X's stretch winning streak to six
Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2007
LINCOLN -- This time, the big rally wasn't even necessary.
Scoring early and often Wednesday night, the Sioux City Explorers racked up their sixth win in a row, blasting the Lincoln Saltdogs 13-4 in front of 3,596 disappointed fans at Haymarket Park.
It was the eighth road win in a row for the Explorers, who have posted five of those victories in the home park of the American Association's first-half North Division champs.
Jake Daubert and Jorge Moreno, a combined 1-for-15 while their teammates used ninth-inning rallies to win the first two games of the series Monday and Tuesday, drove in three runs apiece as Manager Ed Nottle's resurgent X's improved to 7-2 for the second-half schedule.
St. Paul, 6-2 through Tuesday and tied for the division lead, trailed Pensacola 4-0 at press time in the sixth inning of a rain-delayed contest.
"It was a pretty fair trip,'' understated Nottle. "One of the more enjoyable ones in independent ball for me. It's sure a hell of a way to start the second half.''
Billy Cox, batting just .186 in 11 games since being acquired from St. Paul, contributed a three-run homer as Sioux City plated five runs in the seventh inning to turn a 6-3 lead into an 11-3 blowout.
But it was a dominating performance all the way around for the Explorers, who outhit the potent Saltdogs 15-3 before newcomer Luke O'Loughlin, a rookie making his X's debut, surrendered three hits in the ninth inning.
Alexander Francisco, improving to 6-5, left after six innings, surrendering three runs on just three hits, including a solo homer by backup catcher Matt Duchek, a former Wayne State star.
Cameron Cheek worked a perfect seventh and O'Loughlin retired four batters in a row before Bryan Warner's one-out homer in the ninth.
Daubert and Moreno, hitting third and fourth in the order, staked Sioux City to a quick 2-0 lead with back-to-back RBI singles in the first inning.
Lincoln squared it with two runs in the second on two singles and a walk, but Daubert and Moreno followed base hits by Jason Tuttle and Nick McCoola with run-producing singles in the fifth, sending Sioux City in front to stay, 4-2.
A bizarre sixth frame started with Brandon Jones reaching base on a wild pitch after striking out. Pete Pirman's base hit put runners on the corners and, after Pirman stole second base, Cox also had a strikeout nullified, reaching safely on a wild pitch on which Jones raced home.
Ray Navarro's bunt to the right side was fielded by pitcher Josh Kauten, who threw wildly to first as Pirman scored, letting Navarro streak to second base and Cox to third.
Lefthander Joe Brown, relieving Kauten, got out of that jam, keeping Sioux City's lead at 6-3, but Brown wasn't as fortunate in the seventh after a leadoff walk to Daubert and another wild pitch. Moreno's double plated the first run of the inning and Pirman added another run-scoring double before the three-run homer by Cox blew the game open.
The three-game sweep marked the first time Lincoln had been swept in a series all season and it also saddled the Saltdogs with their first three-game losing streak of the campaign.
Now a solid 14-14 in road games this season, the X's hope to go to work on a puzzling 8-21 home record, launching a four-game series tonight at Lewis and Clark Park against the St. Joseph Blacksnakes.
St. Joe, swept in three games by the X's last weekend, comes into the series at 1-8 for the second half, losing for the eighth night in a row Wednesday night in Sioux Falls.
X's AND OH's: With the game out of hand, Warner, a veteran outfielder who has been with the Saltdogs throughout their seven-year history, pitched the final two innings for Lincoln. It was the 24th career pitching appearance for the 2005 Northern League MVP, who surrendered an unearned run in the eighth and an earned run in the ninth, walking two batters in either frame....
Llanos has reached base in 15 consecutive games after drawing a seventh-inning walk, but the veteran second baseman had a seven-game hitting streak halted with a 0-for-5 night. Llanos had gone 33-for-73 over his last 19 games, hoisting his average from .267 to .343 prior to Wednesday's game....
Rookie righthander Rory James, who spent time as the X's closer earlier this season, will make his second start in tonight's series opener with St. Joseph. The Blacksnakes' scheduled starter is recent addition Rick DeHart, who took a tough-luck loss in a 4-2 setback to Sioux City last Saturday....
Hopes of having rookie righthander Ty Marotz rejoin the starting rotation may be out the window. Marotz threw a bullpen session Wednesday and didn't appear ready to return to action. Nottle said the former Arizona State hurler would be placed on the inactive list and return home (Chicago area) for a few weeks, leaving open the possibility of a late-season return....
Nottle also said he will delay the return of first baseman Julian Benavidez, who he'd hoped to activate for the St. Joe series. "I think we'll be better off giving him the extra four days along with the two-day all-star break (Monday and Tuesday).'' Benavidez, second on the team in RBIs with 34 before he was injured June 27, has missed 12 games with a pulled rib cage muscle.
Scoring early and often Wednesday night, the Sioux City Explorers racked up their sixth win in a row, blasting the Lincoln Saltdogs 13-4 in front of 3,596 disappointed fans at Haymarket Park.
It was the eighth road win in a row for the Explorers, who have posted five of those victories in the home park of the American Association's first-half North Division champs.
Jake Daubert and Jorge Moreno, a combined 1-for-15 while their teammates used ninth-inning rallies to win the first two games of the series Monday and Tuesday, drove in three runs apiece as Manager Ed Nottle's resurgent X's improved to 7-2 for the second-half schedule.
St. Paul, 6-2 through Tuesday and tied for the division lead, trailed Pensacola 4-0 at press time in the sixth inning of a rain-delayed contest.
"It was a pretty fair trip,'' understated Nottle. "One of the more enjoyable ones in independent ball for me. It's sure a hell of a way to start the second half.''
Billy Cox, batting just .186 in 11 games since being acquired from St. Paul, contributed a three-run homer as Sioux City plated five runs in the seventh inning to turn a 6-3 lead into an 11-3 blowout.
But it was a dominating performance all the way around for the Explorers, who outhit the potent Saltdogs 15-3 before newcomer Luke O'Loughlin, a rookie making his X's debut, surrendered three hits in the ninth inning.
Alexander Francisco, improving to 6-5, left after six innings, surrendering three runs on just three hits, including a solo homer by backup catcher Matt Duchek, a former Wayne State star.
Cameron Cheek worked a perfect seventh and O'Loughlin retired four batters in a row before Bryan Warner's one-out homer in the ninth.
Daubert and Moreno, hitting third and fourth in the order, staked Sioux City to a quick 2-0 lead with back-to-back RBI singles in the first inning.
Lincoln squared it with two runs in the second on two singles and a walk, but Daubert and Moreno followed base hits by Jason Tuttle and Nick McCoola with run-producing singles in the fifth, sending Sioux City in front to stay, 4-2.
A bizarre sixth frame started with Brandon Jones reaching base on a wild pitch after striking out. Pete Pirman's base hit put runners on the corners and, after Pirman stole second base, Cox also had a strikeout nullified, reaching safely on a wild pitch on which Jones raced home.
Ray Navarro's bunt to the right side was fielded by pitcher Josh Kauten, who threw wildly to first as Pirman scored, letting Navarro streak to second base and Cox to third.
Lefthander Joe Brown, relieving Kauten, got out of that jam, keeping Sioux City's lead at 6-3, but Brown wasn't as fortunate in the seventh after a leadoff walk to Daubert and another wild pitch. Moreno's double plated the first run of the inning and Pirman added another run-scoring double before the three-run homer by Cox blew the game open.
The three-game sweep marked the first time Lincoln had been swept in a series all season and it also saddled the Saltdogs with their first three-game losing streak of the campaign.
Now a solid 14-14 in road games this season, the X's hope to go to work on a puzzling 8-21 home record, launching a four-game series tonight at Lewis and Clark Park against the St. Joseph Blacksnakes.
St. Joe, swept in three games by the X's last weekend, comes into the series at 1-8 for the second half, losing for the eighth night in a row Wednesday night in Sioux Falls.
X's AND OH's: With the game out of hand, Warner, a veteran outfielder who has been with the Saltdogs throughout their seven-year history, pitched the final two innings for Lincoln. It was the 24th career pitching appearance for the 2005 Northern League MVP, who surrendered an unearned run in the eighth and an earned run in the ninth, walking two batters in either frame....
Llanos has reached base in 15 consecutive games after drawing a seventh-inning walk, but the veteran second baseman had a seven-game hitting streak halted with a 0-for-5 night. Llanos had gone 33-for-73 over his last 19 games, hoisting his average from .267 to .343 prior to Wednesday's game....
Rookie righthander Rory James, who spent time as the X's closer earlier this season, will make his second start in tonight's series opener with St. Joseph. The Blacksnakes' scheduled starter is recent addition Rick DeHart, who took a tough-luck loss in a 4-2 setback to Sioux City last Saturday....
Hopes of having rookie righthander Ty Marotz rejoin the starting rotation may be out the window. Marotz threw a bullpen session Wednesday and didn't appear ready to return to action. Nottle said the former Arizona State hurler would be placed on the inactive list and return home (Chicago area) for a few weeks, leaving open the possibility of a late-season return....
Nottle also said he will delay the return of first baseman Julian Benavidez, who he'd hoped to activate for the St. Joe series. "I think we'll be better off giving him the extra four days along with the two-day all-star break (Monday and Tuesday).'' Benavidez, second on the team in RBIs with 34 before he was injured June 27, has missed 12 games with a pulled rib cage muscle.
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