The Beat 27 vs. Renegades 2
It's days like this I love playing ball in San Francisco. Mild, overcast, slight breeze...the type of day where you can go all out and barely break a sweat. The Beat did go all out on this day and made it look easy scoring the second-most lopsided win in team history, a 27-2 drubbing of the Renegades.

The team was sharp on both sides of the ball. On offense, all ten batters scored (7 batters scored 3 runs or more) and all had at least one RBI. On Defense, the team took a shutout into the last inning when the Renegades finally strung together enough hits to score a measly two. The Renegades left 9 runners on in just 5 innings including 5 in scoring position.

The Beat started simply enough with a walk to Jacq Wilson (1-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 2 BB), a single by Kevin Austin (3-6, 3 runs, 3 RBI, double), and another single by Mark St. Georges (4-5, 4 runs, 2 RBI) knocking in Wilson. With one out, Brian Greenblatt (0-2, 3 runs, 2 BB, RBI) sacrificed Austin from third and then Derek Rey (4-5, 2 runs, 2 doubles, 7 RBI) started his big day with an RBI single to put the Beat up 3-0. The Renegades managed a couple hits but kept all of their outs in the infield and stranded runners at the corners with no one scoring.

The Beat tacked on a couple more in the top of the second when Gunnar Rosenquist (3-4, 3 runs, BB, RBI) went all the way to third on a 3-base error. Pete Wenner (2-3, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 2 BB) singled G-man in making it 4-0. Special K doubled moving Pete to third, who then scored when the second baseman booted D Moody's (2-4, 3 runs, BB, RBI) grounder. But the rally fizzled early and Kev was stranded at third. The Renegades started the bottom of the inning with a walk and a single. But Big Daddy saved the inning by snagging a sharp grounder to third and turning an excellent 5-4 double play. The Renegades snuck in another single but stranded runners at second and third with still no runs across. Beat 5, Renegades 0.

The Beat went down quickly in the top of the third when D-Rey's single was nullified by a quick inning ending double play and you could sense the the momentum was starting to shift. The Beat rally in the second was cut short and they sent only 3 batters to the plate in the third. Meanwhile the Renegades were consistently getting runners in scoring position but were just unable to score them. Special K started leaning heavily on the knuckler and put an end to any Renegade momentum in the bottom of the third on 4 pitches. With the top of the order batting, a first pitch comebacker went for an easy 1-3 force on leadoff man Franklin. With one called strike, Monar grounded out to D-Rey at short. Then #3 hitter Onoe popped up the first pitch he saw to D-Rey at short. Before they could say "Damn, that was fast" the Beat was back in the dugout. This time they'd stay for a while.

G-man led off the top of the 4th with a single. Pete and Jacq drew back-to-back walks, then Special K grounded a bases clearing single through the right side with the speedy Wilson blazing all the way in from first to score the Beat's 8th run. MSG and Moody singled loading the bases for the other Wilson and Jacque (1-5, 2 runs, RBI) punched and RBI single scoring Austin to make it 9-0. Then the wheels really fell off for the Renegades with back to back errors at second and short. Greg Lukoski (2-4, run, 2 RBI) scorched a sac fly for his first ribbie of the day. Gunnar got his second hit of the inning upping the score to 14-0. Pete got his second walk of the inning. Jacq drove a 2-run single making it 16-0. Austin reached on an error at third; MSG and D both had RBI singles; Brian walked; then with the bases jacked D-Rey hit a bases clearing double making the score 21-0. By the time the dust settled the Beat had batted around twice in the inning scoring 16 runs on 11 hits, 5 walks, and 3 errors. Gunnar and Pete each had 3 plate appearances in the inning combining for 2-3 and 3 walks. The Renegades responded not at all in the bottom of the 4th with 2 hits and stranding both.

Before they new it, the Beat was back in the dugout again. With the top of the order starting off, Jacq and Austin both flew out making it look like this might be a much shorter inning than the last, but the Renegades were not ready to end it so easily. Following MSGs 2-out single, D Moody hit a can-of-corn to right-center and the guy just dropped it. Q grounded to the infield, but the first baseman pulled his foot for another error. Brian walked. And with the bases jacked, up comes D-Rey to hit his second bases-clearing double of the day! Beat 25, Renegades 0. Greg, Gunnar, and Pete then connected on singles making it 27-0. Jacq reached on yet another error at first. Then, with the bases loaded again, Austin grounded to the shortstop ending the 5th and making yours truly the spring finale Beer Bitch (but let's be honest, did we really need to score more runs at this point as the team had already batted around again?). To add insult to injury for K, the Renegades finally strung together some hits and scored two in the bottom of the last frame spoiling another shut out bid, but the Beat walked away with a solid 27-2 trouncing.

The final tally: 27 runs on 22 hits, 8 walks, and 7 errors. The Renegades gave up 19 unearned runs in the game. But that's not all. This was the second game of a double header for the R's. They lost game one 30-15 to Spread the Glove, so the winless (and now we know why) Renegades gave up 57 runs today!

The game ball went to D-Rey for having a season in a day with 4 hits, 2 doubles and 7 RBI!!! He also did a hell of a job plugging the hole at short for the injured Mondo and converting a number of key plays.

That's a Wrap!
Due to all the rain-outs at the beginning of the season, the league had seven C-5 games scheduled today and 5 teams played double headers. Since the top 3, Il Pirata, Flor de Cana, and Ronin, all had only one loss, it all came down to today.

Il Pirata beat Flor 12-9 on diamond #1 during the Beat's game but lost to Ronin 13-7 in game two. Ronin was well up over the Ballers (19-8) in the 1:45 game, so it looks like Ronin will take the division and Il Pirata and Flor will have a division playoff for second now that the league is allowing a wildcard to advance to the playoffs (after all that April rain and a completely revamped schedule that ran three weeks longer than expected, you can bet the guys at the league office are kicking themselves for that decision). 

Assuming that Finnegan's handled Clamhouse in the 3pm game, four teams will finish with .500 records this season. (thanks to Pete for hanging at the park and sending all the scores!)