While the Major Leagues are on hold for things like the Home Run Derby and tonight's All-Star game, the Vermont Lake Monsters were in New York Penn League action, getting another strong pitching performance from Xavier Altamirano, who combined with reliever Yordy Alejo on a four-hit shut-out of the Auburn Doubledays in a 4-0 Lake Monsters win.
Altamirano went seven super-efficient innings, throwing just seventy-three pitches before giving way to Alejo, and he now sports an ERA of 0.42 to go with his 2-0 record. If he keeps this up, try to get out to his next start at Centennial Field if you want to say you saw him when, because a promotion to Double A will happen sooner rather than later. Alejo was pretty good himself in relief, retiring six of the seven batters he faced over two innings in picking up his second save. Nate Mondou gave the Monsters all the runs they would need with the first of his two RBI singles in the third inning as the Monsters improve to 13-11 on the season.
In the NECBL, the Vermont Mountaineers have been getting their act together, now winners of three in a row and seven at home following a 16-5 romp against the Sanford Mainers in Montpelier last night.
Jon Stiever got the win on the mound, going six innings while his offense put up crooked numbers in the first six innings on the strength of fifteen hits, with the Mainers helping out by committing five errors on the night. Former Major Leaguers Jim Kaat, who was a three-time all-star in the bigs, and Rob Delaney, the first Mountaineer ever to make it to the Show, were in attendance at Recreational Field for the game. The Mountaineers will try to make it four in a row when they host the Mystic Schooners tonight.
The Upper Valley Nighthawks ran into one of the better pitching teams in White River Junction last night, losing 4-0 to the Ocean State Waves. Zach Bahm tossed the shut-out, blanking the Nighthawks over seven innings of work while giving up just four hits. The Hawks have now dropped seven of their last eight games as they fall to 10-15 on the year.
Last night in San Diego it was the annual Home Run Derby, and Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins basically took over the event, hitting a record sixty-one dingers to win the derby by several lengths over everyone else, and he did it in Petco Park, not known as a hitter's paradise. Tonight, the actual game takes place between the best of the National and American leagues. Johnny Cueto of the San Francisco Giants will start for the senior circuit and Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale gets the start for the American League. Remember, the winning league gets home field advantage for whichever team makes it to the World Series, so the game does have some meaning.
Kate Livesay has been named the Division Three National Coach of the Year in Womens' Lacrosse. It's the second such award for the Middlebury coach, who also won it in 2012 when she was coaching lacrosse at Trinity College. This past season Livesay led the Panthers to their first NCAA championship since 2004 while setting a program record for wins and goals scored.
finally, Jordan Spieth becomes the latest big game golfer to say "thanks but no thanks" to the Olympics in Rio this summer. Spieth joins Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy as headline golf pros withdrawing from the games over health concerns about the Zika virus.
