June 19, 2013
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Spinners Hang on for Win, 3-2

August 27, 2012 - New York-Penn League (NYPL) Lowell Spinners

LOWELL, MASS. - The Lowell Spinners scored three in the bottom half of the first inning and held on by the skin of their teeth as Braden Kapteyn left them loaded in the top of the ninth inning as Lowell held on to top the Tri-City ValleyCats Monday night at LeLacheur Park, 3-2.

Lowell (33-34) scored in the first inning for the third straight night to jump out to an early lead. Mike Miller doubled off the wall in left with one out to start the rally. Deven Marrero was hit-by-a-pitch, leaving the game in place of Roberto Reyes. A Jake Davies walk loaded the bases and Mookie Betts brought home the game's first run with a single up the middle. A Matt Marquis single brought home Reyes and Davies would score on an RBI groundout from Aneury Tavarez, giving the Spinners a 3-0 lead.

Tri-City (48-19) answered back in the top half of the second inning on a titanic two-run home run by Jarrod McKinney, which crashed into the left-field scoreboard as it was still rising, cutting the lead to 3-2.

The Spinners would put runners on second and third with one out as a result of two errors in the second, but Reyes would strike out and Jake Davies flew out to center to end the inning.

The ValleyCats similarly had a chance to score in the seventh after the first two men reached, but Yunior Ortega buckled down to record the next three in order, preserving the lead.

Each team had a chance to score in the ninth, with the Spinners stranding runners at second and third before the ValleyCats had their chance to score. After back-to-back one-out walks, Kapteyn hit McKinney with a pitch to load the bases. He closed the door however, striking out Ryan Dineen looking on a 3-2 fastball on the outside corner and inducing a Jean Batista groundout back to the mound to close out the win.

The immediate post-game attention was on Marrero, who underwent X-rays after leaving the game. The X-rays revealed no break, which leaves Marrero day-to-day.

Betts paced the Spinners' offense with a two-hit night, adding an RBI, while Marquis and Tavarez each added RBI as well. Betts also picked up two stolen bases, as the Spinners stole three on the night, closing within six of the franchise record of 103, set in 2009.

Cuevas (8-2, 1.51) picked up the win, tying the single-season record set by Jose Alvarez in 2009. He stayed in the game after being stuck by a line-drive in the second, allowing four hits and two runs, striking out two. Ortega followed with two scoreless innings, allowing two hits while walking one, striking out two. Kapteyn, who extended his scoreless innings streak to 16, walking two and hitting a batter, striking out two over the final two innings in earning his seventh save.

The Spinners go for the series sweep Tuesday for Will Middlebrooks Bobble Head Giveaway Night! Zach Good (0-6, 6.75) gets the ball for a 7:05 first pitch.

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New York-Penn League Stories from August 27, 2012


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