After dropping both ends of the double header Thursday night against Syracuse, the Lynx began week twenty-two with a double header split Friday night, their second double header in two nights. Of course with four games in two days, there is always the possibility that one of the starting pitchers is going to have to take one for the team. Although new comer Gary Knotts, (0-1), pitched a decent game in his first start for the Lynx, he went the distance in game one and Syracuse defeated Ottawa again, this time by a score of 5-3. Ottawa lead 3-1 after two innings but Knotts tired and couldn’t hold the Syracuse club, giving up one run in the fifth and three in the sixth inning. The Lynx scored three off Syracuse starter Justin James but Chiefs bullpen, Scott Sauerbeck-(1-1), and Matt Roney, (his second save of the season), held them to only two hits over the final two innings. Adam Lind again had a big night going 3-3 with a home run, (he went 6-6 with two home runs and five RBI in his last two games and Howie Clark also chipped in with three hits. Lind and David Corrente each homered in the three run sixth. Ottawa second baseman Joe Thurston went 3-4 including his fourth home run of the year.

Game two of this double header saw Ottawa break their three game skid and defeat Syracuse 6-4, thanks to a Jim Rushford three run double, (his twenty-fourth), in the sixth inning breaking a 3-3 tie game. Lynx starter Ryan Cameron lasted only two innings, pulled after giving up three straight singles to Syracuse in the bottom of the third, and gave up one run. A Lynx trio of relievers, although only marginally effective, (three runs in five innings), managed to preserve the Lynx win with Kane Davis picking up his third save of the season. Rushford cleared the bases in the sixth after a hit by pitch, a single and a walk had loaded the bases with just one out.

Syracuse edged Ottawa 5-4 the next night with a two out, bottom of the ninth single by John-Ford Griffin. Anderson Garcia, (1-4), had come into the game in the ninth and gave up a one out triple to Ryan Roberts. Ottawa had two out after a Brennan King to Jason Jaramillo force at home and it looked like Ottawa might get out of this jam and send the game into extra innings. Griffin ruined those plans as Adam Lind, who had been intentional walked and reached second on the force play at home, came round to score the winning run on the single up the middle, just out of reach of Garcia. Landon Jacobsen started for Ottawa and lasted six innings but gave up four runs. Ottawa came back to tie the game 4-4 with two runs in the seventh with three two out singles but the bullpen couldn’t keep the game tied and the Lynx couldn’t get anymore, Syracuse reliever Jason Vermilyay, (2-2), shutting them down for the final two innings. Jason Jaramillo lead the Lynx going 2-5 with two RBI. Syracuse committed three errors in this game which was merely a hint of what was to come the next day.

Ottawa won this one 12-10 in extra innings but the big story in this game-Syracuse committed ten errors, a Syracuse record and tying an IL record). The Lynx pounded out seventeen hits in this ten inning game, and came away with the victory despite a very poor outing by starter J.A. Happ. Happ lasted only 5.1 innings and gave up nine runs and nine hits, walking three. But Syracuse pitching thanks to the record setting effort of the defence, couldn’t hold the Lynx. In fact, this was a game which neither side seemed to want a victory. Ottawa lead 8-4 after four, gave up five in the sixth and after eight innings the game was tied up at 10-10. Randy Leek gave up eight runs, (seven earned), in only four innings of work. Dusty Wathan hit a one out single with runners on second and third in the tenth for his second and third RBI of the game and Kane Davis pitched a perfect tenth for his fourth save of the year. The win went to Jason Anderson, (2-1), who allowed a hit and a walk and struck out three in 2.2 innings of relief. Syracuse third baseman John Hattig committed three errors and first baseman Chad Mottola committed four, leading the Chiefs to their record setting and tying error total.

It was on to Scranton next for the Lynx and game one was a very one sided 11-2 victory for the Yankees. Major league veteran Jose Cruz Jr. went 4-5 for Scranton and the Yankees scored three runs in the first and two in the second putting this one away early. Ottawa starter Matt Childers, (7-4), gave up five runs in four innings and Ryan Cameron and Anderson Garcia gave up three apiece in relief. Matt DeSalvo, (8-5), held the Lynx to one run over eight innings, allowed seven hits and struck out nine. Joe Thurston went 3-4 with two doubles, raising his season average to .293. Scranton ended a three game losing skid with the victory Monday night.

Ottawa played their last road game of the 2007 season and lost 5-4 to Scranton as the Yankees scored the tie breaking run in the eighth inning on a single by Andy Cannizaro. Ottawa had come back to tie the game at four scoring two in their half of the eighth but the bullpen couldn’t hold Scranton. Fabio Castro, just returned from Philadelphia, lasted 5.2 innings and gave up four runs, five hits and three walks. Joe Besinius, (2-4), allowed the go ahead run in the eight and pitched 1.2 innings allowing three hits. Joe Thurston had another three hit game and Chris Roberson drove in two runs and also had three hits including his ninth triple of the season. The Lynx came back twice to tie the game but couldn’t do it a third time as the tying run, Chris Roberson, was forced at second with one out. Jason Jaramillo ground out to end the game. Reliever Jose Veras, (2-0), pitched the final two innings for Scranton and despite giving up three hits and a walk, earned the victory.

Ottawa returned home for the final six games of the 2007 season Wednesday with an opportunity, at least Wednesday and Thursday, to help decide the wild card race in the IL. They faced Rochester who had won their last two games and were tied with Buffalo in second place in the Northern Division and were fighting it out with Buffalo and Richmond for a playoff spot.

A severe rainstorm caused the postponement of the Ottawa-Rochester game Wednesday night resulting in a double header the next evening. Both games were tense and tough pitching duals between the two teams with Ottawa winning the first game 1-0 and dropping the second 3-2 in eight innings. Game one was a historic win for the Ottawa Lynx as it was win number 1,000 in their fifteen year history. Lynx starter Gary Knotts, (1-1), went the distance, giving up only two hits and none until the sixth inning. Knotts was able to hit his spots all night and used an excellent slow curve resulting in six strikeouts. Rochester starter Rob Blackburn, (7-4), was almost as good, also throwing a complete game and allowing only one run, that in the first inning, five hits and five strikeouts. The Lynx scored the only run of the game on a passed ball. Javon Moran had singled to open the Lynx first inning and was bunted over to second by Joe Thurston. A wild pitch got him to third but a shallow fly ball couldn’t score him and the Lynx were in danger of stranding Moran at third. Two pitches later, a passed ball which didn’t get very far behind the Rochester catcher scored the only run of the game as Moran beat the tag by Blackburn. Rochester managed to get a runner in scoring position in the seventh but Knotts ended the game on a routine fly ball to Moran in centre and win number 1,000 was in the books.

Ottawa had an opportunity in the first inning of game two to put the game away early but Moran was caught daydreaming at first and was picked off by Rochester starting pitcher David Gassner. Ottawa did manage to score two runs on a Gary Burnham single and a Dusty Wathan double but should have had a couple more which might have put the game away. Lynx starter John Ennis, who pitched five innings, gave both runs back in the top of the third and the game was tied after seven innings. A leadoff triple by Trent Oeltjen off of reliever Jason Anderson left Ottawa with their backs up against the wall and the next batter drove home the game winner on a sacrifice fly to right field. The throw was right there from Matt Padgett but the home plate umpire called the runner safe. The Lynx went down in order in their half of the eighth on three routine ground balls as Rochester took game two.

The final games of the 2007 season begin tonight with a four game series against Syracuse.

Lynx Notes: On August 26^th, Philadelphia purchased the contract of Lynx starter John Ennis and released Ottawa closer Brian Sanches. Pedro Swann was transferred from Reading. Fabio Castro was optioned back to Ottawa August 27^th after his start last Thursday, a very effective start as an injury replacement, and Bubba Norton and Carlos Leon were transferred to Reading.

John Ennis, briefly a Philadelphia Phillie, (see August 26th), cleared waivers and is now back with Ottawa. Gary Burnham needs one more double to tie the all time Lynx record for doubles in one season and two more RBI to tie another Lynx season record.