Trenton @ Chicago

Game1 Trenton 16 Chicago 13 (11 innings) BOXSCORE

This was a wild one as the wind was definitly blowing out in Wrigley as both team's combined for 7 hr's, 2 by the struggling Carmine Bryant as the Thunder win the "football" game on a late inning field goal.
Can't say too much about this one as both pitching staffs were helpless to the offense, Terrell Stroud making his first start of the season goes 4 allowing 6 runs on 9 hits but didn't yield a HR. The rest of the bullpen kept us in the lead for most of the game until Chuck Adkinsson number was called again(first time since his opening night meltdown) and he promptly coughs up another one sending us into the extra frames which the thunder eventually win on the strength of a five run top of the 11th.

Game2 Chicago 5 Trenton 2 BOXSCORE

Game 2 see's the wonder of Wrigley Field as your home ballpark, Lawrence Richardson making his 2nd start of the season held the Orphans in check for most of his 6 innings but the beauty of Chicago and more specifically its ballpark is that pretty much anything hit in the air has a chance AND with that 3 of the 6 hits allowed to the Orphans sailed over the fence giving Chicago all 5 of its runs via the homerun.
Chicago's Willie Strong pitched a brilliant game mind you as he strikes out 11 Thunder hitters while allowing the 2 runs,the thunder were seeing a lefthander for the first time this season.

Game3 Trenton 8 Chicago 2 BOXSCORE

Rubber game of the series along with getaway day, Matt McClellan took the hill opposing Benjamin Becker who did not enjoy a game to remember, as McClellan was dodging in and out of trouble all game long, Becker was crushed in the 2nd topped with a exclamation point of the inning coming on Carmine Bryant grand slam. Bryant added another in the 8th as the suddenly hot rightfielder apparantly likes the friendly confines.
McClellan's line of 6 2/3 innings, 8 hits,1 walk,4 k's and most importantly 1 run giving him his 2nd win and dropping his era down to .66

Trenton 7 Cincinnati 2

BOXSCORE



A HUGE 2nd inning was more than enough for Trenton as a Craig Wood grand slam capitilizes on a "crazy" inning in which Miguel Ortiz couldn't find his control & Shawn Webster couldn't find the ball, in total Trenton send 11 guys to the plate hitting 2 homeruns,drawing 4 walks and one big error from Webster. Scoring all 7 of its runs in the 2nd inning
Alex Heredia well pitched game makes it 4 in a row for quality starts for a team that I don't think had a pitcher with a era under 5 in any part of the organization a season ago.

Splitting our first series of the season on the road against the predicted division winner, we'll take the split knowing that we were in all 4 games and should really of won 3 of them save there huge comeback win in the opener.

We head to Chicago to play the Orphans (1-3) next after they apparantly had there trouble with Minnesota in their opening series.Terrell Stroud gets his first start of the season and is opposed by Rabbit Diaz making his major league debut.

Cincinnati 4 Trenton 1

BOXSCORE



This game was about one thing for Trenton ... mistakes .... three key errors, 2 by Kirk Clarke getting his first start of the season gives Cincy more than enough to defeat the unprepared Trenton squad.
Ozzie Ono did his part allowing just the one earned run in six innings but Queen's starting pitcher Rickey Ward outpitches that line by allowing no runs in his 6 innings of work. Trenton finally pushes across a run in the 8th from a Juan Mota solo shot, which was his first Big League home run.

@Cincinnati3

Game 3 see's long time Thunder starting pitcher and holder of many of the futile records in this franchise's history Ozzie Ono (7-10 5.73) who's coming off a very inspiring spring training go head to head against Cincy righthander Rickey Ward (9-14 5.22)

Ozzie Ono Trenton Thunder Age: 28 B/T: R/R Born: Fukuoka, JP Position(s): P (SP3) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Rickey Ward Cincinnati Queens Age: 27 B/T: R/R Born: S Charleston, OH Position(s): P (SP3) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Minor League play begins overnight as we try to field a competitive team at all levels of this once morbid franchise, really wasn't that much of a task to find a SS to play SS instead of a 1b and a CF to play CF instead of a 1b, we should notice a improvement at all levels and am looking forward to seeing a few of our future *stars* perform.

Trenton 6 Cincinnati 1

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Matt McClellan prooved that he was worthy of the 20+ million extension he received in the offseason limiting the Queens offense to five hits while striking out 6 in his 7 innings of work getting Trenton's first win of the season in a brilliant pitching performance.
Kent Hamilton hot streak has carried into the regular season after a torrid spring by driving in four(giving him 6 in two games) and giving the thunder more than enough offense.
Aside from that 9th inning meltdown in the season opener our pitching staff has held Cincy's offense in check with just one earned run in 17 innings(5 runs alone in game one's 9th)

@ Cincinnati2

As the Thunder try to rebound after a horrific 9th inning on opening day, they send righthander Matt McClellan to the mound(2-10 6.16), Cincy counters with Rule5 selection Diego Cubillan (5-10 5.78) who played with Philadelphia a season ago

Diego Cubillan Cincinnati Queens Age: 24 B/T: R/R Born: Las Matas Cotui, DO Position(s): P (SP2) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Matt McClellan Trenton Thunder Age: 27 B/T: R/R Born: Fredericksburg, VA Position(s): P (SP2) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

Cincinnati 6 Trenton 3

BOXSCORE

Everything was perfect on Opening Day, no one injured, very few questions marks and no where but UP to go, I was correct in assuming Perry Traynor was getting the ball for opening day as he pitched very well limiting a fired up Trenton team to two runs in six innings before leaving, with Trenton pitcher Lawrence Richardson matching his opponent pitch for pitch the game seemed in hand after Richardson gave way to rule5 pickup and star in the making Homer Henry to begin the 7th and Mitch Pose in the 8th but starting off the 9th was when the action began. Trenton leading 3-1 going into the 9th, head coach decides to give Mitch Pose the ball to begin the 9th as we have yet to determine any real closer and go with a bullpen by committee approach, this turns out to be a mistake as Theodore Laroche leads the inning of with a single followed by a singles by pinch hitter Willie Guzman and shortstop Shawn Webster and after striking out pinch hitter B.c Guerrero Mitch Pose was lifted in favor of lefthander Chuck Adkinsson who promptly gives up a single and a grand slam to Odalis Ibarra to send the cincy fans into a frenzy and a perfect start to the Queens season.