June 19, 2013
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Betts Keys Win with Bat, Defense; 9-5

August 10, 2012 - New York-Penn League (NYPL) Lowell Spinners

FISHKILL, NY - Mookie Betts knocked in three runs and made a diving catch to end a late inning rally, while Mike Miller hit his first professional homerun as the Lowell Spinners defeated the McNamara Division leading Hudson Valley Renegades 9-5 on Friday night.

With the victory, the Spinners' 12th in their last 14 games, the team climbed out of the Stedler Division basement and into third with Connecticut's loss to Aberdeen. Also, the team matched its best record since July 1st, when they were 5-9.

Lowell (24-28) raced on top before most fans were in their seats as Miller led off the game with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice by Dreily Guerrero. After Jake Davies reached via walk, David Chester singled to right field to score Miller, with Davies moving to third on the base hit. Betts immediately followed with a double into the left field corner that allowed Davies and the lumbering Chester to score from first.

The Spinners continued to push ahead in the second, manufacturing a run as Oscar Perez reached on an error by Hudson Valley third baseman Richie Shaffer, moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a groundout and scored when Guerrero lifted a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Renegades answered in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by first baseman Michael Williams.

Hudson Valley (35-17) then came back to tie the game in the sixth inning as Tyler Wilson walked the first two batters, and after a stolen base and a wild pitch, Wilson gave up a RBI triple to catcher Luke Maile that cut the lead to one. Shortstop Ryan Dunn followed with an RBI double to tie the game, but new addition to the Spinner bullpen, Gerardo Olivares, entered the game and worked out of any more trouble.

The suddenly resilient Spinners immediately took the lead back in the seventh as they loaded the bases with nobody out on a pair of walks to Miller and Guerrero and a Jake Davies single, and Chester lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left field that scored Miller. Guerrero advanced to third on the flyball, however, Davies was thrown out at second attempting to advance as well. Betts followed with an infield hit to third base that scored Guerrero from third.

Miller smacked a two-run homerun in the eighth over the left field wall to plate two important insurance runs for the Spinners.

The Renegades cut the lead to three in the bottom of the eighth, but Aneury Tavarez smacked an RBI double in the top of the ninth to push the lead back to four and assure the Spinners their third win in a row.

Pat Light struck out four in his brief three inning outing, nicked for an unearned run before giving way to Wilson. Wilson struggled with control, walking three in two and a third before Olivares (1-0, 3.86), a former catcher in the Tampa Bay system converted to pitcher and a recent addition to the Lowell Spinners roster, picked up the win.

Betts and Miller paced the Spinner offense as the former had three hits and three RBI, as well as a rally-killing diving catch in the eighth inning while the latter made both of his hits count, with a double and a homerun. Every Lowell starter except one reached base as the team scored early and late to score a victory over the New York Penn League's second best team.

Justin Haley (0-1, 0.89) makes his fifth start of the season tomorrow night, but will only throw three innings due to a pitch count, with Raynel Velette (3-2, 3.47) due to follow. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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New York-Penn League Stories from August 10, 2012


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