2007 Season Over

San Antonio (AP) - September 30, 2007

For the second straight year, the San Antonio Broncs surprised most experts by playing better than expected and finished tied for 2nd place in the Griffin Division.

"Finishing around .500 doesn't get you in the playoffs,"  Broncs GM Greg Newgard said, "but we've been able to be competitive and build up our franchise at the same time, so we're very happy about the fruits of this labor."

The Los Altos Undertakers ended up running away with the Griffin, finishing with 99 wins and locking up the #2 seed in the Ozzie League. San Antonio and the Bear Country Jamboree tied at 78 wins. While San Antonio surprised most by winning more games than expected, the Sylmar Padawans were the opposite story, finishing with 63 wins.

"We've got some work to do in 2008," Newgard said. "We've already been in contact with some teams regarding some players and we are excited about the direction those negotiations are headed. If we're able to pull a few of those deals off, we may be in a good position going into next year."

Adam Dunn hit 37 home runs for the Broncs in 2007, which was good enough for 6th place, along with Frank Thomas, in the Ozzie League. His 104 walks also placed him 6th overall in the OL. But on the flip side, his 214 strikeouts lead the entire BDBL. Despite the whiffs, Dunn was announced as the Broncs Hitter of the Year.

Top starter Danny Haren finished with a 3.61 ERA (9th in the OL), 214 strikeouts (4th) and 17 wins (tied for 4th) and was named Pitcher of the Year. Huston Street gave him a run for the money with 39 saves, which was tops in the OL and just one shy on Jonathon Papelbon's 40 for Kansas for the BDBL top mark.

2007 In Review

San Antonio (AP) - September 29, 2007

"4th Place."

"After the frustration of losing the division to the Padawans by one game two years in a row, 2007 could be the most frustrating year yet for the Broncs."

These were some of the quotes from the 2007 BDBL Season Preview and they served as bulletin board material for the Broncs all season long. For the second straight season, the San Antonio Broncs were tabbed as a last place team but finished in the middle of the pack.

How did the Broncs do it? Well, their pitching was nearly a run worse per game that the previous two seasons, but the Broncs offense improved by nearly 100 runs over 2006 to help counter that.

Broncs split with Padawans, finish at 78-82

San Antonio (AP) - September 28, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs finished out the 2007 season with a tightly contested series split against the Sylmar Padawans. The series feature a grand total of 21 runs, 13 scored by the Broncs.

Game 1 was a chance for Danny Haren to go out and try to get his 18th win, a mark reached just twice in San Antonio franchise history (18 by Pedro Astacio in 2000, 20 by Ryan Drese in 2005). However, due to usage issues and an equally good performance by his opposite, A.J. Burnett, Haren left after five innings with a 1-1 tie. In the 7th, Adam Everett came off the bench to deliver an RBI single that gave the Broncs the lead. Adam Dunn's second homer of the game, a 2-run shot in the 8th, gave the Broncs more insurance and Huston Street closed out his 39th save in a 4-1 victory.

Next, Jon Garland matched up with Tom Glavine and one again, runs were at a premium. Glavine was up 1-0 going into the 6th, but Manny Ramirez got to him with a 2-run HR that ended up being the decisive runs as the Broncs could get any traction against a good Sylmar bullpen.

In Game 3, a 5-run outburst in 5th broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Broncs more than enough scoring for Orlando Hernandez to get his 9th win on the season in a 6-2 victory. Adam Dunn also added his 37th HR which tied him with Adrian Beltre (2005) for the second highest single season HR total.

In the final game of the season, the Padawans chipped away against Wandy Rodriguez with single runs in the 1st, 4th and 5th innings that would be just enough to earn a 3-2 victory.

Undertakers sweep Broncs

Los Altos (AP) - September 24, 2007

Some days, you are the lawnmower. Some days, you are the grass. In their final series against eventual Griffin Division champs the Los Altos Undertakers, the San Antonio Broncs were a nice batch of St. Augustine ready to be mown down.

The Broncs seemingly didn't get a single break in the series as they dropped all four games to Los Atlos, running their losing streak to seven game, and put their quest for .500 in serious jeopardy.

The opening game was a microcosm of the whole series. A well pitched efforts found the game tied at 3-3 going into the 9th. The Broncs got a 2-run HR by pinch hitter Dallas McPherson in the top of the 9th to move out in front. But Huston Street would not be up to the task. Street gave up a solo HR and a triple to put the tying run 90 feet away. An intentional walk was issued to Adrian Gonzales with two outs to bring Alex Rios to the plate. Rios would hit a fly ball to left that Adam Dunn would drop, allowing the tying run to score.

In the 10th and 12th innings, the Broncs would manage to score a run off of the Undertaker bullpen only to give it right back the next half inning. In the 15th, Michael Young lead off the inning by taking Casey Janssen deep to end it, 8-7.

The rest of the series saw the superior Los Altos squad jump out to early leads but they allowed the Broncs to hang around. But the Broncs couldn't get the key hit when it needed it the most to take advantage.

The Broncs now stand at 76-80 with one final series to go against the Sylmar Padawans. They would need a sweep over the Padawans to get to .500 and earn an additional 1M toward their '08 salary cap, But in the four seasons that the two teams have been in the same division, the Broncs are 28-32 against them and have never swept a series.

Broncs drop three to Confederates

Corona (AP) - September 20, 2007

No matter what momentum the San Antonio Broncs had been building up in the month of September, the Corona Confederates took it all away in one inning, gaining a 3-1 series victory.

The series started our promisingly enough for San Antonio as Danny Haren got plenty of run support to earn his 17th victory of the year in a 10-6 win. Game 2 started out with more of the same as the Broncs jumped out to a 6-0 lead off of Corona starter Zach Duke after six innings.

But then came the top of the 7th. Corona would send up 13 batters and score 9 runs. Randy Flores started the inning getting a fly out and then a grounder to shortstop, but the ball was booted by Jimmy Rollins and that seemed to open the floodgates. Corona strung together seven straight hits to plate 7 runs and take the lead. That lead would grow to 9-6 before the frame was finished. Logan Kensing would come on for Corona and retire 9 straight batters to earn a save.

However, the Broncs would stay shell-shocked as the series shifted to Corona. While the Broncs pitching was good enough to limit Corona to six runs over the final two games, the offense could only manage a single run, dropping the series with losses of 4-1 and 2-0.

Broncs split with Vegas

Las Vegas (AP) - September 16, 2007

The Broncs continued to roll toward their goal of 80 wins with a series split against the Las Vegas Flamingos.

In the opener, Danny Haren struck out six Vegas batters. In the 3rd inning, he got Gary Sheffield for his third K of the game, but it would be his 200th of the season. Haren was only the second player in franchise history to reach that mark. Freddy Garcia reached 200 exactly during the 2003 season. Later in the 4th, Haren would get Mark DeRosa to take over the franchise lead. That record would also move Haren to 2nd overall in career strikeouts with 374 overall, passing Keith Foulke. Haren trails Garcia's overall mark of 642,

The Flamingos would get to Haren in the 5th, scoring twice on a Chase Utley 2-run single, but that's all the damage they would do. In the 6th, the Broncs finally solved Wang when Austin Kearns rocked a grand slam that put the Broncs up for good. They'd get an insurance HR by Scott Rolen later in the game to push the final tally to 5-2.

In Game 2, the roles would reverse as Broncs would jump out in front with an early lead while the Flamingos would rally. Leading 4-1, Tom Glavine would get into trouble in the middle innings, allowing two runs in the 4th and 5th to give up the lead and a solid Flamingo bullpen would make that lead stick up as Las Vegas would win, 6-5.

The series would shift to Las Vegas and the Broncs once again found themselves behind and facing a good Flamingo bullpen. In the 8th inning, the Broncs would erupt for five runs, keyed by another timely Kearns homer to take a lead. The Broncs bullpen was a little shaky given up two runs, but they'd hold on for the 5-3 win.

In Game 4, the Flamingos would build on their success in getting to the Broncs bullpen and would score nine runs after the 6th inning to blow open a 3-1 lead into a 12-1 laugher, earning a split in the process..

Broncs stay hot, take three from Irish Rebels

San Antonio (AP) - September 12, 2007

After dropping their final two games of their last series, San Antonio fans wondered if the Broncs could rebound quickly and keep their drive for 80 wins alive. Enter the Manchester Irish Rebels. Four games later and the momentum is indeed alive.

The Broncs dropped Game 1 late, giving them a three-game losing streak, but the Broncs rebounded to limit the Rebels to just four runs over the next 27 innings and turned that losing streak into a three-game winning streak.

Game 1 was a display of power as each run was scored on home runs. Adam Dunn hit a 2-run shot in the 1st, but Nick Markakis countered with a solo HR in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1, San Antonio. In the 4th, Dunn homered again, but Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez would hit a 2-run shot to tie it at 3-3. But former Bronc Adrian Beltre exacted some revenge on his former team by lauching a solo HR in the 6th off of Danny Haren that would end up being the decisive run in the 4-3 Manchester victory.

The Broncs turned to Tom Glavine in Game 2, and Glavine and the San Antonio bats held up their end of the bargain. Ben Broussard jacked a 3-run homer in the 1st that put the Broncs up 4-0. After five innings, that lead had grown to 8-0 and Glavine was lifted from the game, to limit his innings for future starts down the stretch. Glavine had allowed just two hits and two walks over those five frames. Long reliever Jason Grilli entered the game and proceeded to retire 11 of the next 12 batters he faced, while the one batter to reach of a walk was erased on a double play, earn Grilli a 4-inning save.

With the series shifting to San Antonio, Game 3 was a tight affair. The Rebels scored first in the pitchers' duel on a Beltre solo HR in the 5th. Casey Janssen pitched five strong innings, except for the Beltre blast, but was lifted in the 5th for a pinch hitter. Five relievers would come in and shut down the Rebels the rest of the way. The only question was could the Broncs push a run across. The answer would be yes. In the 6th, Scott Rolen hit a solo HR off of Josh Fogg to tie the game up. in the 7th, Rod Barajas would lead off with a single and would be pinch run for by Adam Everett. That move would be the key move of the game as Everett scampered home on Jose Lopez's double on the following at bat. Huston Street would earn his 35th save with a perfect 9th.

In Game 4, the Broncs would score all of their four runs in the 3rd inning as Jeff Suppan who manage to keep the Rebels at arms length just long enough for the bullpen to come in a secure the win. After a Jacque Jones solo HR in the 1st gave the Rebels an early lead, Rolen would crush a 3-run blast after Yadier Molina's RBI single tied the game and the Broncs took a 4-1 lead. Suppan who came into the game with a 4-16 record and had been benched for the better part of two months, continued to keep the Rebels off of the scoreboard until the 6th when Markakis' two-run double would pull the Rebels within a run. But Suppan was able to strike out Beltre to end the threat. Three setup relievers kept the Rebels at bay until the 9th when Huston Street would run into trouble.

After Street retired the first two hitters, he'd allow two straight singles. With Rodriguez up, Street uncorked a wild pitch that moved the runners up. Given the choice of keep pitching to Pudge or go after the pitcher's spot, Street intentionally walked Rodriguez. Jose Molina was sent up to pinch hit. Street got Molina to fly out to right field to end the game.

With the wins, the Broncs move to 73-71, 9 games back of the Los Altos Undertakers.

Broncs split with Cowtippers

Salem (AP) - September 8, 2007

Going into to this game, you had a team playing .700 ball versus a team playing .500. Advantage Salem Cowtippers. But the San Antonio Broncs managed to take the first two home games and earned a split against the best team in the BDBL.

Game 1 would featured three separate three-run innings, but it would be the last one that would break a 3-3 tie and give the Broncs a 6-3 victory. After Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns hit back-to-back homers in the 1st to give the Broncs an early 3-0 lead, Kenji Jojihma launched a 3-run jack of his own in the third to tie it up. Both starters would cruise into the 7th with that same line, but it would be the 8th where Jeremy Bonderman would get into an early jam as the Broncs would get four straight hits to open the frame and chase Bonderman. Those four hits plated two runs and a sac fly would plate the third. Huston Street would have an easy 1-2-3 save in the 9th.

With momentum on their side, after winning seven of their last nine, the Broncs kept rolling by scoring four runs early off of Brandon Webb and ended up cruising to a 6-2 victory. Tom Glavine pitched six innings allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five to push his record to 12-9.

When the series shifted to Salem, that momentum wore off. In front of the home faithful, the Cowtippers bombed the Broncs in the final two games by a combined score of 17-5. Orlando Hernandez pitched decently in Game 3, leaving after five innings down 4-0. The Broncs rallied for single runs in the 6th and 8th to make it interesting, but the 'Tippers broke it open late with a four-run 8th to salt the game away, 8-4.

In the final game, both team scored early, but a four-run second by Salem gave them a comfortable 5-2 lead that they would extend late and turn into a 9-3 victory, despite being outhit by the Broncs, 10-9.

The series ended up giving the Cowtippers a 100-win season while the Broncs end up 70-70, ensuring that the Broncs salary cap will not take a penalty in '08.

Broncs get back to .500 in series win over Bear Country

Bear Country (AP) - September 4, 2007

As rosters expand in the final month, September is usually a time for the teams that are out of the playoff races to build for the future. The San Antonio Broncs have another mission and they got one step closer to that mission with a 3-1 series victory over the Bear Country Jamboree. The 3 wins put the Broncs at .500 at 68-68 in there quest to finish at .500.

The Broncs start strong as Danny Haren threw six shutout innings against the Jamboree in the opener. But it was his two-run single in the 5th that did the most damage as it staked him to a 2-0 lead that the Broncs would not relinquish. Five relievers would team up over the final three frames to secure the 3-1 victory.

Game 2 would see that same strong bullpen waver a bit as they gave up a 2-2 tie in the 8th inning to drop the game, 4-2. The loss ruined a strong effort by Tom Glavine (6 IP, 2 ER).

The Broncs bats would awaken late in Game 3 as a six-run ninth inning would break open what was a 4-2 lead and despite giving up some run themselves, the Broncs would hold on for a 10-6 win. Austim Kearns was the hitting hero early as his 2 solo homers helped build that 4-2 lead.

In the final meeting between these two Griffin Division teams, the Broncs would jump out to an early 6-0 lead off Jamboree starter Jason Hirsh and would cruise to a 9-3 victory. Kearns continued his hot streak with another homer and 3 RBI while Scott Rolen also blasted a pair of homers in the victory.

With that final win, the Broncs took the season series over the Jamboree, 9-7.

Broncs close strong, take three from Sylmar

Sylmar (AP) - August 28, 2007

The Sylmar Padawans came into the final series of August without their general manager who was away handling team business elsewhere and his charges could not handle a feisty San Antonio squad that came into Sylmar and took the series.

Danny Haren won his 14th game with a one-run effort over six innings for San Antonio in the opener. A Ben Broussard 2-run home run would put the Broncs up 2-1 in the fourth and the Broncs would let that stand up as they took a 4-2 decision.

Tom Glavine didn't have as good of results as Haren, but he left the game after seven innings with the Broncs down, 4-3. With the prospect of facing the Padawans bullpen, their was much high hope for the Broncs, but Conor Jackson breathed life into them, Jackson doubled with two outs in the 9th off of Frankie Rodriguez to put the tying run in scoring position. Rod Barajas followed with a single that would score Jackson and put the game into extra innings at 4-4.

In the 10th, Dallas McPherson led off the frame with a pinch hit solo HR and  Austin Kearns would add an RBI single later in the inning for insurance. Huston Street would come on and give up a lead off double, but no other trouble and he notched his second save of the series and his 30th of the season to give the Broncs a 6-4 victory.

Game 3 saw the Broncs jump out to a lead early as first inning RBI doubles by Scott Rolen and Conor Jackson put the Broncs up, 2-0. The two teams would trade single runs twice and Huston Street nailed down a save in his third straight game in a 4-2 win.

With a shot at a sweep, the Broncs rebounded from an early 3-0 deficit to take a 5-4 lead into the 7th inning. But a tired bullpen couldn't keep the Padawans at bat as they scored four times in the 7th to take a 8-5 lead. A rally in the 9th saw the Broncs score twice and they had the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first before McPherson struck to end the threat.

Broncs drop three to Jamboree

San Antonio (AP) - August 24, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs continued to struggle against their division foes as the Bear Country Jamboree manhandled the Broncs over the final three games of the series to take a 3-1 series decision.

The series started out positively for the Broncs as they managed to rally from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the 7th and win it in the 8th when Aaron Rowand's 2-run single put the Broncs up for good. The Broncs bullpen managed to shut down the Jamboree over the final three frames to secure the comeback.

But that would be the lone bright spot for the Broncs. In Game 2, Bear Country jumped all over Tom Glavine to the tune of nine runs on 10 hits and the Jamboree cruised to a 9-4 victory.

The Broncs bullpen that was so strong in Game 1 was relied on in Game 3 and this time, that unit could not deliver as Mike Stanton helped blow a 3-2 lead in the 8th as the Jamboree rallied for four runs and pulled away for a 7-3 victory.

With a need to split, the Broncs turned to Wandy Rodriguez who had been having a good August. Through five innings, he was looking just as sharp as he had shut out Bear Country on just four hits. But in the 6th, three straight singles loaded the bases and a walk to Josh Willingham tied the game at 1-1 and ended Rodriguez's day. But he was still on the hook for the three baserunners and Arthur Rhodes actually walked all three runners in on bases loaded walks. That put the Jamboree out to a 4-1 lead that they would maintain and earn the series victory.

Broncs, Undertakers split; still 9 games back

San Antonio (AP) - August 20, 2007

With a nine-game deficit and watching the team stumble against inferior team, time was getting short for the Broncs. With 40 games to play, San Antonio found itself nine games behind the Los Altos Undertakers when they matched up in a series that was pivotal to San Antonio, if they wanted to make some noise in the Griffin Division race.

But Los Altos had other plans as Jeremy Sowers breezed through his six innings of work, allowing two unearned runs, and left the game with a 3-2 lead. Despite the Broncs getting runners on in the late innings, they couldn't push through with big hits while the Undertakers were able to tack on insurance runs and took Game 1, 5-2.

But the Broncs' bat came alive in Game 2 as they blast six home runs off of Undertaker pitching, three off of starter Chris Carpenter, to take Game 2, 9-2. It was Adam Dunn's 3-run HR in the 5th that broke open a 2-2 tie and then Frank Catalanotto, Scott Rolen and Gabe Gross each hit solo HRs in the 7th for more insurance.

The see-saw affair continued as Los Altos got a fine effort from Jered Weaver and the Undertaker bats got to Orlando Hernandez four times in the 3rd inning that ended up being all of the scoring for LAU, but would be all that they would need in a 4-2 victory.

Needing the split, a red hot Wandy Rodriguez turned in his finest performance of the season. Rodriguez had three solid starts in the month of August in four appearances and stood at 2-1 for the month. But he would be better than hoped for as he pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and two walks and one unearned run to give the Broncs a series split.

Another opportunity lost for Broncs, split with Marlboro

San Antonio (AP) - August 16, 2007

For the second straight series, a very bad team came calling and a very bad team left San Antonio with a series split, once again dashing the Broncs' hopes of gaining ground in their races.

In Game 1, the Marlboro Hammerheads jumped out to a 4-0 lead off of Danny Haren. The Marlboro pitching staff then bent, allowing three runs on homers to Jose Lopez and Gabe Gross, but didn't break as Marlboro held on for the 4-3 win.

Game 2 was more of the same as Marlboro got to Tom Glavine for a 3-0 lead, giving them just enough wiggle room to preserve a 3-2 victory. The Broncs had gone as far as loading the bases with two outs in the 9th, but Lopez ended up popping out to 3rd base.

Desperate to not lose this series, the Broncs turned to Orlando Hernandez to try and salvage a win and the Broncs managed to do just that. "El Duque" left after six innings with a 1-run lead. However, Mike Stanton gave that run away in the form of an Alex Cora RBI double in the 7th. However, Jimmy Rollins would deliver an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th to push the Broncs out to a 3-2 lead, a lead that Huston Street would save with a perfect five-out effort. 

Needing a split, the Broncs jumped all over Rodrigo Lopez by plating seven runs in seven innings, cruising to a 7-1 series splitting victory. The loss moved Lopez to 1-15 on the season, one loss behind San Antonio's own Jeff Suppan who went to 4-16 in his Game 2 loss.

Broncs get disappointing split with Blazers

San Antonio (AP) - August 12, 2007

With the pathetic New Milford Blazers coming to town, the San Antonio Broncs had visions of series wins and sweeps in their heads. They ended up needing a late rally to sneak out with a split.

Things started off on a good note as Danny Haren dominated the Blazers in the opener. Haren allowed two hits and no walks and collected nine strikeouts over six innings. A big 5-run third inning highlighted by Scott Rolen and Adam Dunn going back-to-back blew the game open and turned the game into a 8-2 laugher.

Momentum continued in the Broncs favor in Game 2 as they took a 2-0 lead into the 8th inning as Glavine nearly matched Haren's opening line (3 hits, 1 BB in six innings). But the bullpen gave up a run in the 8th on a Garrett Anderson RBI single. In the 9th, Huston Street came on to try and wrap up the game but got into trouble before he knew it. A lead off double to Adam Kennedy seemed harmless enough once he got the first out. But pinch-hitter Steve Finley blasted a 2-run walk-off homer that gave the Blazers a 3-2 win and became Street's 5th blown save of the year.

Game 3 saw Steve Trachsel take that momentum and run with it as he produced a six inning line that rivaled the previous two Broncs' lines (4 hits, 1 BB in six innings). The Blazers jumped out to a 4-0 lead early and held on for a 4-1 victory.

That left the series split up to Wandy Rodriguez who didn't pitch badly, but left the game after 5th innings down 2-1. Conor Jackson doubled to start the 7th and then Rod Barajas followed with an RBI single that tied the game. Jose Lopez then doubled in Barajas to put the Broncs up, 3-2.

Street was summoned to earn a two-inning save and despite allowing a hit and two walks, he did save the game and the series split.

Broncs split with Badgers

New Hope (AP) - August 8, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs offense continues to put up strong offense as they averaged six runs a game against the New Hope Badgers, a probable playoff team, in gaining a split. In fact, were it not for a 3-run HR in the 8th inning of the opener, the Broncs would have taken this series.

Danny Haren had a fine outing in the opener, going 6 2/3 innings of shut out ball and left the game leading 1-0 to an Adam Dunn sac fly in the first. The Broncs would strand six runners in the first three innings that could have given Haren a bigger cushion. But Morgan Ensberg got to Mike Stanton in the 8th for a 3-run homer that gave the Badgers a 3-1 victory.

The Broncs rebounded by pounding four home runs off of Badger pitching in Game 2 that gave Tom Glavine more than enough support for the verteran to earn his 10th win of the season (10-8). Aaron Rowand provided a two-run homer in the first while Dunn, Gabe Gross and Scott Rolen would all homer late to help break open a tight game and allow the Broncs to cruise to a 7-2 win.

As the series shifted to New Hope, Game 3 was tense as Orlando Hernandez strained a quadricep muscle in the 3rd inning. The Broncs had already jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but there was a question whether a shaky Broncs bullpen could limit the damage from the potent Badger lineup. They did more than that as Arthur Rhodes, Matt Wise and Josh Rupe teamed up to allow one hit over the next 6 1/3 and the Broncs would coast to a 9-0 shutout.

After holding the Badgers to 6 runs over the first three game, the ticking timebomb was waiting to go off and Wandy Rodriguez took the brunt of it. In the 3rd with the game tied at 2-2, Rodriguez allowed four straight walks with one out to force a run home. A sac fly and two RBI singles later and each walk turned into a run and the Badgers would lead 6-2. A three-run 4th would put the game out of reach and the Badgers earned a split with a 13-5 victory. The lone bright spot in a losing cause was Austin Kearns two HR and 3 RBI.

New Broncs can't help get past Infidels

San Antonio (AP) - August 4, 2007

With a new left side of the infield, the San Antonio Broncs took on the Ravenswood Infidels and stumbled out to a 3-1 series loss.

The Broncs' recent acquistions paid immediate dividends as Scott Rolen double and homered in his first two at bats and Jimmy Rollins clubbed two homers of his own. But it took the Broncs jumping out to a five-run lead in Game 4 and holding on as the Infidels clawed back in the game that kept the Broncs from getting swept.

In Game 1, Danny Haren was staked to an early four-run lead thanks to Rolen's 3 RBIs. But Haren would get touched up in the fourth as Michael Barrett blasted a 3-run HR. Later, Mike Stanton, another new Bronc, gave up two runs to in relief of Haren and the Broncs failed to mount a serious rally and fell 6-4.

Game 2 ended with a carbon-copy score, but in this matchup, the Broncs rallied from 3-1 to tie it in the 6th behind RBIs from Conor Jackson and Rollins. But once again, the Broncs bullpen continued to leak runs and the Infidels pulled away.

Game 3 saw the Infidels jump all over Orlando Hernandez, scoring five times in the first three innings. But an Aaron Rowand grand slam in the 6th inning helped get the Broncs back in the game. Adam Dunn's sacrifice fly in the 7th tied the game at 5-5. After Ravenswood scored in the 8th to take back the lead, it was Rollins providing some 9th inning heroics as his solo blast tied the game and sent the game into extras. But Matt Wise served up a 2-run HR to Frank Thomas in the 11th to end it.

Ben Broussard hit a 3-run HR in the 1st inning of Game 4 to push the Broncs out to a 4-0 lead. That lead would eventually bloom to a 8-3 cushion before a furious Infidel rally would tighten things up. Bobby Abreu hit a 2-run HR in the 9th to pull Ravenswood with two runs. A double and walk later would summon Huston Street out of the bullpen and he gave up a RBI single before getting the last out to preserve the 8-7 win.

Broncs deal three to land Rollins as trade deadline nears

San Antonio (AP) - July 29, 2007

In what turned out to a be an eventful BDBL Owners Meeting, the San Antonio Broncs made some waves in the trade pool, taking part in the biggest deal of the deadline and making a small deal to shore up the bullpen.

In a 3-way trade between the Salem Cowtippers and Manchester Irish Rebels that saw Miguel Cabrera get traded for B.J. Upton, the Broncs traded away Adrian Beltre, Kala Ka'aihue and Phillippe Aumont and got Conor Jackson, Scott Rolen and Gabe Gross.

Then the Broncs turned about and dealt Kevin Frandsen to the division-rival Bear Country Jamboree in return for Mike Stanton and Ricky Romero.

"We were happy to stand pat after landing Rollins earlier this week," Broncs GM Greg Newgard said. "With Ben Broussard's contract ending soon, this was a deal to land a young cornerstone at 1B in Conor Jackson. Scott Rolen will replace Adrian Beltre at third for similar money."

Rolen will spell Beltre and Gabe Gross will take over as the Broncs fifth OF and is a strong pinch-hitting option off the bench. It is unclear what role Jackson will have, with Broussard and Eduardo Perez already platooning at first.

"We're going to have to figure that out. Jackson will start against righties and pitching matchups may dictate how much he starts against righties. Ben is having a heck of year and we don't want to lose his production."

Broncs deal three to land Rollins as trade deadline nears

San Antonio (AP) - July 25, 2007

Today, the San Antonio Broncs traded RP Trevor Hoffman, 2B Brian Roberts and C David Ross to the Villanova Mustangs in return for SS Jimmy Rollins and P Matt Harrison.

"We know dealing guys like J.J. Putz and Trevor Hoffman weakens our bullpen," Broncs GM Greg Newgard said. "But when we heard that Rollins might be available, we felt we needed to make a strong offer. Adam Everett is a superior defensive player, but Rollins is a 30-30 type of player and is someone that can anchor our infield for years to come."

Hoffman, who had re-signed with the Broncs after his two-year deal expired at the end of 2006, had struggled for the Broncs, posting a 4.20 ERA over 45 innings. Roberts had been the Broncs leadoff hitter most of the season, hitting .299 over 98 games and led the team with 21 stolen bases. Ross played in 80 games for the Broncs and hit .254 with 14 homers.

"We had a club option on Hoffman, but Rollins contract was exactly the same, so we were able to take what we had slotted for Hoffman and apply it to shortstop, which is a little more efficient application of our funds," Newgard said. "Roberts was a free agent and Ross was signed to 1.1M in '08, but with a team that was carrying four catchers on it's 35-man roster, we were able to save a little money next season. Getting a pitcher the caliber of a Matt Harrison was somewhat of a welcome surprise, but given the kind of production we were giving up, it's was appreciated."

Jose Lopez, who was signed to a 6-year contract this offseason, was expected to be the club's starter at second until the last minute acquisition of Roberts pushed him into a platoon role. Lopez will take over the reins at 2B the rest of the season. It is unclear whether Ryan Doumit or Yadier Molina will be called up to share time behind the plate with Rod Barajas.

"We have loved Everett's glove ever since we acquired him from Manchester three years ago. He's been a rock up the middle and anything he's contributed at the plate has been gravy. But Rollins is a premier bat in that position and should give us the similar spark that Roberts gave us at the top of the lineup."

Everett is contracted through '08 and is scheduled to be paid 3.1M. "That's most likely something we'll have to eat. I don't think there is a team that would bite on that contract now. When we signed him, we thought he'd improve some and be a competent hitter in the bottom of the order, but that never has materilized. In all likelihood, he'll be released from his contract in the offseason so we can recoup a little of that money."

Some experts say that this move is a sign of the team giving up for '07 and focusing on '08, but the Broncs see it a different way.

"There is no arguing that trading away two quality relievers in Putz and Hoffman weaken our bullpen. But, we got some quality arms back in the Putz deal and Rollins is an offensive upgrade at SS this year. We feel we can still play .500 ball and stay in a position that if Los Altos stumbles a bit, we can take advantage. In addition, we think we have the bulk of the '08 team in place. We project to need a first basemen and some bullpen arms, but we think we can get something fairly reasonably priced in the draft. So we're trying to have our cake and eat it too here."

Broncs take 3 from Hammerheads, best July since 2000

San Antonio (AP) - July 24, 2007

In 2000, the Phoenix Predators went 17-12 in July to help push them in their Wild Card push. Since then, this franchise has posted two .500 months and nothing better. Back in 2006, a 8-16 July help start the downfall from leading the Griffin Division to losing it by one game.

With their 3-1 series victory over the Marlboro Hammerheads, the Broncs finished above .500 for the first time since that 2000 season and have cut the Los Altos Undertakers lead to just 7 games. In fact, the 14-10 was just percentage points off of that 2000 campaign.

Game 1 found the Broncs jump out to a 4-0 lead for Danny Haren just to watch Marlboro chip away and tie the game up in the 7th at 4-4. It would stay that way into the 10th when Aaron Rowand was plunked on a 3-1 count with the bases loaded to force home the winning run.

Tom Glavine delivered a second straight strong performance as he lasted eight ininngs allowing six hits in a 7-0 whitewashing.

Marlboro once again proved to be a tough opponent as they fought back from deficits of 3-0 and 5-3 to take a 6-5 lead after seven innings. But an 8th inning Dallas McPherson 2-run pinch-hit HR put the Broncs back on top and Huston Street pitched a perfect 9th to get the save.

Game 4 started out as more of the same as the Broncs jumped out to a 4-1 lead for spot-starter Casey Janssen. But the Hammerheads again fought back to tie the score at 5-5 after six frames. After trading runs in the 7th to make it 6-6, Marlboro finally exploded with six runs in the 9th to build a 12-6 and staved off the sweep.

Broncs split fourth series out of five

New Hope (AP) - July 20, 2007

Another road series against another probably Ozzie League playoff team and the Broncs did just enough to earn another split, this time against the New Hope Badgers. The Broncs went 6-6 against three of the likely four playoff teams this month.

Game 1 was a tight game until the 8th inning when the Badgers scored three insurance runs to blow open what was at the time a 4-2 lead.

Tom Glavine then righted the ship but producing another fine start, similiar to his outing against Las Vegas. Glavine went seven innings allowing a single run on three hits and two walks and the Broncs got to Chris Young early and often and cruised to a 7-1 win.

Orlando Hernandez followed suit with seven inning of shutout ball, scattering seven hits and two walks and the Broncs would manage to secure the 4-0 whitewash. Adam Everett had three hits, scoring twice to help pace the Broncs.

Game 4 saw the Broncs and Jeff Suppan jump out to a 6-0 lead after three innings of play. The Badgers scored a lone run in the 4th off of Suppan, but it was the 5th that Suppan couldn't get out of as he ended up charged with six runs and left the game tied at 6-6. Both teams traded runs in the 7th and 8th as the Broncs bullpen couldn't hold those two leads. Grady Sizemore hit a 2-run homer off of Huston Street in the 10th to complete the Badger comeback and turn the series into a split.

Haren shutouts Infidels, Broncs split

Ravenswood (AP) - July 16, 2007

Facing their second probably playoff team of the chapter in the Ravenswood Infidels, the San Antonio Broncs earned a road split thanks in part to a masterpiece by Danny Haren.

Haren (12-7) struck out nine in a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and one walk, and the Broncs scored just enough runs, one, to get the victory. Adam Everett hit a 2-out single in the second inning to plate David Ross.

Tom Glavine tried to keep the string going but shutting out the Infidels during the first five innings of Game 2, but despite holding a 4-0 lead at that point, the Infidels roared back and scored six times in the last three innings to even the series at one game apiece.

The Infidels would score three times against the Broncs bullpen in the 8th inning of Game 3 to earn another 6-4 victory. Matt Wise and Aaron Fultz would allow the damage after being only down 3-2. The Broncs would score twice in the 9th thanks to a Dallas McPherson 2-run HR.

Game 4 saw more offensive fireworks as the two teams combined for 32 hits and 17 runs, but it would be Adrian Beltre's 6th inning sacrifice fly that would be the deciding run in a 9-8 victory. The Broncs were down 7-6 when they broke open the game with three runs in the 6th. Frank Thomas would hit a solo HR in the 7th to draw within a run, but Huston Street would pitch the final two innings to earn his 23rd save of the season, earning the split.

Broncs split again, Suppan loses 14th

San Antonio (AP) - July 12, 2007

While trying to keep the momentum going on their home stand, the San Antonio Broncs managed a split against the Las Vegas Flamingos.

In what has become all too repetitive, the Broncs had to earn the split by taking two of the first three games as Jeff Suppan continues to struggled with the Broncs. With a chance to take another series, Las Vegas jumped on Suppan for three runs in the first and were up 5-0 after four innings. That would be just enough for the Flamingos as they dodged a late rally, thanks to two Brian Roberts' homers, for a 5-3 victory.

The Broncs got off to a slow start as Danny Haren lost his first decision of July when he was roughed up for eight runs, seven earned, in a 12-6 loss.

Tom Glavine, who has been up and down all season, was headed in the right direction as he limited the Flamingos to one run and three hits over six innings as the Broncs. San Antonio broke the game open with a 4-run first inning, capped by Eduardo Perez's 3-run HR and cruised for their on for a 5-1 victory.

Orlando Hernandez had a little rougher time, giving up five runs in five innings, but the Broncs rallied from a 5-2 deficit to take a 7-5 decision. Four straight hits, including 2-run homers by Adam Dunn and David Ross keyed a four-run inning that gave the Broncs the lead.

San Antonio takes three from hapless Blazers

San Antonio (AP) - July 8, 2007

After opening the month with one of the Ozzie League's front runners, the San Antonio Broncs returned home to take on one the OL's have-not as they welcomed the New Milford Blazers to town.

Danny Haren upped his record to 11-6 with seven innings of 1-run ball. Two late runs on RBI singles by Jose Lopez and Adam Dunn broke open a 1-1 tie and the Broncs bullpen iced the game, as Huston Street earned save number 21.

Game 2 followed the same tilt as the first game as both teams played a close game, despite the fact that San Antonio outhit New Milford, 19-8. In a tight game, New Milford went to its bullpen often to try and find matchups for the platoon holes in the Broncs offense and that strategy paid off as they kept the Broncs off the board going in the 12th inning of a 6-6 game. But the Blazers were forced to turn to Brandon Duckworth, the last arm in their pen.

Adam Dunn led off the 12th with a single and Eduardo Perez added a 1-out single. Rod Barajas hit a grounder back to Duckworth, but both runners were able to move up to 2nd and 3rd for Adam Everett. Everett responded by lacing a grounder through the right side of the Blazer infield to plate the winning run.

A five-run 1st inning set the Broncs up for an easy 10-3 win for newcomer Casey Janssen, who was acquired from the Ravenswood Infidels in the J.J. Putz deal. Janssen pitched well with the lead, going five innings and allowed a single run, leaving with a 8-1 lead. Josh Rupe then pitched the final four innings to earn his first career BDBL save.

Primed for a sweep and a return to .500, the Broncs turned to Jeff Suppan, hoping they could get a good effort from him against a struggle New Milford team. However, the Broncs were once again disappointed as Suppan was tagged for five runs over five innings. Despite falling behind early, the Broncs managed to chip away and keep the game close, but they couldn't break though the Blazer bullpen late and fell 8-5.

Broncs open second half with series split in Salem

Salem (AP) - July 4, 2007

It was an up-and-down series and both team alternated beating up on the other as the San Antonio Broncs split with the Salem Cowtippers.

Danny Haren benefited from an early lead and a late rally against Salem starter Brandon Webb to earn the 10-5 victory. Huston Street entered the game in the 8th and earned his 20th save of the season.

Then it was Salem's turn to shine as they pounded out 23 hits, 12 off of Tom Glavine in 2 1/3 innings, to coast to a 15-3 victory.

The pendulum swung back to San Antonio's favor as a 7-2 victory was earned after Orlando Hernandez's strong effort. 'El Duque' retired the first 18 batters he faced before allowing two runs in the 7th on a Kenji Johjima blast, making it 3-2 Broncs. But a four-run 8th, highlighted by a 3-run HR by Aaron Rowand put the game away.

Momentum quickly shifted back to Salem as the 'Tippers jumped on Jeff Suppan early, scoring seven times in the first four innings to take an 8-5 victory.

Haren named to All-Star game, perfect in inning of work

New Milford (AP) - June 31, 2007

Danny Haren was voted in as a reserve to the Ozzie League All-Star Team for the second consecutive year and actually got to pitch this time around.

Haren pitched a perfect 6th inning, retiring Travis Hafner on a groundout to first, Vladimir Guerrero on a fly ball to right and Jason Bay on a grounder to second.

Haren's performance was the arguably the best by a Broncs player in the organization's 9 years.

Halfway report card not good for Broncs, despite results

San Antonio (AP) - June 29, 2007

It was a chapter of streaks for the Broncs as they went 10-14 for the their second losing chapter and fell below .500 at 38-42.

The chapter started off badly with a sweep at the hands of the Nashville Funkadelic. But the Broncs returned the favor against the South Carolina en route to a 9-1 record over their next 10 games. But that trend reversed just as quickly as they went 1-9 over the final 10 games capped by a sweep by the Wapakoneta Hippos.

"We just need to get hot and stay for awhile," Broncs manager Tony LaRussa said. "This team is capable of playing better, but we need better pitching from our starters if that is going to happen."

The problems in the Broncs rotation can be traced to the #2 and #4 spots as Tom Glavine and Jeff Suppan have struggled. Suppan ended the first 80 games with a 4-11 record and a 6.34 ERA. Glavine has been a touch better at 6-7 and 5.99, but overall disappointing for the 7.5M price tag that was paid during the auction. Orlando Hernandez also had a rough month going 1-2 with a 6.49 ERA.

Overall, the Broncs have a 5.09 starters ERA, but as surprising as that is, it's not nearly as surprising as the 4.90 ERA posted by the Broncs' bullpen which was supposed to be a strength coming into the season.

The combination of Trevor Hoffman, J.J. Putz and Huston Street figured to be an imposing force to opposing offenses late in game, but they trio has gotten roughed up with Putz taking the worst of it (4.74 over 43.2 innings) which lead to his being traded to Ravenswood.

The Broncs offense has been average at best, posted 4.5 runs a game, up about a half of a run from the 2006 squad that finished at 80-80. Austin Kearns has been the biggest disappointment in the lineup as he has posted a .225/.292/.316 campaign so far. His 4 home runs and 79 strikeouts are very troublesome for a player that was supposed to be brought in to provide protection for Adam Dunn.

But instead Ben Broussard and Adrian Beltre have done that. Broussard is hitting .291 with 12 homers and Beltre has added 18 homers despite his .240 average and have help lead the offensive attack.

Going forward, the Broncs need for things to get back to normal, good pitching and timely hitting, if they want to keep in a Griffin Division race that sees them 9 games out at the break.

Broncs overhaul farm, draft Aumont 8th overall

San Antonio (AP) - June 29, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs made some tough decisions at the midseason point. After gathering some promising young arms and holding roster spots for several years waiting for their arrival to the big league, today some cuts had to be made.

Gone are Ben Hendrickson and J.D. Durbin, thought to be two young cogs of the starting rotation at some point.

The Broncs had to cut two players to get down to 50 players, but then cut four more in order to draft four spots. After Aumont first, the Broncs shifted to grab a highly-ranked prospect from the '06 draft in Kasey Kiker that was set free earlier this season.

Then, the Broncs grabbed another player in Kala Kaaihue who was drafted in the '07 preseason. The Broncs finished the draft grabbing Jordan Danks, considered by most to a first round pick in '08.

Broncs' slides grow to seven games as Hippos sweep

Wapakoneta (AP) - June 24, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs continued to lose ground in the Griffin Division race as they were swept in their final interleague series against the Wapakoneta Hippos.

The Broncs finished interleague play at 6-10, their worst record since a 5-11 showing in 2003. Their 10-14 month was also their worst June since 2001 (7-19).

Danny Haren and Mark Hendrickson were each touched up early and often in the opener, but it was Wapakoneta and Hendrickson that were just good enough to eek out a 6-4 win. Game two would not get any better as Tom Glavine was touched up eight runs in four innings and the Hippos cruised to a 14-8 win.

As the series shifted to Wapakoneta, the results wouldn't get much better as the Broncs blew a 7-2 lead in the 8th inning as the Hippos rallied to score five times in the 8th and Vladimir Guerrero hit a walk-off home run off of Huston Street in the 9th to complete the 8-7 comeback.

Jeff Suppan was touched for four runs in the first inning of the fourth game and that would more than enough for Brad Radke as the Hippos shutout the Broncs, 9-0.

Broncs trade a thoroughbred for some young colts

Corona (AP) - June 21, 2007

In what might be another case of a BDBL front office overreacting to player performance, today the San Antonio Broncs shipped reliever J.J. Putz to the Ravenswood Infidels.

Putz, 3-5 with a 4.32 ERA with the Broncs, was sent the 2004 champs in exchange for pitcher Casey Janssen, reliever Ron Flores, and 1B prospect Chris Carter (the one with the White Sox).

"We simply have lost faith in Putz at this point," Broncs GM Greg Newgard said. "We envision a certain level of performance based on what we paid for him and we didn't feel we were getting that."

The Broncs re-acquire Janssen after dealing him to Ravenswood along with prospect Eric Hurely in return for LF Adam Dunn.

"We've always been high on Janssen and even though his MLB team insists on using him as a reliever instead of a starter, we still like him a lot."

Carter is a plus-plus power prospect at first base and while comparisons to Ryan Howard are premature, scouts do rave about his bat.

"We don't feel this deal hampers us from contending this year, even though we still need something to go right for us to have a chance," Newgard said. "It does weaken our bullpen a bit, but we think the players we have can fill the gap and can produce in '08 and beyond."

"We had several Ozzie League teams looking at Putz and put together good packages. We felt this one was a combination of players that could contribute this year and beyond as well as adding that power bat that our farm lacks."

Broncs fall to Confederates

Corona (AP) - June 20, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs continue to flounder around the .500 mark as they fail to build on their momentum, dropping three road games to a rebuilding Corona Confederate squad.

Once again, the Broncs ace Danny Haren started the series out positively as he pitched a solid eight innings, allowing one run on eight hits and the Broncs cruised to a 5-1 victory. The win moved Haren's record to 9-5.

Game 2 was a pitcher's duel as Wandy Rodriguez and Aaron Harang locked horns. Harang got the better of Rodriguez, leaving after seven innings with a 1-0 lead. Ben Broussard hit a solo HR in the 8th to tie the game, but J.J. Putz gave that run right back in the bottom of the inning when he allowed two doubles. Joaquin Benoit pitched a perfect 9th for the Confederates to preserve the 2-1 win.

Game 3 was a close affair until a 5-run 6th inning broke the game open for Corona, and they would cruise to a 7-1 victory.

In Game 4, the Broncs rallied twice to tie games after falling behind. But the third time was not the charm as Putz once again ended up taking a loss when he allowed a lead-off triple to Ray Durham. Durham would later score on Rob Quinlan's RBI single and the Broncs couldn't counter.

Broncs, Slyme sweep at home, swept on road

Southern Cal (AP) - June 16, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs matched up in another interleague matchup, this time with the Southern Cal Slyme, and won both games at home and dropped both games on the road.

The series started off positively as Danny Haren and the Broncs bullpen shut down the Slyme on five hits, allowing one unearned run. The Broncs scored five runs late in the contest to get a 5-1 victory.

That same pattern would more or less continue in Game 2 as the Broncs scored six runs early and the Broncs bullpen limited any comeback attempts late to get the win.

But when the series shifted to Southern Cal, so did the momentum as they Slyme jumped on the Broncs' starters early and often building large leads that they were able to take for wins.

Broncs stay hot, take three from Manchester

San Antonio (AP) - June 12, 2007

In a tightly played series, the Broncs took 3 of 4 from the visiting Manchester Irish Rebels. All four games were decided by two runs or less.

David Ross hit a 2-run HR in the 8th inning on the opening game to give the Broncs a 5-4 victory. The Broncs had a 3-2 lead heading into the 8th, but J.J. Putz allowed a 2-run double to Rich Aurilla to blow the lead. After Ross' blast, Huston Street nailed down his 17th save with a perfect 9th.

Game 2 looked like a runaway as the Broncs built a 6-1 lead after seven innings. But the Irish Rebels decided to mount a comeback, scoring once in the 8th and three times in the 9th. The Broncs bullpen was being rested, allowing Jason Grilli to pitch the 9th with a 6-2 lead, but a two-out RBI single to Wily Mo Pena and a 2-run HR to Alfonso Soriano brought the Rebs within one. Street then entered the game and got Miguel Cabrera to ground out to short to end the game.

Both teams put three runs on the board in the first inning, but from then on runs were add a premium in Game 3. Adam Dunn's solo HR in the 5th looked to be enough for the Broncs bullpen, but Trevor Hoffman served up a 2-run HR to Kevin Millar in the 7th that ended up being the nail in the coffin for the Broncs.

In the final game, a 3-3 tie after three innings turned into a slugfest. The Rebels scored three times in the 8th to take a 6-3 lead. The Broncs counted with a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Rebels tacked a run right back on the board. In the bottom of the 9th, Dan Wheeler was entrusted to lock down the win, and after allowing two hits and a run, he settled down to get two outs. But another hit and a Rod Barajas 2-run double tied the game at 7-7, chasing Wheeler. Dennys Reyes came on to try and keep the game tied, but Ross hit another game-winning 2-run HR to get the 9-7 win and a series victory.

Broncs reverse broom, sweep Sea Cats

South Carolina (AP) - June 8, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs decided to get right back on the horse and play another Person Division interleague series as the result was similiar, a sweep. But this time, it was the Broncs that were bucking and the South Carolina Sea Cats dusting themselves off.

The first two games in San Antonio were tight affairs. Danny Haren had a 5-2 lead in the opener before he surrendered a 3-run blast to Matt Murton in 7th. But the bullpen was able to keep the Sea Cats at bay and the Broncs got a game-winning sacrifice fly from Austin Kearns in the 7th.

After earning the save in Game 1, the Broncs turned to Huston Street again in Game 2. Street was handed a 3-1 lead and was set to face the heart of the Sea Cats' order.  A double to Corey Patterson started the inning, but two more outs put the Broncs on the doorstep. Andrew Jones was due up, but the Broncs decided to not let Jones beat them, so he was issued an intentional pass. Ron Rivera made Street pay with a 2-run double that tied the score. Street would get the next out, but his shot at his 17th save was blown.

Down to their final at-bat in the 9th, Ben Broussard hit a RBI single over a drawn-in infield to win it, 4-3.

As the series shifted to South Carolina, the Broncs' offense shifted into overdrive. After falling behind 4-0, Aaron Rowand became a one-man wrecking crew, going 3-for-5 with 5 RBIs with a homer and a double to help pull the Broncs out of the hole and to a 10-5 victory.

The finale was another tight contest early as the score stood 4-3 in the Broncs favor after six innings, but the Broncs got to the Sea Cats bullpen late to put insurance runs on the board and the Broncs cruised to a 9-3 win and completed the sweep.

Broncs get Funk'ed

Nashville (AP) - June 4, 2007

In the previous two months, the San Antonio Broncs went into the final game of a series needing a win to break up their opponents' chance of getting a sweep four times and four times managed to get that final win.

However, that luck finally ran out as the Broncs were flattened by the Nashville Funkadelic in the opening series of June.

In the opener, Danny Haren was roughed up to the tune of six runs and 10 hits over five innings as the Funk blew away the Broncs, 10-3.

The Broncs rebounded in Game 2 by staying close and in the 8th inning, Adam Dunn's 2-run home run, his 10th of the season, put the Broncs up 5-4. San Antonio turned the ball over the Ozzie League saves leader, Huston Street. Street had come off a month of of 10+ innings without being scored upon. But he quickly got in trouble by walking the first two batters he faced. A Jose Reyes triple later and Street would be saddled with a blown save. When the dust settled, Street would be responsible for five runs, four earned, and the Funk had a 9-5 victory.

In the next game, the Broncs once again rallied in the 8th, this time a Brian Roberts RBI double, to tie the game at 3-3. Both bullpens would go to the limit to try and keep the game close and eight innings later, Ramon Hernandez homered to lead off the bottom of the 16th off of Aaron Fultz to win it.

Game 4 was another poor offensive output for the Broncs as they were held to six hits and one run and the Funk earned a 5-1 win for the sweep.

Street, Barajas earn May honors

San Antonio (AP) - May 29, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs struggled in May to the tune of a 12-16 record to fall to .500, but there were some encouraging efforts from key members of the team that were spotlighted in the May awards.

Huston Street pitched a nearly perfect chapter by appearing in 10 games and racking up 8 saves and a 0.00 ERA and was named the pitcher of the month. In 10 1/3 innings, Street walked nobody and allowed just nine hits while striking out seven.

Wandy Rodriguez did get strong consideration by going 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA as a 5th starter.

From the offense, catcher Rod Barajas was singled out as hitter of the month. While sharing time with David Ross, Barajas blast four homers and hit .380/.415/.780 over 50 at bats, driving in 14 runs.

Broncs blow chance to make up ground on Undertakers

Los Altos (AP) - May 28, 2007

Coming into the series, the San Antonio Broncs were just four games behind the Los Altos Undertakers. With thoughts of a series win dancing in their heads, this would provide an excellent chance to tighten up the Griffin Division race.

The Broncs were not up to the task.

Los Altos dominated San Antonio for 35 of the 36 innings and the Broncs were lucky to escape a sweep. Los Altos opened up with two Chris Duncan two-run homers to take Game 1, 5-2. Chris Carpenter and Jered Weaver would then team up to pitch shutouts, Weaver's was a complete game SHO, to put the Broncs in a 3-0 hole.

In Game 4, the Broncs offense finally showed signs of life, by scoring five times to jump out to an early lead. Despite the Undertakers' best efforts, Orlando Hernandez and the Broncs bullpen made the lead stand up and staved off the sweep.

Another series, another split

San Antonio (AP) - May 24, 2007

The Corona Confederates may have started rebuilding already, but they had just enough left to manage a series split against San Antonio.

The Broncs took the first two close games, winning 6-5 and 2-0. Corona rallied back to take the 3rd game, 4-1.

In the finale, the Broncs had a lead and a shot to get back to .500 for the month as a 6-4 lead was handed over to the bullpen. But J.J. Putz was tattooed for five runs in the 7th inning, including a 3-run homer by Ray Durham, to blow the game and give Corona a split.

Broncs continue split personality, tie Bear Country

Bear Country (AP) - May 20, 2007

With San Antonio and Bear Country both chasing the leader, Los Altos, neither team could make up any ground as the team split a four-game series.

The Broncs opened up behind Danny Haren to a 6-2 victory. Adrian Beltre blasted three solo home runs to pace the Broncs attack.

In the next game, the two teams combined to score 33 runs, a team record for San Antonio. However, it was the Broncs playing catch most of the night as the Jamboree withstood a late rally to take the game, 18-15. David Ross and Carlos Guillen each led their respective teams with 6 RBI as each hit a grand slam. But the Jamboree built a 17-9 lead, 13 of those runs off of Tom Glavine, and cruised to the win.

In Game 3, neither team had much offense left and Bear Country scratched out a 2-1 win. Josh Willingham hit a sacrifice fly in 6th for the game-winning run.

In the final game, the Jamboree took a 3-0 lead into the 7th inning, but the Broncs would rally for a single run there and then a four-run rally in the 8th, three runs on a Adam Dunn homer, to take a 5-3 victory and a split series.

Rebels, Broncs battle to a split

Las Vegas (AP) - May 16, 2007

The San Antonio Broncs finally got to see some consistent left-handed pitching and it help the Broncs earn a split against the Manchester Irish Rebels.

After facing a left-handed starter in just four games of the previous 40, the Rebels trotted out three lefties and the Broncs responded by going 2-1 in those games.

The first game say the 20M C.C. Sabathia face off against the 100K Danny Haren. Haren got the better of Sabathia as he scattered five hits and no walks over seven innings and the bullpen preserved the 3-1 win. The Broncs got all of their scoring in the fourth inning when Rich Aurilla through away what should have been the third out on Eduardo Perez's ground ball. The ball sailed into the stands and allowed Austin Kearns to score from second base. A single and double later and two more runs were plated.

In Game 2, it was the Rebels scoring three runs first as Jason Giambi hit a three-run bomb off of Tom Glavine in the bottom of the first. Rod Barajas tried to get the Broncs back into the game by hitting a 2-run homer in the 2nd, but the Broncs would not cash in on numerous scoring opportunities as the Rebels would hold on to the 3-2 win.

Game 3 saw the Broncs come back from a 4-1 deficit to take a 5-4 lead in the 8th inning only to give it right back as the Rebels rallied for six runs and ended up taking that game, 10-6.

The finale saw the Broncs reverse the tables by taking a 8-1 lead and cruising to a 10-4 victory.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas

Las Vegas (AP) - May 12, 2007

After going a disappointing 3-9 in the 12-game homestand, the San Antonio Broncs took to the road and was able to break out of their funk and took a 3-1 road series from the Las Vegas Flamingos despite game temperatures that hover around 110 degrees.

Wandy Rodriguez, subbing for a tired and battered Danny Haren, opened the series with a strong performance, going 5 1/3 innings allowing just two runs despite allowing six hits and four walks. He left the game with a 4-2 lead that his bullpen would keep.

With the Broncs losing 2-1 in the 9th inning of Game 2, the situation was looking bleak. Oscar Villareal has gotten the first two outs, allowing a lone single to Ben Broussard. With Adam Everett due up, the Broncs turned to Frank Catalanatto to get a clutch hit. Las Vegas countered with a lefty, Eric Milton, and the Broncs were forced to burn Catalanatto to go to Nelson Cruz. Cruz responded by taking Milton deep to give the Broncs a 3-2 lead. J.J. Putz and Huston Street teamed up in the 9th to nail down the victory.

Jeff Suppan continued his lackluster May by getting hammered in his third straight start, allowing 10 hits and six runs as Las Vegas cruised to a 8-2 victory.

On the other hand, Orlando Hernandez continued his recent good luck by going seven innings in the finale, allowing a lone run run on eight hits as San Antonio cruised to a 7-1 win and the series win.

Slump continues, Padawans take advantage

San Antonio (AP) - May 8, 2007

After the rough series against Salem, the Broncs looked to feast upon the Griffin Division cellar-dwellers, the Sylmar Padawans, but it was a role-reversal as Sylmar took a 3-1 series over the Broncs.

On that was a carbon copy of the last series, the visitor dominated the Broncs by taking the first three games in convincing fashion, 11-2, 3-1, and 18-3.

It wasn't until Toma Ohka took the hill for Sylmar that the Broncs offense would get cranking. Adam Dunn hit two home runs in the first two innings, driving in five, while Rod Barajas and Ben Broussard also added long ball that help the Broncs take a 10-1 lead after two innings. Sylmar would try to climb back, but would eventually fall, 10-5.

Broncs stumble against Cowtippers

San Antonio (AP) - May 4, 2007

After ending the month of April on a sour note, the San Antonio Broncs continued playing that sour note with a 3-1 series home loss against the Salem Cowtippers.

After falling behind 3-0 in the opening frame, the Broncs rallied for five runs, four of those on Rod Barajas' grand slam. But Danny Haren couldn't hold that lead as the 'Tippers scored four more times in the 3rd and cruised to a 10-6 win.

The next game saw a lot less scoring, just one run in fact. Conor Jackson's RBI double off of Trevor Hoffman in the 8th innings was the lone tally and it spoiled Wandy Rodriguez's great start (7 IP, 4H, 0 R). Jeremy Bonderman held the Broncs to just two hits.

Game 3 would feature more of the same in terms of limited scoring and limited offense by San Antonio. Salem score three runs on three hits and an error off of Jeff Suppan and the Broncs managed just four hits and one run.

Needing to prevent the sweep, the Broncs broke out to a 5-0 lead in the finale and held on for a 5-3 win that gave Orlando Hernandez his first win on the season.

Beltre, Haren honored for April efforts

San Antonio (AP) - April 30, 2007

After a somewhat surprising 16-12 first month of the season, the Broncs handed out their award for April.

Danny Haren led the pitching staff with a 4-1 record in his seven starts. Haren compiled a 2.70 ERA over 46 2/3 innings and struck out 36 batters while walking just nine. All in all, the pitching staff was below expectations, posting a team ERA of 4.54, 9th-best in the Ozzie League. Most of that ERA can be attributed to the fact that the Broncs allowed nearly 40% of inherited runners to score.

Adrian Beltre paced the Broncs offens