The Rebels won the battle, but the war is far from over.
South Oakland is 3-7-1, after a bitter defeat at the hands of the defending champion Monroeville Rebels. The Ducks were unable to take advantage of the short-handed Rebels who played the entire game without a right fielder. The Ducks lead 4-0 in the second and then Rebels' starter, reigning MVP, Jesse Jones, settled down and held the Ducks scoreless for the rest of the game.
leading 4-3 in the top of the seventh, South Oakland had the bases loaded with two outs, and Ben Gwin, popped out to end the threat.
Nick Homa pitched five solid innings, allowing 2 earned runs, before turning it over to the bullpen. Relief pitcher Smith took the loss.
All of the Ducks hits were to the left side of the field, no extra bases were earned due to the huge gap in right field. the Rebels eight-man lineup allowed them to get the heart of their order quicker, but in the end it was their last batter who blooped the game-winning single into center field.
Kabby Everly had 4 RBI for the Rebels.
Jones didn't seem to have the same speed on his fastball that he has in the past, but he is a tough competitor, and a smart pitcher, he recorded the complete game win for Monroeville.
I tip my hat, to him.
The loss drops the Ducks to last place in the Monongahela division
Still, hope lies within the remaining 13 games of the South Oakland season.
***
Ducks, We can still make the playoffs, if you don't think so please hand in your jersey, I'll come get it. For the second game in a row, someone has commented to me that this is the best the Ducks have looked in years. Despite all the errors, all the mistakes and all the close calls, we have in it unitl the last pitch in all but two games. There's a lot of pride in this locker room.Look at what the Rockies did last year, they won 24 straight. We can be the Rockies.
Our backs are really against the wall right now, but I wouldn't want to be on any other team. We are lucky to be able to play ball all summer. We have a chance to be a part of something special here, and at 3-7 it's all talk, but I can feel it and we are painfully close, we've been buying, Victory drinks all night only to see her go home with that douche bag frat boy at last call. From here on out we seal the deal, she's ours.
The sun's gonna shine on our back door some day.
Bullet points- The Rebels and Matadors played in last year's championship. We beat the Matadors, and lost to the defending champs on the last play of the game.
- The rest of the division will beat each other up, we can go on a run.
- Another wasted quality start.
- Les had his best game at the plate this season, he went 2-3. It is because his parents read this that the blog is not laced with profanity.
- If it were anyone else who popped out in the seventh, with the bases loaded, I'd tell them it wasn't their fault we lost the game. I'm sure there are a few of us who feel we left some runs out there, or could have made another play in the field. I'm not the only one who feels like they've been punched in the sack.
- At least our team name isn't the Rebels.
- It is possible I was beaned in the first inning because of what I wrote about the Rebels last week. Perhaps, I overestimated their collective sense of humor. I'll take that trade-off every time, a hit-by-pitch, and a stolen base is as good as a double. If their pitcher wasn't a good guy, I would have charged the mound, then I would have been ejected along with the pitcher and they would have had 7 players.
- I'm open for suggestions on how to get hit by the Hurricanes pitcher, if anyone else wants to post anything I will email you the log-in information.
- After starting out 1 for 12, the Ducks' first baseman is 8 for his last 13.
- Koby has a cannon, and a good arm.
- Our relief pitcher, Smith, is probably somewhere in the murky, dark place between suicide and homicide. If I get that hit in the 7th he gets the win, he's had terrible luck. I just hope he doesn't get too down, there is a lot of baseball yet to be played and he will come up big for us down the line.
- This hurts. Remember the pain, harness it, take it out on the Hurricanes.
- Believe.
- I have Monday and Wednesday off if anyone wants batting practice.
