Go figure.
A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees offense that has been down more than it has been up this season wound up with three representatives on the International League All-Star team, which league officials announced Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, the Yankees pitching staff that leads the IL in earned run average didn't have a single representative on the squad, which will take on the Pacific Coast League all-stars on July 15 at Portland's PGE Park.
Until Colin Curtis strolled to the plate in the top of the eighth inning, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees hadn't exactly knocked the fences down offensively.
Even their best chance for a big inning was built on a foundation laid by two walks and a hit batsman.
It's what Curtis did after that, though, that made the Yankees' offensive struggles a memory - at least for one night.
Curtis deposited reliever Hunter Jones' 3-2 pitch over the right field wall for his first Triple-A grand slam, helping Yankees starter Josh Towers' seven strong innings stand up for a 6-1 win over Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium on Friday night.
Box score
Yankees Pawtucket
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Russo ss 4 0 1 0 Guzman lf 4 0 0 0
Pena 2b 4 1 1 0 Lowrie dh 4 0 0 0
Jackson lf 4 0 0 1 Wagner c 3 0 1 0
SDuncan rf 4 1 1 1 Carter rf 3 0 1 0
Miranda 1b 3 1 0 0 Bates 1b 4 0 0 0
Molina c 2 0 1 0 Bell cf 4 0 0 0
Stewart c 0 1 0 0 Denker 2b 4 1 1 1
Curtis cf 4 1 1 4 Velazquez ss 3 0 0 0
deCaster 3b 4 0 1 0 Chavez 3b 3 0 2 0
EDuncan dh 4 1 1 0
Totals 33 6 7 6 Totals 32 1 5 1
The backbone of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' offense - center Jeff Taffe and winger Chris Minard - is moving on.
Minard, who set a club record with 34 goals last season, has signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
Taffe, second on the team with 75 points in 74 games last year, signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Florida Panthers.
"I've been talking to (assistant general manager Jason) Botterill and those guys for a month and a half and I think we were just a little off as far as where I was and what the offer they were giving me," Taffe said Friday while vacationing with his family in California. "I told them I appreciated everything they've done for me. It's one of the best places I've ever played. But Florida called right away and it was the kind of deal I couldn't pass up at this point in my career."
Reading between the lines...
Today is a distinctly American day. So let's ask the one question that curiously never seems to get asked about the two American women who will play for the most prestigious women's tennis championship in the world today.
The great debate in tennis this season has been about whether Roger Federer is the greatest men's player of all time. Go to the NFL, and the experts talk about Tom Brady and Peyton Manning like they can be the greatest ever at their positions. In the NBA, we debate whether LeBron James can someday be even greater than Michael Jordan.
Matt Tulaney and Matt Gaul combined to strike out 12 batters in throwing a four-inning no-hitter, leading Lackawanna to a 19-0 victory over Sloan in the District 17 9- and-10-year-old Little League All-Star Tournament at Christy Mathewson on Friday.
Cole Stetzar tripled and Kyle Polishin doubled to highlight the offensive attack for the winners.
Abington National 14
Christy Mathewson 0
At Christy Mathewson, Kyle Porpiglie toss a one-hitter to lead Abington National to its victory.
Golf Tips part 3
Mount Airy Golf Course Reopens
Golf Tips 2
Golf Fitting Shop
