Bayou Brief- Playoff Stumble

[Reg]

Sports by Scott Plack

New Orleans entered the playoffs with high hopes. After being on a tremendous hot streak over the last month, the Trendsetters faced off against division rival Charelston.

The Trendsetters so proud in there pitching accomplishments got outpitched in two straight games. In the first two games, the pitching staff allowed 11 runs on 18 hits. Resulting in Trendsetters falling quickly behind two games and on the brink of exiting the playoffs without offering much of a fight. The teams have an off day to travel to Charleston where hopefully the Trendsetters who had an equal record at home and on the road can win two in a row and force a fifth game back in New Orleans.

"Hey, anything can happen," quipped slumping 3B Desi James. James has gone hitless in 8 abs. Edwards, Hansen, and Rodriguez have each contributed with 3 hits each. Edwards has hit one homerun and picked up two RBI's. Valdez has contributed two RBI's on two hits.

Many of the Trendsetter faithful have found a target to blame in manager Escalante. Escalante can't bat and can't pitch but he has made some pretty questionable decisions over the past two games. Escalante is a rookie manage, and perhaps the pressure of the post season has rattled him a bit.

One example has been in Escalante's use of the the bullpen, or rather lack of use of the bull pen. Jonathan Shannon pitched one inning in the first game and allowed a run. Strangely, in the second game with the Trendsetters trailing the game 2 to 1, Escalante once again called on Shannon. Hindsight is 20/20 but Ortiz, Yang, and Hernandez were rested and ready to go. Shannon, entered the game and pitched a scoreless seventh. He then surrended two back to back singles. In a 2 to 1 game, it seems that an ordinary joe from the stands could have made that call to the bullpen. Shannon did manage to strike out the next batter, before surrendering a double.

Now Escalante must make a decision about who he sends to the mound to take on the Statesmen in the third and possibly decisive game. Nicholson who is on a hot streak or a almost fully rested McCullough. Will Escalante continue his confident swagger or will the media pressure cause doubts and worry? Only time will tell, but hopefully time will tell that we will see the Trendsetters for three more games.

[Duane]

Me thinks Escalante needs to be beheaded (or ast least fired)
deathstarrules1