=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Friday, September 3rd === (Games from Thursday, September 2nd)
From The My Sportsbook
SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD
Ole Sheldon's solo home run in the bottom of the tenth inning lifted the Greeneville Astros past the Danville Braves, 2-1, and gave the Astros the distinction of being crowned Appalachian League Champions for the 2004 season. Danville took the first game of the series, 8-3, on August 31st before Greeneville tied the series on September 1st to force a deciding third game. Carl Loadenthal singled home Van Pope in the third inning to give Danville an early 1-0 lead. Greeneville struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Mitch Einertson connected on a solo home run with two outs to tie the game at a run apiece. The game remained tied and headed for extra innings. After tossing 2 1/3rd hitless innings in relief, Rodny Jimenez served up the game-winning home run to Sheldon, the first and only batter he faced in the 10th. Sheldon finished the game 1-for-3. Greeneville starting pitcher Juan Gutierrez held the Braves to a run on five hits in seven innings of work, but ended up with a no decision. Gutierrez struck out six and walked one. James Barthmaier tossed three innings in relief and picked up the win. The Braves' Nelson Payano fanned eight in 6 1/3rd innings and surrendered just one run and two hits. Jimenez suffered the loss. Sheldon hit .217 with three homers and 19 RBI in 53 games for the Astros this season.
MISSIONS GAIN GROUND ON EXPRESS
John Lindsey doubled, homered and drove in three runs to pace the San Antonio Missions' 8-1 win over the Round Rock Express on Thursday night. Lindsey singled home a run in the Missions' four-run first inning. Hunter Brown belted one of four long balls for San Antonio on the night in the opening frame and Jaime Bubela and Brian Moon each knocked in runs. Lindsey added a home run in the fifth, his 19th of the season, and the first baseman added an RBI double in the seventh. Shin-soo Choo and T.J. Bohn each connected on long balls for San Antonio. Rich Dorman (8-4) allowed a run on two hits in five innings of work and picked up the win. Chris Key tossed four shutout innings and earned the save. Tim McClaskey (7-9) was touched up for six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3rd innings and suffered the loss. Junior Zamora accounted for the lone Express run of the night by stroking an RBI double in the fifth. Round Rock (38-29) holds a one game lead over San Antonio (36-29) in the Texas League West Division.
BERGER BLAST SILENCES SOUNDS
Brandon Berger blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Omaha Royals edged the Nashville Sounds, 4-2, in a Pacific Coast League contest Thursday. Omaha, which has won two straight and 8-of-10, improved to 70-70. Meanwhile, Nashville (61-77) has dropped two consecutive. After Nashville rallied for two runs in the eighth to tie the game, 2-2, Omaha won it when Berger bopped a two-run, two-out homer to left field. The home run made a winner of Scott Randall (1-2). He surrendered two hits in three scoreless innings. Losing pitcher Mark Corey (1-4) was touched for two runs on two hits in 1 2/3rd innings. Up next, Omaha will play Iowa and Nashville will open a series against Memphis.
ROCK SOLID
Travis Bowyer won his sixth game with four stellar innings of relief pitching as the New Britain Rock Cats defeated the Harrisburg Senators, 4-2, in an Eastern League game Thursday. Winners of five straight, New Britain improved to 68-67 while Harrisburg, losers of four consecutive, fell to 50-87. Bowyer (6-3) did not allow a hit and struck out seven in four scoreless innings to earn the victory. Ryan Owens went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and Rob Bowen plated the game- winning run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Losing pitcher Jason Bergmann (0-1) was touched for two runs on two hits in two innings. On Friday, New Britain will play a doubleheader against Altoona while Harrisburg will play at Akron.
PITCHER'S DUEL
Francisco Rosario was solid for seven innings on the mound as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats edged the Norwich Navigators, 2-1, in an Eastern League Northern Division game Thursday evening. With the win, New Hampshire improved to 81-56 while Norwich fell to 68-70. Rosario allowed one unearned run on six hits and struck out eight in seven innings to earn the victory. He improved to 2-4 for the season and saw his ERA shrink to 4.31. Jordan DeJong notched his 13th save with a scoreless ninth inning. Trailing 1-0 heading into the seventh inning, New Hampshire took the lead when Paul Chiaffredo singled home Maikel Jova and an ensuing throwing error allowed Justin Singleton to score the game-winning run. Losing pitcher Josh Habel (4-10) was touched for two runs on five hits and struck out 10 in 6 2/3rd innings. On Friday, Norwich will begin a series at Bowie while New Hampshire will travel to Portland.
BISONS SIZE UP ANOTHER WIN
Grady Sizemore drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the eleventh inning, plating Mark Little with the winning run, giving the Buffalo Bisons a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Lynx. With one out in the eleventh, Little roped a single to right field off of Jerry Spradlin. Brent Abernathy then grounded out, advancing Little to second. The Lynx then decided to intentionally walk Dusty Wathan, who was 4-for-4 with a solo home run, bringing up Brandon Phillips. Phillips drew a walk, followed by the walk to Sizemore, who also had a solo homer in the game, sending in Little with the go-ahead run. Fernando Cabrera (4-3) tossed two perfect innings and struck out four to pick up the win in relief. Jake Robbins recorded his fourth save, allowing just a walk in one inning. Spradlin couldn't find the strike zone in the eleventh inning and suffered the loss. Overall, he allowed a run on one hit and walked three in 1 2/3rd innings, and fell to 2-4. Mike Fontenot, Eddy Garabito, and Joey Hammond each drove in a run in the loss for the Lynx, who dropped to 63-77. Winners of the North Division, the Bisons improved to 82-58.
BATS COME BACK TO BITE INDIANS
Alex Delgado stroked a two-run single in the top of the ninth inning, capping off a three-run frame, to give the Indianapolis Indians a 6-4 comeback win over the Louisville Bats. Trailing 4-3 entering the ninth, Ryan Knox and Trent Durrington drew back-to-back walks following a ground out that led off the inning. Matt Erickson then stepped to the plate and smacked a double that plated Knox, moving Durrington to third. After an intentional walk to Jeff Liefer, Brandon Gemoll struck out, setting up Delgado for some two-out heroics. Delgado roped the first pitch he saw down the left field line, bringing home Durrington and Erickson. After a walk to Peter Bergeron, pitcher Ben Ford struck out to end the inning. Ford (2-2) picked up the win, despite a shaky outing. He allowed three runs on five hits in two innings of work. Aaron Myette (3-3) was dealt the loss, as he allowed three runs on two hits and walked four in an inning. The Bats took the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, with a three-run frame of their own. Ray Olmedo and Anderson Machado had back-to-back RBI singles, followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jermaine Clark.
COMEBACK KIDS
Daylan Holt's pinch-hit, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning capped an amazing comeback as the Jacksonville Suns plated four runs in the final frame to shock the Greenville Braves 8-7 Thursday. All of the Suns' runs came with two outs in the ninth. Holt finished 1-for-1 in the game with one clutch RBI. Agustin Montero (2-0) pitched a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to pick up the win in relief. Jamie Emiliano (4-2) surrendered four earned runs in just one inning of work to take the loss for Greenville. Emiliano allowed five hits, walked two batters, and struck out one in the outing. Willy Aybar had a key two-run single in the ninth inning that tied the game at 7-7 and set up Holt's heroics. Aybar went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the game. Shane Victorino added two hits, including a homer, and drove in two runs in the win. Adam Stern doubled twice and drove in two runs and Lee Evans and Jeff Francoeur both hit home runs as the Braves jumped out to a 7-2 lead after five innings. Evans hit his third homer and knocked in three runs and Francoeur smacked his second home run, a solo shot in the fifth.
