X's pull even with St. Paul
Posted: Friday, July 20, 2007
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Sioux City Explorers have company atop the American Association North Division standings.
The St. Paul Saints blanked the X's 5-0 Thursday in front of 6,007 at Midway Stadium, moving into a flat-footed tie for the second-half division lead. St. Paul won for the second time in as many nights after ending Sioux City's 10-game win streak on Wednesday.
The shutout loss was the first for Sioux City since a 4-0 setback to Sioux Falls in the opening game of the season.
Losing pitcher Brian Buchanan deserved a better fate. The X's lethander gave up six hits, but only two of them left the infield.
Moreover, Sioux City could muster no offense against Adam Brandenburg, a tall lefty who picked up his fifth victory of the season. The X's manged just three hits in seven innings off Brandenburg while slipping to 11-4 for the second half.
After Brandenburg left the game, Byron Embry struck out the side in both the eighth and ninth.
St. Paul is also 11-4 heading into the third game of a four-game series here tonight at 7:05.
Alex Fonseca, heretofore a struggling hitter, had two hits and reached base three times from the No. 2 spot in the order. Fonseca's infield hit to lead off the fourth inning ignited a three-run uprising.
Adam Bourassa followed with another infield hit before the Saints executed a perfect double steal. That set the table for former Explorer Marcel Longmire, who lofted a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Fonseca.
After a walk and catcher's interference call loaded the bases, Skip Adams hit a sharp ground ball to the right of X's shortstop Brandon Jones, which Jones couldn't come up with. The ball glanced off his glove and he wound up kicking it into the outfield, allowing two runs to score.
The X's then had several mental errors in the fifth, leading to the fourth St. Paul run.
Scooter Jordan beat out a bunt single to start the inning, but appeared to be picked off first base. Jordan, though, beat the throw into second after first baseman Julian Benavidez hesitated, getting credit for a stolen base.
Fonseca then laid down a bunt that was fielded by Buchanan, who threw to third in an attempt to retire Jordan. Both runners were safe and after two were out, X's third baseman Jake Daubert fielded a grounder, but instead of going to first threw to second, but the throw was late. That allowed Jordan to score the fourth St. Paul run.
The Saints got their fifth run in the seventh off Brett Reed when Fonseca led off with a double and scored on a base hit to left by Longmire. The St. Paul catcher ran his season RBI total to 54, second in the league.
Sioux City's only major threat came in the fourth when it loaded the bases with two outs. Brandenburg, though, struck out Ray Navarro to end the inning.
After that, the X's had just one baserunner the rest of the game.
Nottle used a makeshift lineup with regulars Nick McCoola and Alex Llanos on the bench with injuries. McCoola is nursing a sore hamstring while Llanos had a sore back. Pete Pirman moved into the No. 2 spot in the order while Jones got the start at shortstop and Navarro at second base.
Rory James (1-4) will get the start on the mound for the X's tonight while Charlie Ruud (6-3) takes the hill for St. Paul.
The St. Paul Saints blanked the X's 5-0 Thursday in front of 6,007 at Midway Stadium, moving into a flat-footed tie for the second-half division lead. St. Paul won for the second time in as many nights after ending Sioux City's 10-game win streak on Wednesday.
The shutout loss was the first for Sioux City since a 4-0 setback to Sioux Falls in the opening game of the season.
Losing pitcher Brian Buchanan deserved a better fate. The X's lethander gave up six hits, but only two of them left the infield.
Moreover, Sioux City could muster no offense against Adam Brandenburg, a tall lefty who picked up his fifth victory of the season. The X's manged just three hits in seven innings off Brandenburg while slipping to 11-4 for the second half.
After Brandenburg left the game, Byron Embry struck out the side in both the eighth and ninth.
St. Paul is also 11-4 heading into the third game of a four-game series here tonight at 7:05.
Alex Fonseca, heretofore a struggling hitter, had two hits and reached base three times from the No. 2 spot in the order. Fonseca's infield hit to lead off the fourth inning ignited a three-run uprising.
Adam Bourassa followed with another infield hit before the Saints executed a perfect double steal. That set the table for former Explorer Marcel Longmire, who lofted a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Fonseca.
After a walk and catcher's interference call loaded the bases, Skip Adams hit a sharp ground ball to the right of X's shortstop Brandon Jones, which Jones couldn't come up with. The ball glanced off his glove and he wound up kicking it into the outfield, allowing two runs to score.
The X's then had several mental errors in the fifth, leading to the fourth St. Paul run.
Scooter Jordan beat out a bunt single to start the inning, but appeared to be picked off first base. Jordan, though, beat the throw into second after first baseman Julian Benavidez hesitated, getting credit for a stolen base.
Fonseca then laid down a bunt that was fielded by Buchanan, who threw to third in an attempt to retire Jordan. Both runners were safe and after two were out, X's third baseman Jake Daubert fielded a grounder, but instead of going to first threw to second, but the throw was late. That allowed Jordan to score the fourth St. Paul run.
The Saints got their fifth run in the seventh off Brett Reed when Fonseca led off with a double and scored on a base hit to left by Longmire. The St. Paul catcher ran his season RBI total to 54, second in the league.
Sioux City's only major threat came in the fourth when it loaded the bases with two outs. Brandenburg, though, struck out Ray Navarro to end the inning.
After that, the X's had just one baserunner the rest of the game.
Nottle used a makeshift lineup with regulars Nick McCoola and Alex Llanos on the bench with injuries. McCoola is nursing a sore hamstring while Llanos had a sore back. Pete Pirman moved into the No. 2 spot in the order while Jones got the start at shortstop and Navarro at second base.
Rory James (1-4) will get the start on the mound for the X's tonight while Charlie Ruud (6-3) takes the hill for St. Paul.
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