CyberSox douse Blazers in tight series

San Jose (AP) - September 20, 2006

The up-and-down CyberSox continued their roller-coaster ride but this time on an uptick as Silicon Valley takes three from the New Milford Blazers.

The Blazers had just come off a  sweep of the New Hope Badgers and had pushed their Ozzie League Wild Card lead to two games before squaring off with the 'Sox who had their own lead to worry about.

In the opener, it was a marquee pitching matchup as Danny Haren faced off against "The Rocket" Roger Clemens.

It would be Clemens who would get the better of it though as his two-run single in the second would cap a three-run inning for the Blazers and put them up early.

The 'Sox would chip away with single runs in the 4th and 5th, but the Blazers would get a two-run triple from Brian Roberts in the 8th to put the game away.

Carlos Lee would hit a solo HR in the 9th to give him 30 homers on the season, the third straight year of doing that.

Out of the frying pan, and into the fire as the 'Sox had to try and rebound against Chris Carpenter who was going for his 20th victory. But the 'Sox would get to Carpenter in a big way as Lee and Orlando Hudson would each hit 2-run homers early to stake the 'Sox to a 4-0 lead.

That appeared to be all Carlos Silva would need and he cruised through five innings, facing the minimum. But in the 6th, the Blazers would rally for a pair. Brian Giles would then hit a 2-run bomb in the 8th off Chris Spurling to tie the game.

The game would go into extras and Kevin Mench scored from first on a Lee double to put the 'Sox up in the 11th. As Huston Street had pitched the last two ininngs, the 'Sox turned to Eddie Guardado who worked a perfect 11th to earn his first save as a 'Sox.

The series shifted to San Jose and the Blazers kept up the pressure. They scored three runs in the first two innings off of a laboring Brett Tomko to take an early 3-0 lead.

The 'Sox once again would chip away scoring single runs in the 2nd and 6th innings.

Fast forward to the 9th, where the Blazers called on Dan Wheeler to nail down the save in a 3-2 game. He got the first two batters out, but Dallas McPherson singled to keep hopes alive. Laynce Nix would pinch run and would move to 3rd on a Brady Clark double.

Hudson followed with a single to shallow center and Clark raced home just ahead of Randy Winn's throw to give the 'Sox a stunning 4-3 win.

In the finale, David Wells dominated the Blazers by going eight frames and allowed three hits, one walk and one unearned run.

The 'Sox had taken a 3-0 lead off Jarrod Washburn giving Wells more than enough working room and Street converted his 46th save.

'Sox stumble, Street saves record

San Jose (AP) - September 16, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox continue to play poorly in the month of September, dropping to 6-10 in the month after dropping three of four from the Ravenswood Infidels.

Ben Broussard's bases-loaded fielding error on a Robinson Cano grounder allowed the go-ahead run score in the 5th inning and both bullpens stiffened the rest of the way as the Infidels got the 3-2 victory.

Broussard had hit an RBI single in the 4th that had tie the game at 2-2.

The 'Sox bounced back to take the second game by the same 3-2 score as Huston Street records his 45th save to set a CyberSox organization record.

The save wasn't easy as the Infidels got a hit and a walk in the 9th, but Street got Marcus Giles to fly out to center field to get the record.

Carlos Lee's 2-run double in the 5th put the 'Sox up, 2-1.  Ryan Doumit added a solo HR that ended up being the decisive score.

Three nights, three one-run games. Only this time, the victory shifted back to Ravenswood as the Infidels rallied back from a 5-3 deficit to win, 6-5.

RBIs from Jose Lopez and Orlando Hudson in the 5th put the 'Sox in the driver's seat, 5-3. But Adam Dunn hit an RBI double in the 6th to cut the lead in half.

In the 8th, the Infidels had tied the score and loaded the bases with no one out off of Aaron Fultz. Fultz enticed Dunn to ground to 3rd and the 'Sox got a force at the plate. Then pinch-hitter So Taguchi hit a squibber back to the mound the Fultz was able to shovel to catcher David Ross in time to nail another runner at the plate.

With two outs and the jam seemingly under control, Fultz got Cano to hit another ground ball, but Hudson couldn't get the ball out of his glove after making a great effort just to get to the ball, and everyone was safe as the go-ahead run crossed the plate.

The 'Sox still had two innings to rally, but Brad Penny closed the door.

In the finale, the 'Sox actually broke out to another early lead, this time a 4-2 lead after four innings, but Wandy Rodriguez got into trouble in the 5th and eventually was roughed up for four runs. After that, the Infidels piled on some insurance late and ended up a 10-4 series-clinching victory.

No picnic in Bear Country as 'Sox split series

Bear Country (AP) - September 12, 2006

With the Jamboree stinging from a sweep in San Jose, Bear Country exacted a little revenge by forcing a series split and keeping the 'Sox from putting more ground between themselves and their chasers.

The 'Sox got off to a shaky start in the opener as Victor Zambrano completely shut down the 'Sox. He allowed three hits and three walks over seven innings and the Jamboree went on to blank the 'Sox, 6-0.

The 'Sox offense got to rolling in the next two games, outscoring the Jamboree 15-4, and easily took those two games.

In the finale, the 'Sox bats again went cold as the Chris Capuano and the Jamboree built a 4-0 lead after five innings and would hold on for the 5-2 win.

'Sox rebound, take series from Irish Rebels

Manchester (AP) - September 8, 2006

After a heart-dropping series against New Hope, the Silicon Valley CyberSox continued to display their Jekyll-and-Hyde personality by looking unstoppable against the Manchester Irish Rebels, winning three of four.

Danny Haren came out in the role of stopper and proceeded to throw seven shutout innings, scattering five hits and pushing his record to 14-11. The offense was more than equal to the task as they erupted for eight runs off of Rebel starter Jamey Wright and cruised to a 10-0 victory. Ben Broussard led the attack with a 3-run HR in the 1st inning to stake the 'Sox to a 4-0 lead.

Determined to keep pace with Haren, Carlos Silva won his bid for his 14th victory by holding the Rebels to one run on eight hits over six innings as the 'Sox win, 5-2. The 'Sox scored all five of their runs in the 4th which was highlighted by a Clint Barmes 3-run HR.

As the series shifted to Manchester, the Rebels offense took to the home cooking as they mounted their best offensive showing in a 4-run 5th inning that gave Mark Hendrickson a 5-2 lead.

In the 7th, the 'Sox rallied when Brady Clark hit a two-out RBI single to bring the 'Sox within two runs. Mark Ellis then followed with a 2-run triple to tie it.

In the bottom of the frame, Shiggy Hasegawa gave up two hits to lead off the inning. After getting a fly out to center that allowed Rafael Furcal to advance to third base, Aaron Fultz was summoned from the bullpen to face J.T. Snow. The Rebels counted with Nomar Garciaparra who grounded into a tailor-made double play. However, Clint Barmes neglected to field the ball properly and got no one out and Furcal scored to make it 6-5.

The Rebel bullpen would make that stand up.

Trying to stave off a split, Wandy Rodriguez turned in his best BDBL performance ever as he held the Rebels to one hit and no walks over seven innings. The 'Sox bullpen did their job and sealed a 3-0 victory with Huston Street's 44th save, tying the club's single season record.

With the win, the 'Sox evened their season series at 6-6 with the Rebels and pushed their lead back to two games over Sylmar as the 'Sox prepare to travel cross-country to take on Bear Country.

From sweep to be swept, Badgers take four from 'Sox

San Jose (AP) - September 4, 2006

In what continues to be an up-and-down season for Silicon Valley, the 'Sox followed up a sweep of Bear Country be going out and getting swept by the New Hope Badgers to start off the final month of the season.

In the opener, the 'Sox struck first with a pair of runs, but that's all they'd score and the Badgers managed to push across four runs of their own, making Danny Haren the loser (13-11).

After taking a 2-1 lead in the 3rd inning on a Kevin Mench double, the 'Sox offense again went quiet and the Badgers scored runs at will, plating six more runs before Mench hit a garbage-time 3-run HR in the 9th to make it a 7-5 loss.

When the series switched back to San Jose, the problems just continued. The 'Sox scored a single run on an Orlando Hudson RBI double in the 1st. It'd stay that way until the 7th when Jack Wilson would hit a solo HR off of Aaron Fultz to tie it up.

The game would go into extras and Huston Street would fall apart allowing a double and two walks to load the bases with no outs. Street would get Michael Cuddyer to ground into a double play, but a run would score and the 'Sox couldn't answer in the bottom of the inning.

In the final game of the series, Wandy Rodriguez had a shaky first inning as all nine Badgers came to the plate and left the frame with a 3-0 lead. The 'Sox would claw back with 2 runs in the first and another in the 2nd to tie it. But in the 9th, Jason Giambi would pinch hit and launch his 42nd HR of the year off of Fultz to win it.

'Sox post .500 August, still manage to lead the Griffin

San Jose (AP) - August 29, 2006

What once was a nine-game lead has dropped to five and now three games over the past two months, but despite going into such a funk (22-36), the Silicon Valley CyberSox still find themselves on top of the Griffin Division.

"There's no real way we should be here with the way we've been playing of late," 'Sox GM Greg Newgard said. "We can just be thankful that our competition hasn't been that good either."

The 'Sox needed a late sweep of Bear Country to climb to .500 for August after posting an absymal 8-16 the previous month.

The main reason for the collapse falls squarely on the offense. The pitching has been consistently good enough all year, but early in the season, it seemed like the 'Sox bats would come through when needed and lately, that hasn't been happening as much.

The team posted a 3.63 ERA, but the offense floundered with a .232/.289/.398 line. Carlos Lee, the team leader in most offensive categories, hit .196 for the month, although he did manage five homers.

Mark Ellis was named offensive player of the month as he posted a .368/.400/.596 line over 21 games. He was acquired to help fill in the offensive black hole at shortstop. After a lackluster July, he warmed up enough to provide some spark.

From the pitching side of things, Carlos Silva got some serious consideration while posting a 3-1 mark with a 2.50 ERA over six starts. Huston Street recorded 12 saves in 16 appearances and had a 1.20 ERA. But the nod for pitcher of the month went to reliever Chris Spurling who allowed one run over 13 1/3 innings, nine baserunners, and allowed one of eight inherited runners score.

"We've got a punchers chance right now," Newgard said. "By no means is this lead safe, but if we can continue to play this well of better, it's going to put a lot of pressure on our competition."

'Sox sweep Bear Country, push lead back to three games

San Jose (AP) - August 28, 2006

This time of year, every series is pivotal. But when facing the team with the BDBL's worst winning percentage, it was imperative that the 'Sox have a good showing against the Bear Country Jamboree and they did just that, squeaking out a sweep in four close games.

In the opener, Danny Haren limited the Jamboree to two hits through eight innings and started the 9th with a 5-0 lead and was looking for the complete game shutout, two singles and a Luis Gonzalez 3-run HR later, and the bullpen was scrambling. But Huston Street managed the get three outs to preserve Haren's 13th win, 5-3.

In the next game, Carlos Silva pitched well enough through five innings to have a 5-2 lead. With a rested bullpen, 'Sox manager Tony LaRussa lifted Silva to try and save innings for next month. Bad idea.

The Jamboree rallied off of Giovanni Carrara immediately after Silva was pulled and tied the game. Carrara allowed two hits and two walks and was pulled before being able to retire anyone.

Then, that rested bullpen was asked to keep Bear Country off the scoreboard. Five relievers combined to shutout the Jamboree for the next eight innings as they game went deep into extra innings before the 'Sox could finally scrape a run across in the 14th on four walks.

After that thrilling game, the 'Sox came out flat in Game 3 and fell behind 4-1 to Victor Zambrano. But in the 7th, the 'Sox got two key hits to take the lead.

After a one out walk to Kevin Mench, Clint Barmes was plunked with a Zambrano offering to put two runners on with two outs. Ryan Doumit pinch hit and doubled in both runners to make it 4-3 Jamboree. Adrian Beltre then blasted a 2-run PH HR to move Silicon Valley, 5-4. A tired bullpen managed to keep Bear Country from mounting a rally and ensure the 'Sox of a series victory.

With a chance to sweep, the 'Sox trotted off tough luck starter Brett Tomko. While Tomko didn't bring his 'A' game, he did pitch well enough to have a 5-3 lead after six frames and one again, the tired pen was able to nail down the victory and earn the sweep.

Teams with playoff aspirations split series

San Jose (AP) - August 24, 2006

Both the Las Vegas Flamingos and Silicon Valley CyberSox have been stumbling lately, but neither team could take advantage of the other in their respective races as they split both ends of the home-and-home series.

The Flamingos came into the series just one game back in the Ozzie League Wild Card race while the 'Sox were one game up in the Griffin race.

The Flamingos struck first when Pat Burrell's solo HR in the 8th inning of the opener off of Aaron Fultz was the deciding blow in a 1-0 Las Vegas win. The 'Sox had managed a meager four hits in the loss, but managed to match the Flamingos zero for zero, save that one at-bat.

After spoiling the great pitching effort, the 'Sox decided to have some 8th inning magic of their own as Ben Broussard's RBI single tied the game and Kevin Mench's double won it in the 8th.

After the late-inning excitement, the 'Sox once again pulled together for some late-inning sparks. Trailing 3-2, Mark Ellis hit a 3-run homer to put the 'Sox up for good. Kevin Mench would add a solo HR for insurance as the 'Sox rolled, 6-3.

In the finale, Brett Tomko had a chance to add a game to the division lead, but he could not keep the Flamingo bats quiet as Las Vegas pounded him for six runs on the way to a 8-2 victory.

In the two victories, 'Sox closer Huston Street recorded his 39th and 40th saves of the season. That total puts him just four saves away from tying the team record set by Troy Percival in 2002.

Playoffs hopes taken to Undertaker

Los Altos (AP) - August 20, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox have turned what appeared to be a run-away lead into a very tight Griffin Division Race. Problem is, they are the ones losing ground.

The 'Sox dropped three games on the road to the Los Altos Undertakers to allow Sylmar to crawl within one game of the lead, and let Los Altos get within two.

The 'Sox offense went into hibernation in the series, managing just 11 runs.

In the first game, Derek Lowe pitched seven scoreless innings after being staked to a 3-0 lead and Los Altos hung on for the 4-2 win. Danny Haren (12-10) went seven innings allowing three runs on eight hits. Ben Broussard clubbed his 20th homer of the year in the defeat.

Carlos Silva, who had been the 'Sox hottest pitcher in August going 3-0, was roughed up a bit allowing four runs in six innings and was saddled with the loss (13-5).

The Undertakers had an 8-1 lead before the 'Sox offense finally woke up and score thrice in the 8th and one in the 9th and had the winning run at the plate, but Carlos Lee grounded into a 3-2-3 double play to end the threat.

In Game 3, David Wells finally tamed the Undertaker bats, striking out seven in five innings and allowing just a lone run.  Clint Barmes hit a 2-run HR in the 7th to break a 1-1 tie and gave the 'Sox a 3-1 victory.

Brett Tomko and Jason Schmidt locked horns in the finale and put up zeroes through five innings.  But Los Altos scratched together three runs in the 6th that would end up being enough to keep the 'Sox at bay and took the series with a 3-1 victory.

Salem, 'Sox, split

San Jose (AP) - August 16, 2006

Once again, the CyberSox got off to a solid start by opening with two wins.

Once again, the CyberSox end up spliting the series.

After taking the first two games from the Salem Cowtippers on the road, Silicon Valley has squandered another golden opportunities to put some ground between them and Sylmar as their once nine-game lead is down to two games.

Danny Haren (12-9) got the 'Sox off on the right foot with a 6 2/3 inning effort where allowed just two runs to score, but also add an RBI single of his own.

The 'Sox built a 3-0 lead early behind back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles in the 3rd. That's all the 'Sox would end up needing as Haren did his thing and the bullpen made it stand up.

In Game 2, the 'Tippers scored first on a Mike Piazzi RBI double, but Derek Jeter was thrown out at the plate by Carlos Lee and Clint Barmes. Barmes would add insult to injury with a solo HR in the 2nd to tie the game at 1-1.

In the 2nd, Esteban Loaiza singled to center with Bernie Williams on second base, but Williams was nailed at the plate by Brady Clark and Barmes. Eric Young followed with a double to right, but Loaiza didn't press his luck by trying to score from first and the rally ended when Berkman flew out.

The 'Sox would then tack single runs on in the 4th, 7th and 8th to put the game away and make Wandy Rodriguez (2-4) a winner.

With the momentum and the series shifting back home, the 'Sox were primed to start adding games to their lead, but the 'Tippers broke open a 1-0 deficit in the 6th inning behind a two-run double by Magglio Ordonez. In the 7th, Lance Berkman would add a 2-run bomb to make it 4-1.

The 'Sox would rally with a solo HR by Dallas McPherson in the 7th and another by Mark Ellis in the 9th, but the 'Sox would never get the tying run on base.

In the finale, the 'Sox once again took an early lead when Salem starter Ian Snell would walk four batters in the opening frame to force home two runs.

Corey Koskie's solo blast and an RBI single by Mike Piazza would tie the game in the 4th. But Adrian Beltre would lead the 'Sox half of the inning off with a stand-up triple and would score on Barmes' sac fly.

Mark Teixeira would smash a 3-run homer in the 6th off of Brett Tomko to put the 'Tippers up for good, but not before the 'Sox rallied for a run in the 9th to close the gap to 5-4. But once again, the 'Sox couldn't get the tying run on base.

'Sox split home and home with Corona

Corona (AP) - August 12, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox continue to play tough against the Butler-leading Corona Confederates as they took the first two games of their final series and could have taken a third.

The 'Sox finished the season series with a 7-5 advantage over Corona, something that could bode well if both teams make the playoffs.

"It's nice to know that we are pretty evenly matched, but we can't get caught looking ahead," 'Sox manager Tony LaRussa said. "We need to focus on the next series."

The 'Sox pitching, which had slumped over the past two months, showed flashes of the brillance that propelled them where they are now.

Danny Haren (11-9), who had lost twice this month already, righted his ship by shutting out Corona over seven innings, striking out six in the process. Homers by Kevin Mench and Orlando Hudson would be all the scoring the 'Sox would need in the 2-0 victory.

Carlos Silva (13-4) did his best Haren impression, going seven innings and allowed a lone run and beat the Confederates for the 3rd time this season. In each game, Silva has allowed just one earned run and the 'Sox have won each game, 3-1.

The 'Sox would score their three runs in the first inning when three doubles plated a pair of runs. Then a Lugo wild throw on Adrian Beltre's grounder allowed the other run to score.

That's all Silva and company would need and Huston Street nailed down his 35th save of the year with a perfect 9th inning.

When the series shifted to Corona, the 'Sox seemed primed to keep the momentum going, taking an early 5-2 lead in front of David Wells. However, Wells would get into trouble in the 5th and would allow the Confederates to tie the score.

After that, both bullpen were stellar and they traded zeros into the 10th when Aaron Fultz would allow a lead off double to David Ortiz. Huston Street would come in and get Mike Lowell to hit a sacrifice fly to right to move Ortiz to 3rd. But with the infield in, Brad Wilkerson lined a single to left field to plate Ortiz.

In the finale, the 'Sox bats went silent as they managed eight hits, but couldn't string any of them into a scoring opportunity as Bruce Chen would even the series with a 5-0 victory. 

Hammerheads take bite out of CyberSox

Silicon Valley (AP) - August 8, 2006

In what is becoming a disturbing trend, the 'Sox dropped another series, 3-1, for the 6th time in their last 8 series, this time to the Hammerheads of Marlboro.

The 'Sox finish the season series at a measly 3-9 against Marlboro as they dropped all three series, 3-1, from the best team in the BDBL.

In the opener, Marlboro took advantage of a sloppy inning to push across two runs. Adrian Beltre then homered in the 2nd to cut the lead in half for the 'Sox, but a Julio Santana RBI single in the 4th would extend it back to two runs.

With ominous clouds overhead all day, the skies opened up during the 5th inning, creating an 80 minute delay, which woukd knock Danny Haren out of the game after just 4 1/3 innings of work. The bullpen was up to the task and they held the Hammerheads in check the rest of the way.

However, Johan Santana would go 8 1/3, scattering five hits. In the 9th, the 'Sox got the Marlboro crowd nervous when Dallas McPherson homered off of Justin Speier, but Ben Broussard struck out to end the threat.

In Game 2, Broussard would get a measure of revenge. With the 'Sox on top, 2-1, Broussard hit a 2-run HR in the 9th inning to give the 'Sox some breathing room and would earn Carlos Silva (12-4) the win. Huston Street nailed down his 33rd save, but needed Yadier Molina to catch Tony Clark napping off of 2nd base to end the game with the tying run at the plate.

In the next game, both bullpens blew late leads as Speier and Street both were homered off of to put the game into extra innings.

With the 'Sox up 2-1, Street come on in the 8th to try and get Clark out with two on and no one out. Instead, Clark deposited Street's offering into the bleachers to put Marlboro up, 4-2.

In the 9th, Mark Ellis doubled off of Speier to start the frame and Ryan Doumit followed with a HR to knot the score at 4-4.

In the 10th, the 'Sox bullpen was getting thin and Giovanni Carrara was asked to pitch the 10th and instead he gave up a triple to Clark followed by a Manny Ramirez homer. Troy Percival would get the final three outs to nail the win.

Need a win in the finale to earn a split, the 'Sox turned to Brett Tomko who has been hot and cold all season. Tonight, he was hot for five innings and he kept the 'Sox in the game with a 1-0 deficit. But in the 6th, the wheels fell off as Larry Walker hit a 3-run bomb after a Ramirez 2-run double to put the game out of reach and earn Marlboro the victory.

'Sox split with Sylmar to open Chapter 5

Sylmar (AP) - August 4, 2006

The hottest rivalry in the Griffin Division kicked off again to start August and while nothing was settled in a series split, both teams had some positives and negatives.

For the Padawans, they saw their offense break out by scoring 11 runs in the opener and the finale to coast to two easy victories. However, they also saw the same lethargic offense in the other two games and they combined to score 3 runs and were shutout in Game 3.

For the 'Sox, the offense continued to slump consistently as they scored 4 runs in the first three games followed by three in a blowout loss in the final game. But they did get strong starts from Carlos Silva and David Wells and the bullpen got back some of their dominance.

In Game 1, Sylmar put the game away early by scoring five times in the first and three in the second. Javier Valentine drove in four runs and new acquistion Derrek Lee tallied three hits and scored four times to pace the Padawans. Danny Haren was roughed up for 10 runs over four innings to fall to 10-8 on the season.

Silva (11-4) overcame a shaky start to give the 'Sox a chance. After a Ben Broussard RBI triple put the 'Sox on top, Silva gave the lead back by allowing a Juan Rivera 2-run HR in the second inning. Broussard would match that in the fourth after Mark Ellis doubled in Carlos Lee and the 'Sox jumped out in front, 4-2.

Silva went six innings and scatter eight hits, and got two double plays to get out of jams. Then the bullpen went to work. Aaron Fultz relieved Silva in the 7th after he gave up a leadoff double to Rivera. Fultz struck out Mike Cameron and Brandon Inge and then got Carl Crawford to fly out to center.

Fultz gave up his own leadoff double to start the 8th, but Eddie Guardado would relieve him and a single to Cliff Floyd would get the Pads within one.  But Guardado buckled down to get out of the 8th and Huston Street notched his 32nd save with a one-walk 9th.

In the third game, the 'Sox limited the Padawans to six hits and two walks as the 'Sox went to an a mostly lefty pitching lineup to get a 4-0 win. David Wells (2-3) went six innings allowing five hits. Lefties  Guardado and Fultz each pitched an inning of scoreless ball. Chris Spurling, the lone righty used, pitched the 9th to secure the win.

Adrian Beltre's 2-run single in the 1st off of Mark Mulder put the 'Sox up for good.

In the final game, the Pads again jumped out to a five-run first inning that would put the 'Sox down for good as Sylmar built an 11-0 lead before the 'Sox added some garbage time runs late.

CyberSox limp out of Chapter 4, lead down to five games

Silicon Valley (AP) - July 31, 2006

After building up a nine-game lead and sitting pretty on top of the Griffin Division, the Silicon Valley CyberSox fell into a month long funk that saw them go 8-16 and drop four games to their competition.

"It was a rough month for the guys," CyberSox manager Tony LaRussa said. "It seemed like all of the breaks that we had gotten to that point decided to go the other way all at one time."

The 'Sox hit an abysmal .230/.283/.361 in 24 games and scored 88 runs.  The pitching was a little off as the staff posted 4.16 ERA while allowing the league to hit .263/.326/.446 and score 107 runs.

Add the fact that some of the new additions via trade did not perform as expected. Mark Ellis was supposed to help add some pop to the middle infield and instead hit an anemic .241 and drove in just 3 runs in 21 games. David Wells made five starts and went 1-3 with a 3.10 ERA.

Eddie Guardado, who was acquired after Chapter 2, also struggled in the bullpen posting a 9.26 ERA in just under 12 innings.

"While the new guys may not have performed," 'Sox GM Greg Newgard explained, "it was a total team letdown. It's frustrating to go out and make moves to try and improve the ballclub and watch them backfire."

The only bright spot of the month was a 3-1 series over the Butler-leading Corona Confederates.  It was a series where all four games were decided by 2 runs or less and featured an outstanding effort by the bullpen to win the three games, including one in 14 innings.

Aaron Fultz was awarded the 'Sox Pitcher of the Month as he allowing one hit and no walks over 12 innings of relief, and even earned two wins.  His season ERA now stands at 2.45 and he is 4-1 while holiding opponents to a .129 batting average.

Carlos Lee was named the 'Sox hitter of the month and he hit .260 with 5 HRs and 15 RBI to help pace the 'Sox attack.  His 12 extra-base hits (7 doubles) led the club and he even swiped two bases.

The 'Sox feature a tough chapter in the month ahead. Not only do they have to face the Griffin Division again, they also face three possible playoff teams in Corona, Marlboro and Las Vegas.

"We need to dial it up a notch," LaRussa said. "If the pitching can come around, we've got a chance to hold off the competition and win this thing."

Struggles continue for 'Sox, come up snake eyes in Vegas

Silicon Valley (AP) - July 12, 2006

In what is turning out to bed the worst possible scenario for the Silicon Valley, the CyberSox continue to hemorrhage games off of their division lead as they lose another 3-1 series, this time against the Las Vegas Flamingos.

"I don't know if this team is pressing or what, but he need to get it turned around quickly," GM Greg Newgard.

When asked if another trade would need to be made to help spark the team, Newgard responded defensively, "Let's see, David Wells is 0-3 in three starts, Eddie Guardado has allowed 12 runners in just over 4 innings of work, and Mark Ellis is hitting .217. The moves from last chapter haven't worked yet, why make more?"

The Flamingos of Las Vegas got to Danny Haren early, scoring three times in the opening two innings. That would be more than enough for Randy Johnson as he limited the 'Sox to a single run, on a solo home run to lefty Ben Broussard, and just four hits.

It would more of the same as the 'Sox collect one run and five hits total over their next two games and dropped to close decisions, 3-1 and 2-0.

The lone bright spot that the 'Sox hope was the momentum shifting was a 10-run outburst in the finale to stave off the sweep as Brett Tomko and Sunny Kim teamed up to allow 12 hits, but just a single run.

The 'Sox have dropped three games in the standings halfway through the month and can ill-afford to lose more, despite having a tough schedule.

"New Milford, Corona, Marlboro," Newgard said. "We've played the easier part of the chapter and fallen on our faces. Sylmar has managed to tread water at .500. We have to step it up and get that gap widen a little more and we have to do it against the other two division leaders.

"It's put up or shut up time."

Cowtippers trip up CyberSox

Silicon Valley (AP) - July 8, 2006

The July swoon continues as the CyberSox drop another tough series, this time 3 games on the road to the Salem Cowtippers.

"No comment," 'Sox manager Tony LaRussa said after slamming the door for a 20-minute closed door session that reporters were not allowed to.

In what is starting to be a disturbing trend, the 'Sox once again had problems getting hits and that was evident in Game 1 when they managed seven hits. They only gave up eights, but the Cowtippers outscored the 'Sox, 5-2.

David Wells pitched six innings and gave up four runs, two earned and struck out seven, but Greg Maddux outpitched him.

In Game 2, the 'Sox rallied for a pair of runs with Brady Clark's sacrificle fly to score Aaron Rowand being the difference in a 2-1 victory. Huston Street pitched 1 2/3 innings to earn his 29th save, but his 34 pitches would come back to haunt him.

With a 4-2 lead in the next game, Street was asked to pitch the 9th. He walked Corey Koskie to start the inning, but then retired the next two hitters. Street then followed with four consecutive walks that forced in two runs for his 2nd blown save of the year.

Eddie Guardado would pitch the 10th, but would give up a sacrifice fly to Ray Durham to lose the game.

In Game 4, Matt Clement totally dominated the 'Sox by allowing two hits in a complete game effort and a 6-2 victory.

CyberSox open up July with poor showing against Rebels

Silicon Valley (AP) - July 4, 2006

After the All-Star Break, the Silicon Valley CyberSox hoped to regroup and continue their strong play, but had a little hiccup along the way as they dropped three of four games to the visiting Manchester Irish Rebels.

"This is a tough month for us in terms of our schedule," 'Sox manager Tony LaRussa said. "We've got to face four teams that are in the playoff race and two others that are close to .500 and battling."

With the Sylmar Padawans opening the month with three wins against the Corona Confederates, the 'Sox lead in the Griffin dropped to 7 games.

"We're not going to worried about one series in July just we didn't get overjoyed with any single series in the first half of the season," LaRussa said. "We know there is a long way to go and anything can happen."

Going with a five-man rotation this month, the 'Sox handed the ball to Carlos Silva to get things started and he got roughed up in the opener. Manchester got to Silva with 12 hits and five earned runs.

Down 5-3, the bullpen held strong as five pitchers teamed up to scatter four hits the rest of the way and kept the Rebels off the scoreboard. Aaron Rowand's 2-run single in the 6th tied the game up.

It would stay that way into the 11th inning when Ben Broussard hit a walk-off homer off of Buddy Groom to lead off the inning and send the home crowd home happy.

In Game 2, newcomer David Wells toed the slab and was also rough up a bit, giving up seven hits and three runs over five innings. Down 3-2, Trevor Hoffman gave up a pair of homers in the 8th that doomed the 'Sox. The 'Sox rallied late, but couldn't quite get it done and dropped the decision, 6-5.

In the final two games, the Rebels manhandled the entire pitching staff while getting strong performances from their own to get the series victory.

"Tomorrow is a new day," LaRussa said. "We have to put this behind us and focus on the next series."

'Sox tap three farm picks in Free Agent Draft

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 28, 2006

The CyberSox decided to make some moves on their farm as they draft three players and made a mildly surprising move to cut John VanBenschoten.

"John was a promising young arm, but into some injury issues," 'Sox GM Greg Newgard said. "We've tried to be patient with him, but at this time, we felt we had to make a move."

In addition to JVB, the 'Sox also cut John-Ford Griffin and Jacob Marceaux.

The 'Sox added David Murphy, a center fielder from the Boston Red Sox organization, who the 'Sox had drafted around this same time in 2003, but was cut late in 2004. The 'Sox also added catcher J.R. House (Houston) and RP Emiliano Fruto (Seattle).

Ozzie League wins All-Star Game, 8-3

Great Lakes (AP) - June 28, 2006

The Ozzie League scored four runs early to take an early lead and then scored four runs late to put the game away as they defeated the Eck League, 8-3.

Corona's John Smoltz pitched five innings and left with a 4-2 lead and the OL bullpen managed to keep the powerful EL squad at bay.

For the CyberSox, Huston Street pitched the 9th inning and allowed a solo HR to Andruw Jones. Brady Clark had a pinch hit appearance in the 6th inning, but grounded out to third base. Danny Haren did not appear for the OL.

Three CyberSox named to Ozzie League All-Star team

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 27, 2006

Today the BDBL main office announced the results from the league voting for the starting lineups for the 2006 BDBL All-Star Game as well as the reserves and the CyberSox were well represented.

Huston Street, the BDBL leader in saves with 28, was named as a reserve along with Danny Haren (10-5, 2.85 ERA) and Brady Clark (.336 average, 50 runs scored).

"It's a great honor for me and the other guys who were added," Street said before catching their flight to Great Lakes were the 8th annual event is being held. "We've been fortunate enough to have the kinds of leads that I've been able to nail down and Brady and Danny are key components of those leads."

The 'Sox are also honored to have manager Tony LaRussa managing the Ozzie team.

"It's quite an honor," LaRussa said. "The commisioner told me that we are going to manage this like a real game and not to worry about getting playing time to everyone, but we're going to see what we can do."

CyberSox upgrade rotation, infield, by dealing Matthews

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 26, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox dealt from a position of strength to land players to fill holes in the starting rotation and the middle infield.

The 'Sox sent OF Gary Matthews, Jr. to the Cleveland Rocks for SP David Wells and IF Mark Ellis.

"We the thought of having to three a combination of Wandy Rodriguez and Sean Douglass through the back half of the season, Wells makes sense," 'Sox GM said. "In 2007, we felt we were going to have two full-time CF in Aaron Rowand and Matthews, so we decided to stick with the younger one and deal the older."

Pitching Coach Larry Dierker expects Wells to slide in the #3 spot, moving Brett Tomko to the #4 spot. Mark Ellis will be penciled in at shortstop, with Adam Everett or Clint Barmes being used as defensive replacements, if needed.

'Sox finish on high note; complete best June ever

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 24, 2006

With a 3-game series victory over the Ravenswood Infidels, the Silicon Valley CyberSox ended June with a 16-8 record and the most wins and best winning percentage for that month. In 2002, the Phoenix Predators went 15-11.

Danny Haren and Tom Glavine locked into a classic pitchers' duel as Haren (10-5) pitched seven innings of shut out ball while Glavine also pitched seven scoreless frames before allowing Aaron Rowand to double and Rick Helling let the inherited run score on a Brady Clark RBI single.

That game featured outstanding defense as Ravenswood got a 1-5-3 triple play in the first inning to sqaush an early threat followed by a 1-4-3 double play in the second inning. The 'Sox would retaliate by turning three DPs themselves.

In the second game, Ravenswood jumped out to a 3-1 lead when Matt Lawton and Adam Dunn each homered in the 5th inning off Sean Douglass.

The 'Sox rallied for three runs in the 8th to take the lead. They scored two seemingly innocent insurance runs in the 9th, but ended up needed every score as Huston Street allowed two runs and had the typing run at third base before nailing down his 28th save.

The 'Sox offense would explode in the next game as they hit six homers, tying a club record, and tallying nine runs and 17 hits in a 9-5 victory. Ben Broussard and Kevin Mench each went yard twice and they combined to drive in 7 runs together.

With a sweep on their mind, the 'Sox got a poor effort from Wandy Rodriguez and could not rally from a 5-0 deficit and dropped the finale, 6-2.

With no other team in the Griffin above .500, the 'Sox managed to stretch their lead in the division to nine games over the Los Altos Undertakes and 10 games over the odds-on favorite, the Sylmar Padawans.

New Hope tough as Badgers as 'Sox survive with a split

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 20, 2006

The Badgers may be in last place in the Butler Division, they don't have last-place talent or determination.

New Hope rallied to take the opener and proceeded to split with the CyberSox, losing two 1-run games in what could have been a Badger sweep with a couple of key hits.

With Danny Haren resting, Sunny Kim got a spot start and was promptly roughed up as the Badgers scored five times in the second inning. The 'Sox clawed their way back with two runs in the second and single runs in the third and fifth, to make it 5-4. Kevin Mench would homer in the 7th to put the 'Sox ahead.

In the 8th, Aaron Fultz would give up a leadoff double to Grady Sizemore followed by a one-out intentional pass to Jason Giambi. Huston Street came on to try and preserve the lead but gave up a two-out single to Rondell White to tie it.

They'd go into the 10th when Giovanni Carrara would give up a single, a walk and another single to plate a single run. Then Benji Molina followed with a 3-run bomb to put the game out of reach.

The 'Sox rebounded with another terrific effort by Carlos Silva. Silva (9-3) would go seven innings allowing a single run on a Jason Giambi RBI single in the first inning to earn the win.

After the Badgers took the lead in the opening frame, the 'Sox answered back with a 2-run double by Dallas McPherson. That's all the scoring that would happen as Trevor Hoffman and Huston Street would scatter three walks over the final two innings to get the 2-1 victory.

In Game 3, Brett Tomko continued to flounder and he was touched up for three runs in the first and five runs overall and Daniel Cabrera held the 'Sox to just five hits to get a 6-1 victory.

In the final game, the Badgers took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the 6th, the fourth game that they scored first.  But the 'Sox got a sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half. In the 7th with the bases loaded, McPherson grounded back to the pitcher Johnson, but the ball was muffed and the tying run scored.

In the 8th, Mench and Adrian Beltre hit solo homers to put the 'Sox up. Street came on to earn his 26th save, but not before giving up a run and had the bases loaded with no outs before getting two strikeouts and a groundball to escape with the win and the split.

'Sox add lefty Guardado to bolster bullpen

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 16, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox shipped off prospect P David Purcey to the Great Lakes Sphinx in exchange for LH RP Eddie Guardado.

"We hate to deal Purcey, but our innings in the bullpen are thinning out a bit, so we felt we needed to make a move, " 'Sox GM Greg Newgard said.

"David was a 2005 draft pick for us and has moved through Toronto's system rapidly and we wish him well in Great Lakes. Of the players that the Sphinx inquired about, we felt David was the one player we could deal in the right setting and we think this is it."

Guardado will give the 'Sox another a second lefthanded option in the pen along with Aaron Fultz.

The deal will go into effect at the end of Chapter 3.

Silicon Valley splits with Allentown, finish Interleague play

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 16, 2006

In a tussle with the defending BDBL champs, the Allentown Ridgebacks, the CyberSox managed to split both home and away mini-series and finish at 11-5 in interleague play for the second straight season.

Danny Haren fell behind early, 4-0, but the 'Sox rallied to ball him out. Dallas McPherson's two-run single in the 7th tied it up at 5-5. McPherson then encored with a 2-run HR that won the game, 7-6.

In that game, Carlos Lee knocked his 17th homerun of the season which gives him a franchise-record 77 homers in a CyberSox uniform, passing Tino Martinez.

The next game locked Carlos Silva and Jake Peavy into a pitchers' duel. Peavy came out on top with an eight-inning effort, striking out seven, and winning 3-2.

As the series shifted back to San Jose, Sunny Kim and the 'Sox bullpen bested Roy Oswalt's complete game effort, 4-3. A 3-run 6th was the difference, keyed by an RBI double by Carlos Lee and a 2-run double by McPherson.

In the finale, D.J. Houlton benefited from run support as the Ridgebacks took a 6-1 lead after six innings, before holding on 6-4. Houlton struck out seven over 7 1/3 frames and three R'Back relievers manged to get the final five outs without too much damage.

The 'Sox return to Eck League play with two series remaining.

'Sox streak over, lose series to Villanova

Silicon Valley (AP) - June 12, 2006

The Villanova Mustangs first set out to break the 'Sox winning streak, which they did, and then they focused on winning the series, which they also did, 3-1.

The 'Sox offense was missing in action in the opener as they were blanked by Mark Buehrle, 6-0. Danny Haren (9-5) gave up four runs, three earned, over six innings to take the loss. The 'Sox could only manage five hits and one extra base hit, a double by Carlos Lee.

Silicon Valley rebounded to take the next game, 7-5, despite a rough outing from Carlos Silva. Silva (8-2) managed to last five innings and gave up 10 hits and five runs, three earned to earn the victory. Huston Street earned his 22nd save with a perfect 9th.

But then things went downhill as the 'Sox dropped Game 3, 7-2, despite key injuries to both their starter, Dontrelle Willis, and their first basemen, Travis Hafner. Jim Edmonds doubled four times, three off of Brett Tomko (6-6), and drove in four to pace the 'Stangs.

With a chance to salvage a split, Wandy Rodriguez pitched poorly, but left in a 4-4 tie. In the 8th inning, Chris Spurling (3-4) walked the first two batters before giving up an RBI single to Chris Snyder, which proved to be the winning run.

'Sox sweep again, run winning streak to nine

Great Lakes (AP) - June 8, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox shutout the Great Lakes Sphinx twice en route to another sweep.

Danny Haren and Carlos Silva each spun shutout masterpieces to set the tone for the series. Haren (9-4) was staked to an early lead, in part by his two-run single, and cruised through 6 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and one walk.

Then Silva (7-2) one-uped Haren by going seven innings and allowing three hits and no walks, one start after doing a similar number on the Kansas Law Dogs. But this game was a little tighter as a Carlos Lee RBI double in the 1st inning was the only scoring.

Next, both teams broke out their bats in a slugfest that featured 33 hits and 23 runs. For the road 'Sox, they came out on top on both accounts winning the game, 12-11, and outhitting the Sphinx, 19-14. Five CyberSox homered in the game while Carlos Lee's 3 RBI lead the team. Huston Street also gave up two runs in the 9th, but managed to secure his 20th save of the season.

Wandy Rodriguez, making his first start of the year after spending a little time in the bullpen, and acquitted himself well going six frames and allowing just one run, earning the victory.

This sweep coupled with their Sweep over the Law Dogs and winning against Manchester on May 28th, gives the 'Sox a 9-game winning streak.

CyberSox renew Higueria acquaintances, sweep Law Dogs

Kansas (AP) - June 4, 2006

The CyberSox decided that the availability of Kevin Mench was too much to pass up. In the opening series of Chapter 3, Mench proved the 'Sox right.

Mench went 11-for-18 (.611), homered, drove in six runs, and threw out two Kansas Law Dogs from right field in his 'Sox debut, helping the 'Sox sweep four games and push their lead in the Griffin Division to five games.

"I really liked the time I spent with this club last year and the playoff run was very exciting," Mench said in the locker room following the 12-6 victory in the finale. "It was great to hear that they wanted me back. I just wanted to out there and put some good swings on some balls and happened to get some good results."

The 'Sox were in for a battle in the opener. In the first five frames, runs were scored in 9 of the 10 half-innings, and the 'Sox lead 6-5. Danny Haren (8-4) was touched up for five runs on 10 hits in a subpar performance, but he picked a good night to get run support.  In the 8th, the 'Sox broke it open with a 5-run 8th, highlighted by Mench's 2-run blast.

In Game 2, Carlos Silva was staked to an early 5-0 lead and cruised through seven innings to earn his sixth victory (6-2). Kansas got a pair of runs in the 8th off of the bullpen, but they would get no closer.

Game 3 should have been a blowout loss for the CyberSox. Brett Tomko was roughed up for seven runs on 11 hits in just four frames of work and left down 7-1. Matt Morris was cruising and gave up solo runs in the 6th and 7th as the 'Sox crept within four runs. But the Dogs got those two runs right back on an Adam LaRoche 2-run HR to make it 9-3.

In the 8th, the 'Sox started to rally. The first five batters reached base and scored twice to pull back within four runs. Armando Benitez came on with the bases loaded and struck out Orlando Hudson for the first out. But Mench doubled to plate two more runs. Carlos Lee followed with a sacrifice fly for the second out. Adrian Beltre then doubled to left center to score the tying run, but Beltre was thrown out at third base, trying to strecth out a triple.

The game stayed tie into the 10th when back-to-back doubles by Jose Lopez and Hudson put the 'Sox out in front. Huston Street pitched a perfect 10th to nail down his 18th save.

Sean Douglass, who was recently acquired to fill in some innings as a spot starter, took the mound in the finale and was immediately staked to an early lead, thanks to two Beltre homers. After 3 1/2 innings, it was 6-1. Douglass (1-0) gave up two runs in the bottom of the 4th before leaving the game after five innings.

In the 6th, Kansas scored twice off of Trevor Hoffman to creep within 6-5, but the 'Sox would score twice in the final three innings to put the game away.

'Sox trade for Mench, deal no-no Robertson

San Jose (AP) - May 30, 2006

In what turned out to be a very quick negotiation, the Silicon Valley CyberSox sent #4 starter Nate Robertson and RP Octavio Dotel to the Nashville Funkadelic in return for OF Kevin Mench.

"We liked what Kevin did for us in 2005 and were sad that we couldn't target him in the auction this year," CyberSox GM Greg Newgard said. "We had little money and other pressing needs at the time."

Robertson posted a 4-5 record with a 6.04 ERA in Silicon Valley this year, but was much more famous for his no-hitter on the Bear Country Jamboree in 2005. He was signed to a four-year, 6.4M deal that runs through 2009.

Mench hit .271 in 54 games after being acquired from the New Milford Blazers at the trade deadline. Mench also hit 13 HRs and drove in 45 runs.

"This move was a little about '06 and more about '07," Newgard said. "We think adding Mench this year may make free-agent-to-be Brady Clark available in Chapter 3, but more importantly, adds a corner OF to next year's team after losing Clark and Carlos Lee.

"Losing Robertson will hurt the rotation some, but we feel Wandy Rodriguez can step in, especially next year, and fill Robertson's shoes. We'll still need to go get a couple of starters anyway, and should have plenty of money, even with potentially signing Mench at 4.5M next year."

In other roster moves, the 'Sox acquired free agents Scott Cassidy (RP) and Sean Douglass (RP). To make room, the 'Sox cut catcher Koyie Hill.

CyberSox Chapter 2 Recap

San Jose (AP) - May 29, 2006

For a team picked to finish last in the Griffin Division by the BDBL Press, the CyberSox are playing with the house's money.

Following up a 16-12 opening month with a 15-13 campaign is good enough to put the 'Sox in first. Front-running Sylmar has slumped terribly in May that has allowed the 'Sox to jump out in front of them by five games. Los Altos matched the 'Sox record and stays three games behind.

Offensive, the team picked up a bit from a slow start by posting a .253 batting average and a .311 on-base percentage (compared to .242 and .294 respectively in April). That helped spur a 15-run total increase.

Several key players rebounded from slow starts. Aaron Rowand compiled a .328 average and drove in 14 runs after hitting below .200 last month. Yadier Molina also improved his batting by nearly 200 points to hit .311

Ben Broussard and Carlos Lee each hit 5 homers to lead the club while Lee's 20 RBI also paced the team, despite his hitting .226. Broussard led the team with a .542 slugging percentage by hitting three doubles and four triples along with his five round-trippers to earn hitter of the month honors.

While the hitting progressed a little, the pitching regressed a little. Overall, the team posted a 3.66 ERA, up from 3.28 the previous month.

Of the four-man starting rotation, Carlos Silva had the best month, going 3-1 with a 2.55 ERA over his seven starts and held opponents to a .601 OPS against. But it was Danny Haren's 1-hit complete-game shutout against ??? that stood out as the best performance.

In the pen, Huston Street continued to stand out in the closer's role. His 1.80 ERA helped him go 1-0 with 8 saves. The rest of the bullpen was a little overused, but continued to shine as the top relievers posted ERAs around 3.00 or lower.

June's schedule features interleague play and the 'Sox will get to go back and play some old nemeses. Back in 2003, the 'Sox moved from the Higueria Division of the Eck League and this season, they get matched up against them.

The schedule features home-and-home 2-game series with the Great Lakes Sphinx (who moved from the Ozzie League to the Eck League the same year the 'Sox went the other way), the Kansas Law Dogs, the defending BDBL-champion Allentown Ridgebacks and the Villanova Mustangs.

Overall, the 'Sox actually fared the best against Allentown posting a 36-32 record against them before moving. Kansas (29-51) and Villanova (20-28) all handled the 'Sox better.

In addition, the 'Sox will go play Ravenswood Infidels while hosting the New Hope Badgers.

CyberSox split with Rebels to finish May

San Jose (AP) - May 28, 2006

In what turned out to be a hard-fought series, the Irish Rebels and CyberSox went back-and-forth and ended up splitting their four games.

Danny Haren (7-4) pitched well enough in his 14th start of the season, giving up three runs on eight hits over six innings, but the 'Sox offense was ice cold. They managed four hits all night and lost the opener, 3-1.

But, the tables turned in the next game as Carlos Silva and the 'Sox bullpen went out and limited the Rebels to just four hits and took a 4-1 game. Silva allowed just three hits and no walks in 6 1/3 innings, but didn't get the decision as he left with a 1-1 tie. The 'Sox broke the tie in the 9th when three consecutive singles plated a run. Yadier Molina then triple in two more to provide a three-run cushion for Huston Street who retired the Rebels in order to earn his 16th save. Chris Spurling (3-3) earned the win by pitching the 8th, allowing one hit.

The next two games featured a little more offense. Brett Tomko (5-5) was touched up for five runs early as the Rebels held on late to take a 6-4 win.

The finale featured another 9th inning win for the 'Sox as Orlando Hudson singled in Gary Matthews to put the 'Sox up 6-5. Huston Street then got three straight fly balls to Aaron Rowand in center to nail down the win and his 17th save.

CyberSox stumble at home against Sylmar

San Jose (AP) - May 24, 2006

In the final series of what turned out to be a 16-game homestand, the Silicon Valley CyberSox dropped three games or four to their division rivals, the Sylmar Padawans.

Danny Haren (7-3) was bombed in the opener, surrendering 8 ER over five innings as the Pads take the opener, 14-0.  The 'Sox managed four hits on A.J. Burnett's (3-5) CG shutout.

In Game 2, the tables were turned as it would the 'Sox shutting out the Pads, 6-0, on just four hits by the losing team. Carlos Silva (5-2) does not throw a complete game, but he does allow two hits and no walks over six innings.

The 'Sox took an early 3-1 lead into the 6th frame for Brett Tomko in Game 3. But the Padawans put up a 4-spot in the 6th and their bullpen easily holds that lead as Sylmar takes the game, 7-4.

In the finale, the 'Sox were trying to split and keep the status quo, but Sylmar would score five runs over the first three innings and the 'Sox would never rally.

The CyberSox will go to Manchester to finish out Chapter 2.

'Sox stay hot, beat Blazers 3 of 4

San Jose (AP) - May 20, 2006

In a battle of aces, the Silicon Valley CyberSox got the best of the New Milford Blazers by taking the opening two games and taking a three-game series win.

Danny Haren (7-2) shut out the Blazers over six innings while Carlos Silva (4-2) allowed a lone run over the same span as the 'Sox totally stiffled the New Milford offense. Roger Clemens (2-4) and Chris Carpenter (4-1) took the losses.

In Game 3, the Blazers found the key to the ammunition, blowing out the 'Sox early and cruising to a 10-5 win.

But in the finale, the 'Sox turned the tables taking a 6-2 lead before letting the Blazers tie it up. But the 'Sox rallied and rebuilt the four-run lead and won, 10-6.

Brady Clark led the offense by going 9-for-14, scoring five times and driving in four. Carlos Lee also jacked two homers in Game 2 while Ben Broussard had two triples in Game 3.

The win pushed the 'Sox to a six-game lead in the Griffin Division.

CyberSox, Infidels split

San Jose (AP) - May 16, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox continue their solid play by splitting four games from the Ravenswood Infidels.

In the opener, Danny Haren dominated the Infidel lineup, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out five over six frames. Haren (6-2) got plenty of run support as Ravenswood starter Tom Glavine was touched for four long ball, two by Ben Broussard.

In Game 2, Carlos Silva gave up the lead in the sixth inning when Felipe Lopez hit a two-run double and Robinson Cano singled Lopez in to put the Infidels up 4-2. The Infidels would tack on an insurance run in the 9th that turned out to be pivotal when the 'Sox scored twice in their final at-bat.

In Game 3, the Infidels got to Brett Tomko early and often, taking a 5-1 lead after five innings. The 'Sox would attempt to rally in the late innings, but only plated one run.

The finale would feature another strong outing by Nate Robertson (4-4) who shut out the Infidels over six frames. He allowed three hits and no walks and struck out five and left with a 3-0 lead.

In the 8th, Chris Spurling gave up a  solo HR to Albert Castillo to put Ravenswood on the board. Aaron Fultz relieved him and got a single by Chris Gomez. Huston Street relieved Fultz and gave up a double to Trot Nixon. Street then intentionally walked Eddie Garabito to load the bases with one out. The gamble paid off when Russ Adams flied out to shallow right field and Adam Dunn flew out to center.

The 'Sox tacked on two runs in the 8th on Clint Barmes 2-run HR. Street pitched the 9th and earned his 14th save despite giving up an RBI single to So Taguchi.

'Sox rally to take three from Undertakers

San Jose (AP) - May 12, 2006

After dropping the opening game in extra innings and falling behind 3-0 after eight innings of the next game, it looked like the Los Altos Undertakers were going to make up some serious ground on the Silicon Valley CyberSox.

But the 'Sox rallied to tie it in the 9th and won it in the 10th and then managed to hold on to the next two games thanks to good pitching and ended up with a 3-1 series victory and saw its lead grow to five games at the quarter-season mark.

Danny Haren had a tough luck start in the opener, going six innings and allowing just three hits and two walks, but a RBI groundout by Pudge Rodriquez made it 1-0 and put Haren on the hook for the loss. Mark Mulder shut out the 'Sox for eight frames and he scattered six hits and a walk.

But in bottom of the 9th, Carlos Lee hit a solo HR off of Al Reyes to tie it up. However, Aaron Fultz (0-1) returned the favor twice-over as he allowed solo HRs to Jason Lane and Chris Shelton to blow the game in the 10th.

The Undertakers scratched together single runs in the first, fifth and sixth innings off of Carlos Silva in Game 2 as Jason Schmidt shut out the 'Sox over seven innings to put the Undertakers in a position to take a commanding 2-0 lead.

But in the bottom of the 9th, the historically tough Los Altos bullpen faltered again. Aaron Heilman gave up a singles, a walk and an RBI single to let the 'Sox on the board. Ben Broussard grounded out but moved both runners into scoring position. Reyes came on again and uncorked a pitch that Pudge Rodriquez could not handle and another run scampered home. Aaron Rowand followed with an RBI single to tie it.

In the 10th, Huston Street (1-1) pitched around a walk to get through the inning. The 'Sox got to Robinson Tejeda with a walk by Orlando Hudson who then went to second on Gary Matthews' single. Lee hit a sacrifice fly that move Hudson to 3rd. Adrian Beltre drove him home with an infield single on a drawn-in infield.

After stealing one, the 'Sox ended up with the momentum in Game 3 as they rallied from an early 4-2 deficit to take a 7-4 lead going into the 9th. Street had a rocky save opportunity as he gave up three singles to load the bases. But he got Shelton to ground into a 5-2-3 double play. Orlando Palmeiro then doubled two runs in and J.J. Hardy walked, but Rafael Palmeiro grounded out to end the threat and gave Street his 12th save.

Street would earn his 13th save in the finale when he pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th. The 'Sox had overcome a first inning run by Los Altos to take a lead and Nate Robertson managed to post six quality innings together and was able to hand over a lead to his bullpen. Three perfect innings later and the 'Sox had the series win.

Haren's 1-hitter paces 'Sox past Badgers

New Hope (AP) - May 8, 2006

An infield single to Grady Sizemore to lead off the ninth inning was the lone hit allowed as Danny Haren twirled a 1-hit complete-game shutout to open up another road series, this time against the New Hope Badgers.

Haren had pitched the first eight frames by scattering three walks and a hit batsmen before allowing Sizemore's knock to start the 9th. Sizemore hit a ball into the hole between first and second base. Orlando Hudson sprinted into the hole to try and save the no-hit bid, but couldn't get off a throw once he got the ball.

Sizemore would then be erased on a double play. Jason Giambi would walk and Joe Randa would groundout to Hudson to preserve the 5-0 victory.

"I was just hitting my spots tonight," Haren said afterward. "That Badger lineups is good and I was just able to get them to keep hitting at my defense."

Haren faced 31 batters and struck out five and ran his record to 5-2.

In Game 2, the 'Sox found themselves down 1-0 going into the 9th inning, but Ben Broussard doubled in Carlos Lee to tie the game off of Bobby Jenks and send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the 12th, Kerry Wood, working on third inning of relief, gave up three straight two-out hits that plated two 'Sox runs. Huston Street pitched a perfect 12th to earn his 11th save.

If that wasn't enough, the next night the two teams decided to go 16 innings. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Badgers pitching shutout the 'Sox for 15 innings. With the benches empty and the bullpens on fumes, Kelly Stinnett laced an RBI single to left and Ben Johnson scampered home ahead of Lee's throw home.

In the finale, the 'Sox were holding on to a tenuous 5-4 lead after seven innings before breaking it open with three runs in the 8th and added three more insurance runs in the 9th to take the series and even their May to 4-4.

The series victory, coupled with Sylmar being swept by Salem, now puts the 'Sox up by three games in the Griffin Division.

CyberSox open May with mauling by Bear Country

Bear Country (AP) - May 4, 2006

Bear Country held the CyberSox offense to five hits or less in three games, all Bear Country wins, to take a 3-1 series victory.

Luckily for the 'Sox, they actually gained ground, picking up two games, when Sylmar opens 1-7 to start the month.

In the opener, Danny Haren had his roughest start of the year, getting touched for five runs in seven innings and by no coincidence, they lost, 6-1. The 'Sox were held to five hits and one run in the loss.

Game 2 saw the offense come alive, comparatively speaking, when they banged out 11 hits. But that was tempered by the fact that they left 12 men on base. They were able to hold on and take that game 4-3 while Huston Street racked up his league-leading 10th save.

The next two games were repeats of the first. Brett Tomko dueled with John Lackey, each giving up a lone run, but it was Lackey and the Jamboree who would get the clutch hit needed to take a 2-1 decision.

In the  finale, the 'Sox would jump out to a 3-0 lead and Nate Robertson could not make it stand up as he got into trouble in the fifth inning that would got the team the lead and the game.

CyberSox name Street, Haren and Lee players of April

San Jose (AP) - April 30, 2006

There were three main reasons why the CyberSox went 16-12 in April. If you point to the usual suspects, you would be spot on.

Danny Haren and Huston Street split the Pitcher of the Month award. Haren went 4-1 in seven starts and led the team in strikeouts (29), ERA (1.37) and OPS allowed among starters (.591).

Street went a perfect 9-for-9 in save opportunities and compiled a 0.73 ERA in 12 apperances and allowed just one inherited run to score.

"Pitching was a strength for us this month and nothing could exemplify that more than the performances we got out of our ace and our closer," 'Sox manager Tony LaRussa said. "They went out and did their jobs and got results."

Carlos Lee provided most of the offense by tying Brady Clark for the team lead in hits (33) and runs (17), and leading the team in batting average (.314), home runs (7) and RBI (24). In fact, Lee was the only CyberSox batter to reach double digits in RBIs.

"Carlos is our big bat in the middle of this lineup and he has certainly lived up to expectations early," LaRussa said.

Lee is the only 'Sox player to have consecutive 30 homer, 100 RBI seasons and is on pace to do it again in 2006.

Hammerheads hammer CyberSox to close out April

San Jose (AP) - April 29, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox wrapped up a surprising April schedule with a minor letdown as they dropped three of four to the Marlboro Hammerheads.

Danny Haren suffered his first loss of the season in the opener, but he finished at 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA. Then the two teams traded 2-0 shutouts before the Hammerheads got the series victory with some timely long relief from Pedro Astacio after Game 4 starter Woody Williams left with an apparent shoulder injury.

The 'Sox finished April at 16-12 and are currently one game in front in the Griffin Division over Sylmar who is 13-11 with one series remaining. Los Altos is also in the running at two games back with one series to go.

"Well, we were very pleased with the results after being tabbed for a last place finish," CyberSox GM Greg Newgard said.  "We knew going into the season that we'd have trouble scoring runs as evidenced by scoring three runs or less in half of our games. But our pitching was the story as we were able to go 7-7 in those games."

Rebounding CyberSox stretch lead at Cowtippers expense

San Jose (AP) - April 25, 2006

After dropping their first series of the season, the Silicon Valley CyberSox went out and took 3 of 4 from the defending Ozzie League Champion Salem Cowtippers. And they did it without a win from Danny Haren.

Haren gave up a solo HR to the second batter he faced, Corey Koskie, and then cruised the rest of the way through eight innings of work and left losing 1-0 as the 'Sox could not mount any run support.

But the 'Sox did rally in the 9th to send it into extra innings before Mark Texiera hit a solo HR in the 11th off of ??? to give the Cowtippers a 2-1 victory.

But then the 'Sox got great pitching performances from Ryan Drese (subbing for Carlos Silva), Brett Tomko and Nate Robertson and got just enough offense to take the final three games.

The CyberSox have one series remaining as they travel to Marlboro to face the Hammerheads.

CyberSox stumble against Undertakers

Los Altos (AP) - April 21, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox could not take advantage of the Sylmar Padawans being swept by the New Hope Badgers and they only took one of four games from the Los Altos Undertakers and remained tied, this time with Los Altos, for the division lead.

Danny Haren pitched another gem and upped his record to 4-0 with a second straight 1-0 decision in the opener.

"Haren has been on a roll," CyberSox manager Tony LaRussa said via phone call. "He's like a bulldog out there with a one-run lead. He doesn't give in to hitters and just gets out of jams."

Not only is he 4-0 with a miniscule 1.07 ERA, but the 'Sox are 5-0 when he starts. Of course, that no-decision came when Haren left his start against Las Vegas when faced three batters.

In Haren's 5th start, he scattered four hits over six innings and mystified Los Altos hitters.

But, the 'Sox luck changed. In Game 2, the Undertakers offense woke up and scored six runs in the first inning, erasing an early 3-0 'Sox lead. Silicon Valley would rally to tie it and would have opportunities to take the lead in both the 9th and 10th innings, but it would Los Altos' J.J. Hardy would hit a walk-off HR to end the game.

In Game 3, Jeff Suppan would get the best of Brett Tomko and the Undertakers would score three runs in the first inning. In the finale, the 'Sox once again would give up runs in the first inning, but rallied back to take an early lead. But the Undertakers would get the bats going again late and pulled out the victory and the series win.

This series marks the first series that the 'Sox have lost in 2006. With Sylmar being swept, the 'Sox (12-8) were in first place on their own by two games, but now fall percentage points behind Los Altos (10-6) and stay one game ahead of Sylmar (13-11).

Jamboree continue slide, drop 3 to 'Sox

San Jose (AP) - April 17, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox climbed back into a tie for first place in the Griffin Division by taking three home games from the hapless Bear Country Jamboree.

The 'Sox continue to be a prefect 8-0 in the first two games of series and Danny Haren and Carlos Silva continue to produce strong outings to set the stage.

"Pitching has been the key so far," 'Sox manager Tony LaRussa nodded. "This staff just goes out and keeps us in close games and the offense has done just enough to pull out some victories.

"Haren goes out and shuts them out and we score one run. Silva goes out and keeps up close, leaving in a 2-2 game. We have to rally in the 9th to tie it and then the bullpen keeps them off the board until we can scratch one more run across."

Silicon Valley also had to overcome injuries as key setup man Chris Spurling was lost in the opening game when he sprained an ankle and was unavailable for the remainder of the series.

The 'Sox won the first three game 1-0, 4-3 in 13 innings, and 12-3 before being shut out for the first time of the season and losing 6-0.

CyberSox split with Corona

Corona (AP) - April 13, 2006

The CyberSox continue to jump out to good starts, taking the opening two games for the third straight series, but this time dropped the back two games and ended up splitting with the Corona Confederates.

At 8-4, the CyberSox are off to a surprisingly good start aided by going 6-0 when Haren or Silva take the mound.

"Those two guys are going out there and shutting teams down," CyberSox GM Greg Newgard said. "We haven't scored more than 5 runs for those guys, but that seems to be more than enough."

In the first game, the 'Sox only got five innings out of Haren, who ran his pitch count up to 90 pitches despite only allowing five hits and three walks, but he left with a 4-1 lead. Five relievers teamed up to secure the 5-3 win.

Then Silva followed with a gem, spinning seven innings of one-run ball after the CyberSox jumped to a 3-0 lead. The bullpen once again nailed down a 3-1 win.

Then Corona snapped out of their funk, blowing out the 'Sox 8-2 and then rallied from a 5-0 deficit to steal a 7-6 win.

Carlos Lee and Brady Clark each hit two homers in the series while Lee drove in seven runs with five hits.

CyberSox keep the dice rolling with Las Vegas

San Jose (AP) - April 9, 2006

Coming off an early series with a rival, the CyberSox were in a position for a let down.

However, the 'Sox responded by taking the opening two games against the Las Vegas Flamingos and then secure the series win with a 9-2 victory in the finale.

The 'Sox broke open the game in the opener by scoring four runs off of D.J. Carrasco to win 5-2 despite losing Danny Haren after nine pitches with a sprained ankle.

Carlos Silva stepped up and pitched a gem by holding the Flamingos to one run over seven innings and considering that the 'Sox would only score two runs, it was just enough to get the win.

Jeromy Burnitz hit a pinch-hit grand slam off of Trevor Hoffman to steal Game 3, 6-5 while Nate Robertson got plenty of run support when he was staked to an early 5-0 lead to win the finale.

"It was nice to see the way we responded after that big series with Sylmar," 'Sox manager Tony LaRussa said. "We got the MRI back on Danny [Haren] and the sprain in very minor and he should make his next start with little problems."

CyberSox start 2006 off with a bang

Sylmar (AP) - April 5, 2006

The Silicon Valley CyberSox went into Dagobah Field and rained on Sylmar's parade, taking the first three games of the series and had an early 3-0 lead in the finale.

While Sylmar was able to rally back and take the last game, still a message was sent.

"It was a nice way to start the season," CyberSox manager Tony LaRussa said. "We got great pitching, especially Haren and Tomko. The offense banged out some clutch hits including getting the job done against a tough bullpen in Game 2. Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance."

The CyberSox were 9-14 last season against the Padawans, including the playoffs, so they were happy to get a good start.

"They swept us last April," OF Carlos Lee said, "and it proved to be a key series as they were able to beat us for the division crown on a tiebreaker. As tight as Game 7 was, it could have turned out another way had it been at our place. So maybe we can return the favor this season."

CyberSox ready to kick off 2006 with familiar foe

Sylmar (AP) - March 31, 2006

After playing the final 4 games of the season followed by a 7-game series in the playoffs, the CyberSox will once again face the Sylmar Padawans in the 2006 season opener.

"What happened last year is done with," CyberSox manager Tony LaRussa said during afternoon workouts at Dagobah Field. "Sure, we remember what happened, but this is a new season and both teams have new faces. We just have to come and concentrate on playing sound fundamental baseball right now."

The Padawans won the season series 10-6 which allowed Sylmar to be awarded the 2005 Griffin Division championship via a tiebreak when both teams finished the season at 91-59. While the final preparations haven't been set, it is assumed that Sylmar will roll out the division banner in the season opener.

League pundits have tabbed Sylmar for another divison title while pegging the 'Sox for last place, based on a weak offense.

"Our offense isn't where we would like it, but we'll do the best with what we have," LaRussa added. "The pitching staff and bullpen will have to shoulder the load and keep the opponents off the scoreboard. We may have to play some small ball and manufacture runs early."

CyberSox deal Perez for bullpen help

San Jose (AP) - January 22, 2006

After the conclusion of the 2006 BDBL Draft, the CyberSox issued a press release indicating that they had reached a deal with the Ravenswood to send P Odalis Perez in exchange for RP Shigetoshi Hasegawa.

"Odalis became expendable once we landed Brett Tomko before the draft," CyberSox GM was quoted in the press release. "We were able to send him some place where he'd get a chance to contribute while we were able to add another good arm to our bullpen."

Perez came to the CyberSox in a mid-season trade designed to help strength the rotation. However, Perez struggled going 8-9 in 21 starts and compiling a 4.61 ERA. That performance led him to not be used as a starter during the OLDS against Sylmar.

Hasegawa pitched in 20 games for the Nashville Funkadelic, going 0-2 with one save with a 4.20 ERA. He was traded at the deadline to Ravenswood, but never appeared in a game for the Infidels.

CyberSox fill out roster with youth, gambles

San Jose (AP) - - January 20, 2006

With little money and the chances of being able to build a contender, the Silicon Valley CyberSox focused their 2006 draft on younger players that the front management hopes can blossom into solid players.

"We're trying to catch lightning in a bottle here, and it's not easy," CyberSox GM Greg Newgard. "With the way this draft was going to go, teams were overpaying across the board. We decided to try and maximize of middle of the draft picks and targeted players that could fit roles for the 2007 season, but it's not easy to project."

The CyberSox focused on major needs, getting two near full-time outfielders and grabbing Chris Spurling to help out in the bullpen. Then they spent there last four picks on projects, gambling on players with injury issues or young players that are on the cusp of producing on the major league level.

"It'll be hard to compete this year, so we're already looking toward 2007. We project to have lots of money, so if we can get a key player at a cheap dollar amount, that will let us focus elsewhere."

Draft Tracker

CyberSox nab Fultz, #50 in auction finale

San Jose (AP) - - January 10, 2006

On the final day of the BDBL auction, the CyberSox won a 5.5M bid of left-handed reliever Aaron Fultz.

"Aaron will be a quality addition to the bullpen with Hoffman and Street," GM Greg Newgard said. "We've targeted most every reliever in the auction, but just didn't have the money or the desire to overspend to land someone.

"Tonight, we figured that we could gamble on next year's contract given the salary position we're in."

With the auction over, the CyberSox needs are few and with 8.8M left for 7 roster spots, they'll have to try and find value wherever they can with the 19th pick of every round.

"We know we're short in the outfield and would like to add another arm or two in the bullpen," Newgard added. "We've got some directions we can go with our draft strategy and we're unsure if we'll even make a 5M pick or not, so we're not out of the woods yet."

CyberSox all quiet on auction front

San Jose (AP) - - January 5, 2006

The CyberSox had been big players in the last two BDBL auctions, but this year with little money and an outside shot at competing for a playoff spot, Silicon Valley has been very quiet.

"We put out some bids, mostly focusing on the quailty relief pitching that was available over the first few days, but the bids were fairly unrealistic in terms of the inflated market value," CyberSox GM Greg Newgard said.

"The bids we've made have forced other teams to exceed the 5M threshold and therefore have to sign the players to at least a two-year deal, but those guys in all reality would probably been signed that long even if they hadn't gone for over 5M."

With 35 players left, Newgard wouldn't tip his hand on the rest of the auction strategy.

"We could sit this out and get ready for the 5M round in the draft, or we get a couple of bargains to upgrade somewhere or we could go out and get a big name player. It'll all depend on the circumstances."

CyberSox open 2006 farm draft with Ishikawa

San Jose (AP) - - January 5, 2006

Needing to draft four farm players to fill out it's 15-man farm roster, the Silicon Valley CyberSox opened 2006 by drafting Travis Ishikawa, a first basemen in the San Francisco Giants system.

"Travis had a breakout year in '05 as it appears that he's starting to live up to his potential," GM Greg Newgard said via phone call.

"With Broussard locked up for a few more years, it'll give Travis time to work his way up with the big club. We didn't have anything at 1B in the minors, so this pick makes a good fit for us."

The CyberSox then took a high school pitcher in Jordan Walden, a preseason All-American and the winning pitcher in the 2005 College World Series clincher in Kyle McCulloch.

Returning to the minor, the 'Sox closed with Astros' speedster Josh Flores.

Cutdown Day causalities few, necessary

San Jose (AP) - - December 21, 2005

Today, the Silicon Valley CyberSox released their list of players that were offered contracts and those that were released.