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Downs Brilliant as Zephyrs One-Hit RedHawks

August 31, 2011 - Pacific Coast League (PCL) New Orleans Zephyrs

Darin Downs allowed just one hit over eight scoreless innings, and Dan Jennings came on in the ninth to complete the New Orleans Zephyrs' first one-hitter in more than two seasons, a 1-0 victory over the Oklahoma City

RedHawks on Wednesday night.

The one-hitter was the first for the Zephyrs since July 13, 2008, when Willie

Collazo, Jose Santiago and

Nate Field combined to limit the Nashville Sounds to one hit over seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader.

The only blemish on Downs's night came on the second batter of the game, and even that could have been avoided. Anderson Hernandez hit a lazy fly ball to shallow right field which Jorge Padilla momentarily lost in the setting sun, and when the ball fell a few feet in front of him, Oklahoma City had what turned out to be their only hit of the game.

The next batter, Brett Wallace, reached on a missed catch by shortstop Donnie Murphy, but Downs got Drew Locke and Chris Johnson on fly outs to center fielder Chris

Coghlan, and finished by retiring the final 23 batters he faced.

Downs struck out six without issuing a walk, while getting seven ground outs and nine fly outs. He exited after eight innings having thrown 95 pitches, his most since a start with Class AA Jacksonville in April. The eight innings marked Downs's longest outing most since May 5, 2009 while pitching for Class

A Charlotte.

Jennings issued a walk to Robinson Cancel on a nine-pitch at-bat to lead off the ninth, but after a sacrifice bunt by Luis Durango, Jennings retired Hernandez on a broken-bat grounder, and struck out Wallace to pick up his first Triple-A save.

The lone New Orleans run came in the first inning, when Chris

Coghlan led off with a single and

Vinny

Rottino walked with one out. After a balk by

RedHawks starter Xavier

Cedeno advanced the runners,

Coghlan scored on a ground out by Donnie Murphy.

Cedeno limited the Z's to two hits in five innings, and the Zephyrs collected just four hits total in snapping their three-game losing skid.

The Zephyrs play their final home game of the 2011 season on Thursday night at 7 p.m., with Tom Koehler (11-7, 5.15) making the start against Oklahoma City's Paul Clemens (0-0, 0.00).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 31, 2011


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