Aurora Storialis - The Borealis Blog

[Borealis]

Close, But No Cigar
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 1, 2038: Somewhere over the Pacific – It was all there - twice, the bases loaded and the game on the line and a big hit giving Aurora the win - just one of those big hits would have done the job as the Florida F-heads awaited a foe. Instead a game ending 4-2-3 double play and another with a swinging strike three would send the Win-D's off to the PEC and send the Aurora Borealis home to pack for a long winters nights of reflection on what might have been for a season that was otherwise a success.

After splitting the first two games on the road things looked dire early for a club that often struggles in the Land of the Rising Sun, as Brian Clark allowed 1st and 2nd inning homers to make it a 3-0 lead early on - but in the 5th they would take advantage of a sudden bout of wildness by Daniel Hernandez who opened the bottom of the inning by walking the bases loaded. Jose Aleman would drive home a pair - though Aurora's struggles with the bases loaded may be foreshadowed in this frame as they would score no more. Although Juan Aguilera would homer off Uige to get one of the runs back, Aurora would chase Hernandez in the 6th, and then Aleman would triple home a. pair this time to make it a 5-4 lead for the Borealis. Toyama would load the bases in the 9th - but 'Machete' would escape unscathed.

Feeling better about themselves, Aurora went into game 4 with high hopes, with rookie Jung-hyun Yi on the mound - and he would pitch a a decent game - but 'Haggis' allowed three runs with the aide of a 2-run homer off the bat of Salinas. The bats never got going in this one with the Win-D's tying it up, bringing up the critical game 5. It would be a back and forth game as Armando Batista and Owen Barse would each allow three runs before 'Chattahoochee' Fujii allowed a go ahead (and ultimately game-winning) homer as the game went to the 9th. After Aleman struck out against Hideo Miura, Silva - then stole second - and Kowalski singled but it was hit too sharply for Silva to score - and that, as it turned out would be disastrous. Munoz walked to load the bases for Pedro Macias. The crowd roared as the Toyama infield came in - and Ooooheed and Aweeeed as Pedro swung from his heels - only to foul off two pitches. Then on a 2-2 pitch he ripped one right at Sadaharu Harada at second - who fired home for the force, and Kevin Newton whipped a throw to first - Double Play - ending the threat and the game, sending the clubs back across the Pacific for game 6.

With the series on the line, Henry Cluett was on the mound and he'd scatter 7-hits and hold Toyama to 2-runs, but after 6-innings, Sa-yoor Ch'oe had stymied the Borealis until Raul Munoz homered to get Aurora on the board - and after Macias followed with a single, Pedro de la Cruz homered - and suddenly Aurora was up 3-2. Howard and Fujii would would hold the game as it was - and after de la Cruz singled home an insurance run, Gutierrez would hold on for the save - and force a game 7.

The game would mostly be decided early - after Aurora scored in the 1st - to the rousing pleasure of the visiting dugout, but Clark would let three cross the plate in the second - and the game stayed 3-1 'til the 7th, when Aguilera added insurance for the Win-D's - and taking us to yet another 9th inning hope: a Munoz single, Qing HBP and Ortega walking with 2-out - bringing up Stewart Arundale. 'Litterbug's role is the series was questioned already, and here - in the biggest moment, those who had made the journey from The Front Range were screaming for Nishikawa instead - but Aurora manager Michel Provost stuck with the vet - and after fouling off a couple of screamers down the line, he struck out - and the Toyama Wind Dancers streamed out of the dugout and dog piled on the mound.

The series loss was painful - with Silva, Kowalski and Hernandez barely hitting over the Mendoza Line - when just a single blast - or just a duck snort over second, might have made all the difference in what was otherwise a fairly tight series. But now, as the team jets home, the questions begin. And after a second straight season ending at the hands of the Win-D's with a shot at the Rodriguez Cup to the winner, the biggest question might just be - how to catch up with the two-time Sovereign League Champs?

[Borealis]

Early Offseason Action
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 12, 2038: Aurora, Colorado – While the bulk of the players and front office staff are off on a well earned vacation, the business of baseball is never really on a hiatus, and with that, here is what's happening - aside from a cluster of minor league contracts that we will resist from discussing.

- Ramon Gonzales, who spent over three months on the DL - mostly for elbow strain, and then spent almost as much time at AAA as he did with Aurora, has executed his player option for 2039 and will be paid $21.5M for the coming season - his last on the contact he signed in 2036 and one that has been mostly a bust - making just 48 starts in three seasons with an 11-9 record and a 3.37 ERA - great if he had made 100 starts, as the team was hoping. Then again, Aurora did know the risk of signing a 35-year old pitcher. One of the offseason big questions will be whether or not they (can) move him before spring training.

- Aurora had one team option to make a decision on and that was 'Slug's deal - and the Borealis were quick to keep Brian Clark in the fold - but for how long? Clark, who will be 30 soon after Christmas, had signed the 2-year, $36M deal prior to the '37 season - and the past two years have not been the best - his ERA having increased each year since he led the league in 2033 with a 1.81 ERA. This year he was 11-12 with a 3.86 ERA, but Aurora has indicated that they have other pitching issues that will take precedence, and thus Clark remains in the plans. He did pitch well this post-season, making four starts with a 3.32 ERA. He held Kalamazoo to just three runs total in his two starts in the Division series - both 1-run wins at Northern Lights, including the series clincher. He face Toyama twice, his first start the 6-4 win at home in game three, and he was on the mound for game 7 - the only game he took a decision from. He allowed three runs in each start against the champion Win-D's. What Clark's future holds may well depend on how well he pitches this coming year - or what changes happen this offseason.

- Bench coach Shigenobu Sato, who was previously the hitting coach for Charleston and Manchester's AAA clubs, before a brief stint as the Statesmen's manager - then being out of baseball for 9-seasons before signing on with Aurora as bench coach the past four seasons, has retired at the age of 65, with plans to return to his native Japan. As a result, the Borealis did some reshuffling of their coaching hierarchy, with Paul Carlisle - hired in 2036 to manage at Mokule'ia, before spending the next two seasons at SLRC, has been promoted to the vacant bench coach position to be former-teammate and Aurora manager Michel Provosts righthand man - and join a staff that all contributed to Aurora's championship stretch in the early 2020's - hitting coach 'Big Whiskey' Mike Britt and pitching coach, the 'Stork' Holbrook.

As a result, Montserrat manager Mark 'Ice Cold' Richardson and hitting coach Pedro Ferringo have been promoted to Mokule'ia. Xavier Vazquez, who was the Oceanic manager last season and who spent time with the Short A clubs of San Antonio and Bakersfield - and the Codgers A Ball team, will drop down to Montserrat to work with an unknown, yet to be named hitting coach. There are rumors that freshly retired former-Auroran Nick Heath has been asked to join the Organization's coaching staff.

- Lastly, contracts for 2039 and beyond. Francisco Montoya and Rudy Howard are both free agents to be, and Montoya - coming off his best season with Aurora, has expressly refused to discuss a new deal. Rudy Howard has also expressed interest in testing the market. Neither player ended up with the job they had hoped they were getting. For Montoya, he was outplayed by a young rookie - Jose Aleman, while Howard came over from closing games with Palm Springs to pitching in middle relief and setup roles. Montoya hit .323 in 201 AB over 101 games (56 GS) - mostly as late inning defensive relief. Howard posted a 2-0 record with 2 saves and a 3.32 ERA, striking out 38 in 40.2 IP.

Aleman, catcher Lan-quing Qing, 'Chattahoochee' Fujii and Anthony MacDonald (acquired by trade with Kalamazoo at the deadline) are all eligible for arbitration, but have been offered extensions instead.

More to come...

[Borealis]

'Machete' Earns Honor, Borealis Avoid Arbitration
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

November 19, 2038: Aurora, Colorado – Aurora received good news over the past week as the club was able to avoid the upcoming arbitration hearings for four players by signing them to new contracts, and one of the clubs top stars brought home some end of the year hardware.

- Hector 'Machete' Gutierrez was named the Sovereign League's Shutdown Reliever for the second straight year - and third in four, for his 10-5 record, with a PEBA-leading 48 saves, SL-leading 39 Shutdowns, a 1.81 ERA and 98 K in 74.2 IP. For the third time in four seasons, Hector posted 40+ saves.

The former-number 1 draft choice, 22nd overall on 2032, made the leap from A Ball in 2034 and when given the chance to take the closer role, he did not look back. Last offseason he signed a two year extension worth a potential $24M - expiring after the 2030 season. His 48 saves were the 4th best total in Aurora history, and his 171 saves are also 4th all-time for the Borealis - with #3 John Gray just 7 ahead and Aurora's original top closer, the 'Vulture' - Juan Suarez, is just 19 saves ahead in second place. 'Machete' has a ways to go to reach the top mark in Aurora history, as Bryant Burris' 383 have him 212 saves ahead - suggesting Gutierrez will need at least five seasons.

- Aurora avoided arbitration with their four players who were eligible, assuring things will be quiet at Northern Lights Park as the Winter Meetings approach. The biggest deals went to a pair of key starters.

SS Jose Aleman agreed to a $10M deal for 2039 after a year in which he hit .260 with 30-2B, 10-3B, 10 HR and 36 SB - and equally important, he committed just 3 errors in 1265 innings - mostly at short, with 220-innings split between 2B and 3B. The former-San Antonio draftee and 2035 SL Wunderkind continues to be one of the top shortstops in the PEBA.

C Lan-quing Qing was brought to Aurora in a deal with Madison to primarily be a back-up catcher with a strong defensive skill set - but over the course of three seasons he's taken over as the primary starter and hit .245 this year, with 22-2B and 14 HR. He was slowly become a fan favorite. Qing will be paid $2.5M for the 2039 season.

Orinosuke 'Chattahoochee' Fujii and Anthony MacDonald also signed contracts - Fujii will be paid $1.8M and MacDonald $1.9M - off his work mostly with Kalamazoo - before he was traded to the Borealis in a deadline deal. MacDonald was 5-3 with a 4.59 ERA with the Badgers in 20 GS, and in 5 appearances with Aurora he was 0-1 with a 5.62 ERA - though he struck out 15 in 16 IP. He was 4-1 with a 2.16 ERA at Thornton. GM Will Topham referenced MacDonald's experience and ability to start or pitch out of the 'pen, suggesting his versatility would be helpful. The MacDonald Insurance policy also has an option left, so it seems plausible his contract was all about that option.

Fujii had a bounce-back season, after posting a 5.05 ERA last year, this year finishing with a 2.95 - though his steadily increasing WHIP - thanks to his increasing walk rate had many expecting that he wouldn't even be tendered a contract.

[Borealis]

Borealis Wheel, Deal, and Get a Flat
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

January 20, 2039: Aurora, Colorado – It'll be yet another season without a first round pick; and the top prospect in the organization is gone as well, as the Borealis picked up the dice... and rolled craps - coming away with a fresh starter to add to the rotation, but in the end, a gamble failed - leaving GM Will Topham and the Organization with fans questioning a risk-reward move that ended up less reward and a risk they will be saying for years was not worth it.

It started with Aurora trading their first round pick to Kalamazoo, along with Victorio 'Lanza' Guerra, Organization top prospect, 3B Jesus Castillo, and a rookie league catcher, in exchange for SP Brenden Clymo, the 28-year old, 6-year major leaguer who is eligible for free agency after the 2039 season. The fact that Aurora was interested in Clymo would surprise none as he is one of the top pitchers in the SL and a definite nemesis of the Borealis. The price, though seemed high to the fan base and media - based on what one heard on the street, the radio and read in the papers. Then the real motive leaked - Aurora had bigger plans.

Those plans involved former-Kentucky SP Rory Soutar, whom rumors linked the Borealis with - and with whom Will Topham now confirms was in hot discussions with Aurora. The conversations - which the 'Boy Wonder' GM confirmed looked like they were going Aurora's way, seemed to be validated when Aurora struck the deal with Kalamazoo; Soutar was a compensation-eligible FA, which would have seen Aurora lose their 1st round pick.

But there was just one really big hiccup.

At the last minute, San Juan swept in with an offer that was less than Aurora's and for fewer years (or so say the rumor mongers who might be drumming up trouble) - and perhaps being tired of negotiating and seeking a home by the preseason, Soutar mysteriously took San Juan's offer - leaving Aurora with only half of what they had dreamed of - a pair of strong arms to lead the rotation, along with Batista, Clark, Yi and Cluett. To San Juan's credit, it was their second big free agent signing in two weeks, previously inking Pedro Flores to a compensation deal that cost them their 2nd round pick (as their first round pick was protected). Soutar cost them their 3rd round pick - exactly what Aurora had been expecting as well.

Of course one of those returning starters was going to be 'SOL' - but now it is a moot point.

Clymo, for his part, was 12-9 last year, with a 3.65 ERA, with 182 K and 36 BB over 209 IP - Including an 8-4 win over Aurora in the playoffs. He also won two games against Okinawa in the wild card round. He was the 2036 SL Golden Arm winner after leading the league in wins (20), and is a 2-time All-Star, after being the 5th overall pick by the Badgers, out of USC, in the 2031 draft.

[Borealis]

Webb to Provide Depth
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

February 25, 2039: Grand Junction, Colorado – For years Christian Webb had the look of a perfect fit for the Borealis - a little pop, decent speed, high OBP guy - but there was always was a reason he never found himself with Aurora as he moved from Charleston to Reno to Shin Seiki to Bakersfield to Florida to Niihama to Amsterdam to Palm Springs and finally, last year, to Kalamazoo. Nine teams over his 17-year career - and now it's an even 10 as it was announced today that the 40-year old Canadian, from Regina, Saskatoon, has signed a 1-year deal to play for the team he has long been a fit for.

Aurora GM Will Topham met with the press as the club began preparations for the start of the spring schedule and shared the news of the signing with the beat writer and national media. Webb agreed on a 1-year contract for $2M.

With the loss of Francisco Montoya to free agency after the conclusion of the 2038 season, Aurora was looking for an infield back-up that could provide some offense - in the same vein that Montoya did. At 40-years of age, we probably won't see much of Webb at 2B - his range a speck of his past abilities (not that the incumbent Ruben Ortega covers great swaths of the field), but he's similar to Pedro Macias in that regard, with considerably better hands and skills, so we may see Webb backing up Aurora's 2038 trade acquisition and providing late inning defense. The benefit is infield whiz Juan Rodriguez is free to back-up Ortega - or Munoz (as needed).

Webb originally signed with Leon of the Mexican League when he graduated high school - then entering the PEBA with a $15M signing bonus with Crystal Lake. He would play all of 20 games for the 'Gnats Short A and A level clubs before being traded to Charleston in a shocking blockbuster deal for 'Mayor' Corona.

There were signs that Webb was going to stay with the Statesmen for a long time - then controversy fell upon the PEBA and the former-League of the Rising Sun - an old story that nearly was the end of both leagues, saw 8 of the clubs from the LRS join the PEBA, and three-years later saw six PEBA clubs contracted and shipped to the newly formed WIL - which led to a talent steal by the PEBA clubs, in the form of a contraction draft. While Aurora would select 'Terror' Diaz and Domingo Gutierrez on that day, Reno selected from the Statesmen, a young 3B - Christian Webb.

Webb has won three titles - one with Shin Seiki and two with Florida, and has been a 5-time All-Star. He's won a Platinum Stick and an All-Leather. He finished 3rd for the Wunderkind and 3rd for a Royal Raker and was the 2027 SL championship series MVP for the Evil Evas. He's accomplished a lot, and has seen a lot in his 17-seasons, and is expected to help bring some much needed leadership to the Aurora dugout. He also has a career 88 post-season games and has a career .336 playoff average.

[Borealis]

Mixed Spring Ends With Gonzales Gone
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 4, 2039: Tempe, Arizona – Aurora lived a Spring of Two Tails - one, a club that was 10-2 to start the spring campaign off, and then they were a club that finished 3-8, and 13-10 overall. It was a spring with not a lot of competition - the biggest question was how they would handle an outfield situation that would leave someone out of the mix - it would be rookie-come-sophomore Hideki Nishikawa, who hit .400 - but with Daikawa hitting .429, Arundale hitting .397, and Rocky Kowalski .370, Nishikawa's fate was sealed, despite 'Matchbox' hitting .167 and Angel Silva just .257.

Then there was the fates of minor league infielders who were looking for a job - Fernando Rodriguez, who cooled after a quick start, finishing at .250, while Gijsbert Verboven started hot and finished so, hitting .387. Christian Webb, the late free agent signee, came in at .304,, and for now will grab the roster spot the three had battled for. Meanwhile, the fourth 3B in the mix - Pedro Macias came in at .195, with a pair of homers - and a lot of folks saying, "Spring Training means nothing.

On the pitching front, The Big Free Agent signee never materialized, but the Big Trade acquisition - Brenden Clymo put up a 5.40 ERA in his 4-starts. Jung-hyun Yi came in with a 2.84 and 'Slug' finished at 3.38 - but Henry Cluett was concerning as he managed just 10 IP and gave up 12-runs. The bullpen was fine, with the exception of 'Chattahoochee' Fujii - who also surrendered 12-runs in his 9-innings of work.

Ironically, the pitcher with the best numbers will be playing his trade for the Madison Malts, as this morning the Borealis shipped him to the Great Lakes for minor leaguer Sandy Calder. Ramon posted a 2.25 ERA with 13 K and 3 BB in 12 IP - but his deep history of injury - he started only 9-games for Aurora last season, and had missed a total of 6 months with of time to injury since signing with Aurora in January of 2036.

Gonzales was 11-9 in 48 GS for Aurora and amassed 246 IP with a 3.37 ERA. Sandy Calder was a 2nd round pick (47th overall) in the 2036 draft and has yet to live up to those standards, as he's 9-5 with 4 saves in two years with Akutan Island (SA) with a 7.55 ERA. He has an excellent fastball and slider - but thus far has lacked the control to take advantage of those pitched. He's expected to be a reliever, and it's hoped that working with 'Sleepy' Kuhn at Mokule'ia this summer will turn it around for him.

For Aurora's part, Aurora is free of the $19.4M contract - especially useful considering Clark, Cluett Clymo all could be free agents next fall, while Aleman and Macias are expected big arbitration numbers.

[Borealis]

Tough Start Leaves Aurora in Odd Spot
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 11, 2039: Reno, Nevada – The Borealis ended spring training on a sour note, and as they began the season on the road, visiting Desert-portion rivals Tempe, Yuma and Reno for 8-games before their home opener (v. Fargo later this week), Aurora experienced something that was quite unusual - a few nights in last place.

Also unusual was how manager Michel Provost addressed the first week of the season - treating it almost like extended spring training, at least as his pitchers were concerned. When asked about maintaining a reduced pitch count for week one, 'Train Arollin'' said "Our starters - Cluett, Clark and Batista, are all beginning to creep up there in age - they've been around so long that people seem to forget that 'Slug' and 'Plummy' were 23 when they made their debuts 7- or 8-years ago, with a lot of starts under their belts." He continued, "They did not get the number of innings we'd have liked them to this spring, so we opted to take advantage of the early off days (two between the opening 2-game series with Tempe and the next 3-game series at Yuma) that gave the bullpen a little breathing room."

Be that as it might, the decision might have been a costly one on Opening Day at Gisolo-Duppa Field, home of the Apollos. Brenden Clymo was making his Aurora debut and aside from a lead-off homer in the 3rd by OF Ricardo Menendez - one of three hits Clymo allowed, he was sharp with 5 K and no walks in 3.2 IP; leaving the game with a 3-1 lead - a lead forged on a 1st inning RBI double by Macias and a 4th inning, 2-out, 2-run homer by Ruben Ortega.

But then Provost went to the 'pen - and young Martin Gutierrez rewarded the decision with 2.1-scoreless innings, but 'Werewolf' and Barry Rodriguez continued with a 2038 trend that was disturbing - gopher balls from the 'pen - as Kichida surrendered a 7th inning 2-run shot to Tony Velasquez to tie the game and a solo homer off B-Rod by Coronado to give the Apollos the opening day win - in part to Aurora getting only 2-hits after the 4th inning.

Game 2 once again had Aurora jumping to the lead - a 2-run 2nd that included a 'Matchbox' homer, but Batista was lifted after 2-outs in the third and both 'Haggis' and 'Chattahoochee' had nothing - 7-runs between them in 3 IP. Uige might have gotten off easy if his inherited runners had been stranded, but Bob Ellerby's 2-out, bases-loaded double off Fujii cleared the bases. Fujii allowed two more doubles in the 7th, allowing the Apollos to cruise to a 7-2 win, and short series sweep of the Borealis.

After a pair of off days and a chance to regroup, it was time for a starter to allow runs (Jung-hyun Yi allowed a pair on a Vincent Powel 2-run homer) - followed by Martin Gutierrez and Abay Icharia also coughing up crooked numbers as combined they allowed 5-runs on 7-hits, and 5-walks over 3.1 IP. In what would be a 7-5 loss to the Arroyos, Aurora pounded 15-hits, including homers by Hernandez and Ortega (#2 for each) - with Macias and Ortega each having 3-hit days.

Things didn't get better the next day, as Clark gave up 2-hits in 3.1 IP - while the bullpen of Fujii, Uige and Kichida allowed all 5-Yuma runs after Rocky Kowalski gave Aurora and early 2-0 lead with his first homer of the year. Aurora would fall behind, but tie the game in the 9th as 'Litterbug' singled to start the inning and steal second in front of Jose Aleman's RBI single - but Ian Vader would hit a walk off homer off Kichida - giving Aurora a rare 4th straight loss to start the season - and giving Aurora also the worst record in the SL.

The streak would end (and mercifully not continue) as Aurora scored 4-runs in the first on four-hits - the last a single by end of spring FA pick-up Christian Webb, his first hit with Aurora. There would only be two-more hits for the Borealis in this game, and when Twia surrendered 3-runs in the 5th (with an assist to Rodriguez), the game - and Aurora's dugout, took on a tense feel. But Rodriguez otherwise pitched calmly, as did Kichida, setting up 'Machete' for his first appearance and first save on the year.

What's on Tap
With the opening week saving win, Aurora finds themselves 3-games back of a familiar face (of late) - the Reno Zephyrs, for whom Aurora faces to start the week, and then they head to Northern Lights to face the Dinosaurs, who have begun 2-4, but who have a dynamic, young team to contend with. It will be a lengthy homestand, as it's four with Fargo, three with Yuma and four with Okinawa - to end a 17-straight stretch of games, and after a day off, three with Duluth to approach the end of April (that has Aurora headed to Mad City).

[Borealis]

Slow Start No Harm, Borealis Bounce Back
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

April 18, 2039: Aurora, Colorado – Slow starts may elicit chants of doom and gloom from the fans, but those who know better check in on the reality - it's a slow start, with ample time to recover - and recover they did as an intriguing week and change saw the Borealis take on the present, the future, and Yuma.

The present was a trip to Reno against one of two clubs all the experts believe will challenge Aurora all season long (along with Tempe) - and in his second start with Aurora, Brenden Clymo was sharp and not so. Sure, in his 5.1 IP he struck out 6 and walked just 1, but he also allowed 8-hits - none of which left the yard, and 5 runs, as Reno parlayed a pair of doubles - one in the 4th and the other in the 6th into a 2-run and 3-run inning - all but one of Reno's hit's coming in those two innings. Aurora would manage three-runs as Jose Aleman was 3-4 and involved on two of the three solo runs Aurora would score.

Game 2 was a slugfest, with Reno jumping out to a 6-2 lead, putting up a 5-spot off Armando Batista, but Aurora bounced back scoring 11-runs over the final 5-innings - touching every Zephyr pitcher, who pitched meaningful innings, with runs - including former-Auroran Rudy Howard (who signed a 2-year, $6.4M deal to pitch for Reno). The 13-7 Aurora win was backed by 13-singles with doubles by Juan Rodriguez and 'Litterbug', with Lan Qing (his second) and Ruben Ortega (his 3rd) homering. 'Chattahoochee' Fujii would get the win - 2 IP, 2 H and a run, while rookie Martin Gutierrez would earn a 3.2-inning save, allowing just a hit while striking out 5.

The GM of the Okinawa Shisa once likened losing to the Borealis as 'Death by Paper cut' and for Reno, their game 3 loss must have felt that was as a 2-2 game that featured a single 5th inning Kowalski double, became a 7-2 loss as Aurora knocked out 4-singles along with 3 BB, a HBP and a throwing error by Reno catcher Francisco Alejandrez (the former-Win-D) over the final two frames. Jun Yi pitched well for Aurora - 5-innings, 6-hits and a pair of runs, while the bullpen - seemingly having settled down, covered the final four-scoreless innings, giving Aurora the series win over the Zephyrs.

The Future arrived at Northern Lights Park for the home Opener - the future as GMs across the league agreed this was an up and coming club - and as far as Aurora is concerned, always trouble. Brian Clark was on the mound and he was promptly supported by Pedro Macias, whose 2-run double gave Aurora the early lead. 'Slug' would give that lead back - by his own doing as a 2nd inning walk and a 5th inning HBP would each score - but not before Aurora put up a run in the 2nd - their third and last run - off young Pedro Arreola. Both bullpen's would close the game out cleanly - 'Haggis' giving up a hit, 'Hyena' and 'Machete' each walking two (making for a scary 9th inning for Hector Gutierrez and the fans) - as Aurora would make it three in a row and even their record at 4-4.

The next two days saw Aurora put up 9-runs on the Dinos, and the bullpen was nearly perfect as Aurora won 9-3 and 9-5. Aurora had 5-doubles and Angel Silva's first homer of the year in the first game, with four more and a Qing homer in the second game - that included a 7-run inning after the Dinosaurs had their own 4-run inning. Once more it was a rough start for Clymo - allowing 7-hits and 5-runs before being chased from the game with a 7.42 ERA.

Game four, as Aurora was looking at a sweep, had Fargo's young ace, David Garcia faced off with Armando Batista, and the threw mirror games: Garcia pitched a third of an inning more (he went 7), but each allowed no runs on four hits, walked two with Garcia striking out 6 and Batista 5. This game would go into the bottom of the 9th tied, where Raul Garcia walked Jose Aleman to lead off the innings - who stole second with Munoz up (he flew out). The Dinos opted to walk 'Matchbox', bringing up Stewart Arundale - who lined a single - Aleman racing home with the winning run - and it was a four game sweep for Aurora.

Just like that, Aurora upped their record to 7-5 and left from last place to a half game behind Reno for the Desert Hills lead. Sure it's early, but the Borealis wasted no time in erasing the bad start.

What's on Tap
Continuation of a nice, long homestand that has Yuma coming to The Front Range, followed by Okinawa and Duluth. Aurora will look to make up for the tough losses at the hands of the Yumans 9-days ago, as Jun Yi will be on the mound for game one, and then powerhouse Okinawa and a tough Warriors squad will take us to the cusp of May.

[Borealis]

Winning Ball Ends April
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 2, 2039: Aurora, Colorado – After losing 5 of their first 6 games, the Borealis closed out the opening month of the season with series wins in three of their four series - splitting the fourth, a four game series, with Okinawa. In doing so, they returned the favor by taking 2 of 3 from Yuma at Northern Lights, after having lost 2 of 3 to the Arroyos in the first week, and taking 2 of 3 from Duluth and Madison, the latter on the road.

The stretch - 8-5 and leaving Aurora 15-10 and a half game behind Reno, was not the most offensive string of games we've seen Aurora play - managing just a .250 average with just 4 HR (and here's to hoping the the late season surge we saw in 2038 will repeat itself); Macias and Kowalski each with a pair, but the pitching mostly held up it's own - despite allowing 13 HR. For the bullpen, rookie Martin Gutierrez struggled - allowing 7 H and 6 R in 3.1 IP, but the 'pen as a whole wasn't to awful - though there's room to tighten things up.

The real concern is in the rotation where Brenden Clymo continues to provide some disconcerting performance. In his two starts (a 7-3 loss to Okinawa and an 8-3 win over Duluth) he continues to give up HR (two to Okinawa) and hits (11 to Duluth, though limiting them to three runs) and an ERA of 'lucky 7's': 7.77. Aurora picked up the UVI native to improve an aging rotation and instill some 'youth' - but thus far Aurora has lost 3 of 5 of his starts - in part because they have scored only 3-runs in his starts, save two: the games they've won they scored 9 & 8-runs. Meanwhile, Ramon Gonzales, whom they traded to Madison, mostly over salary, beat Aurora to close out the two-week stint, allowing 5 H and 3 R over 7.1 IP for his first win of the year with a 3.75 ERA and just a single HRA - Clymo has allowed five.

Meanwhile, after a slow start, Angel Silva has heated up and pushed himself back into the early batting champ race with a two-week run of 18-44, 2-2B and 2-3B (.407) - bumping his average to .312, thanks to a 16-game hit streak. Depressingly - and perhaps with that 8-5 record, encouragingly(??), de la Cruz, Qing, 'Matchbox', and Kowalski were all under the Mendoza Line, with Ortega and Aleman under .220.

On the Farm
Thornton (9-17, 11 GB) and Gatineau (10-16, 10 GB) are continuing their recent trend of poor play, reflecting the overall major concern with this organization as a whole - a sheer lack of talent, while San Luis Rio Colorado is 9-5 and a game behind Mexicali in what typically is a three team race along with Rosarito.

Of note, last years 7th round pick, catcher Henry Bojorquez has picked up where he left off last season (.328 in 17 G with SLRC) and is hitting .436 after 11-games. Infielder Robert Godefroy (2035 3rd rounder) has started well and is hitting .340, and OF Eugen Hamilton is hitting .246 with 4 HR - not shabby for a 12th round pick in 2037.

Of greater interest is a collection of players at AAA, where Hideki Nishikawa patiently waits his chance to return to the Big Leagues, hitting .305 for the Sun Dogs with a pair of homers. Mark Newton is hitting .267 with 13 SB - while continuing to show (in limited chances) that SS will not be his position. Gijsbert Verboven, who had an excellent spring (.387) is hitting .296. Hey, too, is getting time at SS, but with 3 errors in 18 games, it's an experiment that may not last the year.

Pitching-wise, the most immediate name of interest - the 'heart-beat way' guy, Anthony MacDonald, is 2-3 with a 3.35 ERA, with a pair of early poor outings v. Glendale (REN) and Chandler (TEM).

What's on Tap
Aurora opens May with four games with Reno on The Front Range, and then they head to the Mojave to square off with the Codgers. They'll return home to meet the struggling Win-D's before a road trip that has Neo-Tokyo, Yuma and Bakersfield on the agenda.

If you want to look way ahead, May ends with Niihama and Madison at home, then Reno on the road.

[Borealis]

As You'd Expect Start to May
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 16, 2039: Yuma, Arizona – It's traditionally one of the stronger months for Aurora, but it's hard to get too depressed over the results that left the Borealis 22-16 and half a game behind Reno. Unless you want to complain about not sweeping series against teams they should win series against - such as Palm Springs (4-2 to the Codgers as Cluett couldn't get the 3rd out in the 6th) and Neo-Tokyo (Sergio Sanchez shutting out Aurora on 5 H) - both of who Aurora would lose the openers before winning the next two to take the series.

Then there was the series with Reno - a four game series that they appropriately split, in a large part to Hector Gutierrez getting in trouble in his 3rd inning of relief (in the 11th), and Martin Gutierrez giving up a 2-run scoring double to Steve Boyer, giving the Zephyrs the win in the opener.

Then there was the series with Toyama - who had struggled, but found the spacious confines of Northern Lights Park as the place to kick-start their season - Aurora would win the opener behind the effectively wild efforts of Jung Yi (5 H, 5 BB in 6 IP), but the Win-D's out out homer the Borealis 5-2 in the last two games to take the series - not the end of the world worst effort, considering Toyama's status as Rodriguez Cup holders.

It was a 7-6 week, Aurora gaining a half game on the 6-6 Zephyrs, losing a half game to Tempe, as the three clubs continue to look like they are in it for the long haul. Each club has it's weaknesses, and for Aurora it's the same old story, as the power surge we saw in the second half of 2038 has not carried over - the club with just 24 HR, while surrendering 33 - with Brenden Clymo the biggest culprit at 7, followed by Cluett with 5. Five is the number for Aurora, as Ruben Ortega and Rocky Kowalski each have 5 to lead the way.

Angel Silva is leading the club in hitting with a .357 average, with 15 SB - but just a single homer. Ortega is at .310 and Aleman .302, while last years batting champ - Raul Munoz sits at .260. He was equally low last year before he stormed to life - this club will need more of that. Where the club is really suffering is behind the plate - though Qing and de la Cruz are doing a good job - each at 43% throwing out would be base stealers, they are both under the Mendoza Line - and for Qing, who really. had a breakout last year, hitting .245 with 14 HR, it's a bit disconcerting.

But disconcerting is really the domain of Clymo, as he is 2-3 over 8-starts, with a 5.27 ERA - and his 1.39 WHIP and .302 OAVG would be worse on the rotation if not for 'Professor Plum's 'fat one' (1.59 WHIP and .304 average). Aurora would be in deep trouble if not for the efforts of 'Slug', who is 4-1 and is posting a 1.59 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and .197 OAVG - and has yet to yield a homer. But Clymo is not alone - at least as the staff is concerned as the bullpen has four pitchers with ERA's over 4.00, and the best reliever thus far - Barry Rodriguez (0.67 ERA, 18 K in 13 IP), has been out since the last of April.

What's on Tap
More of the same - series with Yuma, Bakersfield and Madison that Aurora would expect to win, and a series with Niihama - the first meeting between SL title hopefuls.

[Borealis]

May Marches On As DH Stays Tight
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

May 30, 2039: Reno, Nevada – As the 2039 PEBA season rapidly sprints towards summer - the draft is just a week away, what we've learned thus far is that this may be a very tight race in the Desert Hills. A fortnight past Aurora was a half game behind Reno, tonight, Aurora and Tempe are tied for the division lead with Reno sitting 2 GB. For a stretch that saw Aurora go 10-4 - and that's an 'expected' 10-4, so be sure to check those expectations, there were the normal high's and low's - and one very large issue that will carry the club to the trade deadline. Here is the highlights of the week:

May 17 @ Yuma - Aurora's 2nd trip to Yuma and third series of the year with the Arroyos got off to a great start as Brian Clark continued his impressive work in 2039, albeit just 5.1 IP - in part to an 8 K performance (1 BB), allowing just 4-hits. The 'Werewolf' covered 2.2 scoreless and 'Machete' closed it out for his 9th save for a tight, 1-0 win for Aurora. The lone run for the Borealis came off a 2-out, solo homer by Raul Munoz - his second of the year. Underscored on the day was Yuma's Aurelio Suarez who threw 7.2, 6-hit innings, also striking out 8. Jose Aleman continued to swing a solid bat, picking up a pair of hits, including his 7th double.

May 18 @ Yuma - There was a time when most games with the Arroyos - and their Bulldozing predecessors, yielded high run totals, but on back to back days in the Sonoran Desert, Yuma was shut out and Aurora was shut out for 16-consecutive innings. Henry Cluett and Shen-bo Zheng locked horns in a pitchers duel that saw the Yuma pitcher throw 8-shut out innings - despite being charged for a run in the 9th, allowing only 5 hits, while 'Professor Plum' 2-hit Yuma over 7.1 IP. Yet it was the 'Hyena' - Twia who would earn the win (his 4th) with a scoreless 2/3 inning), with Qing, Munoz and Aleman hitting consecutive singles in the 9th, off Joe Hollins, to plate 2 and give Aurora the win. Yuma would make it interesting for Gutierrez, as he earned his 10th save, as he allowed a pair of 1-out singles - then uncorked a wild pitch moving both into scoring position, before striking out Vincent Powell and David Hernandez to end the game.

May 18 @ Bakersfield - The road trip continued on to the Central Valley of California as Aurora faced Bakersfield, who are playing better ball than they did last year, but still 7-games behind Aurora, and it was an ugly day for Armando Batista, not making it out of the 4th in what would be a 7-1 loss to young Oliver Flores - a pitcher of great promise. He struck out 6 and allowed just four hits to the Borealis over 6.2 IP, while the veteran lefty of the Borealis gave up 7 H and 6 R - including a homer to Tsuginori Takahashi, who always seems to be a thorn in Aurora's side. It was the second straight poor showing for Armando - against a weaker foe, after a string of five-straight strong outings.

May 22 @ Bakersfield - We will highlight a second straight shutout outing by 'Slug' - his 5th on the year without allowing a run. This time he pitched 8-, 3-hit innings - and despite Hector Cruz matching him nearly pitch for pitch, a run in the 7th and Angel Silva's 2-run homer (#2) in the 8th was more than enough to give Clark his 6th win (against 1-loss) and drop his ERA to 1.19. The win gave Aurora a 2-1 series lead and moved Aurora to a game-and-a-half lead over Reno and Tempe.

May 25 v. Niihama - This may have been one of the best - and most heart-wrenching games of the year. Behind a very decent outing by Clymo, Aurora jumped to a 4-1 lead, thanks to a 3-run homer by Jose Aleman, but Clymo surrendered three-solo homers - 1st, the 7th and 8th, before departing with a 4-3 lead that Gutierrez couldn't hold as Harold Stowe made it four-solo homers on the day for the Ghosts. This one would head into the 11th, where Pedro Macias hit a walk off homer to give Aurora a 5-4 win - one that was much needed after...

May 26 v. Niihama - ... after Twia allowed two-homers in the 7th to complete a win turned to loss, 5-run inning, as Aurora's 2-0 lead disappeared in a heart beat, killing a decent start by Batista.

May 28 v. Madison - This may be looked upon as a flash point for Aurora's season - a point when it went downhill. With 'Slug' on the mound, he hit a batter with 2-out in the first, then surrendered a 2-run homer to Bill Phillips - giving the Malts a 2-0 lead after half an inning. That would be all Madison would score - and that would be the end of Brian Clark's day - he did not return to the mound in the 2nd, instead heading to the trainers room with complaints of elbow pain. Diagnosis? Bone spurs and an 8-week period of rest and likely some exploratory surgery. You'd think if that was all the Malts got, Aurora would have still won, but they got just 4-hits off Song-chin Kim and the 'pen - netting just a run for a 2-1 loss - breaking up what might otherwise been a sweep.

What's on Tap
Aurora has called up Anthony MacDonald to fill in - for the moment - for Clark in the rotation. Meanwhile Barry Rodriguez has been cleared and will pitch a week or two at AAA before heading back to Aurora.

A very tough stretch will be up next as it's at Reno for four, then at Tempe and at Niihama, before heading back to the states for a series with Bakersfield for the first half of June. The second half of the month won't be easier with KZoo, Duluth, Okinawa and The Evil Evas all lurking on the horizon.

[Borealis]

A June Swoon to Remember?
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 14 30, 2039: Aurora, Colorado – And at the end of a fortnight, Aurora got a day off.

Forget that they had one just 3-days earlier - clearly that didn't help as Aurora lost 2 of 3 to Bakersfield at the Field formerly known as YUM! It wasn't a yummy experience, losing 2-0 to a rejuvenated Jeff Mendoza who is 6-4 for the 24-39 Bears, with a 2.85 ERA, despite a quasi-CG from Clymo, whose only blemish was a 2-run homer to Jaramillo in the 6th. For the big offseason acquisition, it was the third time in four starts that he threw 8-innings - and Aurora has lost two of the three - by a combined 5-1 score.

While Brenden Clymo has worked hard to overcome a three-start stretch back in April in which he allowed 5-runs a game, his teammates have seemingly gone into hibernation - and the past two weeks illustrate that fact sharply. 3-10 v. Reno, Tempe, Niihama and Bakersfield - and granted that's three of the best teams in the SL at the moment, but in doing so Aurora scored more than 4-runs just once - a real outlier of a game, a 12-2 win at Tempe to end a 4-game losing streak - all to Reno. Aurora scored 6-runs against Reno in losing all four games - losing 3-1, 2-1, 2-1, and 5-2. Aurora lost a 3-1 game to Tempe, scored just 1 and 2-runs in the first two with the Ghosts, was shut out by the Bears, 2-0, lost 3-2, and the one win against Bakersfield was a 1-0 game - in 10-innings (a single by Daikawa, a SB and an RBI single from Aleman).

So if you are keeping score - and I know you are cringingly doing so - that's 10- of 13-games that Aurora scored 2-runs or less, winning just one.

You'll cringe even more when you remove the 12-2 win over Tempe and that game's 12-runs on 14-hits from the statistical equation. That leaves Aurora at .227 for the other 12-games.

But for the most part the rotation has done their job. Clymo, as we've mentioned has really started to turn his season around and become more dependable - and even some of his nay-sayers are becoming closed lipped. Henry Cluett, who also had a rough start, posted a 0.82 ERA in his three-start stretch - including the win over Niihama. Even Anthony MacDonald - in Clark's stead - who had two starts, pitched well against Reno - though not so against the Ghosts. The bullpen had a few moments - but overall, it wasn't the pitching's problem during this opening stretch of June. That blame falls squarely and rightfully on the offense.

Often near the top of the SL, Aurora's team batting has fallen to 5th in average - not a death sentence for many teams, but for Aurora it is. This is a club that isn't walking, has the 12th best SLG - and keep in mind this is a team that doesn't hit HRs, but still manages a decent SLG with a plethora of 2B and 3B - not this year. They're 15th in HR and 13th in XBH. As the GM at Okinawa once called Aurora's offensive attack 'Death by a 1,000 paper cuts', this year it's 'Death by 1,000 thread cuts'; this team is just as anemic as it can be - and against the top teams in the Sovereign League, that is beginning to show.

The real offensive problems - which lead more into the 'turning the line-up' category, and a drop in power production, comes from Aurora's catchers Lan Qing and Pedro de la Cruz hitting a combine .191, and Rocky Kowalski, who continues to wallow at .195 with 5 HR. Toss in Claudio Hernandez, who has his average up to .233 as one of the few bright offensive stars the past fortnight, but he, too, only has 5 HR. When your 2nd best hitter (.298) and leading HR hitter (7, as does Macias) is Ruben Ortega, you know there is trouble with the offense. Even the usual dependable Raul Munoz is down - at .259, and that's after he was the leading hitter over this 13-game stretch at .348 (OK, 'Litterbug' was at .357, but played only 7-games).

The failures are magnified by the fact that the club in the SL with the fewest strikeouts at the plate, struck out more than their opponents. Everything that can go wrong has done so of late.

Down on The Farm
In the real surprising news, Short A Mokule'ia - usually quick out the gate and strong all year long, has mirrored the big league club and is 3-11 to begin the Hawaiian League campaign. After taking 3 of 4 from Shirakawa (NT), the Oceanic have lost 10-straight, getting swept by Maui (SCO), Hilo (NJ), and Osakayama (TOY). To be fair, four of those 10-games were by a run, as was the 1st loss to Shirakawa, so in 5 of the 11, a single hit could have flip the tide. There were a pair of 2-run losses, so if you dig a bit, thinks might not be quite disastrous at this point.

'Vowels' is off to a quick start after his promotion from Rookie Ball (where he crushed it last year), hitting .345 thus far. Other than that, it get's ugly fast - including Pedro Lujan at .146, Vicente Carvajal at .200 and Josh Whiskin, .222 - but he already has 7 HR and 14 RBI. Dad-hyun Pak has had a great start on the mound - 1.50 ERA, 20 K and 3 BB in 18 IP, and Toshimichi Ohayashi sits at 3.14, with 12 K, but 6 BB in 14.1 IP.

Meanwhile SLRC is 35-17 and 8-games out of 1st - if you can believe that, as Mexicali's standing is as ridiculous as their parent club. Even Rosarito (WV) is 5 back at 38-14. With Rosarito and the Rapids Blancos well ahead in the WC standings, the Mexican Division continues to be the toughest race - if they can reel in the Shmoes. One player I want to highlight at SLRC is C Henry Bojorquez, a 7th round pick in last year's draft. He split time last year between Mokule'ia and SLRC, hitting only .232 with the Oceanic (41-games), and in 17-games with the Rapids Blancos, he hit .328. This year he's at .335, 11-2B and 3 HR, and he's walked 17-times, while striking out 16. He has thrown out 28.6% of base stealers - which for someone who needs to work on their arm strength some more, is a positive.

Gatineau and Thornton are both abysmal, but it's worth a return visit on Nishikawa, who is hitting .289, 6 HR and 32 RBI - and 29 SB in 37 attempts.

What's on Tap
Aurora is home for the week, hosting the Malts for three and then Aurora's first look at The Evil Evas, who are a half game better than Aurora at 34-30 - but winners of 9 of their last 10 (NT, BAK, CL) that includes a win and a loss by 3-2 scores in 12-innings. They will enter Northern Lights after a four-game set hosting Tempe - then doing the all-night flight gig to The Front Range.

[Thoroughbreds]

I am cheering for Kowalski to turn it around but it is not looking overly promising.

[Borealis]

I am cheering for Kowalski to turn it around but it is not looking overly promising.

He was better this past sim, so maybe he's turning a corner - we need that.

[Borealis]

Borealis Rebound, Concerns Still Loom
Ray D. Enzé, NLN baseball blogger

June 27, 2039: Okinawa, Japan – After a tough stretch that saw Aurora play Niihama twice, Reno and Tempe - 13-games out of 16, Aurora got a break before once more hitting the 'playoff trail'. The break was three with Madison (taking 2 of 3 for the second time this season) and Bakersfield (losing 2 of 3 - making it 3-3 on the year), it was The Evil Evas who came to Northern Lights to begin a stretch of six-straight playoff hopefuls - Beginning with Shin Seiki and ending with Niihama yet again with Kalamazoo in their twice, along with Duluth and Okinawa, before they close the first half at home with the 'Gnats.

The Evil Evas were looking ahead of their trip to Aurora having won 12 of 14 and 17 of their past 21, and had been putting up some big numbers, averaging 5.7 R/G - with only three of their past 17 wins coming by 1-run, and as lethargic as Aurora has looked, the Evas must have been licking their chops. Then it got weird for the Evas. After taking (thankfully) the first three games from Tempe by a combined 24-3, the Apollos saved face in game four and thrashed Shin Seiki 15-1!

They seemed to get back on track - somewhat, once they arrived on The Front Range, but at an offensive cost.

Game 1 with the Borealis saw Antonio Matas throw 9-, 1-hit, scoreless innings - and yet the game went to extras because Armando Batista met Matas nearly pitch for pitch in his 7-innings of 2-hit ball, with 7 K, and Abay Icharia finishing out the 9 and passing the ball to 'Machete' who promptly gave up the fourth hit of the day for Shin Seiki - a lead off homer by C Yoshiyuki Takahashi - the game winner. Aurora had runners at 1st and 3rd and no outs, but failed to score.

Aurora turned the tables on the Evas as Jung Yi surrendered 2-runs into the 6th - this time it was Ryo Takahashi who had a lead off homer that was the ultimate chaser, but by then Aurora was up 4-2, and a quick 2-run answer (de la Cruz double, 3 BB and a sac fly) was enough to give the Borealis a 6-2 win - evening Yi's record at 5-5. It was Jorge Castillo and Henry Cluett - a pair of vets who hooked horns, but it was the 2nd year OF Masamichi who was the star. He was 4-4, with a pair of doubles - in the 3rd, driving in Aurora's 1st run and in the 8th, later scoring Aurora's 2nd run - and winning run, in a 2-1 Borealis win. Cluett went 7 IP and struck out a season high 9, while the 'Werewolf' closed it out with a final pair of scoreless ball.

The blows by Tempe and Aurora were just the first for The Evil Evas as they would follow that by getting swept(!) by the Yumans and losing 2 of 3 to the Codgers - both at home. That moved the Evas from 7-games over .500, 6.5 behind Niihama and 2-games ahead of both Toyama and Aurora in the wild card to 39-38 - losing two games to Niihama and 3.5 behind Aurora and 3 behind Toyama.

As Aurora fans have already seen this season - it can happen fast.

For Aurora, though, they would continue to play improved ball, with the offense seeming to pick it a bit. They would lose their opener on the road to Kalamazoo - Anthony MacDonald, subbing, still, for Brian Clark, allowed a pair of 3-run homers in the first and was gone after 2 IP. Martin Gutierrez pitch three solid innings, before giving up his own three-spot in the 6th - as the Badgers put up 9-runs on 13-hits. For their part, Aurora made it closer - a 9-5 final score, as they put on a late rally. This was the fourth start for MacDonald, and Aurora lost all four, with him picking up all four losses.

The crowd was raucous for game 2 for the return of Brenden Clymo to Portage Park - he would allow only an unearned run to give the Badgers a brief lead, before Aurora post 6 in the 5th - thanks in part to Pedro de la Cruz hitting a pair of doubles in the inning. Pedro Macias homered (his 8th) and 'Haggis' finished the final 3.1-innings, allowing 3-hits and a run to get the unusual save in a 9-2 Aurora win. The rubber match, between Armando Batista and Juan Lopez was looking ugly, by Aurora standards, as the Badgers score three in the 5th to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 lead - but Aurora answered with their own 3-spot - with Munoz and Macias hitting back-to-back homers. Kzoo answered with a pair in the 7th that chased Batista and added to Kichida's stat sheet - only for Rocky Kowalski to wake up and swat a towering 2-out drive to tie the game. Aurora would turn four singles and a pair of walks into a 4-run 9th - with Hector Gutierrez closing the game on 7-pitches in a non-save situation.

It was off to Duluth, who sat 4-games ahead of the Badgers, with a record 3.5 better that Aurora's in a tight SL race, and it was a four-game weekend series that would see Aurora take three. Aurora took the opener 7-2 as Jung Yi would pitch into the 8th allowing 6 H and 2 R (Bartolo Mora homering in the 1st - offsetting an Angel Silva lead-off homer to start the game). Gary Murphy fooled few in his 6-inning outing, allowing 8 H - and a pair of homers (Pedro Macias' 3rd of the week being the other one; #10). Duluth''s Michael Doyle was nails in game 2, holding Aurora to a run on 6-hits over his fine 8-inning performance.

It was Anthony MacDonald back on the mound again, and for a brief moment it was looking like a familiar tale - Antonio Herrera hitting a 3-run homer in the 1st - fortunately that was all the Warriors got to start the game, as Aurora would answer with a classic Aurora rally: 5-singles, 2-runs - and it would stay 3-2 in Duluth's favor until the 6th. That was when the day's hero stepped in. Ruben Ortega would hit the first of two homers - a 2-run shot in the 6th, giving Aurora a short-held lead (MacDonald would allow a homer in the bottom of the 6th to tie), and then Ruben homered in the 8th - a solo shot, but the game winner in a thrilling 6-5 game. For MacDonald - who got no decision, it was the first of his starts the club had won. Clymo was back on the mound in familiar climes, as he had numerous times with Kalamazoo, and he'd allow a pair of single runs - in the 1st and 3rd, but that would be all the Warriors would get, as Aurora struck for 11-hits - including Raul Munoz' 4th homer of the season - giving Aurora a 7-2 win.

Most importantly to note, the win evened Clymo's record at 6-6, and he now has seen his ERA drop to a very respectable 3.55 - after it being 8.82 after his first four games for Aurora.

The series wins over Madison, Shin Seiki, Kalamazoo and Duluth (9-4) moves Aurora's record to 42-34, inching them closer to Reno (3.5 GB) and Tempe (3 GB), and in a tie for the 2nd WC spot with Kzoo, a half game better than the Win-D's. The stretch also gives fans some semblance of hope, as it evens out their record against playoff contenders a bit, at 19-23 - but more critically, they are 5-11 against the two teams immediately ahead of them in the Desert Hills. That's something that needs to change.

What's on Tap
As mentioned at the top, Aurora heads to Okinawa for three, then with an off-day they fly home to face the Badgers again, then an off-day and back to Japan to face the Ghosts, before returning to The Front Range to host Crystal Lake. Batista, Yi and Cluett will be on the mound for Aurora - and then there will be a change, as Martin Gutierrez - who has pitched well in relief and put together some long relief appearances effectively, will start in Clark's spot, with MacDonald getting sent back to Thornton, and Tekle-Mariam Louhala getting recalled to fill out the bullpen.