One of the many marks of a good team is how well they perform in close games. Not always does winning a close game translate to success, but losing one places pressures that could have been avoided.

The West Michigan Whitecaps have owned one-run games in the Class A Midwest League this season. With their 6-5 victory over Fort Wayne on August 11, West Michigan improved to 28-13, the most wins in such games of any team in the league. In fact, the 28 wins is well over the league average of 17.8.

The Whitecaps have channeled their success in one-run games, earning a wild card position after finishing the first half at 41-29. They currently sit only six games out of first place in the Eastern Division with 16 games remaining.

However, West Michigan's 28 victories is not best in the minor leagues. Two of the best come from the low-Class A South Atlantic League.

The Delmarva Shorebirds have captured 31 one-run game victories this year while the Augusta GreenJackets have been victorious 28 times, in a league where the average is 19.6 wins.

Delmarva has a five-game lead in the race for the Northern Division crown while Augusta is just 4½ games behind Macon for the top spot in the Southern Division. Macon sown a .500 record in one-run games this year.

Neither of these teams own the best winning percentage for one-run games in the minors. That distinction belongs to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in the Triple-A International League. Scranton has gone 23-9 (.719) in one-run games this season and ranks with one of the minors' best records at 79-46 overall.

The Frederick Keys in the Class A Carolina League, the Charlotte Knights in the International League and Brevard County in the Florida State League own the worst one-run game records in the minors and each club sits at the bottom of their respective divisional races. Charlotte and Brevard County were just 10-24 (.269) in one-run games and Frederick was just 7-19 (.209).

Twenty something?
Wichita Wranglers right-hander Ian Ferguson picked up his minor-league leading 17th victory of the season on Aug. 14 and could become the first pitcher since 1992 to have a 20-win season down on the farm.

Ferguson, a 21st-round selection by the Kansas City Royals in the 2000 draft, entered the 2002 season with just 18 career wins in his previous two years. The 22-year-old began the season with Wilmington in the Class A Carolina League and went 12-1 with a 2.39 ERA, 81 strikeouts and just 20 walks in 17 starts.

The native of Bellingham, Wash. was promoted to the hitter-friendly Texas League on July 2 and has gone 5-2 with a 2.79 ERA in eight starts since. He has struck out 42 and issued only 11 walks.

The Wranglers have 16 games remaining and Ferguson, who fell one out shy of his third career complete game at the Double-A level on Aug. 14, will probably have three more starts, barring injury.

If Ferguson reaches the 20-win plateau, he will become just the seventh 20-game winner since 1980. Jim Fritz was the last pitcher to reach the mark when he won 20 games for Quad City in the Midwest League in 1992. Since 1980, no pitcher has won more than 20 games.

West Coast offense
Throughout the years, the Class A California League has had its share of publicity for the amount of offense that it's produced. However, either the Double-A Texas League or the Triple-A Pacific Coast League usually makes more noise.

Not this year.

The California League stands alone when it comes to the amount of run production each game. With just over 15 games remaining in the minor league season, the California League is currently the only league in the minors that has an average of 10 or more runs per game scored with 10.23 crossing home plate each night.

The Pacific Coast League is averaging 9.82 runs per game and surprisingly, the Eastern League is third with 9½. The Texas League has been averaging just over nine runs per game this season.

Two of the biggest offensive culprits in the California League were up to their usual tricks on Aug. 13 as the Visalia Oaks visited the High Desert Mavericks.

In what seemed to be a standard four-hour plus, 30-run plus affair, Visalia rallied for five runs in the top of the 11th inning and pulled out a 19-15 victory over High Desert.

Outfielder Matt Allegra connected on a pair of longballs, including a three-run blast in the deciding frame, and drove in a season-high six runs in the win. It marked the 17th time this season that the Oaks scored 10 or more runs in a game, which is second-best in the league only to the Mavericks, who have reached the double-digit plateau 24 times this year.

The following night, the two teams combined for 25 runs. This time, the distribution was a bit lopsided as Visalia cruised to a 21-4 win, matching a league season-high in runs scored and laying claim to its 18th double-digit run performance in 2002.

The Oaks and High Desert have combined to play 247 games within the league this season. With the way each team scores runs, every six-plus games one of the two teams will post double figures. When they play each other -- just hope you are not a fan of pitching and defense.

Minor-league highlights
In his first game with Altoona (Double-A Eastern League) since April 17, catcher J.R. House doubled home three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to help the Curve edge the Harrisburg Senators, 7-6, on Aug. 10. House, rehabbing from an abdominal problem, was 5-for-16 in five games in the Gulf Coast League from Aug. 3-8. He went 4-for-11 with a homer and five RBI in his first five games back with Altoona.

Asheville (Class A South Atlantic League) outfielder Tony Miller hit a game-winning home run with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Tourists over Kannapolis, 4-3, on Aug. 10.

Calgary (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) third baseman Jason Wood drove home three runs, including the game-winner in the bottom of the 12th inning, to lead the Cannons to a 5-4 victory over the Las Vegas 51s on Aug. 14. Wood tied the score at 3-3 in the fifth inning with a two-run double and singled home second baseman Matt Erickson with two outs in the 12th inning.

Charlotte (Class A Florida State League) outfielder Laynce Nix homered and drove in a career-high six runs to help rout Dunedin, 13-5, on Aug. 8. The 21-year-old Texan launched his first professional grand slam in the fifth inning. The 2000 draftee brought home two runs when he reached on a fielder's choice in the next frame. Nix leads the league with 101 RBI and was second with 19 homers through Aug. 14. Catcher Vic Valencia went 4-for-4 with three doubles and three RBI in the victory.

The Columbus Red Stixx (Class A South Atlantic League) recorded a team season-high 19 hits, including two homers from outfielder Jon Van Every in his club debut, and four hits and four RBI from designated hitter Miguel Quintana, in a 13-0 shutout at Greensboro on Aug. 12. Right-hander Dan Denham, a 2001 first-rounder, pitched six innings to win his third straight and improve to 8-6 with a 4.51 ERA.

Eugene (Class A Northwest League) outfielder Pedro De Los Santos drove home the go-ahead runs during a ninth-inning rally that helped the Emeralds win their 11th straight game in dramatic fashion, 7-4, over Salem-Keizer on Aug. 12. With Eugene trailing 4-0 going into the ninth, De Los Santos led off the inning with a single, swiped a base and scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Brian Burgamy. After the Emeralds scored three more times to tie the score at 4-4, De Los Santos laced a one-out base hit that scored a pair. Burgamy added a bases-loaded walk two batters later for Eugene, which won for just the third time in 25 games when trailing after eight innings.

Frederick (Class A Carolina League) outfielder Mamon Tucker singled home a pair of runs during a four-run top of the 13th inning as the Keys defeated Wilmington, 8-5, in 13 innings on Aug. 10. Tucker, who collected five consecutive singles after going hitless in his first two at-bats, smacked a bases-loaded two-run single up the middle, snapping a 4-4 tie. Tucker scored an unearned run and first baseman Alfredo Leon added an RBI fielder's choice as Frederick won for just the fourth time in 12 extra-inning games this season.

The Martinsville Astros (rookie level Appalachian League) came from behind twice on Aug. 8 to slip past Princeton, 5-4, in 11 innings. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth, Martinsville rallied to tie it on the strength of an RBI double from catcher German Melendez and an RBI single from second baseman Valentin Mendez. Following a pair of bench-clearing fights in the 10th inning, outfielder Ariel Batista drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the 11th. Mendez then ripped a double to deep center to drive in Batista with the game-winner.

Oklahoma (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) outfielder Eric Cole drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 15th inning to help the RedHawks edge the New Orleans Zephyrs, 3-1, on Aug. 13. Cole doubled home Jason Hart with two outs in the 15th and scored two batters later on a single by Scott Pose.

Omaha (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) outfielder Brandon Berger had four hits and a career-high seven RBI to help the Royals crush the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 16-6, Aug. 9. Berger hit a grand slam in the ninth. Second baseman Luis Ordaz finished 5-for-6 with two doubles, a triple and two RBI and four runs.

Portland (Double-A Eastern League) outfielder Chris Aguila hit a grand slam and drove in five runs during an 11-run third inning to help the Sea Dogs defeat Trenton, 11-5. The 23-year-old became just the third minor-leaguer to drive in five runs in one inning this season and the Sea Dogs are just the second team with an 11-run inning.

Princeton (rookie level Appalachian League) outfielder Wes Bankston went 3-for-4 and drove in five runs for the second time this year as the Devil Rays downed Bluefield, 8-3, on Aug. 12. Bankston, a first-year player from Dallas, Texas, singled home a run in the first inning and belted his second grand slam of the season in his final at-bat, giving him three home runs in as many games. The victory was the first for Princeton over Bluefield in 11 meetings this season. Two nights later, Bankston homered in his fifth consecutive game, a 14-5 loss at Danville, tying the minor league season-high for home runs in consecutive games. Bankston connected on a two-run shot in the fourth inning, his sixth longball in his last five games and league-leading 16th of the season through Aug. 14. The recent fourth-round pick finished with an RBI in his last eight contests, driving home 16 runs during that span. Ryan Thompson of Indianapolis in the Triple-A International League homered in five straight games April 12-16.

Pulaski (rookie level Appalachian League) designated hitter Rich Carroll had a career-high six RBI in the Rangers' 11-2 triumph over Johnson City on Aug. 12. Carroll lofted a sacrifice fly in the first inning, connected on a three-run homer in the third inning and laced a two-run single in the fifth. It marked the fourth time this season that Carroll had a game with four or more RBI.

Quad City (Class A Midwest League) outfielder Jason Kubel connected on a career-high three home runs and six RBI in a 10-0 triumph at Michigan on Aug. 12. Kubel hit a three-run blast in the first inning, belted a two-run shot in the fifth and led off the ninth with his team-leading 12th longball. The 20-year-old became the third player in the Midwest League to homer at least three times in a game this season.

Reading (Double-A Eastern League) shortstop Andy Machado homered twice and recorded five RBI for the second time this season to lift the Phillies over the Altoona Curve, 6-5, on Aug. 13. Machado launched his first professional grand slam in the fourth inning and hit a solo blast in the sixth. The next night, Machado hit another grand slam to give Reading a 7-6 victory over Altoona. Machado drove in 15 runs in four games Aug. 11-14.

Salt Lake (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) outfielder Larry Barnes homered twice and matched a career-high with six RBI in the Stingers' 7-3 victory over Tucson on Aug. 10. Barnes crushed a grand slam in the first inning and belted a two-run shot in the seventh for his fourth multi-homer game of the season. The 28-year-old last recorded six RBI on Sept. 1, 1996 for Cedar Rapids of the Class A Midwest League.

Minor-league leaders
(Through Aug. 15)
AVERAGE (Minimum 325 TPA): Chad Tracy, El Paso, .362; ON BASE PERCENTAGE: Travis Hafner, Oklahoma, .458; SLUGGING PERCENTAGE: Brandon Larsen, Louisville, .667; HITS: Joe Thurston, Las Vegas, 171; HOME RUNS: Ivan Cruz, Memphis, 31; RBI: Brad Nelson, High Desert, 106; STOLEN BASES: Wayne Lydon, Columbus (SAL), 75; DOUBLES: Brad Nelson, High Desert and John Gall, New Haven, 42; TRIPLES: Jose Reyes, Binghamton, 17; RUNS: Lew Ford, Edmonton, 105; WALKS: Graham Koonce, Midland, 115; STRIKEOUTS: Jorge Soto, Visalia, 165; ERRORS: Galindo Gomez, Burlington, 40.

BEST ERA (95 IP): Sean Burnett, Lynchburg, 1.51; WORST ERA (95 IP): George Perez, High Desert, 8.44; WINS: Ian Ferguson, Wichita, 17; LOSSES: Yoel Hernandez, Clearwater, 16; SAVES: Joe Valentine, Birmingham and Nathan Cotton, Dayton, 31; COMPLETE GAMES: Several players tied with 5; GAMES: Ray Beasley, Richmond, 58; INNINGS PITCHED: Dan Haren, Potomac, 170.1; STRIKEOUTS: Clint Nageotte, San Bernardino, 188.

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Full Season): Wilmington (Royals), .650 (80-43); Stockton (Reds), .642 (79-44); Akron (Indians), .640 (80-45).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/CLUB (Short Season): Gulf Coast League Pirates (Pirates), .700 (35-15); Auburn (Blue Jays), .649 (37-20); Oneonta (Tigers), .649 (37-20); Bluefield (Orioles), .643 (36-20).

BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE/ORGANIZATION: Pittsburgh Pirates (.576); Cleveland Indians (.564); Los Angeles Dodgers (.557).

Top pitching performances
Greenville (Double-A Southern League) right-hander John Ennis and right-hander Billy Sylvester combined on a two-hit shutout in the Braves' 1-0 victory over the Suns on Aug. 10. Ennis allowed two hits, three walks and struck out eight in eight innings for the win. Sylvester fanned one in a perfect ninth to save his sixth straight game and 20th overall.

Lakewood (Class A South Atlantic League) right-hander Layne Dawson pitched a three-hit shutout and outfielder Rob Perry drilled an eighth-inning homer in a 1-0 victory against Savannah on Aug. 11. Dawson yielded three singles, all within the first three frames, and struck out a career-high 10 to improve to 4-4 with a 3.24 ERA in 24 appearances. He retired the final 18 batters he faced. Mainly used as a reliever this season, Dawson has made the most of each of his five starts, going 2-1 with a 1.64 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 33 frames. The 22-year-old was drafted in the 26th round last year.

Louisville (Triple-A International League) right-hander Chris Reitsma pitched the first complete game of his minor-league career in the Bats' 8-2 victory over Columbus on Aug. 9. Reitsma allowed two runs and four hits with a pair of walks and seven strikeouts to record his first career win at the Triple-A level.

Nashville (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) right-hander Bronson Arroyo pitched his second straight complete game in the Sounds' 2-1 triumph at Memphis on Aug. 11. Arroyo, who tossed a four-hit shutout on August 6, yielded a run and three hits with a walk and four strikeouts, improving to 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his last five starts. The 6-5, 194-pound Florida native, who made two appearances with Pittsburgh this season, improved to 8-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 22 games with Nashville. He has 116 strikeouts and 126 hits allowed in 143 innings this season.

Norwich (Double-A Eastern League) right-hander Julio De Paula recorded his fourth complete-game win of the season in the Navigators' 2-1 triumph over New Britain on Aug. 10. De Paula yielded a run and four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts, The 23-year-old pitched three straight complete-game victories between June 22-July 4, including a three-hitter on June 22.

Peoria (Class A Midwest League) right-hander Justin Pope pitched a complete game as the Chiefs edged Quad City, 3-1, on Aug. 8. Pope, a first-round selection in the 2001 draft, allowed just one run and five hits while striking out 10 batters to get the win. In his next start, Pope spun eight solid innings and struck out 10 batters as Peoria downed West Michigan, 7-1, on Aug. 13. He yielded one run and two hits with one walk, giving him a mark of 5-1 with a 1.48 ERA in nine starts.

Richmond (Triple-A International League) left-hander Andy Pratt tossed a three-hit shutout, striking out a career-high 13 batters, in a 1-0 victory at Durham on August 12. Pratt allowed a third-inning triple and a pair of singles and did not issue a walk over nine innings to record the fifth shutout of his five-year career. Pratt raised his record with the Braves to 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA in three starts. Traded by the Rangers before the season started for Ben Kozlowski, Pratt is 6-10 with a 3.78 ERA in 23 appearances between Richmond and Double-A Greenville.

Round Rock (Double-A Texas League) right-hander Nick Roberts tossed a two-hit shutout, tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts in a 4-0 victory over Tulsa in the second game of a doubleheader on August 14. Roberts yielded a third and fifth-inning single and three walks to improve to 5-1 with a 3.44 ERA in his last eight starts. The 25-year-old raised his overall record to 11-5 with a 4.51 ERA in 25 appearances, including 24 starts.

Sacramento (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) right-hander Mike Fyhrie pitched eight scoreless innings in a 6-1 win over Iowa on Aug. 8 and tossed seven scoreless innings in a 6-2 win over Salt Lake on Aug. 13.

Streaking
Beloit (Class A Midwest League) right-hander Tony Stavros went 1-0, saved eight games and did not allow a run in 23 2/3 innings over 17 outings June 10-Aug. 12 (14 H, 9 BB, 34 SO).

Bristol (rookie level Appalachian League) outfiedler Darren Ciraco's 25-game hitting streak was halted on Aug. 9 against Kingsport. Ciraco went 0-for-3 with a walk in the game. During the streak, he went 42-for-106 with two doubles, seven home runs and 34 RBI, raising his average from .294 to .363.

Burlington (rookie level Appalachian League) shortstop Chris De La Cruz extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a 10th-inning single at Bristol on Aug. 13. The 20-year-old rookie from the Dominican Republic raised his average from .309 to a league-best .369 during the span.

Calgary (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) shortstop Kevin Hooper hit safely in 26 straight games (42-114, 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 6 SB) July 3-Aug. 13. Hooper's hitting streak was one short of tying Pawtucket's Freddy Sanchez for the longest hitting streak in the minors this season (Sanchez hit safely in 27 games for Trenton in the Eastern League May 15-June 24). His streak was the longest in the league since Adam Hyzdu hit safely in 26 consecutive games for Nashville last season.

Charleston-WV (Class A South Atlantic League) right-hander Chris Mowday pitched two hitless innings and recorded a save as the Alley Cats posted a 1-0 win over Charleston-SC. Mowday extended his streak of hitless innings to 10 and scoreless innings to 18 2/3.

Edmonton (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) right-hander Scott Randall allowed two runs -- one earned -- and seven hits as he pitched his second complete game of the season in the Trappers' 8-2 win over Calgary on Aug. 8, his 12th consecutive victory. Randall, who won his only two decisions with New Britain in the Double-A Eastern League, tied Phillies hurler Joe Roa for the longest winning streak in the minors this season. Roa won 14 straight decisions for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being promoted to Philadelphia. Randall is four wins shy of the all-time Pacific Coast League record for most consecutive wins in a season held by Frank Browning, who won 16 straight for the San Francisco Seals in 1909.

Hickory (Class A South Atlantic League) right-hander Ian Oquendo extended his scoreless innings streak to 20 with seven scoreless frames in a 4-2 win at Columbia on Aug. 9. Oquendo scattered 18 hits, struck out 20 and issued only six walks during the scoreless string.

Ottawa (Triple-A International League) right-hander Sun-Woo Kim won his sixth consecutive decision in the Lynx's 5-1 victory over Syracuse on Aug. 11. Kim yielded a run and scattered six hits with a walk and five strikeouts over eight innings, improving to 6-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his last seven starts. The Korean native, who was 2-0 with a 7.45 ERA in 15 outings with Boston before being traded for Cliff Floyd, improved to 6-2 with a 2.43 ERA in 11 minor-league starts this season.

Salt Lake (Triple-A Pacific Coast League) outfielder Nathan Haynes extended his hitting streak to 24 consecutive games with a base hit during a 14-6 pounding of Sacramento on Aug. 14. Haynes had a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning two nights early, giving the Stingers a 6-5 win over Tucson. Haynes went 0-for-5 versus the RiverCats on Aug. 15, ending the league's second-longest hitting streak.

San Bernardino (Class A California League) right-hander Clint Nageotte reached double-digits in strikeouts in his sixth straight start, a 7-5 loss to Rancho Cucamonga. Nageotte, who fanned the side in the second inning, gave up six runs, 11 hits and struck out 10 in six innings to fall to 7-5 with a 4.51 ERA in 26 outings. Over his last six starts, the 21-year-old is 3-1 with a 3.40 ERA, fanning 65 and walking just nine in 42 1/3 frames. He currently leads the minors with 188 strikeouts and has the longest streak of consecutive outings with double-digits punchouts since Rick Ankiel reached six straight in the Rookie-level Appalachian League last season. Including Eric Gagne's streak of five in a row in 1999, just three pitchers have put together five or more consecutive starts with at least 10 strikeouts over the last six seasons.

Vancouver (Class A Northwest League) right-hander Chris Shank ran his scoreless innings streak to 28 2/3 after combining with three other Canadians pitchers to shut out Everett, 8-0, on Aug. 13. Shank went four innings in his first start of the year to keep his 0.00 ERA intact and lead Vancouver to its seventh shutout of the season. Shank was just 3 1/3 innings shy of tying the league record for consecutive shutout innings at 32, set in 1965 and then tied in 1966.

West Michigan (Class A Midwest League) left-hander Kevin McDowell won his seventh straight start, a 6-5 victory over Fort Wayne on Aug. 11. McDowell allowed five runs -- three earned -- and six hits, striking out six and walking six, in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 11-6 with a 2.66 ERA in his first 24 outings. This was the first time in his last 12 starts that he had allowed more than three runs.

Wilmington (Class A Carolina League) right-hander Wes Wilkerson won his sixth straight start, a 8-4 victory at Winston-Salem on Aug. 14. Wilkerson allowed two runs and seven hits, striking out six and walking three, in six innings to improve to 9-4 with a 3.21 ERA in 18 outings. A nondrafted free agent who signed with the Royals in June of 2000, Wilkerson has yielded no more than one run in any of his last six starts and has limited opponents to less than five hits in five of those starts. He has been outstanding on the road lately, going 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA in six starts away from the Daniel S. Frawley Stadium

Lowlights
Arkansas (Double-A Texas League) right-hander Mike Nickoli went 0-5 with a 10.96 ERA in seven games July 6-August 10 (23 IP, 34 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 24 BB, 6 SO) to drop to 3-7, 6.68 ERA.

Clearwater (Class A Florida State League) right-hander Yoel Hernandez yielded just two runs -- one earned -- and five hits over seven innings, but suffered a tough-luck 9-1 loss to Dunedin on Aug. 12. Hernandez has had tough luck all season, going 4-16 despite a 3.89 ERA through Aug. 12.

Huntsville (Double-A Southern League) outfielder Ryan Knox did not drive in a run in 33 consecutive games May 25-Aug. 14.

New Britain (Double-A Eastern League) second baseman Ruben Salazar struck out in 10 consecutive games August 4-14, going 8-for-40 with 17 strikeouts after hitting .395 between June and July.

Rochester (Triple-A International League) right-hander Jay Spurgeon went 0-6 with a 5.31 ERA in eight games July 5-Aug. 14 (40 2/3 IP, 53 H, 30 R, 24 ER, 14 BB, 26 SO). Spurgeon was leading the league with 13 losses.

St. Lucie (Class A Florida State League) right-hander Dave Lohrman came into a game on Aug. 12 with a 2-1 lead, one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning and threw two wild pitches before balking to allow all three runners to score without allowing a hit or retiring a batter. The game was called due to rain after Lohrman's balk.