After a promising start to their eight game road trip, (a 9-7 win on Thursday night), the wheels came off and Ottawa lost the three remaining games in Charlotte by scores of 12-8. 6-2 and 2-1, dropping their record to 22-24. The three loses meant that Ottawa gained only a split in the season series between the Lynx and the last place Southern Division Knights and fell to 9-15 on the road this year.

While the Lynx continued to score runs in game two of the Charlotte series, it was the Lynx pitching which couldn’t get the job done although credit has to be given to Charlotte outfielder Ryan Sweeney, just down from a two week stint with the Chicago Whitesox, who went 5-5 with a home run and three RBI. Ottawa starter Jason Anderson, (0-1), lasted only three innings, giving up five runs and left the game with the Lynx trailing 5-3. Ottawa scored three in the first as Jason Jaramillo tripled in two of the three Ottawa runs. With the Lynx holding an 8-6 lead into the seventh inning, reliever Anderson Garcia, (0-1), lasted only 1.2 innings and was charged with seven runs with Kenny Kelly and Ernie Young each hitting home runs. Garcia, in six games this season, has and ERA of 9.36 in six appearances. Throw out this game and Anderson has been very effective, pitching six inning with only one earned run. Obviously just one of those games which is why statistics don’t always mean a lot-except in the teams’ won-lost column. Also, most of the damage in this game was done by ex major leaguers or players who will soon be there. Good news was that the team scored at least eight runs for the second night in a row, Lou Collier hitting the seventh home run of the season for the team.

The next game would be the Lynx second loss in succession, this time on of the Chicago Whitesox top prospects Josh Fields, who had been in a slump when the two teams met in April, did the damage. Fields homered, (two run homer in the first), doubled and singled and the Lynx couldn’t solve former Phillies prospect Gavin Floyd, (2-3), who went six innings giving up both Lynx runs. Ottawa starter J.D. Durbin, (1-4), couldn’t repeat his brilliant previous start of 8.1 innings against Pawtucket, lasting 5.2 innings and giving up ten hits and five runs. Ottawa were down 5-1 after three and were unable to rally against Floyd and two Charlotte relievers.

The final game of this series and the final meeting between these two clubs for 2007 was a tight pitching dual. Zack Segovia, (1-5), again pitched effectively but again received very little offensive support as he allowed two runs over 6.1 innings but got the loss. Ottawa could get nothing going against Charlotte starter Lance Broadway, ( 0-0),and with the game tied at 1-1 in the bottom half of the seventh, Kane Davis, (1-1 ), who had replaced Segovia with two runners on and one out, got the second out on a force play at the plate but then walked the next two Knight batters, allowing the go ahead and eventual winning run to score. Ottawa could do nothing against the Knight bullpen again and suffered their third loss in a row despite out hitting Charlotte seven to five but leaving nine runners on base.

It was on to Durham next to face the Bulls for four games, the first meeting between the two clubs this season. Durham were 24-46 in second place and had split their four game series with Rochester. The Bulls, (Triple A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays), were six games behind the Southern Division leading Richmond Braves and had not played against the Lynx this season.

Durham this year feature three starting pitchers having outstanding seasons. It seems as if the Lynx while truing to get the offense going consistently, keep running into opponents who are featuring at least two starters in any series who are going to be very tough to face. This series Ottawa would face Jason Hammel and most likely Andy Sonnanstine , both of whom are knocking loudly on the Devil Rays door.

Durham routed Ottawa 8-0 behind the first career shutout for starter Jason Hammel, (3-5), and scored five runs in five innings on seven hits against Lynx starter Bubba Nelson, (0-1). Durham hit four home runs, pounding out ten hits, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. Hammel allowed only five hits while striking out six. Ottawa reliever Rick Bauer, (1-2), continued his struggles in 2007, giving up three runs in two innings of work but the game was already gone by that time. Ottawa loss was their fourth in a row and dropped their record to 22-25 and making matters worse was a thumb injury to Brennan King who was placed on the DL. Joey Hammond who had only just been returned to Reading, was recalled by Ottawa to replace King along with another recall, catcher Tim Gradoville . Jason Anderson was transferred to Reading. King had started all but one game for Ottawa this year and the loss of his RBIs and glove at third could be a blow to the teams fortunes over the next couple of weeks despite the fact that Hammond, a nine year minor league vet, was hitting .375 for Ottawa over four games.

The Lynx returned the shutout the next evening winning 2-0 and snapping a four game losing streak. J.A. Happ,(1-2), made his tenth start of the season, having struggled in his last four after a hot start. Happ went 3.1 innings, giving up two hits and striking out three, allowed no runs but had to be replaced due to an undisclosed injury. Ottawa couldn’t get anything going until the sixth inning when they scored one run, (Chris Roberson sac fly), followed by a second run in the seventh, ( Gary Burnham double). Burnham has gone 9-22 in his last six games to raise his average to .331. John Ennis, (3-0), picked up the win pitching 2.2 innings, allowing one hit while striking out four and Kane Davis pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts. Although Lynx save leader Brian Sanches allowed four hits over the final two innings, he preserved the shutout and earned his ninth save.

Game three of the series was an afternoon matchup and the Lynx were hammered once again, this time 11-3 as the bullpen again let the game get out of hand. Ottawa sent Eude Brito, (1-2), against Jeff Niemann, (4-3). Brito had appeared in four games for Ottawa this year and this was his first start of the 2007 season. His ERA going into this game stood at 12.0 but he had only thrown three innings thus far. The six foot nine Niemann was making his eleventh start and went 5.1 innings for the win, (one run allowed). The Bulls hit four home runs, (two off Brito and two off Bauer, and lead 11-1 after seven innings, scoring in six of their eight innings, three times in the fifth and four times in the seventh. Brito left after four innings trailing 4-1 but the bullpen couldn’t hold the game close, Besinius giving up three runs and Bauer giving up four. The sole bright spot for Ottawa this afternoon was Dusty Wathan who went 2-3 bringing his average up to .357 for the season.

Ottawa won the final game of this four game series with Durham, 4-3, and demonstrated precisely why home runs sure can make things go a lot easier. Jason Jaramillo, who has been hitting the ball hard lately but usually right at someone for a hard luck out, hit two where no one was standing last night. It was the first two home run night of his career and obviously the first two home run game for Ottawa this year and brought his team leading total to three. Both were solo shots and he also scored a run on a Gary Burnham RBI double. J. D. Durbin, (2-4), picked up the win pitching six innings, giving up all three Durham runs and striking out eight, (his season high), while Anderson Garcia who had been hit hard his last appearance, turned it around and pitched the final three innings, no hits, runs or walks and five strikeouts for his first save of the season. Andy Sonnanstine, (6-4), took the loss for Durham. This is the type of game which this team is certainly capable of playing-defence, great pitching, ( although no player should be expected to be lights out in relief for three innings as Garcia was), and that old favourite, the home run.

The Lynx ended their road trip 3-6 and finished off the month of May with a record of 24-26, five back of Buffalo in the Northern Division and still very much in contention heading into the third month of the season. Ottawa opens up a home stand tonight against Southern Division leading Richmond, (Triple A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves), a four game series and the first meeting between the two teams this year. The Durham Bulls come to town for four games following Richmond.

Lynx Notes: Although the Lynx won only three of nine games on this recent trip, they lost no ground to the division leading Buffalo Bisons. J.A. Happ was placed on the DL with an elbow injury, (retroactive to May 30), and Jason Anderson was transferred back from Reading to replace him, (sometimes it’s tough to keep up with all these player moves!).

2006 IL Manager of the Year John Russell will be managing the IL All-Stars as they take on the PCL All-Stars in Albuquerque this July.

Next week I’ll be posting a Lynx review for the month of May and we’ll get into stats and such at that time.