Intermittent rain fell all night long but it didn't daunt the sellout crowd at the second-to-last home game of the IronPigs' inaugural season.Carlos Carrasco sparkled, the defense finally played well behind him, and the offense took flight against Syracuse pitching. Carrasco went 6.2, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out nine while walking three. He left to a standing ovation. The Chiefs got their only run in the 9th, in a 9-1 'Pigs' win.
Meanwhile, in Chicago another bullpen malfunction, this after the Phillies had taken a 2-0 lead on Rich Harden and forced him from the game in the 5th with a bloated pitch count. It was a showdown between two ex-A's: Harden and Blanton. When exactly does Joe Blanton start to eat innings? Sadly, it's looking more and more like next season for this team.
In what feels like a going-in-circles kind of move, the Phillies traded lefty Fabio Castro for outfielder Matt Stairs to shore up the bench in the absence of Geoff Jenkins. Castro has unfortunately been in a holding pattern for the past three years. Perhaps he'll take off elsewhere.
