In baseball, people believe that as the weather gets warmer, so does a player. No one is more evident of a statement like that than Dayton Bombers right-hander Bobby Basham.

The 22-year-old Basham, who was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh round of the 2001 draft, has thrown three consecutive complete-game shutouts, equaling a Midwest League record.

The 6-3 righty, who lost his first two starts of the season May 31-June 5, began his streak with a five-hit shutout against South Bend on June 23. He struck out a season-high 13 batters and issued just a pair of walks as Dayton blanked the Silver Hawks, 5-0.

He returned to the mound on June 28 and allowed just two hits, struck out nine and did not issue a walk during a 5-0 win against Fort Wayne. After allowing back-to-back singles in the second inning, Basham retired 21 consecutive batters before Josh Barfield reached on an error with two outs in the ninth inning.

Basham fired a four-hit shutout against Clinton on July 3, striking out 12 without issuing a walk. He struck out the side in order in the second inning and retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced between the first and seventh frames.

Basham has not allowed a run in his last 30 innings of work, the longest streak in the minors this season. His streak is the longest in the league since Tom Shearn pitched 35 straight scoreless innings for Quad City back in 1998.

The last time a pitcher in the Midwest League pitched three consecutive shutouts was 1984 when Bruce Tanner accomplished the feat for Appleton.

Red hot
Scranton's right-handed threesome of Joe Roa, Eric Junge and Brett Myers are the biggest reasons why the Red Barons own a league-best 3.13 ERA.

On the season, Roa is a perfect 13-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 16 starts. Junge is 9-3 with a 2.88 ERA while Myers is just 7-6 with a 3.83 ERA.

During the past week, however, it was Myers showing why he is considered to be the best pitching prospect in the Phillies organization.

Myers, who was the 12th overall pick by Philadelphia in the 1999 draft, notched his fourth complete-game victory of the season in Scranton's 2-1 win over Toledo on June 29. He yielded a run, scattered seven hits, struck out six batters without issuing a walk in the seventh complete game of his four-year career.

The 23-year-old retired 19 of the first 21 batters, including 12 straight between the third and seventh frames, and set down the side in order in the eighth.

Not to be outdone, Roa recorded his 13th straight win in the Red Barons' 10-3 triumph at Columbus on July 1. He allowed three runs, four hits and fanned a pair without issuing a walk. The 30-year-old pitched 4 1/3 perfect frames before Marcus Thames lined a one-out double.

Roa's winning streak is the longest in the minor leagues at just one level since 1994 when Matt Arrandale won 14 straight decisions for Savannah of the Class A South Atlantic League. More recently, Lindsay Gulin won 14 games in 2000, but split his time between Dayton (10) of the Class A Florida State League and West Tenn (4) of the Class AA Southern League.

Junge opened the week with nine scoreless innings versus the Mud Hens on June 28 but did not figure in the decision as Scranton suffered a 1-0 loss in 10 innings. It was the 25-year-old's longest outing of the season.

In his next start on July 3, Junge went seven innings, allowing four runs and eight hits, but was able to pick up his first win since June 15.

Minor-league highlights
Auburn (Class A New York-Penn League) catcher Paul Richmond finished 4-for-4 with a home run and a career-high six RBI in a 6-3 triumph at Jamestown on July 2. Richmond, a recent 28th-round selection, laced a two-run single in the second inning and had a run-scoring base hit and stole second in the fourth. He also connected on his first professional homer in the sixth, a two-run shot, and knocked out an RBI single in the eighth.

Burlington (Class A Midwest League) outfielder James Shanks went 4-for-6 with a season-high four doubles in an 11-7, 11-inning victory at South Bend on July 2. Shanks, who led off the game with a groundout to third, doubled and scored in the second and seventh innings, doubled in the 10th and capped a five-run top of the 11th with an RBI two-bagger. Shanks had gone 5-for-5 in an 8-7 win at Beloit on June 26. He was tied for eighth in the league with a .302 batting average.

Delmarva (Class A South Atlantic League) outfielder Alex Gordon registered a cycle in the Shorebirds' 11-4 triumph at Greensboro on June 28. Gordon, who finished 4-for-5 to complete a seven-game stretch in which he went 15-for-29, laced a two-run single in the first inning and tripled and scored in the fifth. The Washington State native led off the sixth with a double and scored and connected on his seventh homer of the season in the eighth, the front end of back-to-back shots with shortstop Bryan Bass. It was the first cycle in the South Atlantic League this season and the first since Jason Grove accomplished the feat for the Bats August 8th of last year.

Fort Wayne (Class A Midwest League) third baseman Jon Benick registered a career-high three home runs and seven RBI to help the Wizards double up Quad City, 12-6, on July 3. Benick, a 22-year-old from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., launched a grand slam to cap a five-run third inning, belted a two-run shot to complete a four-run fifth and hit his sixth professional solo blast in the ninth, giving him a total of 21 longballs and 99 RBI in 143 career games. It was the switch-hitter's first-ever multi-homer performance. He became the first player in the league this season to either hit three homers or drive in seven runs.

Greenville (Double-A Southern League) outfielder Curtis Fiore recorded the first multi-homer game of his four-year career in the Braves' 13-4 victory at Birmingham on July 1. Fiore singled and scored in the second inning and drilled a two-run homer in both the fifth and seventh frames. The 24-year-old was a 1999 draftee of the Braves and is in his first full season of Double-A ball. It was just the third time the Arizona native has driven in four runs in a game. The last was on June 22, 2001 for Myrtle Beach of the Class A Carolina League.

Louisville (Triple-A International League) first baseman Kevin Witt hit a game-winning home run in the 10th inning to lift the Bats over Indianapolis, 8-5, on July 3. Witt, who finished 3-for-6 with five RBI, connected on his 16th homer of the season, a three-run shot, with two outs in the 10th. He also singled home a run in the first inning and tied the score at 4-4 in the seventh with a run-scoring base hit.

Myrtle Beach (Class A Carolina League) first baseman Adam LaRoche went 5-for-5 and drove in a career-high seven runs in a 15-4 rout of Frederick on July 2. The 22-year-old singled in the first inning, hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run third and laced a two-run base hit and scored to highlight a five-run fourth. He also doubled home a pair of runs to complete a four-run fifth. With his performance, LaRoche was batting .332 with 75 hits, 15 doubles, nine longballs and 52 RBI in 63 games.

Ottawa (Triple-A International League) right-hander Carl Pavano went 3-for-3 with three RBI in the Lynx's 12-3 triumph over Norfolk on June 28. Pavano singled into left-center field in the first inning, smacked a two-run double into right field in the fourth and laced a run-scoring base hit during an eight-run fifth inning to record his first three RBI at the minor-league level. On the mound, the 26-year-old allowed three runs -- two earned -- and six hits with three strikeouts and a walk over seven innings for the win, improving to 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts with Ottawa.

New Britain (Double-A Eastern League) outfielder Lew Ford recorded his second career five-hit game, going 5-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored in an 18-3 victory at New Haven on June 27. He was selected league Player of the Week through June 30 and was batting .392 over an 18-game stretch through July 3. He had his 71-game errorless streak snapped July 3 against Binghamton.

Tennessee (Double-A Southern League) shortstop Danny Solano hit a three-run homer in the top of the 16th inning to propel the Smokies to a 5-2 victory over Carolina on July 2 in the longest game in the Southern League this season. With two outs and runners on first and second, Solano connected on his first home run in 73 at-bats and just his third of the season. The 26-year-old, who never had more than seven longballs in a single season, homered just 24 times in 479 career games.

Minor-league leaders
(Through July 4)
AVERAGE (Minimum 195 TPA): Brad Hawpe, Salem, .385; ON BASE PERCENTAGE: Mike Campo, Rancho Cucamonga, .477; SLUGGING PERCENTAGE: Jason Stokes, Kane County, .665; HITS: Joe Thurston, Las Vegas, 122; HOME RUNS: Josh Phelps, Syracuse, 24; RBI: Brad Nelson, Beloit, 78; STOLEN BASES: Wayne Lydon, Columbus, 54; DOUBLES: Steve Scarborough, Indianapolis and Jeff Mathis, Cedar Rapids, 31; TRIPLES: Jose Reyes, Binghamton, 13; RUNS: Lew Ford, New Britain, 78; WALKS: Graham Koonce, Midland, 81; STRIKEOUTS: Jorge Soto, Visalia, 116; ERRORS: Bronson Sardinha, Greensboro, 33.

BEST ERA (65 IP): Ray Aguilar, Myrtle Beach, 0.64; WORST ERA (65 IP): Justin Gordon, High Desert, 8.21; WINS: John Koronka, Chattanooga, Joe Roa, Scranton and Billy Traber, Akron, 13; LOSSES: Several Tied with 11; SAVES: Evan Rust, Bakersfield and Dan Carraso, Lynchburg, 23; COMPLETE GAMES: Several Tied with 4; GAMES: Brian Bowles, Syracuse, 45; INNINGS PITCHED: Aaron Cook, Colorado Springs and Dan Haren, Potomac, 124.2; STRIKEOUTS: Rich Harden, Midland, 121.

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Full Season): Akron (Indians), .701 (61-26); Stockton (Reds), .667 (56-28); Lynchburg (Pirates), .659 (56-29); Wilmington (Royals), .635 (54-31).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Short Season): Gulf Coast Yankees (Yankees), .857 (12-2); Bluefield (Orioles), .800 (12-3); Gulf Coast Pirates (Pirates), .786 (11-3); Great Falls, (Dodgers), .778 (14-4).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/ORGANIZATION: Houston Astros (.584); Pittsburgh Pirates (.575); Cleveland Indians (.570).

Top pitching performances
Michigan (Class A Midwest League) right-hander Mike Burns threw a two-hit shutout to hand South Bend its ninth straight loss, 9-0, on June 27. Burns limited the Silver Hawks to two hits, a walk and struck out five to notch his second nine-inning shutout of the season. The California native retired 18 of 19 batters between the first and seventh frames.

Norwich (Double-A Eastern League) right-hander Julio De Paula pitched his second straight complete game in the Navigators' 10-1 pounding of Trenton on June 29. De Paula, who recorded a three-hitter with nine strikeouts in his last start on June 22, allowed an unearned run, scattered seven hits and fanned seven batters in the fourth complete game of his career.

Rancho Cucamonga (Class A California League) right-hander Rich Fischer tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts while throwing a five-hit shutout in a 3-0 triumph at Lake Elsinore on July 1. Fischer, who struck out at least one hitter in each frame, allowed just one extra-base hit, walked one and hit a batter for the win, snapping a four-game losing streak.

Toledo (Triple-A International League) right-hander Shane Loux pitched a 10-inning shutout to lead the Mud Hens to a 1-0 victory over Scranton Wilkes Barre on June 28. Loux, who tossed a four-hit shutout in his last start on June 23, scattered seven hits, hit two batters and struck out three in his third complete game of the season. Loux now has 19 consecutive innings-pitched without yielding a run. The 22-year-old retired six of the first seven batters and 18 of the final 23.

Streaking
Akron (Double-A Eastern League) left-hander Billy Traber notched his eighth straight win with seven strong innings in the Aeros' 6-2 triumph over Bowie on July 2. The 2000 first-round pick of the Mets acquired in the Roberto Alomar deal this winter, yielded two runs, six hits and struck a pair to also win his sixth consecutive start. The southpaw, who retired the final 10 batters he faced, remained undefeated at home, improving to 10-0 with a 2.42 ERA and just 14 walks in 67 frames.

Bowie (Double-A Eastern League) left-hander Eric Dubose allowed no hits in six consecutive games June 22-July 2 (8 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 SO) and had not allowed a run in 10 games covering 14 2/3 innings.

Charleston-WV (Class A South Atlantic League) shortstop Manuel Mayorson did not strike out in 26 consecutive games May 30-July 2 (36-107, 6 2B, 6 RBI, 11 SB). It is the longest such streak in the minors this season and the longest since Jeff Powers of High Desert went 32 games and 130 at-bats from April 14-May 24 in 2000.

Edmonton (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) first baseman Todd Sears reached base safely by hit or walk in 29 consecutive games May 27-July 3 (43-102, 7 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 1 SB).

El Paso (Double-A Texas League) right-hander Andrew Good recorded his seventh straight victory in the Diablos' 7-2 triumph over Tulsa on June 29 to earn league Pitcher of the Week honors. Good yielded a run, scattered eight hits, issued a walk and struck out three batters in six innings.

Fort Myers (Class A Florida State League) outfielder Josh Rabe finished 0-for-1 with a walk and a run for the Miracle extending his streak of reaching base by a hit or a walk to 59 games. The 23-year-old drew his 41st walk of the season leading off the bottom of the first inning and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by outfielder B.J. Garbe. Rabe, who leads the Florida State League with a .350 batting average, was one game short of tying Casey Blake for the longest single-season streak in the minors since 1996 through July 3. Blake reached base in 60 straight games split between Dunedin of the Florida State League and Knoxville of the Double-A Southern League in 1998.

Hagerstown (Class A South Atlantic League) designated hitter Branden Florence reached base safely by hit or walk in 26 consecutive games June 1-July 2 (36-96, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB). He also went 10 games without a strikeout.

Kane County (Class A Midwest League) left-hander Dontrelle Willis went 4-0 with a 1.02 ERA is six games June 3-29 (44 IP, 26 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 37 SO). In his last outing on June 29, Willis hurled eight scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out six without issuing a walk. It was his third straight win, lowering his league-leading ERA to 1.42 through July 3.

Lexington (Class A South Atlantic League) right-hander Jimmy Barrett allowed two runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts May 27-July 1 (40 2/3 IP, 33 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 39 SO), going 4-1 and lowering his league-best ERA to 1.98. His ERA during the streak was 1.55.

Lynchburg (Class A Carolina League) left-hander Sean Burnett raised his current scoreless-innings streak to 28 2/3 with seven shutout frames in the Hillcats' 5-1 victory over Winston-Salem on June 28. Burnett yielded two hits, a walk and struck out five to win his fourth straight start and improve to 11-1 with a 1.30 ERA in 16 outings. The 19-year-old also raised his record at home to 6-0 with a stingy 0.55 ERA and a .140 batting average against. His streak is the third longest in the minors this season.

Macon (Class A South Atlantic League) first baseman Scott Thorman hit safely in 16 straight games (29-59, 12 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI) June 13-July 2.

Ottawa (Triple-A International League) outfielder Endy Chavez tied the Lynx franchise record by recording a hit in his 18th consecutive game on July 1. Through July 3, Chavez extended the streak to 21 games, tying him with Brandon Phillips and Robb Quinlan (PCL) for the third-longest in the minors this season. His streak was the longest in the International League since Brian Raabe hit safely in 24 straight games for Columbus back in 1999. Ottawa's original record was held by Chris Saunders who hit safely in 18 consecutive games during the 1998 season.

Portland (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) left-hander Jason Kershner went 7-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 23 games April 19-July 3 (73 1/3 IP, 55 H, 19 R, 18 ER, 19 BB, 71 SO). In his last outing on July 3, Kershner yielded two runs and five hits, striking out five and walking only one, in six innings of work during a 4-2 victory over Fresno. Kershner spent most of his time out of the bullpen at the beginning of the season but nine of his last 11 outings came as a starter.

Richmond (Triple-A International League) right-hander Dan Wheeler won his sixth straight start with seven effective innings in the Braves' 5-4 victory over Louisville on June 30. Wheeler allowed four runs and seven hits, striking out six and walking one, to raise his record to 8-2 with a 4.97 ERA. The 24-year-old, who has a 3.86 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 37 1/3 frames over the streak, also improved his home record to 5-0 with a earned run average of 1.80 in seven appearances.

San Bernardino (Class A California League) left-hander Russ Morgan went 8-0 with a 1.91 ERA in 12 games May 14-June 30 (42 1/3 IP, 26 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 14 BB, 31 SO). Morgan yielded no earned runs in four games June 20-30 (11 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 SO), going 3-0 over that span.

Salem (Class A Carolina League) right-hander Kip Bouknight captured a win in his fifth consecutive start, the Avalanche's 4-1 victory over Winston-Salem on June 30. Bouknight allowed a run and four hits, striking out four and walking two, in seven innings. The University of South Carolina product, who also notched his sixth straight win, improved to 9-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 16 outings this season.

Shreveport (Double-A Texas League) first baseman Lance Niekro did not walk in 38 consecutive games May 17-July 3 (41-148, 7 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBI) -- the longest such streak in the minor leagues this season.

Vero Beach (Class A Florida State League) right-hander Heath Totten went 7-0 with a 2.48 ERA in ten games May 15-July 2 (65 1/3 IP, 64 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 11 BB, 53 SO).

Lowlights
Calgary (Triple-A International League) since throwing a no-hitter on May 25, right-hander Jamie Arnold lost seven consecutive starts May 30-June 30. Arnold allowed 46 runs -- 43 earned -- and 54 hits in only 30 1/3 innings of work for a 12.86 ERA during that span. In his last outing on June 30, the 28-year-old Arnold was tagged for seven runs, six hits and a walk in just two innings of work, suffering a 13-4 loss to Salt Lake.

Chattanooga (Double-A Southern League) left-hander Lance Davis was 0-5 with a 4.55 ERA since being demoted from Triple-A Louisville at the beginning of May. Davis was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- and eight hits in just three innings of work in his last outing, an 8-2 loss to Huntsville on June 29, his fourth consecutive setback (21 2/3 IP, 31 H, 20 R, 11 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO).

Columbus (Triple-A International League) right-hander Adrian Hernandez lost four straight starts June 15-30 (22 IP, 26 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 8 BB, 19 SO). In his last outing on June 30, Hernandez was tagged for six runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings of work. It was the third time over his last four starts that Hernandez surrendered at least six runs.

Erie (Double-A Eastern League) right-hander Kevin Lidle lost eight straight starts May 17-June 29 (45 1/3 IP, 64 H, 38 R, 34 ER, 12 BB, 23 SO). He moved to the bullpen and pitched two innings on July 2 against Reading. The losing start streak is the longest in the minors this season and longest in the minors since New Britain's Kyle Lohse lost eight straight starts in 2000.

New Haven (Double-A Eastern League) right-hander Ryan Schurman allowed 11 runs, seven hits and five walks over two innings in an 18-3 loss against New Britain June 27.

Portland (Double-A Eastern League) finished June with an 11-19 record, the most losses in a month in SeaDogs' franchise history.