Nick Adenhart Dead

ANAHEIM- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starting pitcher and top prospect Nick Adenhart was killed Wednesday night hours after notching his first major league win. Adenhart was killed by an alleged drunk driver on a felony hit and run charge along with two others who were slain and one who was critically injured.

Adenhart, long touted as the top pitching prospect in the Angels organization and for a time all of baseball, came into the Angels organization out of high school at age 18. In his minor league career he posted a 3.87 ERA over 91 games, striking out 430, walking 206, and posting a 1.409 WHIP in 506.2 minor league innings. After a shaky cup of coffee in 2008 in which he gave up 12 runs in 12 innings while averaging three innings a start, Adenhart won a slot in the rotation out of spring training and figured to be a cog in LAA for years to come. His bright future came to a tragic end Wednesday after earning his major league win in which he allowed no runs in six innings, striking out five.

Adenhart's final major league numbers read 1-0, 6.00 ERA, 18 INN, 9 K, 16 BB

Series Review: @ Philadelphia 4/5-4/8

Philadelphia- Over the course of the season Jack's Broken Bat will review each individual series and in some cases individual games. Our initial season review covers the season opening series against the division rival Phillies.

In taking two-of-three from the defending World Champions the Braves served notice that they are not going down quietly this year. The offense showed up in every game, posting 19 runs in the three game set. The starting pitching that was the achilles heel of the team last year provided three quality starts. Derek Lowe set the tone early going eight strong innings of two hit shutout baseball. Jair Jurrjens, trying to build off a very impressive rookie season, followed Lowe's outing by throwing 5.2 innings of shutout baseball while allowing 4 hits and 7 total baserunners. New acquisition Javier Vazquez made his Braves debut in game three, yielding three runs in six innings while striking out five and in combination with a heavy hitting Braves offense giving Atlanta a solid shot to sweep.

The backend tandem of Soriano and Gonzalez looked good if not sharp during the series, giving solace that the late inning collapses of the Danny Kolbs, Jorge Sosas, and Chris Reitsmas are long gone. The middle relievers left much to be desired, however. Eric O'Flaherty had a solid outing in game two, netting four outs and holding the fort down. He was unable to follow up this solid performance in the rubber match as he was responsible for starting the inning from hell. O'Flaherty, Blaine Boyer, Jorge Campillo, and Peter Moylan struggled mightily in the seventh inning, walking a combined 6 batters while giving up 8 runs. This being Moylan's first outing since recovering from Tommy John surgery, his struggling out of the gate can be expected a bit. Hopes are that these bad outtings by the rest of the pen can be chalked up to a bad day or the cold weather affecting their control.

As mentioned, the offense was solid. Led by All-Star backstop Brian McCann, who belted two homers in the series, and rookie-sensation Jordan Schafer who provided two bombs of his own, the offense put up at least four runs in each game and launched 8 homers. For a team that was supposed to lack power coming out the spring, they certainly put up their fair share of dingers in Philadelphia. Schafer provided immediate dividends for the coaching staff's faith in him with a 3-10, two homer, series, providing hope that center field will not be a black hole for offense and specifically slugging this year.



New CF Jordan Schafer launches his first career homer off of Brett Myers


All told, the Braves were able take 2 of 3 and rightfully should have swept if the middle of the pen could have found the strike zone at all. Next up: the Nationals come to town for the home opener with Derek Lowe on the hill again.