The Thespians come home after playing four of their first five series on the road. Although things have been looking up (4-2 on their last road trip), change hovers over the organization like a vulture as the Akitas come to town.

Game 16 Wolf vs Astacio
Nothing gets a manager’s goat like bases on balls. After retiring the first hitter of the game, Astacio walked the next 3 Akitas to load the bases. Eric Chavez drove home two on a single, but Chipper Jones was thrown out at third on the play, helping to snuff out the rest of the rally. In the bottom of the first Jason Giambi drilled a two-run homer (his fourth in four games) to tie the game at 2. Missed opportunities were the story of the next five innings as the Akitas stranded two in the third, three in the fifth, and three in the sixth. The Thespians had problems doing the little things as Astacio was pulled in the 5th, and Tomas Perez, inserted in a double switch, couldn’t get a sacrifice bunt down in the bottom half of the inning, bunting into a double play.

In the top of the seventh, Chipper Jones (walked three times earlier in the day, once intentionally) snapped the tie with a solo home run. In the bottom of the ninth, the Akitas used some unusual relief work. They stuck with the hot Mike Lincoln who struck out Giambi. After Piazza hit a DEEP FLY to right that failed to leave the yard, the Akitas brought in Billy Wagner. Wagner gave up a DEEP FLY to Marquis Grissom who got the ball up into the wind for a game-tying home run. The Thespians brought in Scott Williamson, who gave up a first-pitch home run to Eric Chavez in the top of the 10th, but pitched out of bases loaded trouble to keep it a one run game. Wagner didn’t let the Thespians back in the game when given a second chance however, and the Actors home losing streak reached four.

The essentials:
Game Day 18
Sakita 200 000 100 1 — 4 12 0
Chico 200 000 001 0 — 3 5 0

Sakita Data:
Pitching — Wolf 5, Quantrill 2, Lincoln 1.2, Wagner (W) 1.1
Catching — Lieberthal 9, Bard 1
Home Runs — Jones (off Villone, 7th, 0 on), Chavez (off Williamson, 10th, 0 on)
Stolen Bases — None
Injuries — None
Ejections — None
Limits Used — None

Chico Data:
Pitching — Astacio 4.2, Villone 2.1, Bradford 2, Williamson (L) 1
Catching — Piazza 10
Home Runs — Giambi (off Wolf, 1st, 1 on), Grissom (off Wagner, 9th, 0 on)
Stolen Bases — None
Injuries — None
Ejections — None
Limits Used — Garcia (A)

Other Info:
Night game, Temperature in the 90's, Clear, Wind out at 10-19 mph

HP Umpire – Miller (N), injured in the bottom of the 6th, game finished by Joyce (S)

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Game 17 Munro vs Byrd
Wildness again factors into the game for the Thespians. The game starts off with Byrd hitting leadoff hitter Craig Biggio with a pitch, and one out later Bobby Abreu doubles him home. Just like the first game in the series however, Jason Giambi hits a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning, and the Thespians lead 2-1. Paul Byrd helped his own cause with a two out RBI single driving home Orlando Cabrera in the second inning for a 3-1 lead. In the top of the third Abreu cut the lead back to one with a solo home run. In the bottom of the 5th, the Thespians load the bases with back to back singles by Johnny Damon and Todd Walker and a walk to Jason Giambi. Mike Piazza hit a sacrifice fly, and Jose Cruz drove in Walker with a single before Munro pitched out of the jam, holding the score at 5-2.

In the top of the 6th, the tide turned. With one out Chipper Jones walked (4th time in the series), and was singled to third by Eric Chavez. Trot Nixon drove him home with a sacrifice fly, and after a walk to Julio Franco, Mike Lieberthal doubled home Chavez to cut the lead to 5-4. The bottom of the sixth saw two walks and an error load the bases with two outs, but Mike Piazza couldn’t get the hit, and it remained a one-run game. The seventh continued to work havoc with the manager’s stomachs. Back to back singles by Biggio and Tony Womack, greeted new pitcher Joey Eischen, and runners were at second and third after Orlando Cabrera’s error. Abreu was struck out, leading to an intentional walk to last year’s Young Elvis MVP (his 5th of the series, second intentional). Chavez then walked to force in the tying run, Nixon beat out the relay throw on a potential double play to garner the RBI that put the Akitas ahead, and Franco singled to increase the lead to two. Another single loaded the bases, forcing Chico Manager Jake Taylor to bring in Brian Boehringer. BB got pinch hitter Cezar Izturis, but damage had been done and the score was 7-5 Akitas.

Taylor lit into his team in the dugout, and they responded in kind on the field. Jose Cruz, Jr lead off the bottom of the seventh with a double, and an out later Cabrera doubled him home to cut the lead back to one. With two outs, pinch hitter Marquis Grissom continued his clutch hitting with an RBI pinch hit single that tied the game. Relievers for both sides continued to be used like tissue paper, but the excitement was pushed to overdrive as the game went to extra innings for the second consecutive game.

In the top of the 10th, previous day loser Scott Williamson enters the ball game, and has little problem with the first two hitters. Biggio then singles bringing up Womack. Not wanting to face the hear of the Akita’s lineup with runners on base, Williamson went right after Womack who singled to right. Biggio took third, but Womack over ran first, and a heads-up play by Cabrera nailed Womack as he dived back into first, and the threat was extinguished. In the bottom of the 10th, Todd Walker took a one-out pitch into the gap for a double. Giambi then ripped a line drive up the middle that Biggio snared, and Walker, trying to get the jump to score on a single, was picked off second for the double play.

In the bottom of the 11th, Cruz ripped a double, and was driven home by the only starter who had not yet reached base in the game, newly arrived Karim Garcia. Garcia’s hit was his first in 8 at bats, and evened Williamson’s record in the series at 1-1.

The essentials:
Game Day 19
Sakita 101 002 300 00 — 7 13 3
Chico 210 020 200 01 — 8 15 1

Winning run scored with 1 out in the 11th.

Sakita Data:
Pitching — Munro 5, Lincoln 1, Graves 1.2, Fossum .1, Wagner 1, Quantril (L) 1.1
Catching — Lieberthal 10, Bard 1
Home Runs — Abreu (off Byrd, 3rd, 0 on)
Stolen Bases — None
Injuries — None
Ejections — None
Limits Used — None

Chico Data:
Pitching — Byrd 6, Eischen .2, Boehringer .1, Bradford 2, Williamson (W) 2
Catching — Piazza 11
Home Runs — Giambi (off Munro, 1st, 1 on)
Stolen Bases — None
Injuries — None
Ejections — None
Limits Used — Garcia (A)

Other Info:
Night game, Temperature in the 90's, Clear, Wind out at 10-19 mph
HP Umpire – McKean (N)

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Game 18 Valdes vs Millwood
With both bullpens in utter disarray after the first two games of the series, the Thespians decided to move Kevin Millwood up to start on three days rest. This would allow John Halama to be used as a reliever if necessary. Instead Millwood took the ball and never gave it up.

After a 1-2-3 top of the first, Johnny Damon opened the bottom with double, and two batters later, Mike Piazza drove him home with the first run of the game. It was the only run Millwood would need. Jose Cruz, with several clutch hits already in the series, hit a two-run homer in the third for a little insurance, and that’s the way the score ended, 3-0. Only once in the game did Sakita manage two base runners in an inning, but Mike Piazza threw out Chipper Jones trying to steal second (no, that’s not a misprint), immediately before Eric Chavez tripled. Millwood went the distance on a four hitter, striking out 9. Jones walked two more times bringing his total for the series to 7.

The Thespians only managed four hits themselves, but all four were involved in the scoring. After a Craig Biggio error followed Cruz’ homer, Akitas pitching didn’t allow another baserunner, retiring the final 17 batters of the game.

The essentials:
Game Day 20
Sakita 000 000 000 — 0 4 1
Chico 200 000 001 — 3 4 0

Sakita Data:
Pitching — Valdes (L) 7, Graves 1
Catching — Lieberthal 8
Home Runs — None
Stolen Bases — Abreu
Injuries — None
Ejections — None
Limits Used — None

Chico Data:
Pitching — Millwood (W) 9
Catching — Piazza 9
Home Runs — Cruz (off Valdes, 3rd, 1 on)
Stolen Bases — None
Injuries — None
Ejections — None
Limits Used — Garcia (A)

Other Info:
Night game, Temperature in the 90's, Clear Wind in at 10-19 mph
HP Umpire – Joyce (S)

Stats to follow…