Game 63 – Connecticut Defenders @ Trenton Thunder
June 16, 2009
Waterfront Park – Trenton, NJ
Pitching Matchup: CON Tim Alderson vs. TRE Zach McAllister
Starting Lineups:
DEFENDERS
Brock Bond, 2B
Mike McBryde, CF
Brad Boyer, 3B
Brett Pill, 1B
Bobby Felmy, LF
Brandon Crawford, SS
Adam Witter, DH
Mike Mooney, RF
Jackson Williams, C
THUNDER
Austin Krum, CF
Reegie Corona, 2B
Eduardo Nunez, SS
Chris Malec, 3B
Jesus Montero, C
Richie Robnett, DH
Edwar Gonzalez, RF
Kevin Smith, 1B
Justin Snyder, LF
Radio Links: Click here for the links to each team’s broadcast.
Live Box Score: The MILB.com direct link is here.
Around the Eastern League: For scores from around the EL, go here.
In-Game Updates (LIVE from the ballpark): 11 pitches for McAllister in the first, 10 for Alderson.
9 for McAllister in the second…nobody’s reached base yet as it’s 0-0, heading into B2.
Brock Bond scores on a Brett Pill grounder through the left side that just evaded a diving Chris Malec…1-0, Defenders, T4.
Through four innings…37 strikes, 9 balls for Zach McAllister. 37/9/46. Holy crap.
1-0, heading into T7. Trenton has a whopping 2 hits off of Alderson, who has been…obviously, virtually unhittable. McAllister has thrown 72 pitches through 6…54 strikes, 18 balls.
49/29/78 for Alderson through six, by the way. McAllister is at 92 on the gun, not sure on Alderson.
Tons of videos uploaded — a lot of Alderson — that I have to identify when I get home.
McAllister struck out the side in the seventh to give him seven for the game…he’s been really, really good…but Alderson’s been just one run better. One of those rare pitching matchups that actualy lives up to the hype.
87 pitches for Mac…66 strikes, 21 balls through seven. Meanwhile, Trenton’s hitters have no clue how to work a count it seems…I’ve seen way too many first and second pitch swings and, as a result, outs.
The first two Thunder batters of the seventh — Jesus Montero and Richie Robnett — were out on a whopping three pitches. The third, Edwar Gonzalez, stuck out on Alderson’s sixth pitch of the at-bat, a nasty curveball. 1-0, Connecticut, heading into T8.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Mike McBryde bunted to the pitcher…McAllister threw it to third, and as is usually the case on those type of plays, threw it away. Yay! Connecticut tacked on a run, and it’s 2-0, T8.
Brett “Jagged Little” Pill with a sharp grounder down the third base line…again…and it gets through, scoring two runs and breaking this one open. 4-0, Defenders. That’s it for him…#1 in your hearts, but #21 in your programs, Kevin Whelan now in the game with one out.
McAllister’s final pitch count: 98 pitches; 75 strikes, 23 balls
Alderson out after seven absolutely masterful innings…probably the best pitcher I’ve seen here all year. Ben Snyder in to pitch the eighth. 55 strikes, 32 balls, 87 strikes for Alderson.
7 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 5 k for Alderson. 7.1, 9 h, 4 r, 3 er, 0 bb, 8 k for McAllister.
In-Game Photos:
Tim Alderson
Alderson
Alderson
Alderson
Austin Krum
Chris Malec
Zach McAllister
In-Game YouTube Videos: Check out my YouTube account for videos updated throughout the game…
Final Score: 4-0, Defenders
Thunder Thoughts: This. Team. Looked. Awful. Today. Period.
Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com
June 16, 2009 at 7:58 pm |
Mike, your Thunder coverage is incredible.
Can you see where ZMac and Alderson are topping out tonight with their Fastball?
Thanks as always for your work.
June 16, 2009 at 8:10 pm |
Glad you enjoy the work…Mac is at 92 on the gun…don’t know on Alderson but will try to find out.
June 16, 2009 at 8:42 pm |
ZMac is sitting at 92? Or maxing out at 92? Id heard he touched 94 this year is that accurate?
June 16, 2009 at 8:47 pm |
Maxing out, I believe. He had touched 94 earlier, yes. Honestly, all I did today was ask the pitcher in the stands with the gun.
June 16, 2009 at 8:54 pm |
No doubt. Thx for clarifying.
June 16, 2009 at 9:10 pm |
If CT can continue winning on the road and just get to .500 at Dodd, they will be in it to the end this season because of teh starting pitching staff–of course as Thunder and old Navigators fan know those callups can kill you..
June 16, 2009 at 10:46 pm |
[...] Trenton Thunder lost to the Connecticut Defenders by a score of 4-0(Mike Ashmore’s Thunder [...]
June 17, 2009 at 3:07 am |
Mike,
You might want to interview JB Cox and Kevin Whelan. They competed against each other in college at UT and Texas A&M respectively. JB had world series glory but Kevin came in during a game in College Station and struck out something like 6 out of 11 batters (including college world series MVP Maroul twice –I think) in A&M’s Friday Night win.
I think these guys work-out together in Houston in the off season.
June 17, 2009 at 3:21 am |
Well, I’m sure you saw the feature on Coxie that I just posted…but yeah, I’ll have to see what the relationship is between these guys. Might be an interesting story this time of year.