=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Monday, July 19th === (Games from Sunday, July 18th)
From The My Sportsbook
THE GREAT VALBOWSKI
Jorge Toca crushed a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to break a 6-6 tie, and Val Pascucci followed with his third solo home run of the game, as the Edmonton Trappers beat the Salt Lake Stingers, 10-6, in game one of today's scheduled doubleheader. Pascucci went deep in the second and fifth inning, in addition to his solo shot in the eighth. Toca also hit a solo home run to lead off the third inning. Trappers' reliever Roy Corcoran (4-1) picked up the win, tossing 1 2/3rd scoreless innings. Matt Hensley (1-3) got shelled in his only inning of work, the tenth. He allowed four runs on four hits, including both home runs in the inning. Curtis Pride hit his second home run of the year in the loss. Adam Riggs drove in two for the Stingers. Salt Lake will head to Salt Lake to start a new series tomorrow at 10:00 PM (ET). Edmonton will host Fresno at 9:05 PM (ET).
SKY SOX STEAL ONE
Andy Tracy laced a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning to plate the go-ahead run, as the Colorado Springs Sky Sox put up four runs in the final inning to shock the New Orleans Zephyrs, 4-2. Jorge Piedra started off the comeback with a solo home run off of Miguel Saladin, cutting the Zephyr lead to one run. Tracy's double would give the Sky Sox the lead at 3-2. JD Closser would tack on an insurance run when he singled home Tracy. Jason Gilfillan (4-2) picked up the win, tossing two scoreless innings. Marc Kroon recorded his tenth save. Saladin was saddled with the loss. He allowed four runs on four hits in 1/3rd of an inning. New Orleans starter Carlos Hernandez had an outstanding outing, tossing seven innings of no-hit ball with ten strikeouts. Phil Hiatt knocked in both runs for the Zephyrs with a two-run double in the fifth inning.
'GATORS SINK THE SOX
Justin Knoedler singled home Michael Cervenak with one out in the bottom of the ninth to break a 5-5 tie and send the Norwich Navigators to a 6-5 victory over the Bowie Baysox Sunday night. Cervenak was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. After an intentional walk, Knoedler ended the game with his clutch single. Knoedler went 4-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored to lead the Norwich offense. Cervenak was 3- for-4 with a double and drove in a run and scored a run. Matt Palmer (2-6) picked up the win in relief after he pitched 1 2/3rd innings of scoreless baseball. Palmer gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out two batters. Joe Rodriguez (0-2) gave up two earned runs on four hits in 1 1/3rd innings to take the loss. He walked one and struck out two in his outing. Carlos Valderrama and Derin McMains bot chipped in two hits and one RBI in the win. Ed Rogers went 3-for-5 and scored two runs and Val Majewski homered, drove in two runs, and score two more for Bowie.
PAWSOX OUTLAST INDIANS
Henri Stanley's bases clearing triple in the top of the 11th inning proved to be just enough run support for the Pawtucket pitching staff as the Red Sox edged the Indianapolis Indians in a thriller, 6-5. It turned out the Red Sox needed every run because Indianapolis made it interesting by scoring two runs in the bottom of the 11th inning before the rally ended. Stanley smacked a homer to accompany his clutch triple and knocked in four runs to lead Pawtucket. He went 2-for-5 and scored one run. Matt Duff (4-3) picked up the win with 2 1/3rd innings of relief ball. Duff gave up two earned runs on three hits and walked two batters in his outing. Edwin Almonte recorded the final out of the game to notch his fourth save. Ben Ford (0-2) gave up three earned runs on three hits in just one inning of work to take the loss for the Indians. Ford walked one and struck out one batter. Earl Snyder chipped in a double and one RBI in Pawtucket's victory. Luis Figueroa and Alex Delgado both had two hits and drove in two runs for the Indians. Indianapolis also got offensive help from Mark Johnson and Trent Durrington, both of whom scored two runs. Pawtucket (44-51) has won four straight games and sit 10 games behind Scranton in the North Division while Indianapolis (42-51) lost for the sixth consecutive game and fall nine games behind Columbus in the West Division.
HELLO COSTELLO
Ryan Costello had his best outing of the season, tossing a three-hit complete game shutout to lead the Huntsville Stars to a 3-0 win over the Montgomery Biscuits. Costello struck out 11 and walked just two to pick up his fifth win and improve to 5-3. Prince Fielder hit his 15th home run of the season, a two-run blast in the second inning off of John Webb. Kade Johnson drove in the third run for the Stars, with a sacrifice fly in the fifth that brought in Ryan Knox. Webb suffered the loss and fell to 0-1. He allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. Montgomery (7-15) has dropped six straight games. Huntsville (14-8) have won four in a row.
TAKIN' ONE FOR THE TEAM
Juan Piniella scored the game winning run after Jason Bulger hit Jeff Winchester with the bases loaded to give the Tulsa Drillers a 6-5 victory over the El Paso Diablos in twelve innings. With the game tied at four going into the twelfth inning, El Paso struck first on a single by Jesus Cota, which drove in Chris Snyder and gave the Diablos a 5-4 lead. The Drillers answered back by tying the game again on a RBI single by Shawn Garrett. Diablos pitcher Jason Bulger then loaded the bases with one out before plunking Winchester and surrendering the game-winning run. Bulger suffered the loss and dropped to 0-3 on the season. He lasted just 1/3rd of a inning and allowed two runs on one hit and walked two. Steve Kent (2-1) picked up the win for the Drillers in one inning pitched, Kent allowed one run on one hit while walking one and fanning two. Tulsa first baseman Ryan Shealy belted his league leading 23rd homer of the season. Jeff Baker also had a good night at the plate with a 3- for-5 performance that included a double. Cota finished the night 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. Tulsa remains a game behind Wichita in the East Division, while El Paso remains six games behind the West Division leading San Antonio Missions.
HOWARD GETS HIS 35TH, BUT ALTOONA ROUTS READING
Four Altoona hitters drove in two runs apiece and two pitchers combined on a five-hitter as the Curve crushed the Reading Phillies 9-2 Sunday night. Shaun Skrehot, Ronny Paulino, Yurendell DeCaster, and Kevin Nicholson all knocked in two runs for the Curve. Paulino, DeCaster, and Nicholson all homered and Skrehot doubled and scored one run. Bobby Bradley (3-1) earned the win with five innings of two-run ball. He gave up three hits, walked three, and struck out seven. His only mistake was giving up a two-run homer to Ryan Howard in the third inning. Elio Serrano hurled the final four innings without giving up a run to record his 14th save. Robinson Tejeda (6-9) surrendered five runs, three earned, in 3 1/3rd innings to take the loss. Tejeda gave up five hits, walked two batters, and struck out two. Bradley helped his own cause at the plate as he went 2-for-3 and scored one run. Howard crushed his 35th home run of the season and drove in both of Reading's runs in the loss. Howard leads all of baseball, minors and majors, in the home run category. He now has 94 RBI for the year.
FOOTBALL GAME IN BILLINGS
Bradley Key homered and drove in four runs, while Tonys Gutierrez homered and knocked in three, to propel the Billings Mustangs to a 14-7 win over the Casper Rockies in Pioneer League action. Mustangs leadoff hitter Philip Gentry had four hits, falling a home run short of the cycle, scored four runs and knocked in two. David Griffin picked up the win and improved to 1-0. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out four in two innings. Pedro Chivilli (0-1) was roughed up for seven runs on eight hits in four innings of work to take the loss. Mike Davies went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, and three RBI in the loss for Casper.
COOK SERVES UP A WIN
David Cook hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Kannapolis Intimidators a 6-3 win over the Lexington Legends in Midwest League play. Leo Daigle hit a solo home run and had two RBI, while Brandon Bounds chipped in with a solo shot of his own for Kannapolis. Fabio Castro picked up the win and improved to 2-0. He struck out one in a perfect inning of work. Anthony Adler was dealt the loss and fell to 0-1. He allowed three runs on four hits in 1 1/3rd innings. Lexington put up three runs to tie the game in the eighth inning, with a two-run single from Osvaldo Fernando and a bases loaded walk issued to German Melendez. Cook's game winning blast was his eighth bomb of the season.
