Milwaukee Brewers Blue 8, Oakland Athletics 8
LONG BEACH, Calif.– On Day 2 at the 2009 Area Code games, there was yet another tie game, but the Milwaukee Brewers Gray team finally came through with the event’s first victory in Game 4. Defensive plays in the outfield highlighted Thursday’s action, as did the bats of the Washington Nationals’ Drew Vettleson.
The Brewers Blue squad, made up of players primarily from Southern California, is traditionally a strong club each year at Area Code. In their first game, they wasted no time jumping on the Athletics, but in the end they went home like everyone did on Day 1.
he Brew Crew put four on the board in the bottom of the first inning off the A’s Nathan Foriest (Harpeth / Kingston Springs, Tenn.), a righthander. Shortstop Patrick Valaika (Hart / Newhall, Calif.) got on board courtesy of an error at third base and he took third on a double by Travis Harrison (Tustin, Calif.). With one out, Tyler Kuresa (Oakmont / Roseville, Calif.) hit a two-run single up the middle and took second on the throw home.
Stefan Sabol (Aliso Niguel / Aliso Viejo, Calif.) hit a sharp double down the line to score Kuresa. Christian Yelich (Westlake, Calif.) drove in the fourth run of the inning with a stand-up triple.
Milwaukee Brewers Gray 7, New York Yankees 2
Sandwiched in between the Brewers Blue’s offense were two spectacular defensive plays from leftfielder Kenny Travis (Edison / Fresno, Calif.) as the Brewers topped the New York Yankees, 7-2. It was a solid all-round effort for the first win of any team at the 2009 Area Code Baseball Games.
"We talked in the dugout about getting the win," said Travis. "The coaches did tell me in the dugout ‘nice catch.’"
The only scoring opportunity for either team in the first inning came when the Yankees threatened. Cito Culver (Irondequoit / Rochester, N.Y.) was caught stealing on an outstanding throw by Jake Rodriguez (Elk Grove, Calif.) during the same play in which Sean Coyle (Germantown Academy / Chalfont, Pa.) struck out.
Texas Rangers 9, Washington Nationals 7
The first two days at Area Code have seen many spectacular defensive plays in the outfield. The infield, however, is a different story.
"The fast dirt of Blair has caused some problems for the kids out there," said a American League Area Scout. "Blair has a way of doing that, separating the good from the bad. It reveals the truth."
The Nationals did enough with their bats to stay in the game, but simply made too many poor defensive plays to win.
Nationals starting pitcher Austin Voth (Kentwood / Kent, Wash.), a righty, did a spectacular job, allowing only one hit through the first three innings. Voth went out for the fourth inning, but the Rangers’ bats eventually caught up to him. He was pulled after three and a third, highlighting the Nationals’ shortage of available arms because of injuries on their roster. FULL STORY
