Every 5TH Day- Following Greg Maddux vs. Atlanta/Notes from Luray vs. Fauquier and Around the Valley

11:15 PM- The Padres are hitting in the bottom of the 4TH and Greg is trailing 1-0. San Diego has managed on hit of support. Greg has allowed 1 earned on two hits so we will have to wait and see if the Friars bats can come alive as Greg continues his search for win #351!
The game down at Bulldog Field went to the visitors from Fauquier by a score of 4-2 but I will be quick to say that after 43 straight VBL nights, I just called the best game I have seen this season. The starting pitchers were dominating in two completely different manners. The young man pitching for Fauquier was B.J Martin (Marist) and young B.J had it going on. Martin went 7 innings and fanned 10 Wranglers while allowing just 3 hits to the hottest team in the VBL.
Martin tallied 101 pitches over 7 innings and left holding a 2-0 lead. Anders Oster (North Georgia) provided the offense with a 2-run HR off Luray starter Alex Koronis (U. of Miami) in the top of the 1ST inning. It had been a long,long time since the Wranglers had been on the short side of their home town ball park. They have recorded 8 straight wins @ Bulldog Field since the Waynesboro Generals. The final scores had been 6-5, 10-2, 9-6, 15-5, 3-2, 14-3, 16-1, ,16-1 and 6-1 during the streak.
Koronis fanned 10 Gators during his 6 innings of work while scattering 9 hits over the first 5 frames. Koronis pulled off a Houdini escape not once but twice by retiring the Gators with out allowing a run after Gators' reached 2ND and 3RD base WITH NO OUTS. To do that once is impressive but twice is down right remarkable!
The Wranglers finally scored in the bottom of the eighth inning and tied the score at 2-2 with a rally that came against the VBL save leader Shawn Griffith(10 in 10 tries). Jack VanLeur started the frame for the visitors and he surrendered a lead off double to Cory Johnson (South Florida) and then a single to C.J Lauriello (Miami-Dade). Chris Rey (South Florida) walked to load the bases but VanLeur recorded a huge strike out. Jeff Jefferson (Liberty) followed with a line shot to left field but it went for a LOUD out.
Two down and the bases still loaded, Austin Markel picked up an infield single to plate Johnson before Gator Skipper Paul Koch went to the pen for Griffith. Jeremy Cruz worked Griffith for a walk on a 3-2 count and the Wranglers were even at 2-2 put Griffith retired the side without further damage to send it to the ninth...

UPDATE FROM SAN DIEGO-Maddux & Padres 1- Atlanta Braves 1- Top of 6TH

The crowd was rocking at the park was full of drama in the late innings. Pinch Hitter Justin Jones (Auburn) led off the top of the ninth inning with a single and the next three Gators didn't get the ball out of the infield but with a sac bunt, infield single and RBI ground out they took a 3-2 lead. Chad Pierce followed with a sharp RBI single to make it 4-2 but Luray kept coming back for more in the home half of the ninth inning.
PH- Frank Florio (Stetson) worked Griffith for a lead off walk and one out later Johnson added a single to give Luray the tying runs on base again. Griffith stepped up and finished striking out the side for the Gators 4-2 victory, ending the Wranglers 6 game winning streak.

ANOTHER UPDATE- 2 singles, a walk and then a broken bat bleeder off Maddux after two were out has given the Braves a 3-1 lead. Maddux has now surrendered 3 earned on 6 hits thru 6 innings.

Harrisonburg made it two straight come from behind wins in a row when the Turks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to New Market, defeating the Rebels by a 3-2 final.

Staunton GM Steve Cox gave us an update from Front Royal where his Braves were leading the Cards 4-2.

Generals Sign Guy Mike let us know that his Generals defeated the visiting Woodstock River Bandits by a final score of 11-4 down at Kate Collins Middle School.

Had the privilege of visiting with Mr. & Mrs. Kieth Jefferson and their son Jeff for a few moments after the game. The Jefferson's were up from the Danville area to visit their son.
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PADRES PUT RUNNERS ON 2ND & 3RD WITH A CHANCE TO TIE- Groundout-Still down 3-1
Greg back out for the 7TH inning- there is still hope for a rally....Maddux needed just 4 pitches to retire the side in the seventh! 75 pitches for the night / 51 strikes
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I didn't get the opportunity to visit with Mr.Florio but I did notice that Frank was back in town to check in on his son Frank. Great crowd, great game and the next time the gates at Bulldog Field open it will be Tuesday afternoon for the Double Header with Vienna vs. Waynesboro (4PM) and Vienna vs. Luray (7:30 PM)

I will be over at New Market for my 8TH webcast of the season as the Winchester Royals come to Rebel Park and the Wranglers head up to Stu's place for a game with Woodstock...

Bud Black has pulled Maddux for a Pinch Hitter so if the Padres don't rally over the balance of the 7TH inning my guy once again will come up on the short end of the final score. Myrow just struck out (I think Maddux could of managed to do that himself) so Greg is down to one last out and I have to start working the Sunday Post. Scott Hairston is 0-3 for the night......Now 0-4...
Another quality start but the reward will be a loss or at best a no-decesion but still the ATV-60 resident baseball Hero!
I laugh when people question how much fire still burns inside Maddux- in an attempt to help his own cause last night be became the oldest pitcher in MLB history to steal a base!

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