stalking baseball

Whatever happened to David Renfroe, the former South Panola quarterback/shortstop/pitcher who signed, for a very nice bonus, with Boston in 2009? Renfroe, a third-round pick, didn't make his pro debut until 2010 — and it didn't go so well. He batted just .190 with two homers and 13 RBIs at short-season Class A Lowell. He was rated by Baseball America as the Red Sox's 14th-best prospect before ever playing a pro game but fell out of the organization's top 30 after his debut season. Well, don't look now, but Renfroe is having a resurgent sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is hitting .282 with three homers, 23 RBIs and 21 runs through 56 games at low-A Greenville. The son of former Ole Miss star and short-time major leaguer Laddie Renfroe, David may have jumped back on the fast track. He wanted to play shortstop as a pro but appears better suited to third base. How his power develops likely will be the key to his big league chances.

update

Ole Miss product Alex Presley, in his second at-bat for Pittsburgh tonight, hit his first big-league homer, a two-run shot off Toronto's Jo-Jo Reyes in the third inning at the Rogers Centre.

watch for it

Former Ole Miss standout Alex Presley, who was wearing it out in Triple-A, will likely be in the Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup tonight at Toronto. Presley, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound left-handed hitter, was batting .336 with eight homers, 36 RBIs and 18 steals for Indianapolis. An injury to outfielder Jose Tabata finally inspired the Bucs to recall Presley. Former Jackson Mets skipper Clint Hurdle has the Pirates hanging around in the National League Central. ... Former JaxMets manager Davey Johnson lost his Washington Nationals debut on Monday; they play again tonight at the Los Angeles Angels. ... Meridian Community College alumnus Cliff Lee, 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA in his last three starts, goes for Philadelphia tonight against Boston and Josh Beckett. That should be a dandy. ... Former Mississippi Braves ace Tommy Hanson, 3-0 with a 1.42 in his last three starts, faces Seattle and rookie sensation Michael Pineda tonight. Another good one. Curious to see if ex-M-Brave Jason Heyward hits leadoff for Atlanta again. Not sure about that lineup change. ... Also on the mound tonight: M-Braves alumnus Jo-Jo Reyes gets the call for the Blue Jays against the Pirates, and ex-Jackson Generals ace Freddy Garcia starts for the New York Yankees against Milwaukee.

turning point

This is no knock on Jim Riggleman's managerial abilities, but the Washington Nationals may have become a real force to be reckoned with by hiring Davey Johnson as their new skipper. Be afraid, Braves fans. The Nationals (39-38) were already playing better before Riggleman's befuddling resignation; Atlanta, second to Philadelphia in the National League East, can hear the Nats' footsteps. And on Monday, Johnson takes charge. He's a proven winner in the dugout. He led the Jackson Mets to their first Texas League championship in 1981, then took over the New York Mets in 1984 and turned them into a powerhouse, posting six straight winning seasons. They won the 1986 World Series, employing many players groomed in the Mets' system by Johnson. He was dismissed early in 1990 but went on to manage three other clubs, posting winning records at each stop. His overall record is 1148-888 (.564 winning percentage). The Nationals have loaded up on young talent. They're coming — maybe even this season. They've got 12 games left with the Braves, nine with the Phillies. Davey Johnson could have a huge impact in the NL East race.
P.S. Noticed that Willie Cabrera, usually an outfielder, played second base for the Mississippi Braves on Saturday night. That's his old high school and junior college position, a spot where he might be a better fit. Cabrera doesn't have the power to be a corner outfielder, but he can hit, as he's shown during his three-plus seasons in Pearl. He's hitting .275 for the M-Braves with one homer, 23 RBIs and 28 runs in 53 games in 2011.

the end is near

Sadly, we may have seen the last of Roy Oswalt in the major leagues. There are published reports today that the Philadelphia Phillies right-hander from Weir and Holmes Community College is "pondering his future" after leaving Thursday's game early with back problems. Oswalt, who'll turn 34 in August, already has spent time on the disabled list this season with back trouble; he has two degenerative discs. Back problems have spelled the end for many a great athlete. Some can play hurt, sure, but a pitcher really can't. Oswalt is 4-6 with a 3.79 ERA for the Phillies this season, not what the club was expecting from one of its heralded four aces. And not what Oswalt, a fierce and prideful competitor, was expecting either. If this is indeed the end, then we'll soon be celebrating a career that ranks with the best of any Mississippi-born hurler. Oswalt is 154-89 for his career with a 3.20 ERA. He posted two 20-win seasons during his days with Houston and led the Astros to the 2005 World Series. He was good.

going places

Mississippi Braves right-hander Arodys Vizcaino is on the international roster for the July 10 All-Star Futures Game, as is former M-Braves pitcher Julio Teheran (now at Triple-A Gwinnett). The prospect-packed Futures Game will be played in Phoenix as part of the MLB All-Star festivities. Vizcaino, Atlanta's No. 7 prospect entering this season, is 4-3 with a 2.86 ERA at two stops this season; the Dominican is 2-1 with a 3.51 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings for the M-Braves. M-Braves manager Rocket Wheeler has not announced his rotation for the upcoming Mobile series beyond tonight's game (Kenshin Kawakami).

minor objective

The Mississippi Braves have sent so many players to the big leagues in their six-plus seasons in Pearl — Randall Delgado was No. 53 — that it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the club hasn't won a whole lot. The M-Braves have claimed two half-season titles out of 13 possible. They won a first half in 2007 and a second half in 2008, when they won the Southern League pennant. That was the Braves' first Double-A championship since 1997 and just third overall since 1966. One could infer from this that the Braves don't care about winning in the minor leagues. But that isn't really true. Yes, the prime objective in the minors is developing players' skills for the majors, finding out who can hack it and who can't. But at the same time, they want to develop players who can do the things it takes to win. Winning is the only objective in the big leagues. No organization wants minor league players who pile up impressive stats but can't do the little things that also win games. The old Greenville Braves produced six playoff teams in a seven-year stretch from 1988-94. It's no coincidence that the long-suffering big league team started to win consistently in 1991 with many of those players on the field. The 2011 M-Braves, who finished 25-45 (ugh!) in the first half, have a lot of talent but apparently aren't getting the little things done often enough. They lost 20 one-run games, primarily due to an offensive attack that doesn't produce enough to blow open games. They start the second half tonight at Trustmark Park with much the same cast that began the season in Pearl. With young prospects filling the rotation and several more scattered throughout the everyday lineup, it's time they showed, collectively, that they're acclimated to Double-A ball now and have learned how to win. It matters.

pick one

Seth Smith or Mitch Moreland. If you had to pick one of these two players for your club, whom would you take? It would be hard to go wrong either way as both are having outstanding seasons for contending teams. Smith, from Jackson by way of Ole Miss, is the more established big leaguer, now in his fifth year with the Colorado Rockies. A dangerous pinch hitter who is playing more regularly in right field this season, Smith is hitting .316 (top 10 in the National League) with eight homers. Two of those came Tuesday, the second of which was a game-winner. Moreland, from Amory by way of Mississippi State, also grabbed some spotlight Tuesday, hitting a walk-off, upper-deck bomb for the Texas Rangers. It was the first career walk-off for the second-year first baseman and his 10th homer of the season. He's hitting .294 for 2011 and .279 for his career. Smith is a .280 career hitter. Both are lefties who have their problems with left-handed pitching, but both have the kind of power that you love in the late innings of a close game. Both went to the World Series as rookies, Smith in 2007, Moreland last fall. That's a neat feat. Here's betting that at least one of them will get back there soon.
P.S. Julio Lugo, who joined the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, was a force for the Jackson Generals when he played for them in 1999. For those who've forgotten, Lugo, a slender shortstop, hit .319 with 10 homers, 25 doubles, five triples and 25 stolen bases for the Gens. That's a great combo of power and speed. He's had a pretty good big league career, as well, batting .270 overall. He can help the Braves filling in at any of the infield spots and even the outfield. Wouldn't be surprised to see him get some starts at second base.

not to be outdone

It came a day after Father's Day, but yet another son of a former Jackson area Double-A manager had a big day. In his first pro game, in his first at-bat, Troy Snitker homered for the Gulf Coast League Braves on Monday. The son of former Mississippi Braves manager Brian Snitker went 3-for-5 in the rookie league game. Troy, a catcher, was the Braves' 19th-round pick earlier this month out of North Georgia College.

father's day follow

Here's some fun facts with a Mississippi twist from Father's Day in the big leagues. Nick Swisher hit a game-changing home run for the New York Yankees on Sunday, helping take down the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Wrigley is where Nick's dad, Steve, a former Jackson Mets manager, spent much of his big league career. Drew Butera got the game-winning hit for Minnesota against San Diego. Drew's dad, Sal, a former Jackson Generals manager, also played for the Twins. There is another son of a former Jackson manager in the majors — Tim Dillard, son of Steve, who skippered the independent Diamond Kats in 2000. Tim's Milwaukee club played at Boston, where Steve began his big league career. Tim didn't pitch Sunday as the Brewers lost to the Red Sox, which may have spared Steve any mixed emotions.

watching and wondering

Jordan Schafer's production has been a bit of a surprise. He hasn't hit much since the Atlanta Braves summoned him from Triple-A, but the former Mississippi Braves outfielder has made an impact with his speed. On Saturday, for example, that speed forced an error in the eighth inning and he eventually scored the tying run in a game the Braves would lose to Texas in the 10th. In 22 games, hitting mostly leadoff, Schafer has scored 17 runs and stolen seven bases in 10 tries. His average is just .233 with an on-base percentage of .310. That's inadequate for a big league leadoff man. At times, Schafer has looked much like he did when he was back in Mississippi last summer, when he showed very little as a hitter. Meanwhile, Atlanta activated Nate McLouth today and purged Joe Mather from the roster. Now what do the Braves do? Does McLouth go back to center field and Schafer to the bench? Do they both play? Is that wise? They are similar in type. Both are good outfielders, though Schafer has a better arm. Both are lefty hitters. McLouth might have more power — he was hitting .238 (.332 OBP) with three homers and 11 RBIs in 48 games before going on the disabled list. But Schafer is faster and more of a base-stealing threat. How Fredi Gonzalez, whose club is in a funk, uses these two will be interesting, to say the least. And when Martin Prado returns ... then what?
P.S. Former M-Braves outfielder Matt Esquivel is still plugging away in the independent Atlantic League. He is hitting .333 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 24 games for the Long Island Ducks. His manager there, by the way, is former Jackson Mets infielder Kevin Baez.

paging mr. delgado

Randall Delgado won't start tonight for the Mississippi Braves at Jacksonville. Instead, the 21-year-old right-hander will start for Atlanta on Friday night against Texas at Turner Field. Delgado, 4-4 with a 3.54 ERA for the M-Braves, will take the spot of Tommy Hanson, another ex-M-Brave who was scratched because of shoulder soreness. Delgado, who hasn't pitched higher than the Double-A level, is 0-3 in his last five starts. His last win came on May 14. But the wiry 6-foot-3, 180-pound Panama native was rated the Braves' No. 3 prospect before the season. He has strikeout stuff, having fanned 10 in one start this year and eight in another. After eight starts this season, he was 4-1. His ERA took a beating in a May 24 outing when he allowed 10 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. Delgado could have picked a better team to debut against; the defending American League champion Rangers can rake.

strength in numbers

Southern Miss piled up some impressive numbers this season — beyond the 39 victories the Golden Eagles claimed on the field. USM had six of its high school signees for 2012 make first-team All-State. Two of those, The Clarion-Ledger's Mr. Baseball Mason Robbins and Sumrall star Connor Barron, were drafted by MLB clubs, as were two out-of-state signees. Barron was the first Mississippian picked, going to Florida in the third round. He has yet to sign. USM juco signee Andrew Pierce, a left-handed pitcher for national runner-up Jones County Junior College, was named a first-team All-American in NJCAA Division II. Somehow, Pierce wasn't drafted. Four 2011 USM players were drafted, including B.A. Vollmuth, who went in the third round to Oakland and was the second Mississippian picked. The junior third baseman/shortstop has yet to sign, but Ferriss Trophy winner Tyler Koelling (Minnesota), Todd McInnis (St. Louis) and Collin Cargill (Florida) have turned pro, along with Marc Bourgeois, a senior who signed a free agent deal with Arizona. The Eagles will miss those four — and Vollmuth, too, if he signs — but Scott Berry appears to have restocked the roster with top-tier talent. USM figures to pile up a bunch more wins in 2012.

woosh

Was that the sound of Cliff Lee blowing through the Florida lineup today? Or the sound of the Philadelphia Phillies starting to pull away in the National League East? Both, perhaps. Lee, the former Meridian Community College standout, tossed a two-hit shutout at the Marlins, winning 3-0 to boost his record to 7-5. It was the third win in the last four starts for Lee, who might just now be finding his best form. Roy Oswalt, the pride of Weir and Holmes CC, hasn't been his usual crafty self either, and still the Fightin' Phils find themselves with a season-best seven-game win streak and a 5 1/2-game lead over Atlanta. The Braves, suddenly wobbling through a three-game skid, turn to former Mississippi Braves left-hander Mike Minor (0-2, 4.50 ERA) to be a stopper tonight against the New York Mets. The Braves really need to keep the Phillies in sight.

mississippi 6-pack

Six Mississippi natives had a hand in five big wins in the big leagues on Wednesday. Start in Arizona, where Nettleton's Bill Hall went 2-for-4 with an RBI and New Albany's Eli Whiteside 1-for-3 (a triple) with an RBI as division leader San Francisco beat the second-place Diamondbacks 5-2 to extend its lead in the National League West to 2 1/2 games. At Colorado, Jackson's Seth Smith went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in a 5-run sixth inning to help the third-place Rockies (6 games out) keep pace with the Giants by beating San Diego 6-3. At Los Angeles, Hattiesburg native Fred Lewis was 2-for-3 with two RBIs as Cincinnati completed a sweep of the Dodgers with a 7-2 win and stayed 2 1/2 games behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central. At Detroit, Pascagoula product Tony Sipp registered his 13th hold by getting two outs in the eighth inning of a 6-4 win for Cleveland, which moved back into a first-place tie with the Tigers in the American League Central. At Minnesota, McComb's Matt Tolbert, starting again at second base, didn't get a hit but still contributed in the surging Twins' third straight victory, a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.
P.S. Minnesota has activated infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka from the DL and will install him at shortstop, with Alexi Casilla moving to second. Matt Tolbert, hitting only .193, will go back to a true utility role, which he handles well. Tupelo native Dusty Hughes was sent to the minors when Nishioka was activated.

grading out

The college season in Mississippi is in the books. Time for a final grade report.
Mississippi State: A. The Bulldogs, not even picked to make the NCAA field by many preseason forecasters, won a regional title and came within one victory of a trip to the College World Series. Maybe they overachieved. Or maybe the 38-25 finish is indicative of progress for John Cohen's program. State fans surely hope the latter is true.
Ole Miss: C. This could have been a D. The Rebels were projected as an NCAA Tournament team, but they were swept in a season-ending doubleheader at Arkansas and wound up missing both the SEC and NCAA tourneys as a result. The 30-25 finish, even considering the injuries Mike Bianco's club endured, was a disappointment.
Southern Miss: B. But this bordered on a C because of the Golden Eagles' late fade. They squandered an opportunity to win the C-USA regular season title outright at home, then saw their offense run dry in a 1-2 performance in the C-USA Tournament that was played practically in their own backyard. USM got a regional bid and went 0-2. Thud. Still, a 39-19 record and a share of the C-USA title rates some praise.
Delta State: D. The Statesmen perked up at season's end but still needed to make a strong showing in the Gulf South Conference Tournament to extend their season. They bowed out in three games. At 30-19, they missed the NCAA Division II regionals for the third straight year. They expect better in Cleveland.
Belhaven: A. The Blazers won the tough Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament title in their first year in the league and made the NAIA field. BU fell short of a second straight NAIA World Series trip, but a 45-18 year is a good one.
William Carey: B. Though their final record was just 31-27, the Crusaders made a nice run at season's end, reaching the SSAC title game against Belhaven and earning an NAIA regional bid.
Mississippi College: C. The Choctaws, though faced with replacing a number of key players, were ranked in preseason in NCAA D-III. They struggled much of the year and finished 24-18, bowing out in the opening round of the American Southwest Conference playoffs a year after reaching an NCAA regional title game.
Millsaps: C. The Majors went 0-2 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament and wound up 24-18. That's one win fewer than they put up in 2010, which was also a down year for a program that usually makes a bid for D-III postseason play.
Tougaloo: D. The Bulldogs (record unavailable) beat Belhaven for the first time ever, which has to be worth something.
Blue Mountain: C. The Toppers went 16-35 in their first year of competition. They were 4-20 in the TranSouth Athletic Conference, a pretty strong NAIA league.

next stop ...

Three teams reportedly have interest in signing veteran infielder/outfielder Bill Hall, the Nettleton native who was released a few days ago by the Houston Astros. Washington, Baltimore and the New York Yankees may be pursuing the 33-year-old Hall, who hit 18 homers for Boston in 2010. The Astros, who signed the free agent in the off-season, had hoped Hall would inject some power into their lineup as their second baseman, but the experiment didn't work. He hit just .224 with two homers. He was dropped into a platoon role in mid-May and then displaced altogether when Jeff Keppinger, a superior hitter and glove man, returned to active duty.

a silver lining

Maybe Bobby Cox's magic will rub off on the Mississippi Braves. The man who helped turn the Atlanta Braves into a National League powerhouse will make an appearance tonight at Trustmark Park, where the M-Braves will try to pull out of a freefall that has seen them lose eight of their last 10 and 11 of 15. At 23-37, the M-Braves have the second-worst record in the entire Southern League heading into the last five games of the first half. Their pitching seemingly has hit a wall. A staff armed with top prospects — four made the SL South All-Star team — currently has an ERA of 4.40, eighth in the league. And they still can't hit (.255, eighth) or score (243 runs, last) with any consistency. Tyler Pastornicky, an All-Star pick at shortstop, has played well, hitting .309 with five homers and 33 RBIs. Cox and the others in Atlanta's front office have to like his progress in his first full Double-A season. And the same could be said of third baseman Donell Linares, a less-heralded 27-year-old Cuban in his second tour with the M-Braves. The Braves wanted to see Linares come back this year in better condition, and he appears to have done that. He is hitting .285 with five homers and 40 RBIs in 51 games. He has struck out just 17 times in 186 at-bats. And he has committed only five errors. He may have worked his way into the Braves' picture as a possible replacement for Chipper Jones. Keep an eye on Linares.

numbers

200 — Saves by Mississippi State alumnus Jonathan Papelbon. He got the milestone on Tuesday night against the New York Yankees in his 356th career appearance; only Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley reached 200 saves in fewer games.
.133 — Eli Whiteside's batting average (with one RBI) since he became the San Francisco Giants' No. 1 catcher. On the plus side, however, the Giants are 7-4 in games in which the former Delta State standout has played since star Buster Posey went down on May 25. The NL West-leading Giants are 11-6 overall in games started by Whiteside.
887 — Overall place in the draft for Coahoma Community College's Montreal Robertson. Detroit picked the 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander, who surely had a hard time attracting attention while pitching for a team that went 3-41 in 2011.
8 — College World Series appearances by Mississippi State, the last in 2007. The resurgent Bulldogs, suddenly ranked 16th in one major poll, are two wins from a ninth trip to Omaha.
2,607 — Average announced attendance at Mississippi Braves games through 30 dates this season. That's down slightly from the official 2010 average. The struggling M-Braves start another homestand, the last of the first half, on Thursday.

observations

The Texas Rangers are hot, and so is Amory's Mitch Moreland. The Mississippi State alum belted his eighth homer — and added another hit to lift his average to .313 — to help the Rangers win their fifth in a row on Sunday. At 34-26, Texas has the most wins in the American League. ... Pascagoula's Tony Sipp struck out the side in a one-inning relief appearance for Cleveland against the Rangers. ... Tim Dillard, the pride of Saltillo and Itawamba Community College, pitched a perfect 1 2/3 innings to earn his first win of the year as Milwaukee beat Florida 6-5 in an 11-inning contest. ... Ole Miss product Matt Tolbert, a backup infielder playing more regularly because of injuries in Minnesota, had a hit and two RBIs in a 6-0 win over Kansas City. Tolbert is hitting just .202, but the scuffling Twins seem to like his defensive versatility. ... Catcher Craig Tatum, the MSU product from Hattiesburg who was recently recalled to Baltimore, got a start — and a hit — in the Orioles' loss to Toronto. ... Boston called on Daniel Bard to nail down a save instead of Jonathan Papelbon, the ex-MSU star who blew a save on Saturday and also was ejected in an epic meltdown. ... Louisville's Marcus Thames is expected to be activated today from the disabled list by the Los Angeles Dodgers. L.A. faces Philadelphia — and former Meridian CC star Cliff Lee — tonight at 6 in game to be televised by ESPN.

draft outlook

There are two names that jump off the page — for obvious reasons — on the list of the top draft prospects from Mississippi. Senquez Golson and Hawtin Buchanan rank Nos. 107 and 137, respectively, on Baseball America's list of the top 200 eligible players for the MLB draft that starts Monday night. Golson, also a football star at cornerback at Pascagoula High, is a 5-foot-10, 185-pound outfielder with speed and defense tools. Buchanan, from Biloxi and an Ole Miss recruit, is a right-handed pitcher who goes 6-7, 227. You just know pro scouts love that size. He reportedly struck out 70 batters in 48 innings this season. Southern Miss infielder B.A. Vollmuth, who had an injury-plagued junior year and yet still belted 12 homers, is rated No. 63 by BA, which generally knows what it's doing in such matters. Sumrall High shortstop Connor Barron is No. 82, and Ole Miss right-hander David Goforth checks in at 177.

an honorable mention

For Jones County Junior College, there is certainly no shame in coming in second in the nation. The Bobcats' brilliant postseason run ended Saturday with an 11-1 loss to Western Oklahoma in the NJCAA Division II World Series final. The champion Pioneers simply overpowered JCJC and ace Andrew Pierce, belting three homers among their 13 hits. Jones finished 46-17 in its best season ever. Mississippi has a wealth of baseball talent, and its college programs have had many proud moments. But winning a national title is tough. Only two state schools have turned this trick, William Carey (NAIA) in 1969 and Delta State (NCAA Division II) in 2004. Mississippi State's third-place finish in the 1985 CWS is the best showing by a D-I school.

just a call

Hard to see any of the Mississippi schools in the NCAA Division I Tournament getting out of the regional round. Alcorn State has had a fine season, earning its first NCAA appearance, and has some talent. But the Braves likely are out of their element in a Houston regional with C-USA champion Rice, Pac-10 rep California and Baylor of the Big 12. It's 2-and-out for Alcorn. Since Southern Miss and Mississippi State play each other today in Atlanta, one of them will win at least once. But Georgia Tech's great pitching — the Yellow Jackets have a potential first-round draftee, Ned Bradley, who ranks just fourth on the staff in wins — figures to dominate this regional, which also includes upstart Austin Peay. USM has too many issues, from ineligible pitchers to injuries to a sudden lack of offensive punch. The Golden Eagles flamed out in the C-USA Tournament, failing to score in their last 16 innings in a disappointing 1-2 showing. USM's defense also lets it down too often; it allowed 64 unearned runs in 56 games. State appeared to hit a wall in the SEC Tournament, bowing out in two games. The Bulldogs' pitching staff may just be worn out, and they don't have the kind of attack that's going to win many 8-7 games. State might be happy enough just to have made a regional again, especially in a year when Ole Miss didn't.

debut alert

Former Ole Miss star Lance Lynn will make his major league debut tonight for St. Louis against San Francisco in a game that will be televised by MLB Network at 7:15. Lynn, a big right-hander, was a first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2008 and entered this season as the No. 6 prospect in the St. Louis system. He was 5-3 with a 4.06 ERA at Triple-A Memphis this year and is 30-18, 3.72 in his minor league career.

check the mirror

Pitching for the pitiable Pittsburgh Pirates all these years, Paul Maholm is used to disappointment. But today, for a change, it wasn't the Bucs' bats or gloves that let Maholm down. The Greenwood native and former Mississippi State standout has only himself to blame for this latest shortcoming. With a 7-0 lead in the third inning, Maholm couldn't get out of the sixth against the New York Mets, who rallied to win 9-8. Maholm got no decision; he departed after 5 2/3 innings, having allowed eight hits, seven runs (six earned) and two walks. He came in with a 2-7 record but a fine 3.18 ERA for a 26-28 club. Going for his 50th career win, he flat out let it get away. A 7-0 lead? You've got to win that game. Maholm's history with the Pirates isn't good. He's had only one winning season, going 3-1 in six games as a rookie in 2005. He entered this season with a 47-59 record and a 4.48 ERA. The Pirates have been bad for almost 20 years now, so it's been tough for Maholm, a quality left-hander, to find much success in Pittsburgh. One wonders when these parties will part ways.

the 'cats meow

There may be no team in the country — at any level of the game — hotter than Jones County Junior College. The sixth-ranked Bobcats (45-15) are unbeaten through three games of the NJCAA Division II World Series; they play a winner's bracket game tonight in Enid, Okla. JCJC has won 18 of its last 20 games, and virtually every one of those games was a significant one. Consider: The Bobcats won their last six games of the regular season, pulling away from the pack to win the MACJC South Division title. They beat East Mississippi in three games in a best-of-3 playoff to make the state tournament, then won the MACJC title by winning three straight against a strong field. They dropped their opener in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament but rallied to win four straight, the last two against defending national champ LSU-Eunice, to make the juco World Series for the first time. In Enid, they have beaten the Nos. 1 and 4 teams in the country. They recovered from a blown lead in the ninth inning on Tuesday night to score three times in the 10th and beat 14th-ranked Kellogg CC 10-7. Chase Headrick, a sophomore out of West Jones High who has four postseason homers, hit one against Kellogg. Leading hitter Zach Allen, a freshman from Pascagoula, started the 10th-inning rally with a one-out single and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. The resourceful Bobcats might just figure out a way to win this thing and bring a national championship back to Ellisville.