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Francisco Liriano (MN) started the game
for the World squad. The lefthander got leadoff hitter LF Kevin Thompson
(NYY) to ground out to third base on two pitches and SS B. J. Upton (TB)
to do the same on four pitches before striking out 1B Conor Jackson (AZ)
on a full-count pitch after falling behind 2-0. Jackson had only struck
out 22 times in 292 at-bats on the season.
Liriano's fastball ranged from 93-98. He threw 6 of them and 4 were
balls; the other 2 resulted in a foul ball and Thompson's ground out. Of
the 6 offspeed/breaking pitches he threw ranging from 84-89, only 1 was
called a ball. Upton swung and missed at one in the dirt before
grounding out with another. Jackson saw 4 of his offspeed offerings;
taking a ball, fouling one off, then swinging and missing at strikes two
and three.
In the top of the first inning, U.S.'s Justin
Verlander (DT) showed very good command of his fastball;
throwing 7, all of them for strikes. He hit 98 mph twice and none
measured lower than 95. However, his curveball, ranging from 76-79, all
missed the strike zone. Twice Verlander's fastball was hit well; OF
Shin-Soo Choo (SE) flied out deep to center field and the next batter,
1B Kendry Morales (LAA), hit one deep in the right-center gap for a
double.
Anthony Lerew (AT) followed Verlander
to pitch the 2nd inning. Lerew fastballs 10 of his 18 pitches, ranging
from 90-93 topping out at 94. Six of the fastballs were recorded as
strikes including 2 of them for outs; 3B Edwin Encarnacion (CN) taking a
called 3rd strike and getting OF Luis Montanez (CC) to end the inning
grounding out to the shortstop. Lerew threw two sliders, an 87 mph pitch
to C Miguel Montero (AZ), whom he walked in 4 pitches, and the other
measuring 89 mph leading to a 4-6 forceout, the only pitch Hernan
Iribarren (ML) saw in his first at-bat, a second baseman who was the
designated hitter. 2B William Bergolla (CN) fouled off two two-strike pitches
before taking a Lerew 93 mph fastball the other way for a one-out base
hit. Bergolla's hit was the last of the threat as Lerew got Iribarren
and Montanez to make the 2nd and 3rd outs in his next 3 pitches.
Edison Volquez (TX) continued the
scoreless matchup through the bottom of the 2nd. After giving up a
single up the middle to OF Delmon Young (TB) on the first pitch of the
inning, Volquez got Jeremy Hermida, the DH-ing outfielder, to fly out.
3B Andy LaRoche (LAD) singled up the middle on a hit & run to put
runners on the corners with one out. C Ryan Garko (CL) would hit a
grounder to the third baseman Encarnacion, who stumbled to his knees,
yet was still able to get the ball off in time to record a 5-4-3 double
play to end the inning. Volquez threw fastballs 7 of his 9 pitches and
consistently hit 94 mph (4 times) and topped at 96 (Young's single).
Only one fastball he threw missed the strike zone though both of his
offspeed pitches were balls.
For the top of the 3rd, the U.S. sent out its first lefthander,
Zach Jackson (TO).
After SS Yuniesky Betancourt (SE) grounded out for the second time, Choo
launched a 87 mph 1-1 pitch into the rightfield stands (lefty vs.
lefty). After a Morales flyout, OF Nelson Cruz (ML) struck out swinging
to complete Jackson's inning of work. Jackson threw 13 pitches, 7 for
strikes. He threw between 86 & 91 with 10 of his pitches, topping at 94
and two 79 mph changeups. Jackson would eventually be given the loss.
The World answered back with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 3rd, lead by
Yusmeiro Petit (NYM). Not a hard
thrower, Petit topped at 91 from his 9 pitches, but, as usual, he was
effective. His 5 fastballs ranged from 88-91, only one was called a
ball, two recorded air outs. All three outs were air outs and 7 of his
pitches were strikes.
The local Tigers fans got the see their team's second pitching prospect
of the game when Joel Zumaya (DT) took
the mound in the 4th. Zumaya threw 11 pitches, all fastballs. He threw
only one pitch under 97 mph, which was 95. Three hit 98 on the gun and 2
more triggered 99. Eight of the 11 fastballs were strikes including a
strikeout of Montero.
Scott Mathieson (PH) was the first of 5
World pitchers to work the next 3 innings, none accumulating more than
2/3 inning work. Mathieson threw his 5 fastballs 93-95, recording two
outs in 6 pitches. Juan Morillo (CO)
ended the 4th with two 99 mph balls followed up with two 96 mph strikes,
the second of which forced Young to ground out to second base. Morillo
also recorded the first out of the 5th. He threw a 96 mph called strike
to Hermida, a 95 mph foul ball which broke Hermida's bat, consecutive
balls registering 93 and 98 until he threw his first non-fastball, an 83
mph offspeed which Hermida swung through.
Fernando Nieve (HO) finished off the
5th for the World. After giving up a hard single through the box to
LaRoche, Nieve forced a ground out and caught 2B Josh Barfield (SD) with
a called third strike on a 1-2 breaking pitch after showing Barfield 3
consecutive fastballs. Nieve worked 92-94 with his 5 fastballs. Only 1
of his 8 pitches was called a ball. Fausto Carmona
(CL) threw 4 pitches (three 94 mph, the other was 95) to get
two ground outs in the 6th.
On his first pitch, Anibal Sanchez (BO)
gave up single up the middle to SS Brandon Wood (LAA) which fellow Red
Sox prospect SS Hanley Ramirez tried valiantly to make a play on from
deep behind second base. Five pitches later, Sanchez struck out Daric
Barton to end the 6th. Sanchez labored in the 7th by walking Young,
committing a balk, then he lost Hermida from an 0-2 count by throwing 4
consecutive balls. That was it for Sanchez who totaled 18 pitches, only
8 for strikes. He threw 12 fastballs in the 92-94 range. He threw 2
curveballs, both strikes to Barton, and 4 changeups, 3 of which were
balls.
Adam Loewen (BT) mopped up for the
World by getting out of the 2-on, no-out jam created by Sanchez. Loewen
forced 3B Scott Moore (CC) to fly out before walking C Chris Iannetta
(CO) on 6 pitches to load the bases. The first ball was a wild pitch and
two pitches later C Russ Martin (LAD) saved another potential wild pitch
with runners on 2nd & 3rd. However, Loewen was able to finish off the
U.S. himself as 2B Kevin Frandsen (SF) bounced back to the mound to
start a 1-2-3 double play to end the game. Loewen 12 pitches, 9 of them
fastballs in the 91-94 range. Control has been Loewen's biggest struggle
as a pro and half of his pitches were balls.
When the U.S. took the mound in the 5th, lefthander
Paul Maholm (PT) took the ball. Maholm allowed an infield
single to Hernan Iribarren (ML), then plunked Montanez. Hanley Ramirez
(BO) sacrificed the runners to second and third. Like Hanley, Javier
Herrera (OK) stepped in for his first plate appearance of the game.
Herrera fell behind 0-2 but Maholm threw 4 straight balls to load the
bases. Justin Huber (KC) made his entrance in the game by taking a
Maholm fastball the other way for a double off the wall to score 2 runs.
That swing of the bat earned Huber game MVP honors. That was the extent
of Maholm's appearance, his only out a sacrifice bunt. He threw 13
pitches (7 strikes), 10 of them fastballs. With the exception of a wild
94 mph pitch to Herrera, his fastball ranged from 89-91 mph. The three
curveballs he threw all missed the strike zone, from 72-74 mph.
Chris Lambert (SL) took over for Maholm
and started by throwing 3 pitches to Frank Diaz (WA), all swinging
strikes. Jose Bautista (PT) took 5 pitches, 4 of them balls to reload
the bases. On the third pitch Russ Martin (LAD) saw, he popped up to end
the inning. Lambert threw 11 pitches, 6 for strikes. He threw only 5
fastballs, all in the low 90s while topping at 94 mph.
Troy Patton (HO) came on for the 6th,
faced two batters and retired them both. He got Bergolla to ground to
shortstop and Iribarren to strikeout lunging after Patton's specialty,
his curveball. Patton threw 7 of his 9 pitches for strikes. His 4
fastballs each hit 93 mph. J. J. Johnson (BT)
came in to finish off the 6th inning, but he gave up a pair of lined
singles to Montanez and Ramirez and a bloop single to Herrera on a 3-0
count that scored a run. After 3 fastballs to Huber, a 1-2 curveball
caught him looking for the third strike to end the inning. Johnson threw
10 pitches, 4 were balls (3 in a row to Herrera). His 6 fastballs were
90-91 mph except for the blooping RBI single which was 93 mph.
Travis Bowyer (MN) was sent in to hold
down the World in the 7th. However, Bowyer really labored. He threw 25
pitches to the 6 batters he faced; 14 were for strikes. After striking
out Diaz on a 98 mph 2-2 fastball, Bautista hit a hard single past the
second baseman. Bowyer walked Martin after 7 pitches and gave up a line
single to center field by Bergolla which loaded the bases with one out.
It took 4 pitches to strikeout Iribarren and 3 pitches to force Montanez
to fly out to center field to end the inning. The slowest pitch Bowyer
threw was 89 mph, the other 24 pitches were all in the 90s, even
touching 99 mph once and 98 mph 3 more times.
All in all, it was a game dominated by pitching, particularly by the
World. There has already been an influx of good, young pitching at the
major league level and the Futures Game showed that more is on the way.
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