After the second full week of the International League season the Iron Pigs are mired in last place with a 2-13 record, eight full games behind the divsion leading Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. While there are no Pigs among the league hitting leaders, Ron Chiavacci leads the league with a 0.52 ERA and is 8th in the league with 17.1 innings pitched. Brian Mazone is 7th in the league with 18 innings pitched, however leads the league in homers allowed with 4. JA Happ is tied for the league lead in strikeouts with 21.

Week in Review–In what has now become the worst start in the International League in the last 30 years, the Pigs lost their ninth straight last Friday in their home opener, 6-0 against the Richmond Braves. The offense was enemic yet again, with nothing to note other than a 2 hit effort by Chris Woodward. Starter JD Durbin went 5 innings and gave up 4 runs on 7 hits. He walked 3 and struck out 4. My personal karma changed nothing Saturday night, as I took in my first game at beautiful Coca Cola park and watched a 5-3 loss to Richmond, dropping the Pigs to 0-10. Travis Blackley started and pitched well giving up only a run over 5 innings. The same cant be said for Joe Bisenius (0-1) who came in during the 6th inning and immediately gave up a homer and three additional runs to blow the 2-1 lead the Iron Pigs had taken an inning earlier. The offensive “highlights” included a 2 run 5th inning, featuring RBI singles by Brandon Watson and Casey Smith. As an aside, the Braves stole 5 bases against the Pigs pitchers and catcher Jason Jaramillo. Just over 7000 fans suffered through the 11th straight loss, 6-2, for the Iron Pigs on Sunday, further extending their record for the worst start in IL history. JA Happ started for the Pigs and struggled with his control, going 5 innings and giving up 2 runs on only one hit. He walked five and struck out nine in his five innings of work, throwing just 53 of his 97 pitches for strikes. John Ennis (0-1) and Steve Green struggled out of the pen for the Iron Pigs. Prior to the bullpen implosion the Pigs had tied the game on a Gookie Dawkins 2 run double in the 6th inning. Both Dawkins and Mike Cervenek had two hits for the Iron Pigs. The first victory in franchise history finally became a reality Monday evening as the Iron Pigs beat the Braves. Ron Chiavacci (1-0) started and again was excellent, going 6 shutout innings, giving up only three hits. He walked three and struck out eight. The Pigs took an early 2-0 lead in the 3rd on an RBI double by Andy Tracy and a sacrifice fly by Brandon Watson. A sac fly by Casey Smith scored Brennan King who had doubled to give the Pigs an insurance run in the 6th. Matt Childers came in to pitch the ninth for the Iron Pigs to notch the save.

The Iron Pigs opened a series against Toledo on Tuesday and won their second straight, 4-1. Brian Mazone (1-2) started and pitched well going 5 innings and giving up only a run on seven hits. The combination of Steve Green, Steve Kline, John Ennis, and Matt Childers pitched four shutout innings in relief with Childers picking up his 2nd save in as many nights. Key RBI hits by Andy Tracy and Brennan King keyed the offense, with King, Mike Cervenek and Mike Spidale each adding two hits. Wednesday evening saw the Pigs slip back into their losing ways with a 6-4 loss to the Mudhens. JD Durbin (0-3)was somewhere between bad and terrible going 5 innings and giving up five runs on 6 hits and walking three more. Toledo took an early 4-0 lead, but Lehigh Valley came back on the strength of a RBI single by Val Pascucci (his first RBI of the year) and a 2 run homer by Mike Cervenek(1), but the Mudhens lead quickly again increased with Durbins’s difficulties. Andy Tracy was 4-5 with two doubles and a run scored and Brandon Watson had 2 hits (both bunts). Another 12 men were left on base by the Pigs. The Iron Pigs began another losing streak, now at two, with a 4-1 loss on Thursday evening. Travis Blackley (0-2) started for the Pigs and was largely ineffective going 4.2 innings and giving up 3 runs on 4 hits. He walked 3 and struck out 2. The Pigs offense was again almost completely non existant with the only run scored on a bases loaded walk. In the ninth inning, the Pigs had runners on secondf and third with no one out before Toledo struck out Pete LaForest, Brennan King and TJ Bohn to end the game.

Phils 40 man review– Reliever Joe Bisenius went on the DL for at least a week with a left toe problem, and a much bigger problem of an ERA over 10. Starter JA Happ is now 0-2 over his three starts having pitched 13.2 innings and has an ERA of 5.27. He has struck out 21 in 13.2 innings, however, walked 11. Catcher Jason Jaramillo is stuck well below the Mendoza line at .167 with 2 homers and 2 RBI’s. Most concerning is the rate at which opposition runners are stealing bases (well over 90%). OF TJ Bohn has been horrible hitting just .118 in 34 at bats, with one run scored, no homers, no RBI’s and no steals.

Transactions–Last Friday, pitcher Jason Anderson was sent down to (AA) Reading and pitcher Steve Green was activated from the DL. Anderson had a 7.22 ERA during his 2 appearances with the Pigs this season. Green, 30, is a relief pitcher and was 2-4 with a 4.81 ERA and 5 saves in 55 appearances with (AAA) Norfolk last year. Opponents hit .280 against him.

Following last Saturdays’ game OF Chris Snelling was called up by the Phillies to take the place of Shane Victorino who was placed on the DL with a calf strain. SNelling was hitting .231 with an RBI for the Iron Pigs. OF Mike Spidale, 26, was called up from Reading to take the spot of Snelling on the Pigs roster. Spidale, is hitting .375 in the early going with Reading this year and last year split time between Clearwater and Reading, hitting .296 with 2 homers and 47 RBI’s. He has speed and had 23 SB’s last season.

Prior to the game Monday infielder Joey Hammond, 30, was recalled from Reading. Hammond is hitting .333 thus far with Reading and has an on base percentage over .500 in the early going. He is a minor league veteran who hit .297 between Reading and Ottawa last season, with 6 homers and 56 RBI’s. Hammond can play second, short or third. Sent down to Reading was second baseman Gookie Dawkins who has seen extremely limited playing time this year. Dawkins was hitting .214 for the Pigs and was actually tied for the team lead in RBI’s with 2 (not a typo) after 11 games.

Prior to Tuesday nights game reliever Joe Bisenius was placed on the disabled list with a left toe problem. Bisenius had a 10.39 ERA in his 4 appearances this season. Former major leaguer Steve Kline was activated and gives the Pigs another lefthanded arm out of the bullpen. Kline, 35, pitched for the San Francisco Giants the last 2 years, making 140 appearances over those two seasons. If Kline is effective over the next several weeks in Allentown, look for him to join the Phillies bullpen as a situational lefty behind JC Romero.

Pork:– The Iron Pigs 0-11 start was the worst start in International League hsitory.

–Last Sunday, the Pigs left 12 men on base and struck out 13 times.

–The Pigs cleanup hitters have one RBI and are hitting .154 (8-52)

–The Pigs are batting .146 with runners in scoring position (13-89)

–Jason Jaramillo has thrown out one of fourteen basestealers.

–Ron CHiavacci has been outstanding in each of his three starts. Chiavacci has not allowed a run in his last 16.1 innings.

–The Pigs are averaging 10 men left on base a game.

–Even while losing their first eleven games, the Pigs pitching staff still has not allowed a double digit hit total in any game.

–SS Chris Woodward already has 6 errors this season in just 9 games played.

–Prior to last nights game the team batting average was .199.

–The Pigs bullpen have allowed 13 of 21 inherited runners to score.

–Reliever Steve Kline has made two appearances without allowing a hit or a run.