Peavy, Buchholz, 4 H, 0 ER, 20K

Is it the year of the pitcher yet?

No one was thinking pitchers' duel when when Lehigh's Clay Buchholz squared off against Outlaw's Jake Peavy at Wreckin' So Field against hitting luminaries such as Albert Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, Evan Longoria, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Big Papi Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Vlad the Impaler of helpless pitchers. As they say, that's why they show up to play the game.

Fast forward to the 7th inning with Buchholz pitching a no-hitter. And losing. A first inning walk to Elvis Andrus and a Manny Ramirez tapper back to the mound were no big deal until Buchholz uncorked a throw into the stands that sent Elvis to third. Dustin Pedroia managed to loft a flyball deep enough into left field to score the speedy Andrus.

Jake Peavy didn't take a no-hitter into the seventh, just a one-hit, ten-strikeout shutout with Russell Martin's ringing third-inning double the only blemish on his record. The Jakester mowed down Longoria, Cano, and Vlad for an easy seventh inning.

Adrian Gonzalez led off Outlaw's seventh by ending Buchholz's no-hit bid with a no-doubt line drive single. Outlaw threatened an offensive outburst, loaded the bases, but Lehigh skipper Kevin Burns called on Matt Capps who retired the side to end the threat, keeping the score at Outlaw 1, Lehigh 0.

So with Peavy struggling with injuries does Outlaw manager Hildebrant call on his outstanding back end bullpen of Venters and Soria to secure a 1 - 0 game against division rivals with the fearsome offense, or does he stick to his habit of trusting his starters when they're going well?

Dumb question! Peavy walks to the mound in the eighth to the roar of the Wreckin' So Field crowd. Luke Scott steps up. Ring 'em up, sit 'em down. Number twelve for Jake. Russell Martin grounds out to harmlessly to first base, Peavy covering. Jose Reyes steps up. Ring 'em up, sit 'em down. Number thirteen.

Outlaw goes down in the bottom of the eighth while Mexicutioner Joakim Soria warms up in the bullpen and the top of the fearsome Iron Pigs order dreams of changing the 1 - 0 score.

But it's Peavy who walks out to the mound in the ninth to the roar of the insane, alcohol-fueled Outlaw crowd (it was nickel whiskey night). Lehigh hopes the the speedy Andres Torres can get on base to lead off the inning. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Number fourteen for Peavy. Chris Heisey steps up. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Number fifteen for Peavy.

The fearsome Albert Pujols steps up. Soria is ready but Peavy will end this mano-a-mano, the way baseball games were meant to end. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Notch K number sixteen for Peavy, and one of those modern-era rarities, a complete-game shutout.

Outlaw and Lehigh batters managed just one unearned run and four hits in 51 at bats, striking out 20 times. Buchholz takes a no-hitter into the seventh and gives up only an unearned run, but Peavy finishes what he starts, striking out five of the last six Lehigh batters to earn the V.

Maybe it finally is the year of the pitcher.

BOXSCORE: 2011 Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs At 2011 Outlaw Josey Wales   5/12/2011

Iron Pigs          AB  R  H RBI AVG     Josey Wales        AB  R  H RBI AVG
A.Torres CF         4  0  0  0 .254     E.Andrus SS         1  1  0  0 .214
C.Heisey RF         4  0  0  0 .258     M.Ramirez LF        3  0  0  0 .185
A.Pujols 1B         3  0  0  0 .222   A-C.Crisp CF          1  0  0  0 .250
E.Longoria 3B       3  0  0  0 .207     D.Pedroia 2B        3  0  0  1 .200
R.Cano 2B           3  0  0  0 .214     A.Gonzalez 1B       3  0  1  0 .265
V.Guerrero DH       3  0  0  0 .353     N.Cruz RF           2  0  0  0 .245
L.Scott LF          3  0  0  0 .171     D.Ortiz DH          2  0  1  0 .296
R.Martin C          3  0  1  0 .188     A.Beltre 3B         3  0  0  0 .255
J.Reyes SS          2  0  0  0 .268     R.Barajas C         3  0  0  0 .207
                                      M.Kemp CF,LF        2  0  1  0 .184
                 -- -- -- ---                            -- -- -- ---
     Totals      28  0  1  0                 Totals      23  1  3  1

A-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Ramirez In 7th Inning

Iron Pigs....... 0 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  0  1  1
Josey Wales..... 1 0 0  0 0 0  0 0    -  1  3  0

Iron Pigs (10-6)         IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
C.Buchholz LOSS(1-2)      6 1/3   2   1   0   4   4   0   0.65  A1 C6
M.Capps                   1 2/3   1   0   0   0   1   0   4.32  C7
Totals                    8       3   1   0   4   5   0

Josey Wales (8-7)        IP       H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR    ERA  SCORESHEET
J.Peavy WIN(1-0)          9       1   0   0   2  16   0   0.59  A1
Totals                    9       1   0   0   2  16   0