Results tagged ‘ Josh Wall ’
TOP TEN Loons Games of 2010, Part 2
And now to continue the list started last week, I present Part 2 of the Top Ten Loons Games of 2010. For Games 10 through 6, click here.
____________________________________________________________________________
5. ‘Jerry’s Last Hurrah!’ – 6.17.2010
Jerry Sands was the Loons most valuable player during the first-half of the season, accumulating 48 runs, 81 hits, 18 home runs and 46 RBI in 69 games with the Loons for a .333 batting average and three MWL Player of the Week awards. On June 17, Sands made sure his last game at Dow Diamond was a good one by going 3-for-5 to account for four of the team’s seven runs. But it was his final at-bat that really made the night special. Tied 6-6 in the eighth inning, Sands blasted a solo home run to left field that rung half-way up the flagpole (or even higher depending on who you ask), which proved to be the game winner. Less than a week later, Sands said his final goodbye to the MWL by blasting a homer in the league’s All-Star Game (pictured), of which he was named MVP. Full Story / Know Your Loons / All-Star Coverage / All-Star Photos
4. ‘All Wall’ – 7.7.2010
Loons starting pitcher Josh Wall used 117 pitches on Wednesday, July 7, to become the franchise’s first pitcher to throw for a 9-inning complete game. To make the outing even more special, Wall kept the visiting Lugnuts team scoreless to record his first career shutout. The 23-year-old limited the Lugnuts to three hits in the 8-0 win, tossing six strikeouts to three walks in the two-hour and 40-minute bout. The win was Wall’s fifth in a row; he eventually finished the season as the Midwest League’s strikeout leader with 151. Full Story / Video Highlights
3. ‘Avenging ’09′ – 9.10.2010
In 2009, the Loons were ousted from their first Midwest League postseason by the Fort Wayne TinCaps, who eventually went on to become champions of the league. But the Loons had the last laugh in 2010, winning 6-4 in Game 3 of the Midwest League’s Quarterfinals. The Loons jumped out to an early lead in the contest, but the ‘Caps rallied to make it 3-2 in the sixth inning. Angelo Songco’s RBI-double and a Joe Becker sacrifice-fly recaptured the Loons lead and Rafael Ynoa’s homer in the seventh was icing on the cake. With the win, the Loons advanced to the MWL’s Eastern Division Championship Series for the second year in a row. Full Story / Video Highlights
2. ‘A Night of Numbers’ – 8.24.2010
With a Dow Diamond record-high crowd of 6,079 in attendance, the Great Lakes Loons registered their 82nd win of the season, surpassing the franchise’s highest single-season win total of 81 (’09) with a 9-3 victory over the West Michigan Whitecaps. Earlier in the day, Loons Manager Juan Bustabad was honored by his peers as the Midwest League Manager of the Year. His special day continued later that night with the win, the 700th of his managerial career. Homering on the night was Jaime Ortiz with a two-run dinger to the right-field fire pit and a solo shot from third baseman Brian Ruggiano. Full Story / Video Highlights / 700 Photos
1. ‘The Crazy Eighth’ – 9.9.2010
Never has the Funky Feather been more in unison than on September 9, when the Great Lakes Loons rallied from three runs down to defeat the Fort Wayne TinCaps by a score of 10-5 in Game 2 of the Midwest League’s Quarterfinals and avoid postseason elimination. As seen in Top Loons Game No. 3, the Loons went on to win the series against the defending champs, but it all started in the seventh inning of Game 2. The Loons chipped away at the TinCaps lead in the seventh with a Nick Buss single that scored two runs, which were also the team’s first of the series. But the madness reached its peak in the eighth inning as the Loons used five hits, two walks and two errors to score eight runs and force a deciding Game 3. The game, filled with high energy and one absurd inning, is what From the Nest considers the most memorable game of the 2010 season. Full Story / Video Highlights
Looking at the Records
With the Loons 2010 season officially over, albeit a few games too soon, it’s time for the record books to be updated and showcased. A lot of players help set new single-season and single-game records this season, which proves just how talented the 2010 Loons were. Here is a taste of the 2010 Loons many accomplishments.
Franchise’s Best Single-Season Record:
90-49 (.647)
Other franchise single-season bests set in 2010:
Best Batting Average – Brian Cavazos-Galvez (.318) replacing E. Perez (’07 – .311)
Most Doubles – Brian Cavazos-Galvez (43) replaceing Kyle Russell (’09 – 39)
Most Sacrifice Flies – J.T. Wise (8) replacing Nick Buss (’09 – 6)
Most Sacrifice Bunts – Rafael Ynoa (14) replacing Francisco Lizarraga (’07 – 11)
Most Games as a Catcher – Gorman Erickson (80) replacing Kenley Jansen (’08 – 78)
Best Earned Run Average – Allen Webster (2.88) replacing Justin Miller (’08 – 3.99)
Most Shutouts – Will Savage and Matt Magill (1) tying Bryan Morris (’08 – 1)
Most Holds – Steve Smith (17) replacing many with only 5
Most Saves – Luis Vasquez (20) tying Miguel Ramirez (’08 – 20)
Most Strikeouts – Josh Wall (151) replacing Clayton Kershaw (’07 – 134)
Lowest Batting Average Against – Matt Magill (.194) replacing C. Kershaw (’07 - 203)
Longest Hitting Streak – Brian Cavazos-Galvez (24 games) replacing E. Perez (’07 – 19)
Most Hits in a Game – Blake Smith (5) tying Jaime Pedroza (’09)
Most Extra-base Hits in a Game – Cavazos-Galvez (4) replacing 13 others with 3
Most Innings in a Game – Josh Wall (9) replacing Justin Miller (’08 – 8.2)
Most Consecutive Scoreless Innings Pitched – Elisaul Pimentel (18.1) from 5/22-6/8
Fort Wayne by the Numbers
9/8 – Great Lakes @ Fort Wayne, 7:05 p.m.
RHP Allen Webster (12-9, 2.88) vs. RHP Matt Lollis (5-2, 1.66)
9/9 – Fort Wayne @ Great Lakes, 7:05 p.m.
LHP Jose De Paula (8-5, 3.27) vs. LHP Greg Wilborn (4-2, 3.26)
9/10 – Fort Wayne @ Great Lakes*, 7:05 p.m.
RHP Jerry Sullivan (7-4, 4.03) vs. RHP Matt Magill (7-4, 3.28)
Loons starting pitchers stats against Fort Wayne:
Allen Webster – 3.09 ERA, 0-2, 11.2 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 9 SO
Josh Wall – 3.78 ERA, 1-1, 16.2 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 7ER, 9 BB, 13 SO
Matt Magill – 6.23 ERA, 1-0, 13.0 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 9ER, 9 BB, 22 SO
Greg Wilborn and Ryan Christenson have never faced the TinCaps
Five Loons have batting averages against Fort Wayne that are above .300: Brian Cavazos-Galvez (.396), Joe Becker (.333), J.T. Wise (.308), Christian Lara (.306), Nick Buss (.300). Galvez leads the team with three homers against the TinCaps, while four others have hit two.
The Celebration
The champagne, the goggles, the soaked jerseys…we’ve all seen it on TV. But it’s usually the Major League clubs that we watch. So what about in the minors? Are things the same? What really goes on in the clubhouse after a win? Well, here’s what happened in the Loons clubhouse following Wednesday night’s 4-3 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks.
To get the full account we’ll need to start where the celebration did, which was on the field after the newest Loon, outfielder Stetson Banks, caught the final out to seal the deal and give the Loons their first-ever postseason berth prior to the All-Star Game. The players rushed the mound, throwing hats, gloves and sunglasses along the way, as if they were graduation caps.
Bound All-Star Luis Vasquez, No. 40 seen jumping for joy, was on the mound to close it out for the Loons Wednesday night and tossed a hitless ninth inning, three up three down, to allow the celebration to commence as soon as possible. He earned his 13th save of the year and is tied for second league-wide.
Seeing how the win was a come-from-behind effort, Jerry Sands helped continue the Loons tradition and gave Manager Juan Bustabad a shaving cream towel to the face. A well-deserved gesture for the skipper that has his men at 41-24 with four games to go.
The team’s harassment of Busty continued as pitchers Allen Webster and Josh Wall surprise him from behind as he gave his playoff-clinching speech to the 3,435 in attendance at Dow Diamond.
And with the blink of an eye, the diamond was left all alone, with only dirty belongings from Loons players remaining, traded in without shame for the champagne that beckoned from the clubhouse.
That’s when the long-time baseball tradition took place. All of the players, coaches and trainers got involved in distributing the iced beverages, with the single goal of making sure that no one in the room was left without that cold and sticky feeling.
Bustabad managed to quiet down the group, only briefly, in order to give another speech to his guys. He mainly reminded them that the prize wasn’t the berth, but the eventual championship, and getting that ring at the end of the year. Cheers were coaxed, followed by more dousing.
Like any good party, when all of the liquids were depleted, a dance party broke out. Here shortstop Christian Lara encourages Jerry Sands to keep up the jig.
The final action of the night had Bustabad fulfilling his promise to his players. He told them earlier in the season that he would let them shave his trademark mustache when they clinched a playoff spot. Rubby de la Rosa did the honors, while Busty’s kid joined in on the mohawk craze at the hands of third baseman Brian Ruggiano.
The Loons will have to regroup on Thursday, as they close out the series with South Bend, before heading to Dayton for their last series of the first-half.
loonslivingston
Matt DeVries
LoonsWassel
Recent Comments