Drugs are Bad

Andrew Smith delivered another key hit and Tom Monte continued to approve on the mound, picking up the win and the save in a fast paced 3-1 game.

Rob Rubenstein selected Smith and Joe Olarra with his first two picks and took Monte with his next selection. He would be opposed by Jake Rainwater who took Dan Bell with the first pick. Rainwater would then take Gordon Millner, Jeff Feldman and eventually pick up Galen Pass.

The first inning featured mound aces Rainwater and Rubenstein shutting down the opposition. Both Rubenstein's out coming on strikeouts. The second inning was more of the same as Bell and Olarra would pitch scoreless innings, setting up what looked like another pitching duel.

Monte would pitch the top of the third and gave up a lead off double to Bell. He composed himself to retire Rainwater on a high pop up. Feldman was sent down afterward to keep the game scoreless.

Feldman took the mound and immediately found himself in a hole. An error, double and walk loaded the bases for Monte. Feldman got the first out by retiring Monte on a weak grounder. Feldman couldn't dodge the bigger bullet, that being Smith's bat who ripped a double into left field scoring two. Rubenstein followed with an RBI single making it a 3-0 game. Feldman was able to get Olarra on a sharp grounder.

Rubenstein took the mound in the 4th and lit up Millner and Bell for the second time. Rainwater followed with another impressive inning to keep the game at 3-0. His team looked to battle back when a wild Olarra loaded the bases with one out. With Bell up, Olarra couldn't find the strike zone and forced in a run. Rainwater followed and got a 4-1 pitch to crush and skied it to left center that Smith was able to come down with. The three base runners stranded would come back to hurt Rainwater and eventually cost his team the game.

In the top of the 6th with one on, Pass flared a ball to opposite field that Rubenstein caught and was able to peg the runner for a rare double play. Feldman rebounded with a solid inning of work in the bottom of the 6th getting two ground outs.

Rubenstein continued his streak of scoreless innings to 14 but was close to giving it up. He walked Bell and gave up his first hit, a double to Rainwater but then struck out Feldman on a filthy screwball that Feldman was helpless to watch nail the chair.

Rainwater extended his scoreless streak to 9 innings but his team was unable to come through when it mattered. Olarra pitched a quick 8th inning, capping his day with a filthy riser to strike out Bell.

Monte came on for the save in the ninth and got Rainwater on a weak fly ball. After a Feldman walk and a Pass double, Millner had a chance to redeem himself after struggling all day but swung at the first pitch and tapped a weak grounder to Monte to end the game.

Rubenstein: 3
Rainwater: 1

Box Score:
W: Tom Monte (1-2)
L: Jeff Feldman (0-1)
S: Tom Monte (1)
HR: None
RBI: Smith 2(5), Rubenstein 1(7), Bell (1)