St. Paul ends X's win streak at 10
Posted: Thursday, July 19, 2007
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Brad Guy did everything he could to win in the final baseball game of his career here Wednesday night. But, in what has been the case nearly the entire season, the Sioux City Explorers pitcher suffered from little run support.
St. Paul clipped the X's 3-1 in front of 5,817 at Midway Stadium, snapping Sioux City's 10-game winning streak while moving within a game of first place in the second half of the American Association season.
Guy, a veteran righthander who is retiring to become a firefighter in Sacramento, Calif., gave up three runs in his first six pitches of the game, but was brilliant thereafter. He went the distance, allowing just five hits while striking out five and walking one.
Needless to say, Guy's 2-7 record with the X's was deceiving.
"We just didn't get runs for that kid, plain and simple," said Explorers manager Ed Nottle. "He jokingly told me after the game that we'd be better off with him leaving, but he was just outstanding tonight. I thought he was throwing better in the eighth than he was in the first.
"We certainly had our chances, especially at the end of the game. But their guy kept us off balance and it was just one of those games."
St. Paul starter Justin Lord was just as impressive, working seven strong innings while picking up his second victory of the season. Lord returned to action on July 5 after missing nearly a month because of arm problems, but showed little wear and tear while pitching the Saints to victory in the first game of a four-game series.
Sioux City, which also had an eight-game road win streak fall by the books, is now 11-3 in the second half while St. Paul moved to 10-4. Wednesday's game was the only one on the American Association schedule after a two-day break for the All-Star Game.
"Even though they hadn't swung the bat in a couple of days, I thought they took good swings tonight," said Nottle. "These seven games up here will certainly set the scene in the second half. It won't make or break anything, but we need to win four or five of these games."
The X's and St. Paul play here seven times in the next 10 days.
St. Paul struck quickly in the first when leadoff hitter Scooter Jordan and Adam Bourassa sandwiched triples around a base hit by Ben Thomas. Jordan lined a three-bagger down the right field line and scored on Thomas' single to left while Bourassa, an all-star outfielder, sent Thomas home on another triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Marcel Longmire.
After that, Guy gave up only a two-out single to Skip Adams in the fourth and a one-out double to Bourassa in the eighth. Bourassa, though, was thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple.
The Explorers had their chances, beginning in the top of the first when Jason Tuttle led off the game with an infield single and Nick McCoola was safe on a throwing error by Long. Tuttle, however, was thrown out on an attempted steal and Long fanned Jake Daubert and got Jorge Moreno to ground out.
Pete Pirman, who drove in the X's only run with a line drive single to center in the fifth, opened the eighth with his second base hit of the game, a shot to right field off reliever Jon Huizinga. Pirman advanced to second on a ground out and to third when Tuttle bounced a single off Huizinga's body.
McCoola, though, grounded into an inning ending double play when second baseman Alex Fonseca made a backhand stab of a hard grounder heading up the middle.
Daubert lined a double down the right field line to start the Sioux City ninth and after Julian Benavidez drew a two-out walk, the runners moved up on a wild pitch. St. Paul closer Tony Pierce, however, caught Alex Llanos looking on a called third strike to end the game. Pierce picked up his eighth save of the season and his sixth in his last six appearances.
Llanos cracked a leadoff double in the fifth and scampered home on Pirman's base hit. Llanos has now reached base in 20 straight games while the red-hot Pirman has 18 RBIs in his last 14 contests.
X's centerfielder Tuttle made a diving catch in the bottom of the seventh, robbing Jordan of extra bases and saving a run.
Paul Weichard made his debut for the Explorers after being acquired from the St. Joseph Blacksnakes late Tuesday. The 27-year-old outfielder, who was the lone St. Joseph player in the All-Star Game, finished 0 for 4 at the plate while batting fifth in the order as the designated hitter.
Nottle said he plans to give McCoola, the X's only all-star, today off to rest a sore leg. Brian Buchanan, 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA since joining the X's last month, will get the start on the mound for tonight's 7:05 contest, with Adam Brandenburg (4-2, 3.56) pitching for the Saints.
St. Paul clipped the X's 3-1 in front of 5,817 at Midway Stadium, snapping Sioux City's 10-game winning streak while moving within a game of first place in the second half of the American Association season.
Guy, a veteran righthander who is retiring to become a firefighter in Sacramento, Calif., gave up three runs in his first six pitches of the game, but was brilliant thereafter. He went the distance, allowing just five hits while striking out five and walking one.
Needless to say, Guy's 2-7 record with the X's was deceiving.
"We just didn't get runs for that kid, plain and simple," said Explorers manager Ed Nottle. "He jokingly told me after the game that we'd be better off with him leaving, but he was just outstanding tonight. I thought he was throwing better in the eighth than he was in the first.
"We certainly had our chances, especially at the end of the game. But their guy kept us off balance and it was just one of those games."
St. Paul starter Justin Lord was just as impressive, working seven strong innings while picking up his second victory of the season. Lord returned to action on July 5 after missing nearly a month because of arm problems, but showed little wear and tear while pitching the Saints to victory in the first game of a four-game series.
Sioux City, which also had an eight-game road win streak fall by the books, is now 11-3 in the second half while St. Paul moved to 10-4. Wednesday's game was the only one on the American Association schedule after a two-day break for the All-Star Game.
"Even though they hadn't swung the bat in a couple of days, I thought they took good swings tonight," said Nottle. "These seven games up here will certainly set the scene in the second half. It won't make or break anything, but we need to win four or five of these games."
The X's and St. Paul play here seven times in the next 10 days.
St. Paul struck quickly in the first when leadoff hitter Scooter Jordan and Adam Bourassa sandwiched triples around a base hit by Ben Thomas. Jordan lined a three-bagger down the right field line and scored on Thomas' single to left while Bourassa, an all-star outfielder, sent Thomas home on another triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Marcel Longmire.
After that, Guy gave up only a two-out single to Skip Adams in the fourth and a one-out double to Bourassa in the eighth. Bourassa, though, was thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple.
The Explorers had their chances, beginning in the top of the first when Jason Tuttle led off the game with an infield single and Nick McCoola was safe on a throwing error by Long. Tuttle, however, was thrown out on an attempted steal and Long fanned Jake Daubert and got Jorge Moreno to ground out.
Pete Pirman, who drove in the X's only run with a line drive single to center in the fifth, opened the eighth with his second base hit of the game, a shot to right field off reliever Jon Huizinga. Pirman advanced to second on a ground out and to third when Tuttle bounced a single off Huizinga's body.
McCoola, though, grounded into an inning ending double play when second baseman Alex Fonseca made a backhand stab of a hard grounder heading up the middle.
Daubert lined a double down the right field line to start the Sioux City ninth and after Julian Benavidez drew a two-out walk, the runners moved up on a wild pitch. St. Paul closer Tony Pierce, however, caught Alex Llanos looking on a called third strike to end the game. Pierce picked up his eighth save of the season and his sixth in his last six appearances.
Llanos cracked a leadoff double in the fifth and scampered home on Pirman's base hit. Llanos has now reached base in 20 straight games while the red-hot Pirman has 18 RBIs in his last 14 contests.
X's centerfielder Tuttle made a diving catch in the bottom of the seventh, robbing Jordan of extra bases and saving a run.
Paul Weichard made his debut for the Explorers after being acquired from the St. Joseph Blacksnakes late Tuesday. The 27-year-old outfielder, who was the lone St. Joseph player in the All-Star Game, finished 0 for 4 at the plate while batting fifth in the order as the designated hitter.
Nottle said he plans to give McCoola, the X's only all-star, today off to rest a sore leg. Brian Buchanan, 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA since joining the X's last month, will get the start on the mound for tonight's 7:05 contest, with Adam Brandenburg (4-2, 3.56) pitching for the Saints.
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