MVN: Most Valuable Network

Cane Fires' starter Kyle Bloom continued his domination of the Hawaiian Winter League with another strong performance last night.  He gave up two walks and a single for one run in the 1st inning, and then shut down the Honu for the next 4 innings.  He walked a batter in the 4th inning, but a timely double play removed that base runner.  Another Honu batter reached on an error in the 5th inning, but another double play erased that problem too.  Bloom did not get the win, since the Cane Fires did not score until later in the game, but Bloom's ERA stands at 1.50.

Ryunosuke Yokoyama (Hanshin Tigers) relieved Bloom in the 6th and pitched a scoreless inning.  Sean Gleason (Orioles) added two more scoreless innings, setting up Moises Robles, who gave up a single in the 9th, but struck out two batters, earning his 4th save.

The Cane Fires were held scoreless until the 7th inning, when DH Miles Durham got things started with a walk.  1B Adam Loewen (Blue Jays) was hit by a pitch, and 3B Tyler Henson (Orioles) blasted his first Hawaiian League homer, giving the Cane Fires a 3-1 lead.  RF Caleb Gindl (Brewers) added another run with a solo homer in the 8th inning.  Durham was hitless in his 3 other at-bats.  SS Brian Friday went 0-for--2 with a walk, but he was a big contributor on the field, making three key plays at shortstop.

A power outage halted play between the Scorpions and the Desert Dogs, with no outs, two runners on base, 2B Kevin Frandsen (Giants) at the plate, and the score tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 11th inning.  Phoenix had the early lead, getting a run in the first inning and 4 runs in the 2nd inning, chasing starter Jared Hughes  from the game after just 1.2 innings of work.   Hughes had given up those 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits and no walks.  Mike Crotta finished the 2nd inning for Hughes and pitched the next two scoreless innings, walking 3 batters and giving up two hits.  

The Scorpions were scoring on gifts from the Desert Dogs -- Phoenix had committed 7 errors before play was halted.  Three errors gave the Scorpions two runs in the 1st inning.  2B Emmanuel Burris (Giants) reached base on a throwing error, and went to second on a fielding error  on CF Brian Bogusevic's (Astros) grounder.  SS Drew Sutton (Astros) singled, and the ball was deflected by the center fielder (though that was not ruled an error).  1B Mark Ori (Astros) grounded to second, forcing out Sutton, but both Burris and Bogusevic scored, the latter on a throwing error by the shortstop.   

C Mark Wagner (Red Sox) added another run in the 5th inning with a solo homer.  Frandsen and Bogusevic both singled following the homer, and Frandsen scored on Sutton's sacrifice fly. The Scorpions took a brief lead in the 7th inning, again assisted by Phoenix errors.  With two outs, Frandsen singled.  Bogusevic struck out, but strike three was a wild pitch, and Bogusevic reached base safely.  Frandsen stole third base, putting runners on the corners. The inning should have ended like that, but a dropped foul pop error kept it going. Sutton walked, loading the bases, and a fielding error on DH Mark Trumbo's (Angels) grounder scored Frandsen and Bogusevic.  The Scorpions held that 6-5 lead for only a short time, though.  Phoenix scored one run in the top of the 8th inning on a walk, a single, and a sacrifice fly.  

Three scoreless innings followed.  The Scorpions threatened in the 10th, when LF Jamie Romak doubled, and was replaced by pinch-runner Darren Ford (Giants).  But Ford was thrown out trying to steal third base, and the inning ended on a fly out.  Things were looking hopeful in the 11th inning, when the power failed.  The game will be resumed on Wednesday.