X's salvage final game of St. Joe series
Posted: Monday, May 28, 2007
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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Suddenly it was a different baseball game Sunday night at Phil Welch Stadium.
Once upon a time, the Sioux City Explorers had a 7-2 lead over American Association North Division rival St. Joseph.
The Blacksnakes, trying to score a sweep and stay out of the cellar in the division, scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. A two-run double by light-hitting Curt Miaso pulled Manager Al Gallagher's club within 7-6.
However, Manager Ed Nottle's Explorers scored three key runs in the top of the ninth inning. Julian Benavidas scored on a passed ball and Nick McCoola scored on a wild pitch in a 10-6 victory that ended a two-game skid to the Blacksnakes.
Jorge Moreno and Jake Daubert each rapped two doubles for the Explorers (6-11). Moreno, who extended his hitting streak to nine games, drove in two runs with the doubles in the fifth and sixth innings.
Winning pitcher Alex Francisco (3-0) threw his longest outing of the season, going eight innings. Francisco, however, struggled in his last frame of the night.
Francisco entered the eighth retiring 11 of his last 12 batters. The 6-1, 210-pound rookie from Ventura, Calif., struck out Casey Gordon to start the frame, then yielded an infield single to David Fowler.
Andy Wilson continued the Blacksnakes' rally when he reached on Daubert's throwing error at third base. Jake Whitesides walked to load the bases and Dustin Yount, the son of Major League Hall of Famer Robin Yount, hit a sacrifice fly to center field to send Fowler home.
Wilson scored on Jacob Wallic's single to pull St. Joe within 7-4. Miaso, the last Blacksnake to face Francisco, drilled the shot to the center field fence.
"Francisco was still throwing well," said Nottle. "I should have yanked him when it was 7-4. He was throwing his off-speed stuff well. He had 92 pitches up to that point and was pitching outstanding. I thought he threw a hell of a game."
Rory James, a 6-9, 235-pound rookie relief pitcher from Oshkosh, Wis., got Chad Sosebee, the eighth batter of the inning, to fly out to second baseman Willie James to end the inning.
Daubert hit his second double of the game and team-leading eighth of the season to lead off the top of the ninth inning against bullpen ace Tim Vasquez. Benavidas walked. Two batters later, McCoola walked to keep the Explorers' rally alive.
Daubert, who tagged to third base on Mike Richardson's sacrifice fly, scored as James grounded out down the first base line Wallis was charged with the passed ball that sent Benavidas home. McCoola then scored on the wild pitch that eventually closed the scoring.
"James had a good at-bat with the bases loaded and he put up a hell of a fight," said Nottle. "Those runs came at a good time. I didn't want to go into the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead. I was glad to get those two runs."
James threw two pitches while retiring Adam Balkan and Gordon to start the bottom of the ninth. Fowler was hit by a pitch, but Wilson struck out to end the game and James recorded his second save of the season.
The Explorers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Daubert reached on a dropped fly ball by Fowler in center field and scored on a bases-loaded walk to James.
Back-to-back RBI singles from Wilson and Whitesides gave St. Joe a 2-1 lead in the third, but Sioux City tied the game in the fourth when Richardson walked, then scored on an RBI single by Jason Tuttle.
Alex Llanos returned to the Explorers' lineup and led off the fifth with a single. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Moreno and Daubert produced a 4-2 lead. Daubert scored on a RBI single from Benavidas in the fifth.
Moreno's second double of the game and sixth of the season sent Jason Tuttle home in the sixth inning. Pete Pirman, who robbed Whitesides of an extra-base hit with an over-the-shoulder catch in right field in the first inning, chased James home with an eighth-inning RBI single that extended the Explorers' lead to 7-2.
The Explorers are off today. Ty Marotz (1-1, 3.50 ERA) will start on the mound for the Explorers Tuesday night at Lewis and Clark Park against Lincoln in the first of a three-game series.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Suddenly it was a different baseball game Sunday night at Phil Welch Stadium.
Once upon a time, the Sioux City Explorers had a 7-2 lead over American Association North Division rival St. Joseph.
The Blacksnakes, trying to score a sweep and stay out of the cellar in the division, scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. A two-run double by light-hitting Curt Miaso pulled Manager Al Gallagher's club within 7-6.
However, Manager Ed Nottle's Explorers scored three key runs in the top of the ninth inning. Julian Benavidas scored on a passed ball and Nick McCoola scored on a wild pitch in a 10-6 victory that ended a two-game skid to the Blacksnakes.
Jorge Moreno and Jake Daubert each rapped two doubles for the Explorers (6-11). Moreno, who extended his hitting streak to nine games, drove in two runs with the doubles in the fifth and sixth innings.
Winning pitcher Alex Francisco (3-0) threw his longest outing of the season, going eight innings. Francisco, however, struggled in his last frame of the night.
Francisco entered the eighth retiring 11 of his last 12 batters. The 6-1, 210-pound rookie from Ventura, Calif., struck out Casey Gordon to start the frame, then yielded an infield single to David Fowler.
Andy Wilson continued the Blacksnakes' rally when he reached on Daubert's throwing error at third base. Jake Whitesides walked to load the bases and Dustin Yount, the son of Major League Hall of Famer Robin Yount, hit a sacrifice fly to center field to send Fowler home.
Wilson scored on Jacob Wallic's single to pull St. Joe within 7-4. Miaso, the last Blacksnake to face Francisco, drilled the shot to the center field fence.
"Francisco was still throwing well," said Nottle. "I should have yanked him when it was 7-4. He was throwing his off-speed stuff well. He had 92 pitches up to that point and was pitching outstanding. I thought he threw a hell of a game."
Rory James, a 6-9, 235-pound rookie relief pitcher from Oshkosh, Wis., got Chad Sosebee, the eighth batter of the inning, to fly out to second baseman Willie James to end the inning.
Daubert hit his second double of the game and team-leading eighth of the season to lead off the top of the ninth inning against bullpen ace Tim Vasquez. Benavidas walked. Two batters later, McCoola walked to keep the Explorers' rally alive.
Daubert, who tagged to third base on Mike Richardson's sacrifice fly, scored as James grounded out down the first base line Wallis was charged with the passed ball that sent Benavidas home. McCoola then scored on the wild pitch that eventually closed the scoring.
"James had a good at-bat with the bases loaded and he put up a hell of a fight," said Nottle. "Those runs came at a good time. I didn't want to go into the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead. I was glad to get those two runs."
James threw two pitches while retiring Adam Balkan and Gordon to start the bottom of the ninth. Fowler was hit by a pitch, but Wilson struck out to end the game and James recorded his second save of the season.
The Explorers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Daubert reached on a dropped fly ball by Fowler in center field and scored on a bases-loaded walk to James.
Back-to-back RBI singles from Wilson and Whitesides gave St. Joe a 2-1 lead in the third, but Sioux City tied the game in the fourth when Richardson walked, then scored on an RBI single by Jason Tuttle.
Alex Llanos returned to the Explorers' lineup and led off the fifth with a single. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Moreno and Daubert produced a 4-2 lead. Daubert scored on a RBI single from Benavidas in the fifth.
Moreno's second double of the game and sixth of the season sent Jason Tuttle home in the sixth inning. Pete Pirman, who robbed Whitesides of an extra-base hit with an over-the-shoulder catch in right field in the first inning, chased James home with an eighth-inning RBI single that extended the Explorers' lead to 7-2.
The Explorers are off today. Ty Marotz (1-1, 3.50 ERA) will start on the mound for the Explorers Tuesday night at Lewis and Clark Park against Lincoln in the first of a three-game series.
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