Dramatic comeback lifts X's to 9-8 triumph
By Steven Allspach Journal sports writer | Posted: Thursday, July 05, 2007
Where there's a will there's a way.
Before Wednesday, no team, period, survived more on the resolve and moxie of the Lincoln Saltdogs. Not to mention the American Association's best hitting, pitching, defense and any other aspect of baseball you can think of that leads to the best record in the league.
But, the Sioux City Explorers stole Lincoln's thunder. reborn again on the Fourth of July, rallying from an 8-3 deficit to stun the Saltdogs 9-8 in front of 3,442 at Lewis and Clark Park Wednesday night.
Lincoln, the AA's North Division first-half champ with a 34-13 record, had opened the second half with a 10-2 demolition of the X's.
Jorge Moreno's three-run homer in the seventh ignited the triumph and helped Sioux City avoid a franchise-record 11th straight loss at home.
The Saltdogs touched off their version of the real fireworks that came after the game by scoring five times in the fifth inning.
But, the X's weren't to be denied.
The Tuesday night loss equaled the club's record of 10 for consecutive losses at home, but this X's group refused to become part of the record book.
On Aug. 13, 2000, Sioux City snapped a 10-game losing streak at home with a 9-3 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes. A three-run homer by Jay Kirkpatrick, who would later manage the team in 2003 and 2004, also played huge role in breaking the original home losing streak.
The Explorers, trailing 8-3, sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh inning, scoring nine times to take a 9-8 lead.
The most telling blow was a three-run homer over the wall in left by Moreno.
But, the game-winning hit by Jason Tuttle came in a curious scenario that had Sioux City Manager Ed Nottle pinch-hitting Tuttle for Shea Tonkin with the score tied 8-8 - after Tonkin had stepped in against Saltdog reliever Joe Brown and had worked an 0-1 count.
Tonkin had struck out in three previous at-bats.
The daring move paid off when Tuttle, who missed Tuesday's 10-2 loss to Lincoln because of illness, slapped a 2-2 pitch inside the bag at first to score Pete Pirman. Earlier in the inning, Pirman singled home Alex Llanos.
Lincoln scored six times in the sixth, thanks primarily to a three-run double by Corey Harrington, who also lashed a two-run double in the fifth.
Sioux City's 6-foot-9 Rory James, making his first pro start, worked five solid innings, giving up four runs. Jon Koch picked up the win in relief and Matt Wilkinson, the fourth X's hurler, got the save.
Lincoln ace Jarrett Gardner, 6-1 with a league best 1.71 ERA, was roughed up for 11 hits. Brown absorbed the loss.
In Lincoln's10-2 win in the series opener Tuesday night the Saltdogs turned Alexander Francisco's first seven pitches of the game into two runs.
Wednesday, the X's turned the tables, plating two runs in the first inning off Gardner.
Consecutive singles by Dustin Jones, McCoola and Daubert loaded the bases and Moreno followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Jones.
McCoola added the second run, racing home on a Llanos ground out.
Llanos, after making a diving catch of a liner by Seth Pietsch to end Lincoln's fourth, began the bottom half of the fourth by lining's Gardner's first pitch for a double to right.
He was stranded, along with Brandon Jones, though, when Pete Pirman and Tonkin fanned and 6-foot-4 first baseman Brett Cooley leaped high to stab a liner by Shea Harris for the third out.
Lincoln had the tying run at third base in the ninth, but a come-backer to Wilkinson ended the game.
X's and OH's: Lincoln rested All-Star second baseman Josh Patton for the third straight game and regular catcher Aaron Mendoza was also given the night off, replaced by Matt Duchek. Taking over Patton's chores is Cody Lusero, a rookie out of Nebraska-Omaha....
Four inning-ending double plays by Sioux City prevented Lincoln from doing further offensive damage, no more vital than the one in the eighth started by second baseman Llanos with the bases jammed. All-Star shortstop Nick McCoola started two of the twin killings and third baseman Brandon Jones the other....
McCoola also helped make up for two costly errors Tuesday with two hits in the dramatic 9-8 victory.
Before Wednesday, no team, period, survived more on the resolve and moxie of the Lincoln Saltdogs. Not to mention the American Association's best hitting, pitching, defense and any other aspect of baseball you can think of that leads to the best record in the league.
But, the Sioux City Explorers stole Lincoln's thunder. reborn again on the Fourth of July, rallying from an 8-3 deficit to stun the Saltdogs 9-8 in front of 3,442 at Lewis and Clark Park Wednesday night.
Lincoln, the AA's North Division first-half champ with a 34-13 record, had opened the second half with a 10-2 demolition of the X's.
Jorge Moreno's three-run homer in the seventh ignited the triumph and helped Sioux City avoid a franchise-record 11th straight loss at home.
The Saltdogs touched off their version of the real fireworks that came after the game by scoring five times in the fifth inning.
But, the X's weren't to be denied.
The Tuesday night loss equaled the club's record of 10 for consecutive losses at home, but this X's group refused to become part of the record book.
On Aug. 13, 2000, Sioux City snapped a 10-game losing streak at home with a 9-3 victory over the Winnipeg Goldeyes. A three-run homer by Jay Kirkpatrick, who would later manage the team in 2003 and 2004, also played huge role in breaking the original home losing streak.
The Explorers, trailing 8-3, sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh inning, scoring nine times to take a 9-8 lead.
The most telling blow was a three-run homer over the wall in left by Moreno.
But, the game-winning hit by Jason Tuttle came in a curious scenario that had Sioux City Manager Ed Nottle pinch-hitting Tuttle for Shea Tonkin with the score tied 8-8 - after Tonkin had stepped in against Saltdog reliever Joe Brown and had worked an 0-1 count.
Tonkin had struck out in three previous at-bats.
The daring move paid off when Tuttle, who missed Tuesday's 10-2 loss to Lincoln because of illness, slapped a 2-2 pitch inside the bag at first to score Pete Pirman. Earlier in the inning, Pirman singled home Alex Llanos.
Lincoln scored six times in the sixth, thanks primarily to a three-run double by Corey Harrington, who also lashed a two-run double in the fifth.
Sioux City's 6-foot-9 Rory James, making his first pro start, worked five solid innings, giving up four runs. Jon Koch picked up the win in relief and Matt Wilkinson, the fourth X's hurler, got the save.
Lincoln ace Jarrett Gardner, 6-1 with a league best 1.71 ERA, was roughed up for 11 hits. Brown absorbed the loss.
In Lincoln's10-2 win in the series opener Tuesday night the Saltdogs turned Alexander Francisco's first seven pitches of the game into two runs.
Wednesday, the X's turned the tables, plating two runs in the first inning off Gardner.
Consecutive singles by Dustin Jones, McCoola and Daubert loaded the bases and Moreno followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Jones.
McCoola added the second run, racing home on a Llanos ground out.
Llanos, after making a diving catch of a liner by Seth Pietsch to end Lincoln's fourth, began the bottom half of the fourth by lining's Gardner's first pitch for a double to right.
He was stranded, along with Brandon Jones, though, when Pete Pirman and Tonkin fanned and 6-foot-4 first baseman Brett Cooley leaped high to stab a liner by Shea Harris for the third out.
Lincoln had the tying run at third base in the ninth, but a come-backer to Wilkinson ended the game.
X's and OH's: Lincoln rested All-Star second baseman Josh Patton for the third straight game and regular catcher Aaron Mendoza was also given the night off, replaced by Matt Duchek. Taking over Patton's chores is Cody Lusero, a rookie out of Nebraska-Omaha....
Four inning-ending double plays by Sioux City prevented Lincoln from doing further offensive damage, no more vital than the one in the eighth started by second baseman Llanos with the bases jammed. All-Star shortstop Nick McCoola started two of the twin killings and third baseman Brandon Jones the other....
McCoola also helped make up for two costly errors Tuesday with two hits in the dramatic 9-8 victory.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
