BOX Baseball - Game 16 vs. Cincinnati

Game 16 - Ken Griffey Jr. may be 114-years old but he had no trouble catching up to Ray's 2nd inning fastball. 415 feet later the Reds had a 1-0 lead. That home run made Ray angry, and the rest of the Reds didn't like Ray when he was angry. Through the next 7 innings the Reds only got 2 more hits.

Once again, the BOX offense was not impressive, but did just enough to get the win. The Reds' catcher air mailed a throw into center when Joey tried to steal second allowing Dave to score and Joey to move to third. Agati came through with a single to knock in Joey and that was it for the offense. The BOX only had 6 hits for the game and the two teams combined had only 4 hits in the last 7 innings.

Charlotte pitched a scoreless 9th to seal the win and was awarded co-player of the game along with Agati.

Final Score-
Reds 1
BOX 2

WP: Ray (3-0)
LP: Morris (1-1)
SV: Charlotte (7)
HR: Griffey (5)

Werley 0-4 sb
Woodyard 0-4
Matt 1-3
Ryno 0-3
Dave 1-3 r sb
Kaylor 1-3
Joey 1-3 r
Agati 1-3 rbi
Ray 0-2
Jenny 1-1

Ray 8ip 2h 14k 1er
Charlotte 1ip 1h

BOX Baseball - Game 13-15 vs Minnesota

Game 13 - Scott Baker was not nearly as tough for the BOX the second time around. Baker got chased after giving up 4 runs in 4 innings, the final indignity came when BOX starting pitcher Laura got her second hit of the game to knock in the 4th run. Dave had a 3 rbi day with a single in the 1st and a 2-run homer in the eighth after the outcome was already decided. The only potential problem arose in the 7th when Laura left the game after tweaking her elbow. She'll have x-rays after the game.

Final Score-
Twins 0
BOX 8

WP: Laura (1-1)
LP: Baker (1-1)

HR: Dave (1)

Werley 1-4 r sb
Joey 0-4
Matt 1-4 rbi
Ryno 2-4 2r
Woodyard 1-4 r
Kaylor 2-4 2b 2r 2rbi
Dave 3-4 hr 2r 3rbi 2sb
Ken 1-4 rbi
Laura 2-2 rbi

Laura 6.1ip 4h 7k
Becky .2ip 2h 1k
Alicia 2ip 2h 2k

Game 14 - Creating BOX pitchers using the ridiculous JRPG "success mode" may have led to our starters being a little too good. Katy K. pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 18 *!* of the 22 batters she faced. The only Twins' hit off Katy was an infield single and that would end up being the only hit they had all night. Becky and Charlotte combined to finish the game.

The BOX offense didn't exactly sparkle. We only managed 1 run in the 1st inning but tonight it was enough.

Katy left the game in the eighth with a strained elbow, same as Laura did the day before. Laura's x-rays turned out negative, hopefully Katy's do too. She lowered her season ERA to 0.38.

Final Score-
Twins 0
BOX 1

WP: Katy (3-0)
LP: Blackburn (1-1)
SV: Charlotte (5)

Werley 1-4
Woodyard 1-4 r
Matt 2-3
Ryno 1-3
Kaylor 0-3
Dave 0-3
Joey 1-3
Ken 2-3
Katy 0-2
Jenny 0-1

Katy 7ip 1h 18k
Becky 1ip
Charlotte 1ip 2k

Game 15 - Kaylor hit a 3-run homer that ended up providing the winning margin of a 6-3 BOX win. Fuzzy (in the great tradition of anthropomorphized BOX monkey/athletes) was stellar once again, pitching 7 innings of 14-strikeout shutout ball and picked up his first win on the year. After Bill allowed 3 runs in mop-up duty in the 8th (the first runs the BOX pitchers allowed in this series,) Charlotte pitched a perfect 9th to pick up the save. Joey was named player of the game for knocking in the first run of the game.

Final score-
Twins 3
BOX 6

WP: Fuzzy (1-0)
LP: Bonser (1-2)
SV: Charlotte (6)
HR: Kaylor (2)

The BOX improve to 12-3 after sweeping the Twins and expand their division lead over Minnesota from 1 to 4 games.

Werley 0-4 r sb
Woodyard 3-4 2b 2rbi
Matt 2-4
Ryno 0-4 r
Dave 2-4 2b 2r
Kaylor 2-4 hr r 3rbi
Joey 2-4 rbi
Agati 1-3
Fuzzy 0-2
Grogg 1-1 r

Fuzzy 7ip 4h 14k
Bill 1ip 4h 3er
Charlotte 1ip

BOX Baseball - Games 10-12 at Cincinnati

Game 10 - Ray pitches 7 shut out innings before Becky allows two inherited runners to score. Luckily at that point we were already up 5-0 on 5 single runs (lousy bunch of singles hitters.) Ryno restored the 5-run margin when he slammed a ball to straight away center that landed on the roof of the center field restaurant in the top of the ninth. It was the first homer of his career.

Final Score -
BOX 7
Reds 2

WP: Ray (2-0)
LP: Paulino (0-2)
HR: Ryno (1)

Werley 3-5 r sb
Joey 2-5 2b rbi run
Me 2-5 run
Ryno 2-5 hr 3 rbi run
Kaylor 2-5 run
Woodyard 3-5 2b 2 runs
Dave 1-4 rbi
Agati 1-4 2b rbi
Ray 1-4 rbi

Ray 7ip 5h 4k 2er
Becky 2ip 4h

Game 11 - Some dude named Belisle throws an assortment of offspeed pitches that we can't figure out. The Reds hit several seeing eye singles off of Mike and then Adam Dunn hits a seeing eye 450-foot homer. Our best chance came in the 3rd inning, bases loaded with 1 out but we only managed to get one run home.

Final Score-
BOX 2
Reds 4

WP: Belisle (2-0)
LP: Mike (1-1)

Werley 3-4 2 runs 2 sb
Joey 1-4
Me 3-4 rbi
Ryno 2-4 rbi
Kaylor 0-4
Woodyard 1-4
Dave 1-4
Agati 0-3
Ken 1-1
Mike 1-3

Mike 6.1ip 8h 5k 4er
Bill 1.2ip 0h 1k

Game 12 - Back-to-back-to-back doubles in the top of the 4th gave the BOX 3 runs and that was all they would need to hold off the Reds. Jay stepped in for an 'emergency' start (apparently all our starters have bad stamina and take extra days to recover between starts) and gave the team 5+ innings of solid pitching. Stella escaped an inherited 1st and 2nd nobody out situation in the 6th (with the assist of a diving 4-6-3 (Matt-Joey-Ryno) double play) and Greg, Alicia, and Charlotte pitched a scoreless inning each to lock down the win. The top 3 hitters went 0-12 but the bottom 2/3rds of the lineup carried the day.

Final Score-
BOX 3
Reds 1

WP: Jay (1-0)
LP: Cueto (0-1)
SV: Charlotte (4)

The BOX improves to 9-3 and head home to face the Twins.

Werley 0-4 sb
Joey 0-4
Matt 0-4
Kaylor 2-4 2b r
Ryno 1-4
Woodyard 2-4 2 2b r rbi
Dave 2-4 2b r rbi
Agati 1-3 rbi
Jay 1-2

Jay 5ip 6h 10k 1er
Stella 1ip 1k
Greg 1ip 1k
Alicia 1ip 1h 1k
Charlotte 1ip 1h 2k

BOX Baseball - Game 9 vs Detroit

Kenny Rogers roasted the BOX for 8 innings, but in the end another Ken led The BOX to an extra innings walk off win.

Rogers was matched by BOX starter Fuzzy, each allowed only one run on 5 hits through the first 8 innings. Fuzzy struck out 18(!) on another day where his Fuzzball was utterly unhittable. Meanwhile, BOX hitters couldn't get anything going against the 800-year old Rogers until Ryno knocked in a run with a seeing eye single in the 7th.

In the top of the ninth Greg came in to pitch but gave up back to back doubles to put the Tigers up 2-1. The Tigers decided against going to their closer in the bottom of the 9th and left the 1262-year old Rogers in to try for the complete game. It didn't work out. I led off with a single and stole second, but 2 outs later was still standing at second. Kaylor was the BOX's final chance and he came through lining it back through the middle off Roger's leg. The ball trickled past the shortstop and I was able to race home with the tying run.

Kaylor got the winning rally started in the bottom of the 12th. He singled and moved to third on Woodyard's single setting the stage for Ken to come off the bench and get the winning pinch hit off Joel Zumaya. Alicia picked up the win for the BOX.

Final Score (12 innings)-
Tigers 2
BOX 3

WP: Alicia (2-0)
LP: Zumaya (0-2)

BOX is now 7-2

Werley 0-5 1sb
Joey 0-5
Me 3-5 2r 2sb
Ryno 1-5 1rbi
Dave 2-5 1sb
Kaylor 2-5 1r 1rbi
Woodyard 1-4 1bb
Agati 1-5
Jenny 1-1
Ken 1-1 1rbi

Fuzzy 8ip 5h 1er 18k
Greg 1.1ip 3h 1er
Stella .2ip
Alicia 2ip 2h 2k

BOX Baseball - Game 8 vs Detroit

Katy K's knuckleball is dancing like crazy. She throws a complete game 3-hit shutout. Dave knocked in a run in the second and then Ken (who got the start against tough right-hander Justin Verlander) came through in the bottom of the 7th with a bases loaded 2-run single.

Dave and Katy are co-players of the game.

Final Score:
Detroit 0
BOX 3

WP: Katy K. (2-0)
LP: Verlander (0-1)

BOX moves to 6-2


Werley 0-4
Joey 1-4
Me 0-3 BB
Ryno 1-3 2b r
Kaylor 1-3 r
Dave 2-3 r rbi
Woodyard 2-3
Ken 1-3 2rbi
Katy 0-3

Katy 9ip 3h 16k 0er

BOX Baseball - Game 7 vs Detroit

All you need to know about this game:

1) When MLB Power Pros 2008 was released, Dontrelle Willis was still considered a star pitcher.
2) The run that ended up being the winning margin scored when, after a play at the plate, I mistook an umpire for a Tiger trying to take second base and then Agati airmailed the (unnecessary) throw into centerfield allowing the runner on third to score.

Final Score:
Tigers 4
BOX 3

BOX falls to 5-2

WP: Dontrelle Willis (1-0)
LP: Laura (0-1)

Werley 0-4 r sb
Joey 3-4 2b r rbi
Me 2-4 2b rbi
Ryno 0-4
Dave 1-4
Kaylor 0-4
Woodyard 2-4 r sb
Agati 2-4 2b rbi
Laura 0-2

Laura 6ip 10h 6k 4r 3er
Becky 2ip 3h 4k
Stella 1ip 0h 2k

BOX Baseball - Game 6 vs Detroit

Home opener looked like it was going to get off to a rough start when Laura was scratched from her start with flu-like symptoms. Jay stepped in as an emergency started and gave up runs in the first and third, but in both innings it could have been worse. BOX scratched out singletons in the 2nd and 3rd innings but we too could have had more except for some base running blunders.

Kaylor was dropped from the cleanup spot to 6th in the lineup after batting below .200 over the opening week of the season. He seems to like it there. He knocked in the first BOX run of the game with a double and added a single two innings later for his first multi-hit game of the year. Those hits were merely setting the table for the bottom of the 7th. Kaylor became the first BOX starter of the year to hit a home run. Just as he took a seat in the dugout, Agati followed by hammering a shot into the upper deck. Back-to-back homers started what would become a 5-run inning and the BOX cruised from there.

Final:
Tigers 4
BOX 7

WP: Greg (1-0)
LP: Seay (0-2)

HR: Kaylor 1, Agati 1

Werley 3-4 2R
Joey 3-4 2B r rbi
Me 0-4
Ryno 1-4 2rbi
Dave 2-4 rbi
Woodyard 1-4 rbi
Kaylor 3-4 2B HR r 2rbi
Agati 1-4 HR r rbi
Jay 0-1

BOX Baseball - Game 5 at Minnesota

It looked like it was going to be another defensive struggle in Minnesota until the top of the ninth. Joey and Woodyard knocked in runs in the 2nd and 6th innings respectively to give the BOX a 2-1 lead heading to the ninth. Minnesota pitcher Pat Neshak, who had produced a 1-2-3 eighth inning proceeded to give up 5 consecutive singles to start the ninth. Neshak was pulled but Ricard Rincon couldn't help and gave up 3 more hits. By the time it done the BOX had sent 11 men to the plate and scored 6 runs turning a 2-1 lead into a 8-1 laugher.

The bullpen pitched well after Mike only went 5 innings. Bill, Becky, and Alicia combined for 4 shut out innings and the BOX left Minnesota taking 2 of 3.

Final Score:
BOX 8
Twins 1

WP: Mike (1-0)
LP: Slowey (0-1)

BOX is now 4-1 on the year.

Werley 2-5 1 run 2 rbi
Joey 1-5 1 run 1 rbi
Me 2-5 1 rbi
Kaylor 0-5 1 run
Ryno 2-5 double 1 run 1 rbi
Dave 4-5 1 run 1 rbi
Woodyard 2-5 1 run 1 rbi
Ken 2-4 1 run
Mike 0-2

BOX Baseball - Game 4 at Minnesota

Boof Bonser vs. Ray. This is matchup baseball historians dream about. Ryno started the offense in the 2nd inning with a long drive to straight away center field that bounced off the wall allowing Ryno his 1st double of the game. After a Woodyard single moved Ryno to 3rd, Dave singled to knock in the 1st run of the game. Agati struck out for the 2nd out of the inning, bringing the pitcher Ray to the plate. Just when it looked like the Twins would get out of the inning Ray stroked Boof's 2-strike pitch into right spotting the BOX a two run lead.

It would be all the offense the BOX would need. The game was not without a nervous moment however. In the bottom of the 7th Ray bookended two pop-ups with a double and two singles dropping the BOX lead to 3-1. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs Ray was visibly tired. We made the call to the bullpen and brought in Stella who was making her major league debut (as our bullpen's left-handed specialist.) Stella coaxed a foul pop out of game 3 Twins' hero Jason Kubel and that was the end of the threat.

Final Score:
BOX 4
Twins 1

WP - Ray (1-0)
LP - Bonser (0-1)
SV - Charlotte (3)

BOX Baseball - Game 3 at Minnesota

Pitchers duel between BOX starter Fuzzy and Scott Baker of the Twins. The BOX scrapes out a run in the 5th after Fuzzy singles advances on ground balls by Werley and Joey and then scores on my single. Twins strike back in the 6th when Joe Mauer knocks in a run.

Fuzzy goes 7 and strikes out 15(!) with his almost unhittable "Fuzzball," but gets a no decision. Becky pitches a 1-2-3 8th but then runs into trouble in the bottom of the ninth. A two-out single puts Twins on 1st and 2nd with lefty Jason Kubel coming to the plate. The BOX calls on our left-handed specialist (who is a no-name scrub at this point, are there any left-handed people in the BOX?) who promptly gives up a single to give the Twins the walk-off win. Becky picks up the loss.

Final Score:
BOX 1
Twins 2

W - Guerier (1-0)
L - Morley (0-1)

We fall to 2-1 on the year.

Werley 2-5 SB
Joey 1-4
Me 2-4 SB
Kaylor 1-4
Ryno 1-4
Woodyard 1-4
Dave 1-3 BB
Agati 1-4

BOX Baseball - Game 2 at Detroit

Knuckle-ball specialist Katy K. pitches a masterful 8 innings giving up only 1 run and striking out 14, but the offense struggled against Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman.

Joey scored on Ryno's first hit of the year in the top of the first, but that was all we'd score until Agati knocked in Ryno with the go ahead run of Joel Zumaya in the top of the ninth. Secret weapon Chimpy followed Ben's single with a pinch-hit 3-run homer giving the BOX a 5-1 lead.

We ended up needing every run. Some scrubby reliever (I haven't created everyone on the team yet) gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth forcing Charlotte to enter the game with 2 outs and a man on second. After allowing the inherited runner to score on an RBI single that cut the BOX lead to 5-4, Charlotte closed out the game by picking the runner off 1st base to earn her 2nd save in as many games.

Final Score
BOX 5
Detroit 4

2-0 record.

Werley 1-5 with a stolen base.
Joey went 1-5 with a run.
I went 2-4.
Ryno went 2-4 with 1 run & 1 RBI.
Woodyard 2-4.
Dave went 2-4 with a run.
Agati 1-4 with 1 run & 1 RBI.

BOX Baseball - Game 1 at Detroit

A summer of Laura being home and therefore the big TV being in use means I've had to find a new sport to play on the PS2 on the secondary tv. Enter BOX Baseball using the crazy japanamation baseball game I have. The Durham (closest name to Dayton) BOX entered the league in the NL Central as an expansion team in a year that MLB underwent radical realignment.

Just played our season opener against division rival Detroit.

Laura gave up 2 runs in 7 innings (struck out 7) but Kaylor saved her bacon by knocking Joey home in the top of the 9th to tie it at 2. We ended up winning in 14 innings. My sister got the win, Charlotte got the save. Simulated game time 4:44 minutes.

Final score in 14 innings:
BOX 4
Detroit 2

1 and 0 on the year.

Joey went 2 for 5 with a run and an RBI. Had the franchise's 1st hit, 1st RBI, and 1st walk.
Kaylor went 2 for 6 with the 9th inning game tying RBI.
I went 1 for 6.
Werley had the 1st franchise run.
Dave scored the game winning run in the 14th.