Blake Monar, Hoosier recruit and Yankee draftee, threw a complete game 2-hitter in the Connie Mack World Series last night. Great news for Blake with the deadline for the Yankees to offer him a deal quickly approaching.
The Daily Times in Farmington, NM has the story.
Monar quiets Finest bats, tosses two-hitter
Article Launched: 08/07/2008 01:52:48 AM MDT
FARMINGTON -- After accruing 17 hits the previous afternoon, the Arizona Finest bats were silenced Wednesday by Midland (Ohio) Redskins pitcher Blake Monar. The (left)-hander racked up seven strikeouts and allowed just two hits in a complete-game shutout, helping the Redskins to a 5-0 win that eliminated the Finest from the Connie Mack World Series.
Monar, who recently recovered from strep throat, carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning until Arizona shortstop Vinnie Barreda smacked a hard-rolling single up the middle on a full count."A no-hitter would have been icing on the cake, but it's not a big deal to me as long as we get the W'," Monar said.
Arizona's only other hit came in the fifth when catcher C.J. Cron singled with one out. Cron took second base, and later third, on a pair of wild pitches. Monar got the next two batters to fly out to end the inning.
"It was the last start of the year, so I just came out here and I was giving it everything I possibly had because I have all winter to rest," Monar said.
The game was close for most of the afternoon. Midland center fielder Josh Richmond's solo home run in the third inning was the only score of the contest before the Redskins broke the game open in the top of the sixth. Arizona pitcher Danny Victorio had been stellar, allowing four hits and one run over five innings, but appeared to run out of gas.
"I thought maybe we went a couple hitters too long with our starter. By the time we got our relief in, they had a couple more base hits and three runs," said Finest coach Brent Foshie.
Richmond opened the top of the sixth by lofting a lazy flyball to Arizona second baseman Shaun Cooper. T.J. Jones put himself into scoring position with a double and Hosmer was intentionally walked. Batting fourth, Zack Cox knocked a single to right field -- but Finest outfielder Chris Lopez showcased his arm strength by clipping Jones as he tried to come home from second base.
The elation of Arizona supporters was short-lived. Cory Farris launched a two-out, two-run double that plated Hosmer and Cox. Brent Warren brought home Farris with a single, and Warren was driven in two batters later by James McCann.
"I'd been struggling the first two games a little bit. For me to come back and focus a little bit harder on the ball ... it felt pretty good," Farris said.
Arizona relief pitcher Jake Morales struck out designated hitter Thor Meeks to stop the rally.
The Finest mounted one major threat. With one out in the third inning, Monar walked two consecutive batters. Aaron Foshie and Cron, who combined for six hits and seven RBIs the night before, were due at the plate. Foshie hit an innocent grounder to short and Cron struck out to end the inning.
Excellent defense supported the pitching performances of both starters. Arizona first baseman Derek McCawley caught a flyball nearly inside the Redskins' dugout. Midland shortstop Devin Marrero fist-pumped after making a diving stop and gunning out Mark Anderson at first base. At the time, Marrero's play preserved the no-hitter.
"(Midland's) defense may be overshadowed by the other things that they do well, but they made plays today in key situations that I think were a little tougher than they looked. I was impressed with their defense," Brent Foshie said.
Midland manager Joe Hayden agreed.
"All in all, it was a good defensive game and we had tremendous pitching. That's the difference," Hayden said. "When a player goes out there and pitches a two-hit shutout, and is in command all the way, he's the story of the game.
"And (Victorio) wasn't too bad, either, by the way," he added.
The Redskins advance to play the Connecticut Bombers. That game will either be at 5:15 or 7:30 p.m. depending on the winner of the East Cobb (Ga.) Yankees-Connecticut contest at noon.
"You're concerned every day about every game. All you can do is take them one at a time," Hayden said.
