Lead Locomotive

NATIONAL LEAGUE
(Week 10 -Award Winners)

Carlos "Chooch" Ruiz is "The Little Train That Could" this week for the Urbana Locomotives, as he wins this week's A.L. Player of the Week. He powered Urbana with 3 HR's & 5 RBI, batting 9-for-18 (.500), including 3 runs. His teammate David Price is still having an excellent season, posting a 10-2 record with a 2.12 ERA -- but the Locos have slowed down as of late, losing 4 of their last 6 games, and currently are in a six-game skid. The Hannibal Cavemen have moved up the tracks are have been catching steam in the last few weeks.

Urbana still leads the division by 7.5 games, but not by the once comfortable lead at the 36-game mark.

	N.L. East at 36 Games	W	L	GB
1	URBANA LOCOMOTIVES	25	11	0
2	TRAVERSE CITY PANTHERS	14	21	10.5
3	HOLLAND HITCHHIKERS	13	22	11.5
	HANNIBAL CAVEMEN	13	22	11.5

	N.L. East / Currently	W	L	GB
1	URBANA LOCOMOTIVES	36	21	0
2	HANNIBAL CAVEMEN	28	28	7.5
3	HOLLAND HITCHHIKERS	20	36	15.5
4	TRAVERSE CITY PANTHERS	17	39	18.5

Urbana has gone 11-10 since, but no need to panic, it could be worse, they could be the Traverse City Panthers who have lost 18 of 21, who sparked Hannibal's run. We'll have to see how this race plays out.

For the A.L. Pitcher of the Week, there was not really any pitchers that stood out. This week, the one bright spot for the Traverse City Panthers, Matt Harrison gets the nod for the award. Harrison pitched a four-hit shutout that included 8 strikeouts & a walk against the Buffalo Yankees.

He wasn't the only shutout this week, King Road's James McDonald pitched a two-hit shutout, with 5 K's & 3 BB's against the Boston Bravos.

N.L. Honorable Mention:

• SP-Jame McDonald (KING) - SHO W, 2 H, 5 K's & 3 BB's.
• RP-Sean Doolittle (HOL) - 6.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 9 K's & a walk.
• 3B-Adrian Beltre (URB) - 8-for-23 (.348), 2 HR, 6 RBI & 2 runs.
• OF-Andrew McCutchen (SAC) - 11-for-27 (.407), 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 runs & 2 steals.
• 3B-Manny Machado (HAN) - 5-for-9 (.556), 2 HR, 3 RBI & 2 runs.
• C-Alex Avila (SAC) - 6-for-20 (.300), 2 HR, 4 RBI & 5 runs.
• 3B-Pedro Alvarez (SAC) - 6-for-13 (.462), 2 HR, 4 RBI & 4 runs.
• SP-Mike Minor (HOL) - ND, 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 8 K's & a walk.
• 3B-Mike Moustakas (HOL) - 8-for-18 (.444), HR, 5 RBI & 5 runs.
• SP-David Price (URB) - W, 7.1, 4 H, 2 ER, 4 K's & a walk.
• SP-Derek Holland (POR) - W/L, 13 IP, 12 H, 5 ER (3.46), 8 K's & 5 BB's.
• SS-Erick Aybar (SAC) - 11-for-28 (.393), RBI, 3 runs.
• SP-Miguel Gonzalez (KING) - ND, 8 IP, 4 H, ER, 7 K's & 2 BB's.
• SP-Anibal Sanchez (POR) - W, 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 4 K's & BB -- quietly 6-3 with 2.54 ERA.
• SP-Barry Zito (SAC) - W, 8.1 IP, 6 H, ER, 6 K's & 4 BB's -- improves to 6-4, 3.38 ERA.
• SP-Jonathan Niese (POR) - W, 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 K & 2 BB; now 6-4 with 1.82 ERA.
• OF-Ryan Braun (SAC) - 7-for-22 (.318), HR, 5 RBI & 3 runs.
• SP-Lance Lynn (HOL) - W, 7 IP, 6 H, ER, 6 K's & 3 BB's.
• SP-David Phelps (KING) - W, 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 8 K's & no walks.
• SP-Cliff Lee (POR) - L, 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 7 K's & 2 BB's.