The Ironpigs suffered another heartbreaking loss today at the hands of the Syracuse Chiefs with a final score of 0 to 2.
The Ironpig pitchers were again pretty solid:
Bonine took the loss allowing 6 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) in 6 innings with 8 strikeouts. He looked pretty sharp this afternoon.
Carpenter came in to pitch the 7th and 8th allowing only 1 hit and striking out 2.
Perez closed out the game striking out 2 and allowing no hits/runs.
The baseball card I imagine when I hear the name Eddie Bonine
The hitters were not so solid. The Pigs scraped out 6 hits in the game and Belliard had the only 2 hit day.
Even worse than the hitting was the fielding. It was real sloppy today out there. There was 3 errors, 2 by first baseman Frandsen (normally a shortstop) and 1 for Barfield (allowed the second run to score). In fact, the Chiefs got their first run of the game from a passed ball by Erik Kratz for the second straight game.
I thought about the field setup today and want to look at the first 3 game lineups. There seems to be a lot of shuffling going on in the lineups and positions so far. Getting the feel of the team and where everyone fits. This may not produce results every day in the early season but finding where each player produces the best is great for the long run of the 144 game season. The team may be 1-2 and under .500 again, but I’m still liking what I see out there.
Today was dog day! My dog Wally was there and had a great time! A wonderful group of friendly people and dogs enjoyed the 60 degree overcast day. Wally even got to see his friend Max and his family again and a good time was had by all.
Tomorrow the Ironpig’s will send Brian Bass to the mound to face the Chiefs’ Craig Stammen in an effort to split this 4 game home series. The weather is supposed to be considerably warmer in the evening so you can keep the winter coats in the car for one night. (Don’t pack them away just yet though)
Another great day for a ballgame. See you all tomorrow night!
OinK!
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
Dan – that was Sardinha that allowed the passed ball in Saturday night’s game, not Kratz. The team’s defense was a little sloppy today. I’m looking forward to the day when their bats come alive when they have RISP.
I also think the Frandsen at first base experiment should end, and put Larish there but according to the HOG BLOG, he was a little bruised.
Kratz left a passed ball today.
Just a couple of random thoughts from today’s game.
1. The early signs point to another season of ineptness at the plate.
The team looks very tentative so far. They need to be more aggressive and not always down a strike or two before swinging.
The combination of Sardhina and Kratz is so far worse than I thought they ever could be with a 1 for 13 and 5 K’s. (Yikes)
2. Like you mentioned two passed balls in two days for Kratz looks bad and Frandsen was having, to put it mildly, difficulties today. (The first error in particular was pathetic as he did not stretch or jump at all for the high throw. SS or not that’s just basic stuff.)
3. Bonine gave a little homage to the fundamentally unsound Huppert teams by butchering another sacrifice attempt. I know last year I starting counting how many and I stopped when I got to 25. Hopefully this will be more of an anomaly than an SOP this year.
4. The pitching has been flat out great. Mathieson was a bit shaky but so far no one has really turned in a clinker of an outing and that is a major improvement from years past.
The team looks better but I still doubt they’ll hit enough, particularly in the power department, to keep themselves over .500 for the year.
So far A+ for at least being competitive and interesting.
I agree completely with the A+ on being competitive. I’d like to see Larish and Moss in better positions to bat some runners in.
I’m not sure if a lineup with Larish, Sullivan, and Moss on the bench is ever going to be a good one. I don’t care if the pitcher is left handed or right handed or under handed. I’m going to reserve my own lineup recommendations for after the next two games. If Larish is hurt, perhaps it’s time for him to switch spots with Bozied on the Velandia list. I’m looking for Naylor to switch spots with somebody, soon, too, unless he’s really hurt. (not calling anybody out, just saying that if he’s going to have his turn in the six-man rotation, then perhaps Bass or Feierabend hit the “list” after an upcoming start.)
So far, saving a lot of money on fireworks…and hotel rooms.
“So far, saving a lot of money on fireworks…and hotel rooms.”
LOL!
Fast Eddie Bonine
Or
Eddie “Bones” Bonine
Or
Eddie “Knuckles” Bonine
Was Wally in a Phils home jersey, Sarge? I think he made the TV2 telecast (I was able to watch pretty much the whole thing, even with Phils/ATL on…
That wasn’t Wally. He was hidden behind the K sign most of the game.
Well maybe you can call Eddie Bonine “Eddie Bump” since that’s what they are calling him in the game article on the Ironpigs homepage:
“RHP Eddie Bump made first start in the minors since August 28th, 2009- having spent all of 2010 pitching in relief for the Detroit Tigers- and went 6.0 innings pitched allowing two runs, one earned run on six hits while notching eight strikeouts. On most days, that kind of outing will put you in the win column; but not today as the IronPigs struggled to provide support at the plate.
The only earned run against Bump came on a triple by center fielder Corey Brown that turned into what as at that point an unearned run as a throw to third base from Josh Barfield sailed out of play. A subsequent single from Jeff Frazier that would have scored the Brown from third had he still been there made for the first earned run for the Chiefs in the series. ”
Alumni update:
Reno Aces played a doubleheader on Sunday. Andy Tracy played first base in 1 game and went 1-2 with a double and a walk. He scored 2 runs. In the other game Cody Ransom was 1-3 with a homerun.
Down in New Orleans, former Ironpigs fan favorite Mike Cervenak is currently 0-10 for the Zephyrs and has 1 error at third base.
Joe Savery had 2 more hits in 3 atbats for the Threshers today which makes him 12-15 .800. The 2-3 day ‘dropped’ his average 33 points.
“Eddie Bump”
Oh so glad I went traveling the world and never quite made it back to town!