The Yorkton Cardinals continue to struggle with only one win on the week, leaving the team with a Western Major Baseball League record of 4-14 and a winning percentage of .222, worst in the league as of Monday morning.
The Cardinals are mired in the basement of the WMBL's East Division, 10 games back of Regina atop the Division.
Melville and Weyburn sit tied for second, both with .500 records, five games better than Yorkton.
The most recent loss for the Cardinals came against the Millionaires.
Yorkton was to play in Melville Saturday, but was postponed until Sunday because of rain. The day delay did not help the Cardinals, as they dropped a 7-1 decision to the rival Millionaires.
Melville scored one in the first inning, and never looked back.
The Cardinals would tie the game with their only run of the contest in the third inning, but the Millionaires added four in the home half of the third, and two more in the sixth for the win. N.D. Gonzalez started the game on the hill for Yorkton being tagged with the loss after tossing five innings in which he allowed six hits and five runs, four of those earned.
Ghazaleh Sailors gave up the other two runs on four hits in one inning of relief work.
Henry Cartagena had the Cardinals lone run batted in of the game, while James Green had his 13th stolen base of the season.
Split with the Red Sox
The Cardinals headed to Regina for action Thursday and Friday and came away with a split.
Thursday the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the opening inning, but the three runs posted by the host Red Sox in the third would be enough for the win.
Yorkton added one in the fourth, with Regina adding two in the seventh to round out a 5-2 win.
Sean Gavin went 6.1 innings as the Cardinal starter, taking the loss after scattering 10-hits, and all five Red Sox runs, although only three of those were earned.
On offence Green swiped his 11th stolen base of the year, and added an RBI.
A night later the Cardinals would have a big ninth inning as they scored four to take a 6-5 win.
Luis Lora went 6.1 innings as the Cardinal starter, allowing four runs, only one of those earned on five hits, but was not part of the decision.
Robert Rivers would get the win based on 1.2 innings of relief work, giving up two hits and one earned run.
N.D. Gonzalez tossed a scoreless ninth to get the save for Yorkton.
Green again had a nice night at the plate, swiping his 12th base of the season, and plating an RBI.
Bulls take two
The Lethbridge Bulls visited Jubilee Park last week for a pair of games, taking both.
In the first of two games it was all Bulls.
They scored a pair of runs in the first inning, and never relinquished the lead, adding two in the second, then two more in the third.
The Bulls blew the game wide open adding a grand slam in the seventh to complete a 12-2 win.
Trevor Daggon started on the mound for Yorkton, taking the loss on three innings of work over which he gave up seven hits and six runs, all of them earned.
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Max McDonald went the rest of the way in a game called after seven innings due to weather.
Offensively James Green did swipe his 10th base for the Cardinals.
A night later, things were a bit closer, but the Bulls would again score four runs with their last bat for the win. This time the quartet of runs came in the 10th inning to secure a 7-3 win.
Ben Sollows started for Yorkton, tossing three, allowing five hits and two runs, both earned before giving way to Yesniel Henriquez.
Henriquez would throw five innings, scattering five hits and allowing one earned run to garner game star honours.
Brock Werdel was tagged with the loss giving up four hits and three earned runs in one inning of work.
On offence, Ryan Meek and Luis Sanchez had doubles for the Cardinals.
The losses to the Bulls had Cardinal head coach Bill Sobkow frustrated by a team mired in the division basement. When asked how the poor start rated in his nine years with the franchise, Sobkow was direct in his answer.
"They're the worst one - by far-and-away the worst," he stated.
That off his chest Sobkow said the team's performance may look worse because the WMBL has evolved.
"I truly believe this league has gotten so much better," he said. "I think we've got good players, but other teams seem to be on a different level right now."
As of midweek the Cards were expecting one more player to arrive, middle infielder Daniel Harrison, a player Sobkow hopes will be a factor.
"We're hoping that he'll be a little bit of a catalyst for us," he said, although he added one player alone can't turn the Cardinal fortunes around.
Sobkow said every player must assess their role on the team and step up to do a better job. If that doesn't happen then Sobkow said it will be a situation where "we're just not good enough
Everybody is here to play baseball, but perhaps the skill level might be less."
Sobkow said he hated to say such things, but added a 3-12 record pretty much shows "something is wrong."
Of note
A third WMBL alumni is now on an active Major Baseball League roster, as former Saskatoon Yellow Jackets' left-handed pitcher joined the Cincinnati Reds Saturday.
A native of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Horst joins Milwaukee Brewers closer and former Melville Millionaire, John Axford, and San Francisco Giants reliever, and Yorkton Cardinals alum, Dan Runzler in the Majors.
Up next
The Cardinals were scheduled to play Melville Monday, but with early deadlines as a result of the Canada Day holiday on Friday, results were not available.
On Tuesday, the Cardinals were scheduled to head back to Melville for action, but again results were not available at press time.
Weyburn arrives at Jubilee Park in Yorkton for action tonight (Wednesday).
On Canada Day, Melville heads back to Yorkton for the fourth meeting between the rivals in a week.
The Cardinals are in Moose Jaw on Saturday, with Saskatoon at Jubilee Park Monday (July 4) and Regina visits Tuesday.
