in baseball too ? when you?re watching an easy grounder headed towards the shortstop, giving that sprint to first base your all probably won?t help you get there safely, at least 99% of the time, but some day that shortstop will be panicked by your effort and throw wide, or high, and by sprinting your way to first as hard as you can, that inevitable error turns into an easy trot to second, or even third. If you play hard enough, you manufacture those errors? you inspire them in the opposition.Today, the Canadians anticipated Yakima would make errors, and errors they did make. Important errors. Errors that allowed the C?s back into a game that they desperately needed to win.The game opened with a flourish, with Vancouver?s version of the Big Unit, Trey Shields, throwing off the mound. Shields started roughly, surrendering a walk and a pair of singles to concede first blood to Yakima. To his credit, ?Phaser? responded by striking out the hapless Ricardo Sosa, and then drew Josh Ford into a groundball double play to end the inning with minimal damage. The 2nd inning turned out substantially better for the big righty, as he sat Derek Bruce and Leyson Septimo swinging, and then caught Jaen Senteno looking.That little confidence boost served the Canadians well as first baseman Steve ?Squeaky? Kleen (pictured right) ran hard on a routine two-out ground-out to short, panicking his opposite number into dropping the throw as he steamed in to the bag. That began an unlikely rally that brought the C?s level when catcher Anthony ?Guns? Recker singled to right, and Spanky Sellers drove a liner at Yakima pitcher Chris Kemlo that brought in the run without conceding an out.With the teams level at 1-1, both pitchers settled in and carried the game until the top of the 5th, when Joe Piekarz came in for Shields and promptly lost his handle on the ball. Jaen Centeno, Juan Olivares and Chris Rahl got a hold of Piekarz?s fastball and punched it around to score two for Yakima as the big rookie struggled. But if the 6?3? D-III non-draft free agent signing wanted help from his bullpen, he wasn?t about to get it ? the pen was dry after the double header yesterday, so pitching coach Craig Lefferts was treating Piekarz?s relief as a defacto start ? he would be expected to last until the end, come what may.With Piekarz in trouble, Vancouver could have laid down and let Yakima run roughshod over them, especially after having not scored more than a run in the last three games, but these C?s are not about to let themselves be known as a weak offensive line-up. Instead, they tightened their fingers around the lumber and started playing hard baseball ? Piekarz included.Bottom of the fifth, one out, and center fielder Mike Massaro laid down a bunt that caught Bears pitcher Chris Kemlo napping. As Kemlo struggled, Massaro powered his way to first for the base hit, and the Yakima side started to look a little shaky.Chalon Tietje likes coming to the plate when the other team is nervous, as is evidenced by the sweet double to left he hit off a Kemlo hanging curve. Massaro zipped around the bases to score, and when Kemlo threw a two-out wild pitch, Teitje stole around to third to really put the wind up the Bears.Wes ?Long Gone? Long (pictured left) is a real gamer ? a teeth-gritting, sweat and fury kinda player who likes the mental game, so as Tietje tantalized the pitcher by coming off the bag at third, Long jumped on his fastball for a single to first baseman Trey Hendricks that he just couldn?t bring in.Bam! Vancouver 3 - Yakima 3, headed into the 6th, and on the mound, Joe Piekarz was beginning to heat up. Ground out, strike out, strike out ? next!Squeaky Kleen and Guns Recker combined to get two men on base for Vancouver in the 6th, and Spanky Sellers sac-bunted them into scoring position with one out gone, giving Mike Massaro a shot at driving in a couple of runs? alas, K.Chalon Tietje took his stance, determined to pick up where Massaro left off? alas, K. Ah, baseball, you can be such a harsh mistress.Bottom of the 8th, Vancouver back at the plate, looking for something to spark a result. Jose Garcia up at bat, sends a flare out to right field, Yakima RF Chris Rahl gave serious chase and sprawled for the catch but jusssssst couldn?t bring it in. Lead-off base hit to Vancouver!Up next was Squeaky Kleen, and the big one-bagger performed exactly as required ? a sacrifice bunt to get Garcia along to second. On the mound, a clearly agitated Yakima reliever was starting to lose control. As Guns Recker waited at the plate, the pitcher spun around to attempt a pick-off at second, only to watch the ball squeak past his shortstop. Man on 3rd, one out.Anthony Recker (pictured right) has not been in awesome form with the bat early this season, but it takes a while to get used to wooden bats, not to mention platooning your position with two other guys. But yesterday, Recker began to look good at the plate. Tonight? He looked amazing. Fastball inside, dispatched into center field. Garcia scores, Recker stands proudly at the bag, and the Canadians lead 4-3 going into the 9th. Could the slump be over?The job of defending that lead fell to the all-business closer, Mike Mitchell, who has struck out 5 in four innings of work this season, in which he?s also racked up 3 saves for an ERA of 0.00. Mitchell goes about his game the way you?d expect a Major Leaguer to go about his game ? no frills, no wasted energy, all fire.First batter up ? .281 hitting switch-hitter first baseman Trey Hendricks. Pop-up to short.Second batter up ? Catcher Josh Ford. Ground out to short.Third batter up - .161 hitting, recently demoted, DH Derek Bruce. Grounder to short, Spanky Sellers makes a tough throw on the run, and the game, good baseball fans, is OVER.

	July 7, 2005
	Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Yakima 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 7 3 Vancouver 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 X 4 11 0 wrap | box | logW: B. Davis (2-1, 0.00); L: M. Torra (0-1, 3.00); SV: M. Mitchell (4)HR: None.

Game notes:* Anthony Recker had a humungous game tonight, going 3 from 4 with an RBI to bring his average up to a decent .250 - Recker, the owner of the officially recognized “biggest biceps on the team” (17 inches around) was not only productive, but his hits were generally at times when the C’s really needed to keep the inning alive. With three catchers fighting for position in the team at present, this outing will push Recker into contention for the regular starting gig.* After a huge start to the year, June Player of the Month, Haas Pratt, has looked like a shadow of his former self at the plate of late. His average has lost about a hundred points, now sitting at .268, and his much vaunted early season power is missing in action. That said, it must be remembered that Pratt only hit one dinger all last season in rookie ball, so perhaps an early bluster of power has put a little too much pressure on a guy who isn’t expected to dominate.* Squeaky Kleen has been quietly effective all season, and with today’s 2 from 3 outing, he raises his average to a substantial .333 - could he soon force Pratt out of the number one first baseman’s position?* Spanky Sellers may only be a kid, having just graduated high school, but he’s also starting to show why he was drafted so high. Playing in short, Sellers has been decent in defense, but it’s his slowly climbing .286 average that is getting most notice. Tonight’s 2 from 3 performance won’t hurt that at all.* He’s not making many waves, but Wes Long has quietly built a nice average as well, with his 1 from 3 night with a walk and an RBI bringing his stats to a decent .311 - now if he can just steer clear of those strike-outs.* Mike Massaro went 1 from 4 tonight, but his average isn’t even threatening .100 at the moment. He gave up two K’s tonight in potential run-scoring situations, which may give management pause for thought. That said, he’s not exactly getting a lot of quality starts, so perhaps he should be given a run in games as a starter, and not a pinch-runner, once in a while.* Trey Shields looked good on the mound for most of his outing tonight. Not great, but good. He’ll come around with a few more starts, I’m sure. Brad Davis and Mike Mitchell, however? Money.* Perennial Bleacher Bums target, Ricardo Sosa, continued his nosedive since the Vancouver locals decided to ride him every time he stepped out on the field. Sosa’s average was a very decent .298 before Wednesday’s double header. Since then he’s gone 0-12 with 4K’s, to bring his average down to .237 - that’s a 61 point drop in just two days! Nice work, Vancouver fans. Be sure to get out there and have your “foooooorty fourrrrr” chants ready again so we can keep Yakima’s #3 hitter in his dire slump.Final game of the current homestand tomorrow night at 7PM - fireworks are thrown in with the deal, so get your tickets early and bring the kids!