FRONTIER LEAGUE: Bullock added to S.I. Miners roster, now third active pro athlete from Du Quoin
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[With a half-dozen members of the Southern Illinois Miners sitting in the stands or leaning helplessly on the top rail of the dugout, losing a game for the first time since June 6 didn't seem all that shocking Tuesday night.
Newly reacquired pitcher Chris Allen was tagged for five runs in the top of the first inning and Traverse City's Beach Bums snapped the Miners' historic 20-game win streak with an 11-2 rout in front of 4,623 fans at Rent One Park.
The win streak was the longest in Frontier League history. It included seven straight series sweeps and only eight of those games were played on the Miners' home turf. Southern Illinois is now 32-5 on the season.
"It had to happen eventually," said Miners manager Mike Pinto. "We weren't going to go 90 games."
But how the Miners won 20 straight games is remarkable when eyeing all the injured players scattered around the ballpark. Joey Metropoulos and Ryan Bird have banners hanging outside the stadium, but Bird has yet to see action and Metropoulos has missed half the season. Technically, both were released from the team, but both are still here, rehabbing and waiting for their chance to play again.
On the actual disabled list are infielder Brad Netzel and outfielders Ernie Banks and Todd Martin - Martin injured his shoulder recently and Banks has a back issue - and just Monday the hottest hitter on the team, utility man Justin Randall, popped a hamstring while stealing third base in the 10th inning of the Miners' dramatic win over Florence and was released Tuesday.
"That's a lot of firepower out of your lineup," Pinto said. "For now we'll just tread water and see if we can get guys healthy by the time we get to the break."
Randall, like his other fallen comrades, has chosen to stay close and will rehab for two weeks before attempting to rejoin the team. He had collected nine hits in four games before getting hurt.
It doesn't stop there. The Miners' ace pitcher, Joe Augustine, is battling an elbow injury and had his scheduled start pushed back, which is one reason why Allen was brought back to start Tuesday's game.
"It's pretty tough," Pinto said. "We're doing this right now with duct tape and anything else we can do just to put a team on the field."
Allen had six wins for the Miners in 2008 and was part of a trade that brought Jereme Milons to Southern Illinois prior to last season. He was thrust back into the fire Tuesday and had a rough opening frame, but settled in enough to give five innings of work before four bullpen arms took over.
Allen officially gave up seven runs, five earned, and allowed nine hits and four walks with no strikeouts in his return to Rent One Park.
One bright spot came from another newly acquired member of the Miners, designated hitter Tyler Bullock.
The Du Quoin native and Southern Illinois University product hit a solo homer, drew two walks and accounted for both of the Miners' runs in his first professional outing.
"He hit that ball a long way," Pinto said. "He had a couple of good at-bats so it was a good way to break in."
But the main storyline was the death of a win streak that will be hard to match. It came on a night when the Miners committed four errors, stranded 13 runners on base and struck out eight times.
"It's a disappointing game," Pinto said. "You're going to lose one every now and then, but I don't like the way we lost it. I didn't like the way we pitched, we left a lot of guys on base ."
and we didn't field the ball."
COAL BITS: Miners outfielder Stephen Head went 4-for-4 and also drew a walk. ... The longest win streak in minor league baseball history was 29 games set in 1987 by the Salt Lake City Trappers. The Chicago Cubs hold what is recognized as the longest win streak in the majors at 21 games, set in 1935. ... The Miners now have four former Salukis on their active roster with catchers Bullock and Mark Kelly, shortstop Michael Stalter and relief pitcher Shawn Joy. ... Kelly started behind the plate Tuesday as Brendan Akashian was given the night off and went 1-for-3 with an RBI. ... Reggy the Purple Party Dude performed and will return Wednesday for the middle game of the series.
ROSTER MOVES:
The Southern Illinois Miners have signed right-handed pitcher Chris Allen and former SIU catcher Tyler Bullock. Justin Randall suffered a hamstring injury during Monday's game and has been released.
Allen went 6-2 with a 3.39 ERA in 11 starts and two relief appearances with the Miners in 2008. Following the 2008 season, he was traded to Ottawa of the Can-Am League along with outfielder Manny Paula in exchange for outfielder Jereme Milons.
Allen spent 2009 with Quebec in the Can-Am League and made four starts with the New Jersey Jackals this season before he was released. He is expected to be the starting pitcher in Tuesday night's game at Rent One Park.
Bullock hit .306 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs this season with the Salukis.
The Du Quoin High School graduate was named player-of-the-year in the Prospect League in the summer of 2009 after he slugged a league-high 14 home runs, 47 RBI and batted .312.
In 2010 he became the second player in SIU history to lead the school in home runs for three consecutive seasons.
Randall had a hit in 8-for-last 10 at-bats to raise his season average to .517. He will remain with the team as he rehabs.
With the signing of Bullock, the Miners now have four active former SIU players on their roster including reliever Shawn Joy, catcher Mark Kelly and shortstop Michael Stalter.
Bullock's former SIU and Du Quoin teammate Bryant George is pitching in the Los Angeles Angels farm system. Still another former SIU and Du Quoin standout-Nick Hill-is playing at the pro level. Hill is quarterback for the Orlano Predators of the Arena1 indoor football league.