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<p>On March 17, 2016 at 11:46 AM Doug Palmer <aeronutty43@gmail.com> wrote:<br /><br /><br />Associated Press: 16 March 2016:<br /><br />Dateline: Ormand Beach, Florida<br /><br />Spring training began in earnest for the Baltimore Sand Crabs and the<br />Minneapolis Millers on Wednesday evening as the two clubs opened up<br />Persimmon League action. The Sand Crabs are coming off their best season<br />since moving to Baltimore while the Millers are coming off an excellent<br />year where they won 101 games before being unceremoniously kicked from the<br />playoffs by the Redbacks. Both teams are justified in looking forward to<br />the 2016 season, and it was with this enthusiasm that the Crabs and Millers<br />began their 2016 IBL Spring seasons.<br /><br />Perhaps it was the long winter or maybe it was the half off Long Island Ice<br />Teas available in the Miller’s new digs in Ormand Beach, but the bats for<br />both teams didn’t seem to working very well. The Millers sent former Sand<br />Crab Dallas Keuchel to the hill to face the new look Crabs. New look in<br />the sense that a pair of new Crabs were in the starting lineup. Mark<br />Trumbo and Kyle Schwarber got to wear the teal and mauve for the first time<br />in their careers. Unfortunately for the Crabs, hits were rare to find as<br />Dallas Keuchel held the Crabs scoreless through 8 strong innings with only<br />3 hits allowed. Meanwhile, in the other dugout, Kevin Gausman was equally<br />effective as he only gave up 2 hits through 6. Unfortunately, wildness did<br />affect him and 7 Millers reached base via walk. Only a lazer shot over the<br />short porch in left field off the bat of Mitch Moreland defaced the<br />scoreboard and gave the Millers what seemed to be an insurmountable 1-0<br />lead going to the final frame.<br /><br />Blame it on the half off drinks, blame it on the Crabs realizing that the<br />fungo bats that they were swinging weren’t working, but in the 9th inning,<br />the Crabs came alive. Miller closer Kevin Jepsen took the hill to close<br />out the game but unfortunately wasn’t in mid-season form. The first two<br />hitters Jepsen faces reached base on a Eric Hosmer walk followed by a Mark<br />Trumbo single. Two Crabs on base at the same time was obviously confusing<br />for Kevin Jepsen as he promptly gave up a game tying single to Nick<br />Markakis and the score was tied at 1 apiece. Jepsen still could have taken<br />control of the 9th but unfortunately, still couldn’t get his best stuff<br />past the Crabs and before the sellout crowd of 6,433 fans knew it, it was<br />4-1 Sand Crabs as the hits just kept coming. Jepsen was finally pulled for<br />Nate Karns who finally put the Crabs in their place, but not before<br />allowing two inherited runners to score.<br /><br />Suddenly with a lead, David Robertson, the third pitcher the Crabs used on<br />the night, found a renewed vigor and set the Millers down with 3 strikeouts<br />in the 9th inning to preserve the win. Final score from Ormand Beach was<br />4-1 Sand Crabs. Mitch Moreland (2 for 4, 1 HR) and Dallas Keuchel (8 IP, 0<br />ER and 9K’s) stood out for the Millers while newbie Mark Trumbo (2 for 4, 1<br />RBI) and Nick Markakis (2 for 4, 1 2B) got the Sand Crabs excited for the<br />upcoming season. Something that is so completely NOT familiar to this<br />crew. Starlin Castro was actually CRYING when the comeback bore fruit. He<br />might've been crying because the concession stand was out of rum, but I'd<br />like to think otherwise.</p>
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<p><strong>Maybe Starlin is looking forward to 3 days of tequila in Santa Fe ... LM</strong></p>
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<p><br />Many thanks to Paul for putting in the time to get a spring training game<br />in from Tokyo (am there, pm for me!). It was good to brush off the rust<br />and play a game again.</p>
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