Apple, peaches, pumpkin pie
you ain’t got no alibi
You ug-ly! You ug-ly!
You get the point. It’s been anything but pretty for the hometown team lately, well – for about three weeks now. El Tigerino lost all four games since the July 4th “All Star Break”, and if not for a 10-7 win over Plato on June 29, would have a 10-game losing streak. Not exactly the type of momentum a team wants to build with the playoffs looming – just nine days away, in fact. (CCL-Red playoffs open July 21; look for bracket and full details in next week’s paper.)
Last night (Tuesday, July 11), the Tigers ventured to Brownton for their final regular-season CCL match of the year. This Tuesday (July 18), the Tigers will host the Cleveland Condors in the final game of the regular season. It will also be Fan Appreciation Night, with free prizes for our deserving fans, all night long. Season ticket giveaways for 2007 will be included, among other items. Who knows – some good hustle or just on a whim, and Manager Kreft is apt to pick you out and stick you in the lineup. I’d show up. And bring your glove.
Overall, the Tigers are 4-12 in the CCL-Red, 8-17 overall. Like LaVonne Behnke once said, “But these are good kids!”
Chaska 5 @ Tigers 1 (Thursday, July 6)
The Chaska Cubs got up early, and cruised to a victory over the hometown Tigers.
Starter Jonny Schulz gave up all of his runs (four) and six of his nine hits
through the first three innings, then settled down nicely before exiting after
seven.
However, it was already too much for Las Tigras, who would scratch out only four hits and one measly run on the day. The shutout was avoided in the fifth, when Nick “Thumper” Volek came around to score on Chaska’s only error of the game.
Adam Hoffman and Ryan Witt finished up on the hill for the locals, going an inning each. Rookie and Fastest Tiger canidate Matt Schultz paced the offense with a 2-for-4 performance.
New Tiger bat boys Jon Schmidt and Andrew Carey did a top notch job, other than creating about 15 dust storms in front of the home dugout.
Tigers 7 @ Arlington 10 (Friday, July 7)
The Tigers stormed back from a 7-2 deficit with five runs in the seventh to
tie it, only to surrender three in the eighth and lose at Arlington, 10-7.
What really hurts is the Tigers gave up the fabled Red Helmet, which had been
theirs since swiping it several years ago, then telling the A’s they
had to win it back. The Tigers saw their six-game winning streak against Arlington
end, a streak that dated back to July 18, 2002.
Mike Schultz started on the mound for the Tiger Train, and wasn’t his usual crisp self, lasting just four innings while giving up five runs (three earned). Dave Feldt came on in relief, and was tagged with the loss when a decent outing turned sour in the eighth. Arlington peppered four hits within five batters, giving them more than enough for the final 10-7 margin.
In between, Belle Plaine sent 11 men to the plate in the seventh and scored five runs, despite leaving the bases loaded. The Tigers also had a chance to plate the go-ahead run in the eighth, when Dave Kreft laced his fourth hit – a double – to lead off the inning. Kreft was sacrificed to third by Peter “Chicken Wing” Schuneman, but was subsequently thrown out at home trying to score on Ryan Dressen’s ground ball to third.
The Tigers once again brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, in the form of Ryan Witt, but he lined out to first to end the ballgame.
Aside from Kreft’s triumphant return to his former town of Arlington, Pat Schultz went 3-for-3 with a pair of walks. Adam Hoffman also drew an incredible four walks from the 2-hole, and the Tigers drew free passes eleven times in all.
Gaylord 7 @ Tigers 6 (10 innings – Sunday,
July 9)
The Tigers once again showed late-inning spunk, scoring three in the 9th to
tie the game at six. One could also say the Tigers again failed to put the
final nail in the coffin, as the bases were left loaded and they went on to
lose 7-6 in 10 innings.
Starter Shane Hofmann took a 3-3 game to the 8th, but yielded a two-run homer and soon gave way to reliever Ryan “I immediately regret this Sombrero” Witt. Witt surrendered another run in the 9th, and the Tigers faced a 6-3 deficit with three outs to go.
Pat Schultz opened the 9th with a walk, and Shane Hofmann singled with one out – his third hit of the afternoon. A walk to Kreft loaded the bases, and another walk to Witt forced in a run. Schuneman then laced his third hit of the day – and second double – to right-center, plating pinch-runners Ryan Dressen and Nick Selly. With runnners at second and third and one out, the Tigers fouled off a squeeze attempt, then struck out, walked, and hit into a fielder’s choice to end the rally.
After the Islanders posted a run in the tenth, the Tiger Trolley again put runners on in the bottom half of the frame, but could not deliver them home. Oohhhh… whoa is Tiger.
Tigers 2 @ Winthrop 4 (Sunday, July 9)
This was the longest game ever, since it started back on June 6th. Actually,
it was a suspended game because the umpire broke his collarbone on a foul
ball, and could not continue. So after dropping an extra-inning affair to
Gaylord, off most of the Tigers went, to Winthrop.
If Michael J. Fox could go Back to the Future, I don’t think he’d jet back to June 6, 2006 for the first seven innings of this game. But since time travel still hasn’t been invented, I will fill you in.
The Tigers trailed 4-2 with one out in the seventh at the time that fateful bone cracked. Dave Kreft started that day, and ironically also took the hill upon the resumption of this game (Dave’s got a real fettish for complete games; don’t ask).
I wasn’t able to attend the remaining portion of this game, but eye witness accounts have it going something like this: Kreft shut down the Eagles in the 7th and 8th. In the Tiger eighth, the inning ended when Paul Dressen was rung up on a HORRIBLE pitch at his shoe tops, because earlier in the at-bat Paul hit a foul ball that almost hit the ump’s truck. (You can’t make this stuff up.) That left a man on base.
In the Tiger ninth, Brad Lawson started with a single. Ben
Jass then hit into a fielder’s choice, but after a 2-3 minute delay,
the umpire claimed Lawson slid out of baseline (which he didn’t), meaning
Jass was now called out, too. Manager Kreft pleaded the Tigers’ case,
to no avail. One out later, the Tigers were headed back east down US-Highway
19.
This page was created and maintained by Nick Kornder, Sports Information Director at Northern State University. The views and ideas on this page are that of the author, and not those of Northern State University.