There were no Aussies in MLB action on Friday (Aus time), but there have been a few appearances over Saturday and Sunday, and some high quality minor league performances too.
Stockman pitches again
On Saturday (Friday in the US), Phil Stockman had his second appearance with the Atlanta Braves as they faced the Diamondbacks. The game was already over by the time he pitched, with the Braves on the wrong end of an 11-1 scoreboard. He came in at the top of the 9th inning, and retired the three batters he faced - Augie Ojeda on a popout, Conor Jackson on a pop out and Justin Upton on a strikeout.
Ryan Rowland-Smith still solid
Ryan Rowland-Smith continued his solid form, while the Mariners continued to flounder. Today they lost 12-6 against the Yankees, their fifth in a row. Rowland-Smith came in at the bottom of the 7th, after the Yanks had already scored 4 that dig. He came in with loaded bases and 2 out, and walked the first batter he faced - Hideki Matsui. Things got better from there, as he struck out pinch hitter Morgan Ensberg on a 1-2 changeup. RRS returned in the 8th inning, and gave up a hit to Robinson Cano, but then got Jose Molina to ground into a double play, before having Melky Cabrera pop out in foul territory. So while he was not as tight as he has been in recent games, taking out the walk, he pitched well. There has been some talk on Mariners blogs about RRS being given a shot at the Mariners rotation...with some calling for him to be sent to AAA for a while to build up his strength, and others saying he should be given a chance straight up. He has seen plenty of action lately, and has shown versatility in terms of short and long relief. The Mariners rotation has been underwhelming at best, so it could be a real chance for RRS to see more action. Time will tell.
Huber gets another atbat, news on Padres roster moves
Justin Huber finally got another at bat today, as the Padres continued to struggle. It came as the Padres continue to make adjustments to their roster, and speak about the future. It looks like Padres top prospect left fielder Chase Headley - currently hitting about .300 at AAA Portland - will get the call up to the bigs in June. Padres GM Kevin Towers has said that they want more time to have a look at Huber, and fellow leftfielders Paul McAnulty and Scott Hairston. Today, his first game in a week, saw Huber get a pinch hit to lead off the fifth inning. He probably didnt do much to impress, striking out on 3 pitches. To read more about the Padres roster moves, check out this article from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Balfour continues to impress
In Minor League action, Grant Balfour has continued has outstanding season at AAA Durham Bulls. Yesterday, Balfour faced 5 hitters, and struck them all out, to earn his eighth save of the season. He has now struck out 36 hitters over just 21.2 innings, with a 0.42 ERA he is really a class above at the moment. However, the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen is pretty solid right now, so unless there are some injuries or trades, it looks like Balfour is stuck in Durham for a while longer.
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