Duckworth trying to dig deep

OTTAWA (ODB) — Through 3 1/2 innings Sunday night, it looked as though the Ottawa Avnet Gargoyles were on their way to their second consecutive OCSL victory.

But those aspirations were sidetracked by a pair of robust innings as C division Pennex knocked the ball around and scored 12 runs in the fourth and fifth frames.

Staked to a seemingly comfortable 9-2 lead, the Gargs let this one slip from their grips, going on to lose 15-10 in front of a crowd of 18 at Hampton Yards.

“We should have won that one,” said Rob Lafontaine, on the quiet ride to W, following the Gargs’ 14th loss in 15 starts. “I thought we were going to win, for sure,” sided Mark Brennae.

The Gargs’ undoing came after they put up a five-spot in the top of the fourth to take that seven-run lead. Pennex, though, has some pretty good hitters and they proved that, banging out a string of safeties to score five in the bottom of the inning and seven more in the next to take their only lead of the night.

Todd Duckworth (L, 0-7) clearly wasn’t the Todd we are used to. Hey, it happens.

The longtime Gargs star pitcher allowed 14 earned runs on 14 hits and although the game wasn’t decided until that fifth frame, one could see early on that the veteran did not have his best stuff.

After the Gargs scored three in the first, Pennex made three very loud outs in the bottom of the inning — a sensational leaping catch at first by Théo Gauthier; a long, running catch from Matthew Stephenson in centre and a dandy diving play from Rob Lafontaine at short.

“I was just thinking ‘no runs have scored,’ ” said Duckworth of that inning following the game, over beers at W.

It was just a matter of time.

And that’s not to point the finger at Duckworth. This guy has been the club workhorse for years and although his record would indicate an off-season, he actually has pitched very well in spots this campaign; most notably blanking the A-division Yankees through six on June 25.

Admittedly, it’s become a matter of confidence for the 52-year-old righty. “I don’t seem to have the same pop on the ball,” the pitcher conceded. “No location because I have no velocity. No velocity because I can’t find the location.”
This chicken-and-egg combination proved fatal Sunday night, leading Duckworth to conclude it’s the result of a lack of arm speed combined with a weaker upper body — something he’s vowed to work on both in the off-season and down the stretch (the Gargs have nine games to play before they face a do-or-die best-of-three playoff series in August).

The Gargs defence sparkled Tuesday night, with T. Gauthier, Lafontaine, Rick Devereux in LF, Matthew Stephenson and Mathieu Gauthier in right all making head’s-up plays. And the bats continued to produce with the Men in Black belting out 14 hits, including home runs from Lafontaine (his first) and 3B Zach Schowalter (his second). The steady third baseman went 1-1 with a dinger, drove in two, including one on a sacrifice fly, and walked three times. He also scored a pair of runs. Stephenson collected three hits, including a double, in five at bats, while Lafontaine went 3-4 and is now batting .714 (10-14). M. Gauthier and Devereux each had a pair of hits.

Gargs Largs: Théo made an amazing play to prevent a run and Mark an error (and also to earn a beer from the catcher) when the Gargs 1B lunged high and to his right to snare a pickoff toss that had right-field written all over it. “You owe him one,” the plate umpire whispered to Mark afterward. “I know,” Mark agreed . . . Rob made his patented over-the-shoulder catch, nicely tracking a ball far behind shortstop in short left-centre field . . . Real Horrorshow: According to a post-game discussion of horror films, it seems The Thing, Cloverfield and The Blair Witch Project are among the Gargs’ favourite spine-chillers to watch when they’re on the road. “I’m not into horror shows,” said Mark. “But when I want to see one, I usually just go to a Gargs’ game,” he quipped . . . Which Bullpen?: Odd to see Jeff come out and pitch the final two innings to earn a save against the Gargs. It was just a month ago (June 8) that Jeff pitched a five-hitter for the Gargs, in a 5-1 loss to the Acadiens . . . The Gargs played with nine men and no rover . . . E=MC2: Never let it be said the Gargs don’t have deep conversations following their games. Overheard at W was Zach explaining how Force = Mass X Acceleration . . . Quote of the night: From Zach, courtesy Rob. “Zach comes up to me in the field and says ‘Todd’s not himself tonight — he’s not yelling at anyone.’ ” . . . Karl Bélanger made it back alive from Guinea but his nightmare wasn’t in the African nation, it was at Logan Aiport in Boston where his flight to Ottawa was cancelled. The airline offered to bus the second baseman to Montreal for a flight to the nation’s capital. Karl opted to stay the night in Beantown and take in a game at Fenway where operating on basically no sleep (a nine-hour overlay in Paris will do that), Karl fell asleep in the stands high above home plate . . . The Gargs visit the Acadiens Tuesday night (9 p.m., Hampton Yards), with Duckworth expected to take the ball.

Box
Rob Lafontaine 3-4, 2 runs, HR (1), BB, RBI
Glen McGregor 1-4, 2 runs, BB
Karl Bélanger 0-0
Matthew Stephenson 3-5, run, 2B
Théo Gauthier 0-5, RBI
Zach Schowalter 1-1, 2 runs, HR (2), 3BB, sac fly, 2 RBI
Mark Brennae 1-5, run
Rick Devereux 2-4, run, BB
Mathieu Gauthier 2-5, RBI
Todd Duckworth 1-4, run, RBI

Todd Duckworth (L, 0-7) 6IP, 15 runs (14 earned), 14H, 1K, 3BB

Gargs     3 0 1 5 0 1 0     10 14 2
Pennex   0 0 2 5 7 1 x     15 14 4
Time: 1:50
Att.: 18.

Norm Wong welcomed back as a conquering hero

OTTAWA (ODB) – Norm Wong returned to the mound and some much-needed bite returned to the Gargs’ bats, as the Men in Black put the brakes on a 13-game losing streak by dispatching Ollsons 13-9 in a highly entertaining OCSL game Sunday night at Hampton Yards.

Playing in front of a season-high crowd of 26 on bobblehead night, the Ottawa Avnet Gargoyles played their most well-rounded game of the season to earn their first victory of the campaign.

“Even a blind dog finds a bone once in a while,” quipped shortstop Rob Lafontaine, following the final out, on a head’s-up 10-10-3 double play.

There was nothing wrong with the Gargs’ eyesight at the plate in this one, as they rapped out 18 hits, including six, count ’em, six home runs.

And the Gargs were definitely seeing with 20/20 vision in the field, pulling off a pair of twin-killings and making several defensive gems.

It started on the mound where Wong, making his 2009 debut following months-long contractual differences with the club, was in control from the get-go and at full speed when he stepped into the batter’s box.

Wong retired the side in workmanlike fashion in the top of the first and then saddled up to the plate with a runner on first in the bottom of the inning.

Cue the dramatics.

Wong took the first pitch he saw high over the wall in left for a no-doubt dinger, to stake the Gargs to a 2-0 lead. It was the first of three successive hits for the veteran, whose reinstallation clearly sparked his mates.

“Oh, there’s no doubt we’re a better team with Norm in the lineup,” said one Garg following the game, over beers at W.

“I consider myself more of a hitter than a pitcher,” Wong said, downplaying his formidable performance – he allowed 12 hits, walked one, hit another and struck out two in going the distance.

“I felt tired,” he said, of his first pitching assignment since August 21 of last year, when he mopped up in a 12-1 loss to the Maritimers that eliminated the Gargs from the playoffs.

Sunday evening’s victory was the Gargs’ first since 15 days earlier in 2008, when the Men in black defeated the same Ollsons squad 10-9 on August 6.

Théo Gauthier and Zach Schowalter each drove in three runs, while Schowalter and Wong each had three hits, integral parts of the season-high 18-hit attack in which every Garg had a safety.

Glen McGregor not only sparkled at 2B, making sharp plays to both his left and right, but No. 21 who has been spanking the ball all season, finally was rewarded with a home run to right, a two-run shot in the third that followed a Schowalter RBI single and gave the Gargs a 5-0 lead.

Ollsons (6-6), rallied in the top of the fourth, touching Norm for seven runs on seven hits, a few bad bounces, a walk and a bases-loaded hit batsmen.

But give the Gargs (1-13), their due for coming right back.

Matthew Stephenson launched his fourth homer of the campaign – tying him with the injured Bruce Turcotte for the club lead – in the bottom of the inning, as part of a three-run outburst that made it 8-7 Gargs.

Ollsons regained the lead with two in the top of the sixth but the Gargs went back-to-back-to-back in the home half to take the lead for good.

First, Gauthier the Elder belted a three-run bomb to make it 11-9. Schowalter followed with a solo blast to right and on the very next pitch, Mark Brennae drilled a dinger to right-centre.

“Back-to-back-to-back jacks,” paused Brennae, while sipping a cold one at W, “that was très cool.”

The Gargs celebrated their well-deserved and long-awaited victory, when rover Stephenson snared a liner near second and threw to Gauthier at first to double up an Ollsons runner and put the game – and losing streak — to rest.

Gargs Largs: The season-high crowd of 26 was evenly divided with those sitting behind each dugout and two out in the left-field bleachers. Kids’ Night: Matt’s daughter Sarah joined Serge Leclerc’s children, Justin and Patrick, along with three youngsters from Timmins. Superfan Carolynne was at her finest in predicting at least one home run and a double play . . . The Ollsons’ pitcher was making only his second start in two years. Norm was a last-minute replacement for Kevin Emmerson on the mound and didn’t look like he has missed a beat in joining the club 14 games into the season. No. 24 says he likely will be able to play in four or five of the Gargs’ remaining 10 regular-season games. Look for him to see that time split on the mound, at rover and potentially some duty on the infield . . . “I’m going to fricking Disneyland.” That, from Matt, moments after the Gargs had secured the victory . . . Missing from the lineup: Bruce (shoulder); Ken Wong (father-in-law’s 75th birthday); Karl Bélanger (electioneering in Guinea); Brian McGregor (recovering from a long day on the golf course); Todd Duckworth (Galen’s soccer); Kevin Emmerson (nephew’s birthday) . . . Quote of the night from Zach and Rob. Zach: “Rob plays shortstop like a cat – all his throws have a tail.” Rob: “Yeah, well, Zach, you play third like a pussy.” . . . Rob is 7-10 (.700) since rejoining the Gargs. Norm is 3-4 (.750) . . .The Gargs visit Broadway Tuesday night (9 p.m., Hampton Yards) before dropping in on Pennex Sunday evening (7 p.m., Hampton Yards). Look for Kevin and Todd to get the starting assignments.

Box

Rob Lafontaine 2-4, 2runs

Matthew Stephenson 1-2, 3runs, HR (4), 2BB, 2RBI

Norm Wong 3-4, 3runs, HR (1), 2B, 2RBI

Théo Gauthier  2-4, run, HR (2), 3RBI

Zach Schowalter 3-4, run, HR (1), 3RBI

Mark Brennae 1-4, 2runs, HR (1), RBI

Glen McGregor2-4, run, HR (1), 2RBI

Rick Devereux 2-4

Mathieu Gauthier 1-4

Serge Leclerc 1-3

Norm Wong (W, 1-0) 7IP  8runs (7earned) 12H  1BB  1HBP  2K

Ollsons  0 0 0 7 0 2 0    9  12  1

Gargs     2 0 3 3 0 5 x   13 18  2

Time: 1:27

Att: 26.

Brennae left to ponder what might have been

OTTAWA (ODB) — The Avnet Gargoyles will be chewing on this one for a long time.

Like a dog with a bone. Laced with peanut butter.

Taking the slimmest of possible leads into the top of the seventh, the Gargs saw an opportunity to snap a nasty 12-game losing streak snatched from them with precision.

Leading 1-0, the Gargs watched as the A division Yankees swatted three home runs, including a grand slam, in a nine-hit, eight-run barrage. And when the dust had settled and that third home run had finally stopped rolling — somewhere near the Quebec border — the Gargs found themselves on the unhappy end of an 8-2 OSCL decision Thursday night at Carlington Park.

“Everything was going our way in the first six innings,” said CF Matthew Stephenson, over beers at W, the Gargs’ clubhouse. Then, in the seventh it was, as 2B Karl put it, “lights out.”

Poor Todd Duckworth. He pitched so well and managed to keep the second-place Yankees in check for much of the first six frames, scattering five hits and goose-egging the Pinstripers.

Until the seventh.

A leadoff double was followed by a long home run to make it 2-1 Yanks. A couple of walks and a hit later, the Yanks piled on with SomeGuy belting a long drive over the wall in left for a bags-juiced no-doubter, followed by what was easily the longest home run in recent Garg history, with SomeDude belting the ball deep into the ozone. Brian McGregor in left didn’t even move.

“That was a tough one,” said catcher Mark Brennae following the Gargs’ 13th straight defeat. “We were three outs away.”

Even home plate umpire Durwood Merroll sensed something had to give, when he congratulated Brennae’s team before that fateful inning. “You guys should be proud. No matter what happens, you guys played an excellent game,” he told the Gargs catcher prior to the seventh-inning slaughter.

And he was right.

The Gargs took a 1-0 lead in the first. Rob Lafontaine stroked his fourth consecutive hit since rejoining the club last week; went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Stephenson’s single to left-centre.

Duckworth (L, 0-6) nursed the lead with some fine pitching, aided by stellar and head’s-up defence. Although he didn’t strike out a batter in the game, the veteran right-hander kept the Yanks off balance in a gutsy performance on a 29C evening. “He may have run out of gas a little bit there,” said Brennae about his pitcher. “He lost a bit in the sixth but that’s to be expected, seeing he pitched the other (Tuesday) night and it was really hot out there.”

The Gargs got a run back in the bottom of the seventh on back-to-back doubles from Brennae and Théo Gauthier.

Gargs Largs: B-Mac’s Chris Sabo-style glasses are paying dividends. He picked up another hit Thursday night and now has three knocks in his last four at bats. B-Mac also tracked down several hard-to-handle, tailing liners in left. Not easy with the lights on City of Ottawa diamonds . . . Zach Schowalter gobbled up a grounder, touched the bag at third and threw to Karl at second to turn a much-needed twin-kill in the sixth to preserve a 1-0 lead . . . The final out in the top of the seventh was a bit of an adventure, with Matty Stephenson showing some serious juggling abilities to finally haul it in. “I thought it was a can of corn,” said Mark, meaning the fly ball appeared to be an easy play. “Can of corn that exploded,” joked Matt. “Kernels everywhere,” added Karl . . . Karl made a nice stab for a sizzled liner that just eluded the second baseman in the seventh . . . Rob is now 5-6 in two games and was back in familiar territory (shortstop, leadoff), Thursday night . . . Quote of the night. “I didn’t know male strippers wore lipstick.” Hadta be there . . . The Gargs play a doubleheader Monday at Hampton Yards. They’ll visit the Wings in the opener (7 p.m.) before taking on Ollsons (9 p.m.) in a game that was previously scheduled for June 7.

Box
Rob Lafontaine 2-3, run, 2B
Matthew Stephenson 1-3, RBI
Karl Bélanger 0-3
Ken Wong 0-1, BB
Mark Brennae 1-1, run, 2B
Théo Gauthier 1-3, 2B, RBI
Zach Schowalter 0-3
Mathieu Gauthier 0-3
Glen McGregor 0-2
Brian McGregor 1-2
Rick Devereux 0-2

Yankees   0 0 0 0 0 0 8     8 14  0
Gargs       1 0 0 0 0 0 1     2  6   1

Todd Duckworth (L, 0-6) 7IP 8 runs (7earned) 14H 3BB 0K
Time: 1:27
Att.: 2 (and some members of an A team).

Brennae hopes for a high strike call

OTTAWA (ODB) — The Ottawa Avnet Gargoyles ended the first half of their OCSL season the same way they began it: with a resounding loss.

This time, it was the Wings who clipped the Men in Black, 18-7, on a muggy night at Hampton Yards.

“That second inning went bad,” said Todd Duckworth (L, 0-5), of the second frame in which the Wings batted around and scored nine runs to take a commanding 10-0 lead. “I’m not going to hang ‘em up after this year,” the veteran pitcher said, looking ahead. “I have to go out better than this.”

Duckworth didn’t have his best stuff but he deserved a better fate, seeing as the Wings have a series of hitters who can quite readily turn on any pitcher’s fastball. “I thought I was going to pitch a real good game,” he said, referring to the pop he saw in his pitches while warming up prior to the match. “It felt great, but then . . .” he said at W following the game, his voice trailing off into a glass of cold ale.

Things started out well for Duckworth, who struck out the first batter of the night on a nifty curve ball, but that curve, along with his heater, took a beating later on as the heavy-hitting Wings pounded out 18 hits.

Not that Duckworth pitched that badly, but geez. These guys can hit.

But so can the Gargs, on occasion. The Men in Black registered 12 knocks, three of them from returning veteran Rob Fontaine, who was a perfect three-for-three on the evening, and a pair from Brian McGregor who went two-for-two and drove in four runs.

Matthew Stephenson also went deep but the home run, his third of the campaign — all in his last two games — led off the fourth after the Gargs blew a chance in the bottom of the third.
With two on and two out and Stephenson at the plate and slugger Bruce Turcotte in the on-deck circle, a Garg runner was picked off second. It wasn’t the best of calls but it was enough to stifle what could have been a Garg comeback, with the Men in Black down 10-7 at the time.

The Gargs continued to struggle in the field, committing six errors, forcing Duckworth to throw more pitches than he ought to have on such a sweltering evening.

The loss leaves the Gargs 0-12 midway through the OCSL campaign. Better times ahead, Gargs fans can only hope.

As former manager Karl Bélanger said after the game over beers: “We’ve always been a second-half team. If we win one game in the second half, we’ll be a second-half team.”

Gargs Largs: Good on B-Mac for a great game. His 2-2, 4-RBI performance did not go unnoticed by Gargs visiting their clubhouse on Richmond Road. All were pleased to see the B-Man’s stroke return . . . What’s up is down and vice versa? The top five batters in the Gargs lineup went 3 for 19 (. 158) Tuesday night, while the bottom five were 9 for 13 (. 692) . . . Great Catch 1: Bruce, on what looked to be a play similar to one back in May when he injured his shoulder in Gatineau on a sleek running/diving grab. Great Catch 2: Mathieu Gauthier also came burning in to snag a ball; this one in the shadow of a backpeddling Karl. Super plays, both of them. Great Catches 3, 4: Rob snagging two very hard liners at short; on one of them, he threw from his knees to first, narrowly missing doubling off a runner. Great Catch 5: Serge Leclerc, surging to his right in right field to track down a ball. Geez, with all these great catches, and 12 hits, why is it the Gargs still lost by 11 runs? . . . Glen nailed a ball to right that looked like it would go. Bruce had a similar shot to left as well. In both cases, the balls sprang leaks and stayed in the ballpark . . . The return of Rob after a five-year retirement leaves management with a pleasant dilemma: who to start at shortstop? With Bruce, Matty, Zach Schowalter and now Rob, there are some decisions to be made. One thought balloon that went up into the hot June sky Tuesday night had Rob biding some time at rover to get glove-ready over a few games before an imminent return to short . . . Karl has a busy summer ahead: marriage in Gatineau, honeymoon in Malta and a fact-finding trip to Guinea. He’s off to the West African country in August . . . Quote of the night: from B-Mac, who had just cringed after putting on a sweat-soaked batting helmet previously worn by a drenched and still bald Mark Brennae. “Mark, you’ve got to get a condom for your head.” . . . The Gargs host the A division Yankees Thursday (9 p.m.) at Carlington Park. No word at press time whether Kevin Emmerson (0-5) or Todd Duckworth will get the start. (Ed. note: Duckworth is rumoured to be getting the ball)

Box
Karl Bélanger 0-4
Matthew Stephenson 2-4, run, HR (3), RBI
Bruce Turcotte O-4
Théo Gauthier 0-4
Mark Brennae 1-3, 2runs, BB
Rob Fontaine 3-3, 2runs, 2B
Rick Devereux 1-1, run, BB
Glen McGregor 0-1
Brian McGregor 2-2, run, BB, 4RBI
Todd Duckworth 2-3
Serge Leclerc 1-2, RBI
Mathieu Gauthier 0-1

Todd Duckworth (L, 0-5) 7IP 18runs (14 earned) 18H 1K 4BB

Wings 1 9 0 4 0 0 4 18 18 0
Gargs 0 4 3 0 0 0 0 7 12 6
Time: 1:44
Att: 4 and a dog.

A performance that was gag-worthy, from both sides

OTTAWA (ODB) — Sometimes you have to go looking under couch cushions for positives, but if there was something of benefit we can pull from the chesterfield of Tuesday night’s 12-3 defeat at the hands of Lacroix Sports, it was that the Gargs had some chances to beat or to at least compete with the best team in the A division.

And 12-3 isn’t exactly a blowout, eh?

Things started off not-so-badly with Kevin Emmerson (0-5) retiring the first two batters, but a solo shot made it 1-0 Lacroix after one and some shabby defence made it 2-0 an inning later.

When Lacroix put up a five-spot in the third, it wasn’t looking too good for the Men in Black, but they loaded the bases in the bottom half, only to run themselves out of the inning and were forced to settle for a walked-in run, with Mark Brennae at the plate.

“Grumble. *@#*^##,” was about all Mark would say after the game, over beers at the W. “We had a chance to win but then we #$%@##%#$,” he said, sipping a cold Molson. “&^@#^#%#%,” said another Garg.

It was that kind of night for the Avnet Gargoyles, who remain winless (0-11) in this OCSL season.

The Gargs were guilty of mental errors in the field and on the basepaths and by the fourth, with Lacroix leading 8-1, it became a laugher. At least to Lacroix. Members of the top-flying A club were overheard belittling their opposition with French-language comments such as (translated) “Pad your stats, boys,” which didn’t sit well with the Gargs.

At one point, Lacroix baserunners slowed down at second and third to try to set up a potential grand slam for one of their sluggers, but it didn’t matter. Classless acts aside, Lacroix was the better team in every category and the Gargs deserved their fate.

If they are planning to end the first half of the season with a victory and to start the second half on a few better cleats, the Gargs would be well-advised to know: how many outs there are in the inning; when not to attempt to advance a base when baserunners are paramount; to be prepared at the plate; to hit the cutoff man; and not to worry about what the other team is doing, rather than what each Garg is doing.

Fans filing out of Hampton Yards Tuesday were no doubt, mumbling “Get in the game, Gargs.”

They would be correct.

Sure, the club is out for fun. But it could be argued that it isn’t much fun when full mental effort isn’t given. Physical mistakes are fine. They are part of the game. Mental mistakes are frustrating. Just as a foolishly thrown bat can frustrate the unfortunate who happens to take some dust and pebbles in the eye in the only instance that bat made contact all evening.

Gargs Largs: Théo Gauthier was in uniform but sat out the game with a lower-body injury suffered in a collision with 2B Glen in a game June 15 . . . Bruce Turcotte returned to shortstop and made a couple of fine plays . . . The Gargs shuffled their lineup and placed C Mark Brennae in the cleanup spot. He promptly responded with his first K of the season. Glen continued to get on base, with 2-3, two-run night . . . The Gargs game Sunday, June 21 vs. Acadiens has been postponed. It will be made up Tuesday, July 14 (9 p.m.) at Hampton Yards . . . The Gargs round out the first half of the season Tuesday, when they host the Wings (9 p.m.) at Hampton Yards. They take on the Yankees two nights later (9 p.m.) at Carlington Park.

Glen McGregor 2-3, 2runs, BB
Neal 1-2, run, BB
Bruce Turcotte 0-2, BB
Mark Brennae 0-2, BB, RBI
Todd Duckworth 1-2, BB
Zach Schowalter 1-3, RBI
Ken Wong 1-2, BB, RBI
Brian McGregor 0-3
Serge Leclerc 0-1, BB, HBP
Karl Bélanger 0-0, BB
Mathieu Gauthier 0-2

Kevin Emmerson (L, 0-5), 3.1 IP, 8 runs (6earned) 10 hits 1BB 3K
Todd Duckworth 2.2 IP 4 runs (4earned) 7H 0K 0BB

Lacroix   1 1 5 1 3 1   12 17 2
Gargs     0 0 1 0 2 0     3  6  4
Time: 1:39
Att.: 6.

Gargoyles found their sticks last night

OTTAWA (ODB) — As the beers went down following the Gargoyles 10th consecutive loss there was one unanimous and unavoidable conclusion.

The glass in this OCSL season is definitely half-full.

How could one not deduce that following a wonderfully exciting 10-8 Wings victory Monday night at Hampton Yards?
The Gargs played one of their most solid defensive games of the season, welcomed back slugger Bruce Turcotte and woke up their slumbering bats, with a 10-hit attack.

“That was a great game,” said one Garg, over nachos and lagers at the W. “We were in that one and we could have won it.”

Yes. Yes, they could have. But let’s take this one step at a time.

Following close losses of 5-1 and 3-0, the Gargs found themselves in a high-octane barnburner with the Wings (5-5), because for the first time in a month, the club was able to hit the ball with authority. The 10 hits were the most the team has had since the season opening 17-12 loss to the Acadiens and the eight runs equalled the Gargs’ output over their previous six games.

Matthew Stephenson set the tone driving a no-doubt dinger, his first of two, over the wall in left-centre to help ignite the club. It was particularly big in that it followed a top of the first in which the Wings parlayed a pair of errors and a walk into a two-out grand slam and a 4-0 lead.

Uh-oh. Here we go again.

Nope.

Cue Matty’s dinger, followed by RBI safeties from Turcotte and Théo Gauthier and suddenly, the Gargs were back in business.

In fact, the Men in Black (0-10), would take an 8-6 lead into the fifth, courtesy of some fine hitting from Stephenson (2-4, 3RBI), Turcotte (2-4, 3RBI), Théo Gauthier and Karl Bélanger (2-3), Rick Devereux and Glen McGregor (a hit apiece).The Wings came up with another four-spot in that fifth to pull ahead, with Todd Duckworth shutting them down the rest of the way.

When the Gargs weren’t impressing at the plate, they were flashing leather on the field with some great glove work from Stephenson at short, Théo Gauthier at first (two great snags) and Mathieu Gauthier, who displayed lots of hustle and got under several fly balls in the rover position.

Duckworth shook off the rough start and registered four shutout innings all tolled, limiting the Wings to just five earned runs on seven hits.

When was the last time the Gargs outhit their opposition, eh? Well you have to go back to August 6 of last season, the Gargs last victory.

Gargs Largs: Welcome Back Bruce: After missing five games with a shoulder injury, Gargs all-star CF Bruce returned to the lineup and promptly belted a long home run. He says his shoulder is a bit tender, making it difficult to throw. Going easy on it, nice and sloooowly seems to be just what the doctor ordered. Or didn’t order. Bruce admits he’s just on home remedy-mode now, making sure he isn’t straining the shoulder in any fashion . . . Was that Usain Bolt burning down the baseline for the Gargs as he scored from first on a long single from Big Turk? Sure looked like him. Of course, no one ever has told Bolt about the importance of going halfway to the next bag and tagging with less than two outs. They don’t play much baseball in Jamaica, you know. “I’m so used to us having two outs,” chuckled Glen, after the game, over beers . . . Maybe it wasn’t Bolt. Maybe it was Karl: With Glen camped out under a Major League popup at second he heard Theo yelling “Karl! Karl!” Glen caught the ball anyway . . . Speaking of Karl, he was on the phone for almost three full innings Monday night. It was a conference call with his party to prepare for a possible election. No word whether Karl was urging his 24-hour party people to help him pray for a poll date prior mid-August when he has a special date with a special lady — and then a honeymoon planned for Malta . . . Kevin Emmerson (0-4) is expected to get the ball tonight when the Gargs host Lacroix Sports (7 p.m.) at Hampton Yards. Todd is available and may make an emergency start should Kevin not be able to make it.

Box

Matthew Stephenson 2-4, 2runs, 2HR (2), 3RBI
Glen McGregor 1-4, 2runs
Zach Schowalter 0-3, run, HBP
Bruce Turcotte 2-4, 2runs, HR (4), 3RBI
Théo Gauthier 2-3, BB, RBI
Brian McGregor 0-4
Ken Wong 0-1, HBP
Mark Brennae 0-2
Karl Bélanger 2-3
Mathieu Gauthier 0-3
Rick Devereux 1-2, run, BB

Todd Duckworth (L, 0-4) 7IP 10runs (5earned) 7H 0K 4BB

Wings 4 0 2 0 4 0 0   10 7 3
Gargs   3 0 3 2 0 0 0   8 10 4
Time: 1:31
Att: 5 and a dog.

Getting difficult to find new images of sad gargoyles

OTTAWA (ODB) — You’ve got to give the Gargoyles credit. Playing with two players called up from the farm, including a longtime foe on the mound, the Gargs went from playing games for the aged to playing a game for the ages.

In a pitchers’ dual that wasn’t sorted out until the final frame, the Gargs received some of the best pitching in team history in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Acadiens, in an OCSL game Monday night at Hampton Yards.

“Thanks, guys. That was fun,” said Jeff Folio, following a masterful performance in which he struck out a franchise-record 10 batters.

Folio, a late addition to the Gargs roster, allowed only five hits and had at least one strikeout in each inning, including three in the fourth.

But as good as Folio was, Jean Guy was that much more efficient. Dumping the Gargs for the third time this season, Guy limited the Men in Black to just the one safety; he didn’t walk a batter and he struck out six.

“We just couldn’t get anything going,” said one Garg after the game over beers. “I mean, this guy isn’t that good, is he?”

Well, he was again on this night as the Gargoyles, winless in eight, continued to struggle to score runs. Make it 24 runs in eight games for the Gargs. That makes the math easy, anyway. The lone run in this one came in the fourth, with the Men in Black down by one, Glen McGregor who reached on the club’s only safety, came around to score on a Karl Bélanger RBI.

There it was, 1-1, in the fourth and when Folio came back in the bottom of the inning to strike out the side, the Gargs found themselves squarely involved in a tight game for the first time in what has become a cursed season.
That one-all affair continued until the sixth when the Acadiens pounded out a couple of doubles to go with an error and a couple of free passes, en route to a four-run outburst that left little doubt of the outcome.

“We were in that one and it was looking good,” said one Garg between bites of a handful of nachos. “We played a better game tonight.”

Yes, they did.

The Gargs made several nice plays, including a super double-play from the Gauthier brothers: Mathieu running in to snag a falling fly in right field and gunning it to Théo to catch a stray Acadien wandering from the bag. Zach Schowalter made a couple of good catches at third and Matthew Stephenson, returning to shortstop with the injury to Bruce Turcotte, teamed with Bélanger for a nifty force-out at second. Mark Brennae nailed a runner at third and Théo Gauthier looked solid as usual, at first. The outfield, with Rick Dvereux in centre, featured newbie Mike in left and Glen McGregor at rover, where he made a good catch.

There were some rough spots with six errors, but all in all the Gargs played one of their better games of the season and with Folio controlling things from the mound, had a tremendous opportunity to win their first game of the season. You kind of get the feeling it was the kind of game that pushed to Gargs a little closer to that corner they want so badly to turn.

Gargs Largs: Shades of Johnny Damon in a Yankees uniform, the site of Folio in a Gargs outfit was shocking. “Let’s go, Gargs,” he was heard to shout during the top of the seventh. That was followed by a not-so-loud “I can’t believe I just said that.” Jeff, the longtime C division nemesis, looked pretty good in a Gargs outfit, wearing the number that used to belong to Peter O’zone. O’zone is going to flip when he sees the photos taken after the game, of Folio sporting his No. 8 . . . Zach is on his way to Texas for a few days to visit his brother who is in the Lone Star State teaching French. No kidding . . . The Gargs’ one-hit performance had scribes inside the press box scrambling to see when the last time the Men in Black were manhandled thusly. They’re still scouring the Elias Sports Bureau pages for the answer . . . The Gargs had a superfan on hand last night and boy, was she into the game. She gets the quote of the night. After the Gargs allowed the first two runners to reach in the sixth, this unidentified fan was heard to optimistically shout “way to set up the triple-play, Gargs!” Now that is a superfan . . . Ken Wong was slated to pitch Monday night but was felled by a bad flu. Serge Leclerc also missed the game with a nasty migraine, while Todd Duckworth was away on stage business. Brian McGregor and Kevin Emmerson also were unavailable . . . Big Turk’s Big Hurt: this doesn’t sound good. Bruce Turcotte, the club’s top producer at the plate, missed his fourth consecutive game and it looks like he could be out for some time. “I don’t see myself missing the year, but I also don’t know when I’ll be back,” said Turcotte in an e-mail. I’m gonna try throwing a bit probably next week and see where I’m at then.” Turcotte hurt his right shoulder attempting to make a catch in the second game of a doubleheader in Gatineau, Que., on May 20 . . . The Gargs host Broadway Thursday night (7 p.m.) at Carlington Park. Look for Kevin Emmerson (0-3) to get the start.

Box
Matthew Stephenson 0-3
Glen McGregor 1-3, run
Karl Bélanger 0-3, RBI
Mark Brennae 0-3
Zach Schowalter 0-3
Théo Gauthier 0-3
Mathieu Gauthier 0-2
Rick Devereux 0-2
Mike 0-2
Jeff Folio 0-2

Jeff Folio (L, 0-1), 6IP 5runs (3earned) 5H 10K 4BB

Gargs        0 0 0 1 0 0 0   1 1 6
Acadiens   0 1 0 0 0 4 x    5 5 3
Time: 1:39
Att: 6.

No one fears these Gargoyles

OTTAWA (ODB) — Well, when it gets this bad, you’ve got to look for some positives.

And there were several, in the Ottawa Avnet Gargoyles 9-0 loss to the Acadiens Tuesday night at Hampton Yards.

Kevin Emmerson (L, 0-3) pitched a heck of a lot better than the linescore would indicate; proving again that one bad inning can have huge implications.
That inning was the third, which started off tamely with Emmerson retiring the first two batters. But a pair of walks and an error later, SomeGuy took a fastball deep over the left-field wall for a grand slam and a 5-0 Acadiens’ advantage.

“I don’t know what the f— happened in the third,” said Emmerson, over beers following the game. “That’s just one of those things that really burns, when you get the first two outs and then the tide turns so quickly,” said catcher Mark Brennae. “Emmerson was cruising along quite well, I thought. We had a good rhythm going and we were down by one, so it was looking good,” he said. “But when I saw the bat make contact with that ball, I knew we were in trouble.”

The grand slam proved the turning point, considering the Gargs’ lack of hitting in the early part of this season. The Men in Black managed but three hits and six baserunners on the evening, and of their 18 outs (yep, another mercy; the fourth in seven games), 11 were hit in the air — another indication of the Gargs season-long swoon at the plate.

“We really have to start hitting,” understated a Garg, over beers following the club’s seventh defeat in as many outings.

The Acadiens (3-5), scored one in the first, four in the third, one in the fifth and three more in the sixth, compared with the Gargs’ goose eggs across the board.

But, there was some good defence, particularly from Zach Schowalter, who moved over from third base to play shortstop, along with some snappy glove action from Emmerson, who made a couple of nice defensive plays on the mound.

The Gargs hustled and played a better team game, which was complimented by newcomer Neil, who played head’s-up ball in left field and Théo Gauthier who, returning from a two-game layoff, looked terrific at third base.

And Emmerson deserved a bit of some support, yes? “That may have been the best-pitched game of the season for us,” said one Garg, over beers. He was correct. Now. If the Men in Black can just get those bats going . . .

Gargs Largs: Theo and Mathieu Gauthier returned from Sudbury and report their father who underwent heart surgery there is recovering nicely following two stints under the knife. The Gargs family wishes its best for Mr. Gauthier . . . Some honest hustle from the speedy Mathieu unfortunately led to an out at second with a Garg at third in the fourth. Nice hustle, but wrong time, with two outs . . . Neil comes over the Gargs on a part-time basis, from Kevin’s other club, the HighSox, formerly known as the Bruins . . . The Gargs were playing their third straight game without all-star CF Bruce Turcotte. His shoulder is still a serious concern and the Gargs aren’t sure when he will return to the fold. Matthew Stephenson also was out of the lineup, watching the Gargs game on ESPN2 at a cottage . . . Brian McGregor hit three dingers in BP before the game . . . Weirdness at Whispers: some very drunken tart with a big butt and a bigger mouth was a particular nuisance. She swore like a sailor and wouldn’t leave the Gargs’ table, as uninvited as she was. To boot, she started hollering at Zach. At Zach? How does one pick an argument with the even-keeled Zach? Must have been the whiskey. But it might have been the gin . . . Quote of the night from an anonymous Garg on the quickness of the games thus far this season. You know the team isn’t performing well, he said, “when you spend more time at the bar than on the field.” Tuesday’s game clocked in at 1:18, a full 18 minutes more than the Gargs 15-4 loss to the Cards May 31. That’s progress, though, no? . . . The Gargs take on the Acadiens again, Monday night (9 p.m., Hampton Yards). The Men in Black are visitors and will have Ken (0-1) on the mound.

Box
Glen McGregor 0-3
Kevin Emmerson 0-3
Mark Brennae 0-1 BB
Théo Gauthier 0-2
Zach Schowalter 0-2
Brian McGregor 0-2
Ken Wong 0-2
Neil 1-2 2B
Mathieu Gauthier 1-2 
Rick Devereux 1-2

Kevin Emmerson (L, 0-3) 61P 9 runs (7 earned) 10H 3BB 2K

Acadiens   1 0 4 0 1 3   9 10 2
Gargs        0 0 0 0 0 0   0 3 3
Time: 1:18

Surely not what the reporter had in mind

OTTAWA (ODB) — One good thing about the frigid temperatures is that it meant the Gargs weren’t the worst thing to endure Sunday night at Hampton Yards.

A season-high crowd of 22 — almost all of the attendees encouraging the Cards to a well-deserved 15-4 victory — braved nasty winds and an Octoberish nip in the air to watch the Ottawa Avnet Gargoyles lose their sixth straight.

“There’s a lot of blame to go around,” said one Garg over a lager, following the game. “We’re not fielding. We’re not hitting. We’re not winning.”

It’s a simple game, Hall of Famer Thomas Hanks once said. “Throw the ball. Catch the ball. Hit the ball.”
Maybe someone should organize a League of Their Own DVD pyjama party so these Gargs can see how to better play this game.

The Cards exploded into the driver’s seat right from the getgo, scoring five runs in the first and six more in the second. They hit four homers off Todd Duckworth (L, 0-3), who admittedly was not on his game. “It’s like, when you feel like you’ve played one season too long,” he quipped, when asked to describe his performance.

It was not Todd-like, to be sure. But it’s a little simplistic to put the goat horns on one guy. Somebody please order a full set of goat horns. Surely the Gargs qualify for a discount by now, after such a gloomy start to the 2009 campaign.

“We knew this was going to be a rebuilding year,” said manager Zach Schowalter. “But I never expected to still be searching for the first win, in June.”

Who could have a predicted that after six games — half of which they have lost in mercy-rulings — the Gargs would sport a .257 team batting average and that they would have scored a total of 23 runs? Um, that’s an average of fewer than four runs per game.

Sure, the Gargs were again without their big bat as Bruce Turcotte continued to nurse a sore shoulder following a dive in centre field in a May 20 game against Ollsons. Yes, Matthew Stephenson was out of the lineup and on the beach, somewhere in cottage country. And yes, Théo and Mathieu Gauthier were healthy scratches owing to personal reasons.

Still, you would figure the Gargs could muster more than five hits against a C Division club, oui? Main, non.

Kevin Emmerson’s two-run double in the third provided half the Gargs’s runs in the inning and on the night and when Glen McGregor, running for Mark Brennae (catcher’s rule) chugged all the way around to make a beauty of a slide, suddenly it was an 11-4 ball game.

Game on, oui? Main non.

Duckworth shut the Cards down in the bottom of the inning but the Gargs went feebly into the night from there and were unable to push a runner into scoring position from that point forward.

“It’s a test,” offered one Garg over beers following the game. “We’ve got to make sure we keep it together,” he added. By that, the veteran Man in Black meant that now is not the time to turn on one another. The Gargs have every reason to be in testy mood but they would be wise to direct that angst toward the opposition. Better yet, perhaps it’s time the Gargs had some fun, relaxed and played for the moment. After all, despite the devious weather, it’s still only June.

Gargs Largs: You know you’re the manager of an 0-6 club when the first baseman of the opposing team is offering advice. “Maybe you guys should hold a practice,” Zach was offered while he stood on first. Come to think of it . . . Todd made a nice play in the fourth to cut down a runner at third following another dandy throw into the infield from Rick in left . . . Karl Bélanger drilled a pitch deep to left that had the distance but, hey, he works for Jack, so it went a little left of the third base foul pole. . . It may have been the coldest weather for a Gargs regular season game in years. When the first pitch was thrown, the temperature read 6 C. Thankfully the sun had returned from the clouds, which made it seem like a balmy 10 C . . . A couple of Gargs and their Gargirls were in Toronto over the weekend to see a Jays game and what is this we hear? One of them actually went to see Riverdance? That’s OK. It’s not like he missed a ball game to see the show, right? . . . “Where else can you see 200 supermodels dancing in bikinis?” offered Ken Wong, regarding the aforementioned performing arts extravaganza . . . Quote of the night. Well, it’s a tie. Here’s your tidy troika: “Every woman should be bisexual.” “Let’s see some beaver.” “I used to live in Vaseline Towers.” The names of those responsible have been omitted to protect the innocent . . . The Gargs take on the Acadiens tonight (7 p.m., Hampton Yards). Emmerson (0-2) will start for the Men in Black, although there is a chance Zach may go with Wong
on the hill.

Box

Serge Leclerc   0-3, run
Glen McGregor    1-3
Zach Schowalter    0-2, run
Ken Wong     0-3, run
Mark Brennae    0-2, run
Kevin Emmerson   2-2, 2B, 2RBI
Karl Bélanger     1-2
Brian McGregor 0-2
Rick Devereux    0-2
Todd Duckworth   1-2,

Gargs 0 0 4 0 0      4   5 3
Cards 5 6 0 4 x     15 12 3

Todd (L, 0-3) 4IP 15 runs (12 earned) 12H 2BB 0K
Time: 1:00
Att: 21.

Complacent Gargs

OTTAWA (ODB) — O.K. This is getting serious.

The Ottawa Avnet Gargoyles continued their stumble out of the 2009 OCSL season gate with another anemic performance at the plate, resulting in a predictable fifth straight loss.

The Gargs 9-0 defeat at the hands of the Wings Tuesday night at Hampton Yards left them with an 0-5 record and their worst start to any season going way back to the lean 1996 campaign.

“We better start playing like we’re in B division,” said Todd Duckworth(L, 0-2) after a few bevvies, following a game in which he kept the Gargs close enough to catch up and to overtake their opponents; only they didn’t come close to achieving that feat. “We look a little casual — like a C team,” said Duckworth. “We’re too complacent.”

The Gargs managed only six hits on the night and unless this scribe missed something while taking a whiz in the whoods, only once did they advance a runner past second. Todd allowed a dozen hits, including a pair of two-run shots, the final blow being the proverbial walk-off dinger as it pushed the Wings’ margin to nine runs, eliciting the mercy rule. It was the second straight game in which the Gargs have been mercied and the second consecutive game in which they were unable to register a single run.

The Men in Black have scored but once in their last three games and have amassed a total of 19 runs the entire season.

Sure, they didn’t have two of their toughest hitters Tuesday night, with Bruce Turcotte (sore shoulder) and Matthew Stephenson (work) both scratched from the lineup. That left the Gargs with an unusual formation: Glen McGregor at shortstop; Kevin Emmerson at first; Mark Brennae at rover and Brian McGregor in centre.

The non-conventional defence wasn’t (stop me if you’ve heard this before) the difference, though. Despite committing three errors, including a Bill Bucknerish faux-pas by Emmerson in the first, the D was fine. It was the offence that took the night off (hell, the offence has taken the month off, but I digress), failing to bunch any hits or to assemble anything resembling a rally.

As was the case with Emerson and Ken Wong before him, Duckworth deserved better Tuesday night. But until this team starts hitting the ball, he’s not likely going to see it.

Gargs Largs: Kevin continues to look like an excellent pickup by the Gargs. Following the unfortunate Billy Buck play, he made several good catches and looked solid at first . . . Rick made a couple of terrific throws in from left, including one that nailed a runner at second on a fine tag from Karl Bélanger . . . Zach Schowalter was thrown out attempting to steal second in the first. Someone made the comment that it appeared the fine third baseman was carrying a piano on his back as he lumbered to the bag. Zach has never stolen a base in OCSL play, but he stole what would have been a base hit, perhaps more than a single, corralling a smash in the fourth that ended in a 5-3 out . . . The Gargs hit into two double plays Tuesday night and have hit into four in the last three games . . . Following the game, which was played in a swift time of a buck-14, a Gargs contingent of nine hit their usual watering hole and discussed among other topics, holding some sort of slump-busting ritual. Among the suggestions: bringing back Gary the Garg (the inflatable one, not the big rugged one that sits in Mark’s basement and is a bugger to carry around); sacrificing a chicken…The Gargs will try to get into the winner’s circle Sunday night when they visit the Cards (7 p.m., Hampton Yards).

Boxscore
Glen McGregor 1-3
Karl Bélanger 0-2 BB
Zach Schowalter 1-3
Kevin Emmerson 0-2
Brian McGregor 0-2
Ken Wong 1-2   2B
Mathieu Gauthier 1-2
Rick Devereux 0-2
Todd Duckworth 0-2
Mark Brennae 2-2

Todd Duckworth (L, 0-2), 5.1IP 9runs (5earned) 12H 4BB 2K

Gargs    0 0 0 0 0 0   0 6 2
Wings   4 1 1 0 1 2   9 11 2
Time: 1:14
Att: 4 and two dogs.