The Duke Dominates

Despite 3 Baseball Tonight web gem plays by Beetle Lebrun in center for Waltham, \\\"Duke\\\" Guthrie throws a gem for the Cubs and totally shuts down the Sox offense.

A tight game as Mike Barthel makes his Waltham pitching debut and throws a no-no thru 5 that went unnoticed by all because of his 5 walks and one hit batter. Lebrun's stab pictured above came with the bases full and 2 outs that would have cleared the bases and broken the game open. He has 2 more similar plays, one of Waltham’s best individual defensive performances of all time.

However, the outfield defense stopped at Lebrun as the usually sure handed right fielder Dana Levensaler would hand the game to the Cubs. In the top of the sixth, with two outs and a man on, a high fly into right was botched by Levensaler allowing the runner to score. It should have ended the inning but instead the Cubbies got two more hits off Waltham new addition, Jay Wisner and scored once more. Any observer could tell the way Dana was tracking the ball, it didn’t look like he was going to come down with it. Maybe Waltham’s 2007 MVP should quit real estate and work at a batting cage to learn defense because at this point, the only thing he looks like is a 34 year old, lost a step, outfielder and this one cost Wisner and the team.

The Two runs were more than enough for Duke “Lefty” Guthrie. Looking like Steve Carlton, he struck out 12 Sox and several of the strike-outs made Waltham’s hitters look silly. Check swings and defensive cuts all night and the Sox didn’t get a runner as far as third base. He proved he has confidence in his curveball because he threw it in any count.

The line-up doesn’t look in mid-season form, so the combination of Dukes dominate hook and Levensaler’s miscue, would place the Sox at 0-2.