RED SOX OR ATHLETICS

One of the difficulties in an All Star game is that pitchers and catchers who don't normally work together during the season wind up having to do so. Such was the case on Tuesday, December 16 when Justin Libecap (Boynton Red Sox) threw a fast ball that Luis Santana (Metric) couldn't handle and the resultant passed ball scored Craig Spatara (Hurricanes) with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the American All Stars, dominated by Hurricanes' players edged Nationals, dominated by Boynton Red Sox players at the Lantana Sports Complex 8 to 7. Earlier in the inning, Libecap had unleashed a bases loaded wild pitch to score the Seminoles' Jose Corea with the tying run. Corea led off the winning rally with a single to right, his second hit of the game. Spatara followed with a base hit, his second. After Jose Miranda (Expos) drilled a bullet off the chest of Libecap, who recovered to throw him out at first, both runners moved into scoring position. The Nationals opted to issue an intentional walk to Arnie Torres (Hurricanes), loading the baes with one out. The strategy backfired, however, when Libecap unleashed a wild pitch to score Corea. Danny Moya (Expos) was also issued an intentional pass, again loading the bases for the Hurricanes' John Dobson. With the count at two and oh, Libecap's tailing fastball outside the strike zone kicked off Santana's glove and Diego Lezcano (Hurricanes) trotted home with the game winning run as a courtesy runner for Craig Spatara (Hurricanes). The Nationals held the lead in this game twice. They scored an unearned run off Jose Pena (Hurricanes) in the first inning on a pair of infield errors and a wild pitch on a strikeout of the Red Sox' Matt Gray that allowed him to reach first and brought Kevin McCord, his Red Sox' teammate in to score. That was the only run (unearned) off Pena, who gave up no hits in his three innings. The Americans came back with two in the bottom of the first. Lezcano doubled to deep right center and scored on a base hit by Corea. Corea took second on the throw to the plate and moved to third when the relay sailed past the plate. Spatara plated Corea with a sharply hit ground out to shortstop. The Americans made it 3-1 in the fourth when Spatara doubled and Corea (courtesy runner) scored on an RBI single by Miranda. The Nationals rallied for six runs off Torres in the sixth inning to take a 7-3 lead. Scott Cobb (Marlins), John Mora (Red Sox). The runners moved to second and third on a passed ball. Jesus Ferrer singled home courtesy runner Chris Barulic (Red Sox) and moved Mora to third. Jason Alice (Red Sox) singled home Mora. Torres walked Fernando Miranda (Marlins) to load the bases, and McCord drew a walk for the fourth run of the frame to give the Nationals the lead at 4-3. Chuck Tooch (Hurricanes) relieved Torres and fired a wild pitch that scored David. Santana singled sharply to right, scoring both Miranda and McCord to make it a 7-3 lead for the Nationals. Tooch finished up his 1 2/3 inning stint with no runs allowed and three strikeouts. The AL squad chipped away with single runs in the sixth, seventh and eight innings before launching their winning rally in the ninth. Brett Siew (Atlantic Sails) walked, stole second, went to third on Lezcano's singled and scored when Corea hit into a forceout at second base in the sixth. In the seventh, Miranda singled, Torres drew a walk, a wild pitch advaned the runners and Dobson plated a run on an infield grounder. They pulled to within a run with a singleton in the eighth. Tooch singled,and eventually scored on a double steal. Jeff Schector (Expos) stole second and Tooch stole home to cut the deficit to 7-6. After Dobson turned away the Nationals with no runs and only one hit in two innings, he got credit for the pitching win when the American Division launched its winning rally. Corea, with two hits, four runs scored, and two RBIs sparked the winning rally and was chosen as the Game's Most Valuable Player and was awarded an NABA All Star Game MVP plaque. All participants and managers were awarded an NABA All Star Game Commemorative Shirt. 18AA All Star Game Box Score Nationals (7) Fernado Miranda (Marlins) 3-1-0, BB, 2K; Kevin McCord (Boynton Red Sox) 3-2-0; BB; Luis Santana (Metric)4-0-2, 2 RBI; Matt Gray (Red Sox) 3-0-0; BB, 3K; Lee Doloff (Marlins) 2-0-0, BB; Justin Libecap (Red Sox) 3-0-0, K; Ramon Serpa (Metric) 3-0-1, K; Chris Barulic 3-1-0; Scott Cobb 3-0-1, K; John Mora (Red Sox) 3-1-1; Jesus Ferrer 3-1-1, RBI, BB; Pete David (Marlins) 3-0-0, BB; Jason Alice (Red Sox) 3-1-2, RBI National Totals-AB-37 Runs-7 Hits-8 RBI-5 Barulic scored a run as courtesy runner for Cobb in 6th inning Americans (8) Diego Lezcano (Hurricanes) 4-2-2; 2B, K; Jose Corea (Seminoles) 4-4-2, 2 RBI; Craig Spatara (Hurricanes) 4-0-2, 2B, RBI; Jose Miranda (Expos) 4-0-2, RBI, K; Arnie Torres (Hurricanes) 2-0-0, 2BB, K; Danny Moya (Expos) 3-0-1, BB; John Dobson (Hurricanes) 2-0-0, RBI, BB, K; Mike Saturno (Atlantic Sails) 2-0-0, BB, K; Chuck Tooch (Hurricanes) 3-1-1, 2K; Robert Romero (Expos) 1-0-0, BB, 2K; Jose Pena 2-0-0, K; Jeff Schector (Expos) 3-0-0, SB, K; Brett Siew (Atlantic Sails) 2-1-0, BB, SB American Totals AB-36 R-8 H-10 Corea scored as courtesy runner for Spatara in fifth inning Corea scored as courtesy runner for Miranda in 7th inning Lezcano scored as courtesy runner for Spatara in 9th inning Nationals Pitching Barulic 2IP, 2H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 5K; Doloff 2IP, 2H, R, 1ER, 2K; Gray 2 1/3IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER hits, 2 runs (two earned), 3BB, 2K, WP; Libecap (L) 2 IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 3BB, 2IBB, WP Americans Pitching Pena 3IP, 0H, 1R, 0ER, 2K; Torres 2 1/3IP, 7H, 6R, 6ER, 3BB, 1K Tooch 1 2/3IP, 1H, no runs, 1BB, 3K; Dobson 2IP, 1H, no runs, 2K Score by innings R H E LOB Nationals 100-006-000-7 8 2 9 Americans 200-101-112-8 10 4 11 Winning Pitcher-John Dobson (Hurricanes) Losing Pitcher-Libecap (Boynton Red Sox) Time of Game-3:06 Umpires-Jim Wilson (P), Mike Hotchkiss (B) Managers-Nat-Alan Beveridge (Boyn Red Sox) Amer-John Dobson (Hurricanes) Most Valuable Player-Jose Corea (Seminoles)