The life of the clubhouse has been taken from the Boise Hawks following tonights game - as Brett Jackson has been promoted by the Chicago Cubs to the Peoria Chiefs...no more shaving cream pies (after the one tonight to Jae-Hoon Ha), no more happy-go-lucky guy in the clubhouse, no more first-round pick in 2009.

With Gary Hughes in attendance last night (the special assistant to Cubs GM Jim Hendry), Jackson closed out his Boise career with a 4-for-5 game, upping his batting average to .330, finishing with a ten-game hit streak and reaching base in every game as a Hawk.

As much as the fans and media will miss Jackson, his abilities are more suited for the ranks of Peoria or Daytona - not short-season A ball.

LAST NIGHT'S DEBACLE:  Lost in the ranks of a 15-5 loss to Vancouver on Wednesday wasn't so much the lopsided score, but the fact that the C's showed up and played - as the squad was stuck for seven hours in Pendleton, Ore., due to bus problems.  Boise had their chances, but could not muster a hit with the bases-loaded and no outs - twice grounding into double plays.  The bright spot was a solid job by Yohan Gonzalez, not allowing an earned run in three innings of relief.

SEE-SAW GAME: Tonight seemed like another repeat, as Vancouver jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second, but the Hawks pieced together their biggest rally of the year, stringing together nine hits in a seven-run inning.  Ha provided the big blow, ripping a three-run homer over the left-field wall, his first professional home run and just the sixth hit this season by the Hawks.  Runey Davis had three hits, including a double and triple in the third inning alone, and Ryan Sontag retired the final four men in order for his third save.

THE BACON: Left-handed hitters are now 0-for-19 against Sontag this season...Jose Valdez extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a two-hit night...Tarlandus Mitchell left the game in the sixth inning with a strained muscle, according to trainer Dan Golden - he will be re-evaluated tomorrow...

I think the picture to the left summarizes what I did on our first day off of the season at home - I enjoyed it with my son Parker and my wife Liza.  It was nice to not think about baseball for one evening - I mean, I didn't even know of Mark Buerhle's new MLB record for consecutive batters retired until this morning.

PJ enjoyed being in the pool - and he even coaxed Daddy to get in the cold water.

Monday was probably a day the Hawks would like to forget.  Temperatures in Eugene were 106 degrees at the field (it cooled down to 98 at the end of the game) - while temperatures in the press box were between 120-130...I was in such a lather that I needed to shower after the game...which by the time I emerged from the clubhouse - I started to sweat just walking to the bus.

It was a tough day for the Hawks pitchers - Robert Hernandez lasted a season-low three innings, Andres Quezada was roughed around in the fourth, and Danny Keefe allowed a pair of seventh inning two-run homers.  In all, Eugene hit three HR's in the game, two fewer than the Hawks have hit as a team in 37 games.

NOTES - The Cubs have made a trio of roster moves that will affect the Hawks, as pitcher Larry Suarez has been sent to the Mesa Cubs, while Su-Min Jung is expected to join the team this week and be activated from the 7-Day DL...also joining the squad is D.J. Fitzgerald, a middle infielder who was sent from Peoria to make way for second-round pick, D.J. LeMahieu.

BUS RIDE MOVIES: Two movies were played on the way home from Eugene - the classic Will Farrell flick Step Brothers (I still think the drumset scene is too much), along with Watchmen, an intense, sorta superhero movie set from 1940-1985.

To say that Jeff Antigua (pictured left) was flat out dominant might be the understatement of the day, as the Hawks left-hander stymied the Eugene Emeralds for four and two-thirds innings in a 7-4 victory today at Civic Stadium.

How dominant?  Of the 14 outs that he recorded, 11 were via a strikeout - the highest total by a Boise pitcher since Rich Hill (now with the Baltimore Orioles) fanned 13 batters on June 30, 2003 at Everett.  Antigua had great movement on his fastball, got his curve-ball over for strikes, but he change-up was definitely the filthiest pitch of them all.

Today was also the Boise debut of Chris Rusin, the fourth-round pick out of Kentucky, who lasted two and a third innings before his pitch count was up.  He had a live fastball and a quality curve, however, he left his change up in the zone and it was hit a bit.  He will be another quality arm in the Cubs system.

The top of the order continued to impress, as both Hak-Ju Lee (pictured right) and Jose Valdez each had two hits.  Lee has reached base safely in all but one game this season, while Valdez is riding a career-high ten-game hit streak.  Right behind them is Brett Jackson, who extended his hit streak to eight games yesterday and has reached base safely in all 22 games as a Boise Hawk.

FUN TIMES IN EUGENE: The team has been able to get a little loose while baking in the 100-degree, humild weather in the Upper Willamette Valley.  One night after a game, Lee and Jae-Hoon Ha sang karaoke on the bus going home - including Hak-Ju's cover of a Ne-Yo song (listen here -   LeeSinging.wma, thanks to Mike Sharp).  The Korean duo also had some fun following a game, doing a jive in the parking lot (video thanks to Mike Sharp) for the team to watch.

AROUND CIVIC STADIUM: I had the opportunity to test out the speed pitch machine at Civic Stadium - and as you can see, I can't throw very fast.  I also got a tour from Ems media relations director Bryan Beban underneath the nearly 75-year old stadium - and although it is pitch black, you can get the picture of how eerie it is.

OFF DAY AHEAD: The players are already looking forward to Tuesday's off day - Roaring Springs, whitewater rafting, and fishing are all at the top of the list.

Games like this one are usually saved for Memorial Stadium, but tonight, as the Eugene Emeralds celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Civic Stadium, Justin Bour (pictured left) gave the home fans a bitter pill to swallow.

To set it up, the Hawks squandered a 5-3 lead in the final three innings, allowing four runs in the seventh, then after getting back within a run, allowed two more in the eighth, trailing 9-6.  Furthermore, the first two batters in the ninth inning struck out looking against Gary Poynter and Jose Valdez had an 0-2 count on him.  Then the magic took over - as Valdez chopped a ball over the head of 6-8 first baseman Nate Freiman for a single.  Brett Jackson followed, and again with two strikes, lined a ball into centerfield for a base hit.  Jae-Hoon Ha had two strikes on him - what do you know, he lines a base hit into left, scoring Valdez to make it 9-7.  The Ems would go to their pen and bring in David Erickson - who got the save last night retiring all five batters.  The righty did not have command, walking Logan Watkins on five pitches - loading the bases for Bour, who was pinch hitting for Greg Rohan.  After taking ball one outside, the slugger ripped an inside fastball into the rightfield corner (Listen to the Call - bourGW2B.wma), clearing the bases and giving Boise the eventual win.

A key to the victory was the work in relief by Josh Whitlock, who received kudos from pitching coach David Rosario after the game.  His focus was to slow down and work on some mechanics that he and Rosey had discussed in a bullpen session - and it paid off, tossing three scoreless innings against a team that scored eight runs off of him in just 1.1 innings in Boise.

THE BACON: Valdez had a three-hit night, extending his hitting streak to a career high nine games, hitting 12-for-23 during the week...the Hawks had a pair of outfield assists in the victory, as Runey Davis threw out Jason Codiroli trying to score from second in the second inning, and Jae-Hoon Ha gunned out Ty Wright at home in the eighth inning, as catcher Matt Williams withstood a big collision at home plate...with his single in the ninth inning, Jackson extended his hitting streak to seven games and has reached safely in all 21 games in Boise...Hak-Ju Lee recorded his fourth three-hit game of the season, tops on the club. 

OTHER NOTES: Game time temperature in Eugene was 97 degrees, with 60-percent humidity (temperature in the radio booth was upwards of 115 degrees tonight) - with highs Sunday and Monday expected to be in the triple-digits...Vancouver and Spokane were suspended in the second inning last night at Nat Bailey Stadium in Canada, as a thunderstorm moved into the area, forcing the postponement... 

I am not sure if the trip was worth it, but I took one for the Hawks Advanced Media team this morning, making an eight mile round trip walk (over two and a half hours) from our team hotel in Springfield to PK Park in Eugene - the home of University of Oregon Baseball. situated right next to Autzen Stadium.

The playing surface is very similar to that at Wolfe Field in Caldwell - the only synthetic baseball facility in Idaho, or to Bronco Stadium, as the entire diamond is made up of Field Turf (even the infield), with only the pitcher's mound made of dirt. 

The park already has two scoreboards up for usage, including a big video board in right-center.  Last night, when Mike Sharp talked with the manual scoreboard operators at Civic Stadium, they seemed to think they would be taking the old board to PK Park...I think that won't happen.

The signage on the outfield wall and scoreboard is not fixed, so if the Ems do play in this park next season, they can transfer their advertising signs to this park.

One thing not completed is the bleachers - as a massive construction project is underway to build the 4,000-plus seat facility in time for the Pac-10 season next March.

I appologize for the blurry video in advance and the small pictures - as I left my good camera on the bus following the game last night and didn't want to wake the bus driver at 7 a.m. when I headed out on the marathon.

One long, strange inning, was the difference between a win and a loss for the Boise Hawks, as Eugene evened up the five-game series at Civic Stadium (pictured left) at a game apiece with a 5-1 victory.

After the Hawks took advantage of a lead-off, sun-aided double by Hak-Ju Lee and an RBI single by Brett Jackson to take an early lead - things unraveled in a hurry.

After tossing 14.2 consecutive scoreless innings, starter Tarlandus Mitchell struggled mightily - walking three consecutive hitters with one out, then hitting a batter to tie the score.  After a strikeout, another walk gave Eugene the lead - then back to back wild pitches allowed two more runs to score.  The final ledger - two-thirds of an inning, five walks, one hit batter, five earned runs, one strikeout.  It isn't often you see five runs on just one hit in an inning.

Kudos, however, to the Hawks pen, which has thrown now 12 consecutive scoreless innings - as Corey Martin had his longest outing of the year, while Yohan Gonzalez and Josh Lansford were both solid.

Jon Berger was outstanding for Eugene, retiring 17 of the final 20 batters he faced, while David Erickson worked out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth, then retired the side in order in the ninth for his sixth save.

THE OLD PARK SHOWING ITS AGE: I had the opportunity to walk the Civic Stadium playing surface prior to batting practice today, and can tell you that the strange weather they have had in the Upper Willamette Valley has done a number on the outfield grass - which is in as bad of shape as I have ever seen it.  I did get to get up close and personal with the manual scoreboard (pictured to the right), one of only 18 still operating in the minors (including Everett and Vancouver).  The Hawks outfielders were telling me after the game that the kids who were operating the board were playing loud music and seemed a bit tipsy - he said it was comical (maybe that is why the ball/strike count throughout the game was a bit off).

HEADING TO PK PARK: First thing on Saturday morning, I will attempt to get some footage at PK Park (guessing PK stands for Oregon booster and Nike boss Phil Knight), the University of Oregon stadium that looks to be the home of the Eugene Emeralds in 2010.  Only a seven-mile walk stands in my way - wish me luck!!!

THE BACON: Logan Watkins and Justin Bour each saw their hitting streaks snapped last night, with Watkins going 0-for-3 with a hit by pitch, closing out a career-high 15-game run.  Bour went 0-for-3 with a hit by pitch as well, ending a six-game streak...Jackson has now reached base in all 20 games he has played with the Hawks this year...Lansford has not allowed a run in six of his last seven outings, including six consecutive scoreless frames...following the game, an unknown number of Eugene Emeralds players will be heading to Salt Lake City to join the AAA Portland Beavers  for tonight's Pacific Coast League game - as seven Portland players were hospitalized with what may be the H1N1 flu, forcing the postponement of their game last night in Utah...as a precaution, Hawks trainer Dan Golden gave a speech to the squad on the ride home tonight from the ballpark about washing hands and not sharing towels. 

After a tough night for the bullpen on Wednesday, the late inning guys redeemed themselves tonight, as Andres Quezada, Ryan Sontag, and Danny Keefe combined to throw five shutout innings in a 6-2 victory over Eugene.

Quezada (pictured left) entered the game with the Hawks trailing 2-0, but went two and two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and fanning two, while Sontag went an inning and two-thirds, allowing just one hit and recording three strikeouts.  Keefe entered with two on and one out in the ninth, but got a fly ball out and a punch out to pick up his third save.

Three weeks after getting stymied by Matt Jackson in Boise to the tune of one hit in five innings - but just as they did against Jorge Bucardo on Wednesday, they made adjustments against Jackson tonight.  Logan Watkins extended his hit streak to 15 with a two-run double in the fifth to tie the score, then took the lead for good in the seventh on a throwing error and a Brett Jackson RBI single.  Greg Rohan capped the scoring with a two-run double in the ninth.

CIVIC STADIUM: It is always an opportunity to turn back time when the Hawks head to Eugene - playing in historic Civic Stadium, built back in the 1930s.  The all-wood park has so much rustic charm, with the sound that resonates through the stadium amazing (including chants last night of Boise Sucks - which I thought should have been saved for Sept. 3 at Bronco Stadium).  It was a perfect night for baseball, 83-degrees at game time with a light breeze - a far cry from the projected 102-degrees expected over the weekend. 

THE BACON: Jackson extended a hitting streak to five games and his consecutive games reached base streak to 19 with a 1-for-4 game...Justin Bour continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-4, extending his hit streak to six games...Jose Valdez had another multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 (13 for his last 20) and has hit safely in seven straight games...left handed hitters are now 0-for- 18 this season against Sontag...Hawks have adjusted their pitching rotation, moving Josh Whitlock back to the bullpen - with Tarlandus Mitchell pitching tomorrow, Robert Whitenack on Saturday, Jeff Antigua on Sunday, and Robert Hernandez on Monday

ROSTER MOVE: The Chicago Cubs announced after the game last night that fourth-round pick Chris Rusin (pictured left) has been promoted from the Mesa Cubs to the Boise Hawks.  The former Kentucky left-hander went 7-4 for the Wildcats this spring.

It was a long, long night in many ways for the Boise Hawks - watching a 5-0 lead evaporate in a 10-8 loss to Salem-Keizer, then having to hop onto a bus for the 438 mile trek to Springfield, Ore., and the Shilo Inn (pictured to the left).

Things looked great through five innings, the Hawks chased Jorge Bucardo - the same pitcher that took a no-hitter into the sixth against Boise in June, with a Justin Bour two-run double (audio highlight - bour2B.wma)pushing the lead to 5-0.  Robert Hernandez was dominant through five, striking out five and allowing just two hits.  Unfortunately, the bullpen didn't cooperate.

Yohan Gonzalez allowed three inherited runs to score in the sixth inning, then could not get an out in the seven - with Corey Martin struggling as well, along with a pair of errors that led to a seven-run outburst, as the Hawks watched the series victory slip through their fingers.

THE TRIP: The trip to Eugene was a little different, as skipper Casey Kopitzke did not travel with the team, instead making the trek with his wife.  Joining the club on the trip was Mike Sharp, our HAM insider and editor of (http://sharpfocus.mlblogs.com/) - who will get to see what life is on the road.  We watched only one movie, Push, about people with genetic abilities...I really didn't get into the flick.  Nothing was open in Burns, Ore., so we rolled on to Bend, Ore., the old home of the Bend Rockies - where we had a pit stop at 4:15 a.m.  The team finally rolled into our digs at the Shilo Inn here in Springfield around 7 a.m.

THE BACON: With the 3-2 series loss to Salem-Keizer, the Hawks have yet to win a series from the Volcanoes since 2002...Brett Jackson reached base in his 18th-straight game, while Bour extended his hitting streak to five with a 2-for-3 game...Logan Watkins went 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored, extending his hitting streak to 14 games - the third-longest streak this year in the league...both Richard Jones and Runey Davis ended long hitless droughts - Jones ending an 0-for-19 slump with two singles, and Davis ending a 0-for-9 slump with a bunt single...Jose Valdez wishes that S-K was still in town, as the speedster went 10-for-16 in the series...Hernandez had the longest start of the season for the Hawks, going five and a third innings - the fourth time he has tossed five or more innings this year.

ALUMNI NOTES: Ricky Nolasco pitched a three-hit shutout last night for the Florida Marlins, blanking the San Diego Padres, 5-0, pushing his record to 7-7.

INTERVIEWS INTERVIEWS, INTERVIEWS: I have finally edited the audio files of six more Hawk Talk Player Profile segments - including Logan Watkins ( watkinsHT.wma), Danny Keefe ( KeefeHT.wma), Josh Whitlock ( whitlockHT.wma), Greg Rohan ( rohanHT.wma), Ryan Sontag ( sontagHT.wma), and Robert Whitenack ( whitenackHT.wma).

Last night when I got home from the ball park, I took advantage of DirecTV's free weekend of the MLB package to catch the end of the Minnesota-Oakland game, as the A's rallied from ten runs down to win, 14-13.  The final play perplexed me, as Michael Cuddayer was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base on a Michael Wuertz wild pitch - obviously safe, but ruled out by the umpire (which in turn led to a nice rant today by manager Ron Gardenhire).

Fast forward to tonight, as a similar play happened in the eighth inning of the game, as Salem-Keizer took a 6-5 lead and with one out and the bases loaded, Caleb Curry hit a roller to Greg Rohan at third, who stepped on the bag and fired high across the diamond to Justin Bour, who tagged the runner on the helmet for the final out (which was confirmed by replay from our friends at Fiberpipe) - however, base umpire Aaron Roberts did not see the tag, ruling Curry safe...setting off a frenzy between Bour, George Matheus, pitcher Danny Keefe, and eventually skipper Casey Kopitzke, who was ejected after the confrontation.

What people need to realize is that the one call - whether it was right or not - did not make or break the game.  S-K already had the lead when it happened, although it may have been different for Jose Casilla and Drew Bowlin to pitch with a one-run cushion instead of three in the last two frames.  However, the Hawks poor base-running in the first three innings were as much of a rally killer than anything late in the game - Jae Hoon Ha getting picked off of second to close the third, and Jose Valdez over-running third base on a Hak-Ju Lee single in the second.

THE BACON: Following the game tonight, pitcher Joe Simokaitis was promoted to Advanced-A Daytona to help in their bullpen...of the 14 hits by the Hawks, the first 13 were singles, followed by a ninth inning double from Brett Jackson...Logan Watkins extended his hit streak to 13 with a first inning single, while Lee extended his hitting streak to eight...

ALUMNI NEWS: Two former Hawks squared off in the big leagues tonight, as Sergio Mitre made his New York Yankees debut against the Orioles Rich Hill...Mitre was the winner, Hill the loser, in a Yankee 6-4 win...at AA, 2008 Hawk Andrew Cashner had his best performance as a professional, allowing just one hit in six innings, striking out five, as Tennessee beat Mississippi, 3-2.

An outstanding job by a trio of pitchers and a pair of clutch two-out hits proved to be the difference for the Boise Hawks in a key 4-3 victory over Salem-Keizer tonight.

Jeff Antigua allowed a Drew Biery solo home run in four and two-thirds innings of work tonight - striking out five batters, with newcomer Eduardo Figueroa tiring late in his two inning stint, allowing a pair of runs.  But it was Dionis Nunez (pictured left) who slammed the door - striking out big Chris Dominguez with the tying run at third in the seventh, then setting the side down in order in the eighth and ninth innings for his second save of the season.

While the pitching was solid in working around four Hawk errors, key hits helped in the victory.  Hak-Ju Lee singled with one out in the fifth, stole second, moved to third on a Logan Watkins groundout, and scored on a Brett Jackson single to give Boise a 2-1 lead.  An inning later, Jose Valdez provided the winning runs with a clutch two-run double (listen to the radio call  valdez2B.wma), scoring Jae-Hoon Ha and Greg Rohan.

BACON: Watkins, who was named Northwest League Hitter of the Week earlier in the day, had a single in the third inning, extending his hit streak to 12...Lee had two hits, extending his hit streak to seven, while reaching base in his 26th game in 27 outings...Jackson had two hits and has reached base safely in all 15 games as a Hawk...with a win in one of the final two games of the series, the Hawks can clinch their first series win against S-K since 2002...of the 30 games played by the Hawks this season, 13 have been one-run games (Boise is 9-4 in those contests)...Franklin Font, who skippered the Hawks during the first two series of the season, is back in town in his official capacity - as the Cubs roving infield instructor, along with base-running instructor Bob Dernier, and minor league strength coach Doug Jaros.

LOOKING AHEAD: In the coming days, look for Hawk Talk interviews with our Player of the Games to be posted (including Watkins, Rohan, Danny Keefe, Ryan Sontag, Josh Whitlock, and Robert Whitenack).  

It was a one-man wrecking crew tonight for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in the form of San Francisco Giants third-round pick Chris Dominguez (pictured left) out of Louisville.  The 6-5, 240 pound third baseman clubbed his fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning - a mammoth shot to left field, to get S-K on the board, then walked, stole second, and scored on a Luke Anders single in the sixth to tie the game.  He then walked, stole second, and scored on Drew Biery's RBI single in the eight for the game winning run.  Dominguez looks like a big league player - and once he is able to command the strike zone, and probably end up moving to first base in the end, will definitely be a force in the Bay Area in coming years...

Hawks starter Robert Whitenack had his best stuff of the season, at one point retiring ten straight S-K batters, before the Dominguez home run in the fourth.  The eighth-round pick had his knuckle-curve working tonight, getting a plethora of ground balls, while striking out three.

On base and hitting streaks continued tonight - Logan Watkins doubling in the first to push his hitting streak to 11, while both Hak-Ju Lee and Brett Jackson reached base, extending their long streaks (Lee has reached in 26 of 27 games, Jackson in all 15 games with the Hawks).

THE BACON: Despite an announced crowd of only 1,975 fans, it was a very vocal and boisterous crowd - voicing their disapproval to multiple calls by the NWL umpire crew (who I thought did a nice job - as we have the luxury of seeing replays in the press box)...Lee stole his 12th base tonight, taking over the NWL lead in that category.

A FUTURE CUBS DRAFT PICK?: You be the judge, as my son tried his hand at T-Ball for the first time today

To say that the Boise Hawks have struggled recently against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes would be an understatement - which makes tonight's 3-2 victory in 11 innings that much more sweeter.  Since the 2004 season, the Hawks had a 11-44 record against the Giants affiliate, never winning more than four games in a season against S-K during that stretch, while the 2007 team went 0-10 against the Volcanoes.So, when Justin Bour (pictured left) singled home Hak-Ju Lee with the winning run - it got the five-game set off on the right foot, the first time since opening night, 2003, that Boise won Game 1 of a series against S-K.

Boise had to do it late against closer Drew Bowlin, who has blown one save and allowed just three runs all year.  The previous blown save was in the Hawks first win of the season in Keizer, as Jae-Hoon Ha's RBI double in the ninth game the Hawks a 5-4 victory.  Fast forward to tonight, as Brett Jackson's one-out triple (thanks to a dropped ball deep in left-center by Jose Medina) in the 9th set the table for Ha, who legged out an infield single to send the game to extras.

THE BACON: S-K is 17-2 this season when leading heading into the 9th - the two losses, against Boise...the Hawks are now 8-3 in one-run games this year and a perfect 3-0 in extra inning games...Tarlandus Mitchell continues to be stellar in a starting role, going four and two-thirds innings of shutout ball tonight, without walking a man...he has now thrown 14.1 consecutive scoreless innings... Logan Watkins had another multi-hit game, extending his hitting streak to ten games...Jackson has reached safely in all 14 games as a Hawk, while Lee has reached in 25 of 26 games this year...Ryan Sontag tossed two scoreless innings tonight after returning to Boise after he and his wife Amy celebrated the birth of their first child - daughter Emily (pictured with dad)...she weighed seven pounds and was 19 inches in length...Congratulations!!!

NOTES - High temperature in Boise today was 106 degrees, breaking the old record of 103 for today, set in 2003...over the last two games, Hawks opponents have committed six errors - all by outfielders...with Tri-City's 4-3 loss to Eugene, the Hawks pull within six games of the top spot and at 12-16, it is as close to .500 as they have been all season...Boise has won eight of their last 11 at home.

Boy has the home cooking at Memorial Stadium fattened up the Boise Hawks offense...Winners of five of their last six at home, the Hawks piled up 29 runs and 44 hits in a three-game sweep of the Yakima Bears, including a 6-0 shutout tonight.

Looking back at the series - the pitching was solid, as Josh Whitlock was dominant on Thursday night, allowing just one hit in four innings of work, Robert Hernandez continued to cruise, allowing just two hits in four innings of work, and Yohan Gonzalez had an encouraging outing, going three innings of shutout ball last night, facing the minimum.

On the attack, the top of the order was nearly unstoppable against Yakima - as Hak-Ju Lee posted multi-hit games in all three wins, Logan Watkins had ten hits in the three games, and Brett Jackson lived on base - drawing seven walks in the three wins.

The power for the Hawks began to show up - with newcomer Justin Bour hitting a long homer on Thursday, with Greg Rohan hitting a two-run shot to left to cap the scoring on Friday.  Boise also had a pair of triples and eight doubles during the series.

THE BACON: It has been tough to be the on-field Ram Tough Player of the Game this week - as pranksters in the clubhouse have struck each night with shaving cream pies...Watkins, Bour, and Rohan have all drawn chuckles from the fans.  In talking with Whitlock today, he stated that it is Jackson, "Who seems to be in the middle of the shaving cream each night."  Bour's home run was the first this season at Memorial Stadium for the Hawks - dating all the way back to August 28, 2008, when Ryan Flaherty homered in a 9-4 win over the same Yakima Bears...Watkins' five-hit game on Thursday was a rarity, as only four players last season recorded five-hit games (including the Hawks Sean Hoorelbeke)...the 20 hits by Boise on Thursday marked the second-straight season on July 16 that the Hawks had 20 or more hits - as last year, they recorded 22 knocks in a 10-4 win over Tri-City.

NOTES - With Spokane's 12-8 victory over Tri-City tonight, the Hawks move within seven games of the Dust Devils in the NWL East - with Tri-City losing their first game in 12 outings against an East Division opponent...down in Mesa, two Cubs draft picks - Chris Rusin out of Kentucky (4th Round) and Wes Darvill of Canada (5th Round) have reported and played in their first game.

AROUND THE MINORS: Former Hawk Sergio Mitre ('01) is set to be called up by the New York Yankees on Tuesday to start against Baltimore...Mitre has been out of the big leagues since 2007, battling arm injuries...Brian Dopirak ('03), the Eastern League's leader in home runs (19) and RBI (83) was promoted by the Toronto Blue Jays from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to the Las Vegas 51's in the Pacific Coast League...

The long ride home from Vancouver on Tuesday night allowed for the Hawks to watch three full-length movies - including the first one I have watched completely in Spanish.  Up first was Talento de Barrio, featuring Puerto Rican reggaeton star, Daddy Yankee.  The Latin players on the bus loved the movie, with pitching coach David Rosario talking throughout about how realistic the movie was - the film featured a leader of a drug ring who was trying to make his name in music.  Despite watching the entire movie in subtitles - it was VERY good.

The second movie was a classic bus movie, Wedding Crashers - with the team staying pretty quiet until Will Farrell's character Chazz shows up near the end, trying to offer up his mom's meatloaf.  Closing out was the horror movie, Mirrors, with Kiefer Sutherland as an ex-cop trying to figure out why mirrors are causing murders.  It was weird seeing Sutherland in a role that wasn't 24's Jack Bauer.

After the long night - the Hawks offense woke up against Yakima, setting a season high with 14 hits in the come-from-behind 9-8 win over Yakima.  Leading the charge was the resurgent Logan Watkins, who recorded his fourth-straight multi-hit game, going 4-for-5 with the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Danny Keefe picked up his second save of the season, getting a key line-out, throw-out double play in the eighth, then starting a 1-6-3 twin killing in the ninth to help notch the victory.  With the win, coupled with a Spokane loss to Tri-City, the Hawks moved into a tie for second in the NWL East - their highest position all season, despite with a 9-16 record.

ROSTER MOVES: The Cubs made six roster moves yesterday - three players up from Mesa, three players down.  Headed to Arizona are infielder Jordan Petraitis, catcher Alvaro Sosa, and pitcher Miguel Sierra, while first-baseman Justin Bour, catcher Richard Jones, and pitcher Eduardo Figueroa head to Boise.  Bour, a 6-4 250 pounder, hit 46 career home runs at George Mason, while Jones led the AZL with seven homers so far this year.

Maybe it is the good luck from Haru, Chris Farley's character in the 1997 movie, Beverly Hills Ninja, that has helped the Boise Hawks - as the squad recorded their second-straight victory over Vancouver tonight, winning 6-3.

Why Haru?  Following the tough 9-0 loss on Saturday, skipper Casey Kopitzke thought the team needed to loosen up on the bus heading back to the hotel, so he had trainer Dan Golden put the movie in.  Everywhere the team has gone - to the field, to the gym, Beverly Hills Ninja has been on.  And the team is 2-0.

Tonight, the Hawks took advantage of three Vancouver errors, as five of the six runs tallied were unearned.  Pitching was solid, as Boise did not allow an earned run, with three pitchers combining to throw four shutout innings to close out the game.

AT THE NAT: A couple things I really like at Nat Bailey Stadium are the concourses underneath the stadium (pictured to the right), where all of the concession stands are, along with tons of memorabilia on the walls - dating back to the Western International League days.  Also today, I had the opportunity to head down to the kids park and test out the C's mini-golf course, something I mastered - but only after the camera's stopped rolling (special thanks to the C's media interns for their help).

THE BACON: Tarlandus Mitchell continued to impress as a starter, tossing three shutout innings, allowing just one hit...Mitchell has not allowed a run in his three starts, spanning 9.2 innings...the win for Larry Suarez was his first since 2007...Joe Simokaitis tossed two scoreless innings - his longest outing of the year, while Ryan Sontag notched his second career save, both in Vancouver...Brett Jackson had an RBI single (video of Jackson taking BP today), as he has hit safely in 8-of-9 games with the Hawks...Jose Valdez extended his hit streak to six, Logan Watkins to five games...Greg Rohan ended an 0-for-19 slump with an eighth inning single.

NOTES: Game time temperature in Vancouver was 62 degrees, Wednesday's high in Boise for Game 1 of the Yakima series is expected at 102 degrees...with Eugene's sweep of a doubleheader of Spokane, the Hawks moved just one-half game out of second-place in the NWL East heading into tomorrow's series finale.

Was trying to find the old pre-Cubs era logo to add to the post, but couldn't.  Short morning blog today, as a new story has been posted on boisehawks.com about former Hawks players in the majors, the minors, and independent baseball.  The following document ( AlumniReport7-10-09.doc) is a complete list of former Hawks from AA, AAA, MLB, and the Independent Leagues.

Also of note this morning - Josh Vitters went 0-for-1 with a walk at the MLB Futures Game in St. Louis, and Sergio Mitre ('01) was named International League Pitcher of the Week for the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees.

Need a win in a big way, the Boise Hawks scored their most runs of the season away from Memorial Stadium and needed every one of them, hanging on for an 8-7 victory over Vancouver, Sunday afternoon.

Providing the big spark was Logan Watkins (pictured left), who drove in four runs in the game - including a key two-run double in the fourth inning (audio - Watkins2B.wma).  The 19-year-old from Kansas also played the final eight innings of the game in leftfield, his first venture into the outfield this season.

Also providing some spark was centerfielder, Brett Jackson, who ended a long Boise home run drought with a two-run shot in the first inning (audio JacksonHR.wma) and made a couple nice running catches in the field.  Runey Davis went 3-for-5, including a two-run single in the third inning that put the Hawks up, 4-1.

Robert Hernandez was outstanding on the mound, going five innings of two-hit ball to pick up his first win of the year.  Despite control issues from the bullpen, Dionis Nunez gutted through the final five outs for his first save.

AROUND VANCOUVER: One of the neat things around Nat Bailey Stadium, is adjacent to the park.  With the 2010 Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver, many new facilities have been built for the event - including the Vancouver Olympic Centre (pictured right), which will seat when completed 6,500 spectators for Curling events.  In Richmond, where we are staying, is the Olympic, a new venue has been constructed for long track speed skating.

OUR HOTEL: The Accent Inn is located in Richmond, a community just south of Vancouver proper - on the south edge of the Fraser River.  Outside of a McDonalds and a Sports Pub, there are no eateries within six-blocks of the hotel, but within two miles, there are tons of multi-ethnic varieties to choose from - Indian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, German, Dutch, along with local diners.  I have one of the better rooms at this hotel - two TV's, including a flat screen, and good internet (check out some video of my room).  The hotel staff even brought me a microwave up so I could cook some meals I brought with me on the trip.  (Side Note - for the longtime followers of the Hawks, this is the same hotel that caught fire when the team was in Vancouver back in 2005 - but everything has been renovated).

THE BACON: The Hawks have won seven games this year - six by one run margins (6-2 in one-run games)...Jae-Hoon Ha had to leave today's game after being hit on the left arm by a fastball, forcing Watkins to move into left field - as the Hawks had just two position players available on the bench (Hak-Ju Lee, who went to SS, and catcher Matt Williams)...the home run by Jackson was the first by the Hawks since June 26 - the span of 14 games...Nunez saw his scoreless inning streak ended at 10.1 innings tonight - the first earned run allowed by the righty since June 24.

YOU BE THE JUDGE: To the left is Vancouver's mascot, Bob Brown Bear - which I think is one of the cutest mascot's in the league (right up there with Boomer the Bear in Yakima - sorry Humphrey).  However, Bob is very similar to the A&W bear that is portrayed all over the ballpark (local A&W owners are part-owners of the C's).  They did have an outstanding promotion this afternoon - $1.00 (Canadian) A&W root beer floats for charity.

A tough night for the Hawks in Vancouver, as the pitching staff was roughed up for 16 hits in a 9-0 loss to the Canadians, before the biggest crowd Boise has played before this season (4,846).  Things seemingly were off to a good start (the pic of me was taken before the game - the swelling from yesterday's bee sting has gone down in my cheek), as Hak-Ju Lee had a perfect bunt single on the first pitch.  But on a hit-and-run, George Matheus lined a hot-shot to the first baseman, doubling off Lee - which proved to be an omen.

What ensued was another rough night, as Jon Nagel hit his pitch count in the second, Josh Whitlock barely got through the third, and Miguel Sierra barely got through the fifth.  The bright spot on the bump was Ryan Sontag - back at the scene of his first professional outing on the mound, working a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

Talking with Brett Jackson after the game, he was pleased with his at bats, espeically a first inning single - one that was extremely hit hard.  He said he had a great round in the cage today and is hoping for a good outing tomorrow.

Something else that really caught me over the last 24 hours is how much skipper Casey Kopitzke will fight for his men.  A hit was ruled on a routine ground ball to Lee in the infamous 7th inning rally by the Canadians (whose mascot, Bob Brown Bear is pictured to the right) - one that I, Kopitzke (here hitting some infield-outfield with the team today), and the staff felt should have been an error.  Up until the 24th and final hour that the call could be overturned, Boise's manager was trying to get the call reversed - to no avail, but it was his passion to try and turn a couple earned runs to unearned runs for his pitching staff that earned my respect.

Tomorrow will be a quick turnaround for the club, as the team will leave for the yard around 10 a.m. for the 1 p.m. (Pacific Time) ball game - the first afternoon game of the year for the Hawks.  The saving grace for a lot of the guys is that tomorrow night, they will get to explore Vancouver (including the new bridge over the Fraser River as part of the Airport-to-Downtown Sky Train pictured at the left) - which is better than downtown Richmond, where we are staying.

BACON: The loss for the Hawks was their seventh straight defeat away from Memorial Stadium and the club fell to 1-9 on the road...Jackson has now hit safely in 6-of-7 games with the Hawks, while Jae-Hoon Ha has hit safely in nine of his last ten games...Lee had a scary moment in the 3rd inning, colliding with C's third-baseman Ryne Jurnigan - but he shook off a knee injury...Vancouver scored in each of the first six innings tonight.

TOMORROW - Former Hawk, Josh Vitters, will play for the USA team in the MLB Futures Game in St. Louis, as part of All-Star Week...he is the youngest player on the USA team.

Despite issues with transportation issues in the crown jewel city of British Columbia, the Boise Hawks were able to meet the Vancouver Canadians in Game 1 of the five-game series at Nat Bailey Stadium (pictured left).  The day did not start well for the Hawks, as the bus got lost on the way to the gym for the team's workout at a downtown gym (I am usually the navigator, but I was out for my own run, looking for a Subway - which was two miles from the hotel).  The team was also supposed to head for the park at 3 p.m., but traffic woes for our driver (after taking the training staff to the park earlier), or maybe getting lost, forced us to take one bus at 3:45 p.m. - getting to the yard close to 4:20 p.m.

Once there, the Hawks got another quality start by Jeff Antigua in Vancouver (downtown pictured to the right in the distance), retiring 15 of the 16 batters that he faced - striking out a season high six batters.  However, the bullpen's evil head showed up, as the C's strung together six hits against Joe Simokaitis and Danny Keefe, scoring five runs in a 5-4 victory tonight.

The high point of the night was a tie between the RBI triple from speedster Jose Valdez in the third inning, and the Great Sushi Race in the fifth - Vancouver's take on the Sausage Race in Milwaukee, which is right there with our Great Potato Race at Memorial Stadium - you make the call on which is better.

THE BACON: Brett Jackson went 0-for-3 in the loss, ending his hit streak at five games...newcomer Runey Davis went 0-for-2 with two walks and two stolen bases in his Hawks debut...the loss was the first by the Hawks in a one-run game that wasn't a walk-off loss.

ISSUES: Yellowjackets in the press box were bad...one off my cheek hurt, but 13 were killed during the game...Rob Fai, the Voice of the C's, said a fumagator was going to rectify the situation tomorrow.

Catching up a bit today...posting the audio of some interviews from the first couple weeks of the season...

Including catcher Matt Williams ( WilliamsInterview.wma), pitcher Mike Perconte ( perconteinterview.wma), and pitcher Tarlandus Mitchell ( MitchellInterview.wma).

Also, here is a couple interviews with Inside the Ivy.com's Steve Holley, talking about call-ups around the Cubs system ( Holley1.wma) and his trip to New Orleans to watch the Iowa Cubs ( Holley2.wma)

What a wild and crazy day - as the Boise Hawks made their annual pilgrimage to Canada to start a series with the Vancouver Canadians.

The NWL media guide states that it is 604 miles between Boise and Vancouver - but tell that to the players and staff after this trip.

Things went well early, leaving Memorial Stadium around midnight and making it just outside of Seattle around 8 a.m. (video at truck stop in North Bend) - however, traffic in the Puget Sound metro was tough - not as tough, however, as the crossing into Canada.  People have talked about how strict the two countries have gotten in regards to travel between the nations - the lines were outrageous.  However, what should have been 45 minutes to maybe an hour (filling out paperwork for the Canadian Governement), turned into two, three, four hours sitting on a hot stagnant bus, as one member of our travel party did not have proper documentation and had to remain in the States until tomorrow (once his documents arrive by FedEx).

The trip was particularly tough on Brett Jackson, the Cubs first-round pick, who fouled not one, but two balls off his instep last night - and trying to keep ice on it was difficult.

ON THE BUS: We watched a bunch of episodes of HBO's Eastbound and Down, a crude comedy about mullet-toting baseball pitcher Kenny Powers...we watched Quantum of Solace, the latest James Bond movie, which was action-packed, along with Nicholas Cage's Bangkok Dangerous - which I fell asleep for.

THE BACON: The Hawks headed out of town on a winning note, stopping Eugene, 6-3, winning the series, three games to two...Boise gained two games in the NWL East Division during the homestand, now sitting seven games out of first place...Jackson had an RBI single, part of a two-hit night, and has hit safely in all five games with the Hawks...Jose Valdez had a great all-around game, stealing a base, dropping down a sacrifice bunt, to go along with a key two-run single in the eighth inning...Dionis Nunez continues to put up zeros in relief, extending his scoreless innings streak to 9.1 innings - as he has not allowed a run in four-straight appearances.

ROSTER MOVES: The Cubs made a trio of roster moves over the last 24 hours, as pitcher Mike Perconte has been promoted to Advanced-A Daytona, while outfielder Cliff Andersen has been released. Joining the Hawks here in Vancouver from Mesa is Runey Davis, the Cubs 12th Round pick out of Howard CC in Texas...Davis led his club to the 2009 NJCAA Division I National Championship, hitting .404 with 8 HR and 48 RBI.

Hopefully there were not many fans disappointed that I did not write a blog entry yesterday - as I decided to relax with my wife when I got home last night - knowing what is looming ahead during the next week.

So, we have to catch up on a few things.  Monday saw the Hawks rally from 4-0 down to claim their fifth one-run victory of the season, 5-4 over Eugene.  Kudos to the two-out magic, as RBI doubles from Jae-Hoon Ha and Matt Williams pulled the club within one, with Brett Jackson roping a two-run triple in the seventh to give Boise the lead for good.

What a solid job by Mike Perconte in the closer's role, getting the final six outs - including a big 6-4-3 double play on slugger Nate Freiman to close out the eight.

Unfortunately, a three-game win streak was not in the cards, as three Eugene pitchers combined on a four-hitter in a 6-0 win.  Frustrating was the word, as the Hawks managed to get just four balls out of the infield through eight innings, with both hits infield singles.

Great performance by Tarlandus Mitchell (left), who pitched three and two-thirds hitless innings in the start - walking four, but fanning three.  Many fans were in dismay that the Texan was coming out with two outs and none on in the fourth - but the Cubs have a strict pitch count limit and Mitchell was at the end of his string.

BACON: The Hawks have failed to hit a home run in ten games at Memorial Stadium this season and have failed to hit a long ball in 11-straight games...if they do not hit one tomorrow, it will be tough in Vancouver - which surrenders the fewest HR's year in and year out in the NWL...Boise is last in HR's with two, as Vancouver hit their third HR of the season tonight...Jackson has hit safely in all four games as a Hawk, while Ha saw his seven-game hit streak snapped tonight...as a starter, Mitchell has not allowed an earned run in 6.2 innings, but allowed nine runs in two innings of work out of the bullpen.

NOTES: The team will embark on the 604 mile journey to Vancouver, B.C. beginning around midnight tomorrow - probably getting to the Accent Inn around lunchtime on Thursday...look for interesting pictures on the blog this weekend - especially since Vancouver is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, with the Olympic Curling Arena located adjacent to Nat Bailey Stadium.

LOOKING AHEAD: I have begun a look at the 20th Anniversary of Memorial Stadium by contacting as many of the former Boise Hawks play-by-play announcers for Hawk Talk interviews.  Today, I spoke with Tom Scott, who was the lead TV announcer for the Hawks in 1993 and handled PA work at Memorial Stadium throughout the 90s, along with Dave Hahn, Voice of the Hawks from 1992-95 - and Voice of the Eugene Emeralds from 1996-98.  Both had great memories that will be passed on to the fans.  Once we return from Vancouver, I will chat with Rob Simpson (1996-00) and Paul Chiofar (2006-07) - along with many others.  It will make for interesting radio on Hawk Talk.

Calling sporting events since 1994, I have seen my fair share of wacky endings - such as the 1994 state basketball quarterfinals in Washington where my alma mater, Rogers High, gave up a seven point lead with 19 seconds left to lose, or the 1999 football game between Pacific Lutheran and Willamette, where PLU scored three touchdowns in the final three minutes to erase a 24-7 deficit en route to the NCAA Division III national title, even the 13-1 lead the Hawks had in 2005 at Eugene, eventually losing 14-13.

The 2009 Boise Hawks season can be summed up in one word - WEIRD.

I thought I saw it all last Thursday, when Boise squandered a three-run lead in the ninth at Tri-City.  So tonight, with a five-run lead - I thought all bets were off...was I wrong.  Corey Martin and Danny Keefe struggled, as did Hak-Ju Lee, as five runs scored in the ninth, then Emmanuel Quiles crushed a homer in the tenth to give Eugene the lead.

But - there was a little fight left in the Hawks.  Hustle plays by Jae-Hoon Ha, first stealing second, then beating a throw to third on a grounder helped put runners at the corners with one down.  George Matheus, who had the Hawks first four-hit game of the year, singled home Ha, with Matt Williams, who hustled from first-to-third on the single, scoring as the throw from the outfield sailed wide (Listen to the walk-off winner walkoff2.wma). Four wins this season, four one-run wins.

Maybe a six-run lead next time will avert the drama?

THE BACON: Ha extended his hitting streak to six games with a two-hit night, while Williams picked up his first two RBI in a Hawks uniform...Brett Jackson singled in a first inning run for his first Boise RBI...Dionis Nunez continued to be stellar in the pen, tossing two scoreless innings, retiring six of seven batters, while Yohan Gonzalez continued to roll against anyone but Tri-City, throwing three shutout frames...the five-run margin the Hawks held at 7-2 was the largest lead of the season for Boise...the squad is now 2-0 in extra inning games and 4-1 in one-run games, while 0-11 in all other contests...after going 20 innings without a runner to third or scoring, the first three Hawks reached base tonight, ending the streak with a bang.

NOTES: Former Hawk Ricky Nolasco struck out 12 batters today in eight innings, helping Florida to a 5-0 win over Pittsburgh, his fourth-straight win...another former Hawk, Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets was selected to the National League All-Star Team...2008 Hawk Casey Coleman pitched eight innings of shutout ball, improving to 9-3, leading Tennessee to a 7-0 Southern League victory over Carolina.

When I got to Memorial Stadium and surveyed the Eugene Emeralds, one thing that really surprised me was how big the San Diego Padres affiliate was - players 6-4, 6-5, 6-6...but the one that surprised me was six-foot, eight-inch, 250 pound Nate Freiman, a behemoth of a first baseman for the Ems.  The former Duke Blue Devil and college teammate of current Hawk Matt Williams, looked more like he should have been playing for Mike Krzyzewski's basketball team.

However, for the Hawks - and especially reliever Josh Whitlock, they found out first hand why Freiman wasn't on the basketball court, as the big man slugged a pair of home runs, including a back-breaking seventh inning grand slam to help Eugene extend the Hawks losing streak to five with a 8-0 loss.

The loss spoiled an outstanding start by Boise left-hander, Jeff Antigua, who took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, allowing just one hit, walking two, and striking out four.  The 19-year-old kept Eugene off-balance all night, working out of jams in both the second and fourth innings - lowering his team-leading ERA to 1.38.

Unfortunately, the Hawks could not get anything going with the bats for the second-straight night, mustering just four singles - and despite having a runner aboard in each of the first three innings, double plays erased the threat.

Kudos go to multiple ways tonight as well - first for Mike Sharp, who has never called a baseball game live before, stepping in for me in the second inning as I battled the stomach flu - great job Sharpie!!! Also kudos to the Boise fans, as nearly 4,000 Hawks faithful braved the near 100-degree heat tonight - the largest crowd of the season (and we could have probably fit more in the stadium - as Everett had 4,300, Salem-Keizer 4,800, and Spokane 7,200).  Finally, what a fireworks show after the game - especially after the clunkers of fireworks shows at Salem-Keizer and Tri-City, the fans definitely got their monies worth.

THE BACON: The Hawks have not scored a run in 20 consecutive innings, failing to push a runner to third base in any of the frames...Boise has not hit a home run in eight-straight games, including no homers at home, and rank last in the NWL with two round-trippers...Hak-Ju Lee committed an error for the third-straight game and leads the league with ten miscues.

NOTES: The Chicago Cubs made a pair of roster moves involving the Hawks today - as Matt Cerda was sent to Mesa for an injury rehab, while Kevin Soto heads to Mesa to play in the Arizona Rookie League...Brett Jackson made his Boise debut tonight, going 1-for-4.

It was getaway day in the Tri-Cities, with the highlight of the day coming at the hotel - when my son (pictured to the left) got a chance to play in the swimming pool.  You know it is a bad night, when the almost two year old puts on a headset during the game and talks about baseball with dad - just trying to get through a 33-minute half inning.

To say the Hawks performance was a disappointment was an understatement - considering they were playing in front of their biggest crowd of the season (a stadium record 3,794 fans at Gesa Stadium), coming off the hard to swallow 6-5 loss last night.

Six Boise pitchers combined to walk ten batters, hit three others, the team recorded a catchers interference call, two passed balls, and a strikeout with the batter not even standing in the batters box.  At one point, Tri-City pitchers had retired 17-straight Hawk batters.

What was even more disappointing was the post-game fireworks show at the stadium.  Brent Miles and his staff is phenomenal - they took care of me and the club really well and get kudos for the monster crowd.  But the 2-minute fireworks show had me wanting more - considering I know how long tomorrow's show in Boise will be.

The nice thing is, after a four-hour drive home (probably walk in the door around 4:30 a.m.), it will be a new day and the Hawks can strap it on - looking for a win.

THE BACON - Alex Feinberg was the thorn in the side for the Hawks last night, as the Dust Devil second baseman, coming into the game hitting .067, reached base in all five plate appearances, including two hits and four RBI...Larry Suarez continued his control issues, walking five men in two innings of work, with all three runs scoring on a Leonardo Reyes double coming off of walks...Andres Quezada has rebounded from two tough outings, posting 1-2-3 frames in each of his last two appearances...Tri-City is now 9-0 against the NWL East and heads to Salem-Keizer for a showdown with the West Division leaders.

NOTES - It is expected that Cubs first-round pick Brett Jackson will join the Hawks on Saturday and be in the line-up as the starting center fielder...the prognosis on pitcher Su-Min Jung was a bit more optimistic from trainer Dan Golden, as the Korea native felt much better today after having to leave Thursday's game with a shoulder injury - he will be evaluated Saturday by team doctors in Boise...the shutout loss was the first time the Hawks have been blanked this season.

STAT OF THE DAY - During the eighth inning (around 11 p.m. MT), I asked to see if anyone was listening to the game (especially since it was 12-0) and if they were - to email me.  Guess what, we received 13 emails in the following five minutes.  Hawks fans bleed Red, Gold, and Green.

I could spend the entire time bashing the ninth inning collapse by the Hawks tonight, as the squad squandered a 5-2 lead with three outs to go, as Bo Bowman's two-run walk-off single gave Tri-City the improbable win.

But instead, I will give fans the inside look at life here in the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick) and at Gesa Stadium (see Gesa Stadium up close during tonight's national anthem)- one of the more improved ball parks and franchises in the entire Northwest League.

It starts with the team hotel, the Red Lion Columbia Center in Kennewick, a stone's throw from the Toyota Center, where the Tri-City Fever AF2 team and the Tri-City Americans WHL hockey team plays.  The beds are comfy, they have a nice fitness center, and a big pool that was the first pool my son has ever set feet in.  Near the Red Lion are countless eateries - Red Robin, Applebees, Sharis, KFC, Taco Bell, Quiznos, Carl's Junior, Red Lobster - along with a shopping mall, all within a two block radius.

Even better is the fact that Tri-City is the closest team in the NWL to Boise, allowing Hawks fans to make the trek to Washington, including the Lothrop family (pictured) - who are the host family for first-baseman Greg Rohan.

We talked about the sun-shade at Gesa Stadium last night, but since the Brett Brothers purchased the team a few years ago, the organization has developed into one of the better clubs in the league.  Last year, a new and improved Dusty the Dust Devil (pictured below) roams the park during the game - and has one of the more impressive introductions in the league (right up there with Humphrey coming in on the Ram Tough pick-up), as Dusty is introduced each night before the team, running onto the field with a big Tri-City flag - reminiscent of a football intro.

Along with Dusty is their in-game promoter, Eric the Peanut Guy - who actually sells Cracker Jacks between the time he handles the on-field chaos.

In the past, it was hot dogs for the broadcaster each night - but I received a monster pulled pork sandwich tonight (pictured below) - something not great for my diet, but it was money...which begins to push Tri-City food up towards the Philly sandwich in Yakima and the Teriyaki Bowls in Spokane (which we'll get to sample later in the year). 

All in all, it has been a good trip for the team - despite the tough losses on the field and the near 100-degree temperatures.

THE BACON - The Hawks were three outs away from ending a four-game losing streak to Tri-City - thanks to fabulous relief work from Dionis Nunez and Miguel Sierra, who combined to toss five and two-thirds innings of shutout ball...the Hawks stole a season-high four bases, including two each from Hak-Ju Lee and Jose Valdez...Kevin Clark scored the winning run on Bowman's walk-off hit by bowling over Boise catcher, Alvaro Sosa, ala Pete Rose in the All-Star game during the 1970s.

NOTES: Corey Martin will now wear #25 and Matt Williams will wear #9...Su-Min Jung was lifted from tonight's game with pain in his throwing shoulder after two and a third innings...he tried to throw a warm-up pitch after the training staff attended to him, but doubled over in pain...according to trainer Dan Golden, Jung will be evaluated by team doctors when the club arrives back in Boise on Saturday...also on the injury front, Matt Cerda is expected to be put on the 7-Day DL (minor league version of the disabled list) and will be sent to the Cubs Spring Training site in Mesa, Ariz., with a possible broken hamate bone in his hand...according to Golden, Cerda will not be able to swing a bat for up to three weeks...the blown save by Yohan Gonzalez tonight was his second of the season - as he has not given up a run in three appearances against the rest of the league, but allowed nine earned runs in two appearances vs. Tri-City...seven of George Matheus' eight RBI this season are against the Dust Devils.

Today was not an easy day in the least - but as I say at the conclusion of every broadcast, "You don't having a great day, you make it a great day (Pacific Lutheran Hall of Fame football coach Frosty Westering)"  Instead of hopping on the 7:30 bus with the team, my family and I were to drive to the Tri-Cities for the series.  However, the day got off to a rude start, when someone hacked into my bank account - buying Mac-Books by Apple through E-Bay.  Not good. 

To say we were rushed was an understatement - we got to the park and within 13 minutes, Hawk Talk was on the air.  Luckily, I was prepared (I guess you have to be after all of these years) - with all of my interviews in the can.

However, what made the difficulty of the day a bright one was the behemoth of a Sun Shade off the first base side at Gesa Stadium.  In my first few years in the league, the Pasco ballpark was a sweatbox - no where, except the clubhouse, to escape the heat.  However, the Sun Shade, which the State of Washington constructed, makes Gesa Stadium a great place to watch a game.  Come on Governor Otter - help the Hawks out!!!

The game was a strange one, as Tri-City went without a hit for the final six innings of the contest - but still pulled out a 6-4 win.  I was very impressed with the debut of Corey Martin, who retired six of the seven men he faced.

THE BACON - The Hawks wore their green batting practice tops tonight - with Martin (#25), Matt Williams (#9), and Jose Valdez (#44) all wearing different numbers than the night before...Tri-City first-baseman Mike Zuanich has now hit five home runs in four games, while the Hawks have hit two home runs in 12 games...

NOTES - We will take a look at the Red Lion Columbia Center in tomorrow's blog, along with Dusty the Dust Devil mascot and Erik the Peanut Guy...Cubs first-round pick, Brett Jackson, made his professional debut tonight with the Mesa Cubs...former Hawk Randy Wells got the win for the Chicago Cubs in a 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh - his third-straight victory.