Swept Away (Maloney vs. Moseley)

Miss Pennsylvania throws out the first pitch.

Moosic, PA (Friday, April 30, 2010) -  The fourth game of this series had the best weather.  No snow, no bone-chilling wind.  It was a very pleasant evening - warm, but not too hot.  Since it was Friday night, it was also the most crowded, with a lot of families and students from the numerous colleges in the area.

Matt Maloney started for the Bats.

Starting for the SWB Yankees was former Louisville Bat Dustin Moseley.

Moseley was the Reds' first round draft pick in 2000.  He made it to Louisville by 2003, and was ranked the fourth best prospect in the Reds organization by Baseball America.  After the 2004 season, he was traded to the Angels for Ramon Ortiz.  He remained with them until this season, when he was cut loose and signed with the Yankees.

Sweet 16: Rick Sweet, manager of the Louisville Bats.

Cozart singled in the first, and stole 2B.

But he was stranded.

Maloney gave up a single and a double in bottom of the first. 

Dave Winfree took 3B on a Valaika error.

Only one run scored in the inning, though.

Chad Huffman and Drew Sutton in the 2nd inning.

Huffman doesn't beat the throw.

He's out!

Frazier fields a Greg Golson fly out.

Cozart struck out in the third, but took first base on a wild pitch by Moseley.

The throw to Juan Miranda is way too late.

Safe!  By a mile.

With Sutton batting, Cozart tried to steal second.

Jesus Montero guns him down.  Reegie Corona with the tag.

He's out.

The inning-ending caught stealing gets Cozart a talking to from the manager.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Greg Golson hit a line drive to right field.  Balentien tried to dive for it and missed, and there was no one backing him up.  Speedy Golson ran hard out of the box and never stopped.

Heading for home.

Corky Miller blocks the plate.

Juan Miranda, who was in the on-deck circle, signaled to Golson to slide behind the plate.  

Golson slides, but misses the plate.

But he reaches around the tag with his hand.

Safe!  It's an inside-the-park home run!

I think it's the first inside-the-parker I've ever seen in person.  The ball was somewhat misplayed.  Balentien shouldn't have dived, and with Heisey called up, infielder Chris Burke was playing CF.  Still, it was pretty impressive.  Golson has wheels.

Valaika hit a two-out single in the 4th.

He apparently didn't notice it was Montero instead of Chad Moeller behind the plate, and tried to steal 2B.

He's out!

Then it was his turn to get the talk from the manager.

They ragged on him from the dugout, and he laughed.

Holy cow.  Look at his canines.  I think Valaika's a vampire.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Maloney pitched four innings.

His line: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 3.05 ERA.

Jesus Delgado pitched the 5th and 6th.

Frazier singled in the 5th.

Wladimir Balentien doubled.

Frazier scored.

Dustin Moseley was pulled during the 5th.

His line: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR, 3.86 ERA.

Journeyman Royce Ring pitched the 7th and part of the 6th.

It was 3-5 in the top of the 9th - last licks for the Bats.

Todd Frazier popped out.

Wlad walked, then Corky singled.

He was replaced with pinch-runner Josh Anderson, but stayed on the field as first base coach.

By now it was pretty late, and it was mostly drunk college students left.  One of them nearly fell off the dugout trying to catch a foul ball; his friend drenched the entire section when he spilled his beer trying for the ball.  They were heckling Corky Miller throughout the game.  The combination of his name and his facial hair was irresistible, so they were very happy when he stayed to coach first base.

With Chris Burke at the plate, they called a successful double steal.  Anderson was at 2B and Balentien at third, with one out.

Burke hit a sac fly that scored Balentien. 

One out left, and it was up to Zack Cozart.

Cozart's last stand ended in a groundout.  Yankees win, 5-4.

The Bats were swept, losing all four games of the series.  Perhaps most aggravating: they lost every game by only one run.