Blasters Drop Doubleheader Opener; Nightcap Suspended
August 23, 2016 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
Only one game of a scheduled doubleheader was completed at Potter County Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night, with the Texas AirHogs taking the first game by a 6-4 margin over the Joplin Blasters. The second game was suspended in the top of the sixth inning due to electrical failure, with the Blasters leading 5-1.
The opening game of the doubleheader got off to a great start for the Blasters, courtesy of Geraldo Valentin. Valentin, who played two seasons in Amarillo, drilled a solo shot deep to left field. His 14th home run of the season gave the Blasters an initial 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Two hits to lead off the inning allowed the AirHogs to tie the contest in the bottom of the second. Leon Byrd hit a leadoff double, and moved to third base on a single by Nick Akins. Byrd came in to score on a sacrifice fly from Juan Sanchez. A double play started by shortstop Alex Polston stranded a runner on the second, and kept the game tied at one.
Joplin re-took the lead in the top of the third inning, powered by a pair of home runs. With one out, Matt Martinez hit an infield single. His hustle was rewarded three pitches later, when Mitch Glasser clubbed his third home run of the season to left field. Valentin followed suit, hitting his second homer of the game. The back-to-back longballs gave the Blasters a 4-1 lead. Valentin's second home run was his 15th of the season, tying Jake Taylor's mark from a year ago as the franchise record.
Texas answered with the decisive blow in the bottom of the fourth. Sanchez pulled the AirHogs within a run with his eleventh homer of the season, a two-run shot that also scored Akins. With one out, Kenny Peoples-Walls and Brian Bistagne hit consecutive singles, chasing eventual losing pitcher Wander Perez from the ballgame. After a walk and a strikeout, Devon Rodriguez singled, bringing in Peoples-Walls and Bistagne. Byrd added an RBI single of his own, pushing the Texas lead to 6-4.
That 6-4 lead held for the final three innings of the game. David Russo picked up the victory in the opener, while a scoreless seventh inning gave Alan Oaks the save.
In the nightcap, it was the AirHogs that struck first with a home run. Cody Lenahan hit a solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. It was the first hit or baserunner surrendered by Joplin starter Mario Morales.
The Blasters took the lead in the top of the third with the aid of three Texas miscues. Alex Polston singled to start the inning, and a one-out double from Mitch Glasser gave the Blasters runners on second and third. Edwin Gomez came to the plate with two outs, and hit a pop fly in the infield. No AirHog was able to catch the pop-up, allowing both runners to score and giving Joplin the lead. Brandon Tierney followed by reaching on an error from Cory Morales, and another error by Brian Bistagne allowed Gomez to score, and provided the Blasters with a 3-1 lead.
Joplin extended the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth. Glasser draw a walk to begin the action, and advanced to third base after a Valentin single and an error in left field. Gomez then drove in his third run with a single. After a double play ball, an Ermindo Escobar fly ball that was dropped by the AirHogs allowed Valentin to score.
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