51's get past Sidewinders

Published on July 10, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Tucson Sidewinders News Release


Las Vegas, NV - John-Ford Griffin drove in four and Terry Tifee drove in three as the Las Vegas 51's beat the Sidewinders X-X on Thursday night. The 51's won the series three games to one and the two clubs split the season series eight games apiece.

Tucson took an early lead on Josh Whitesell's first inning RBI double but the 51's came back quickly. Griffin's three run home run off Billy Buckner in the bottom of the first gave Vegas a 3-1 lead and was a sign of things to come for Buckner. The Sidewinders righty allowed single runs in both the second and third and then allowed another three in the fourth on Tiffee's eighth home run of the season.

Buckner allowed eight runs on 12 hits in his five innings of work. He walked one and struck out two and fell to 1-3 against Las Vegas this season.

The Sidewinders found their way back into the game with two in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the seventh but couldn't complete the comeback. Tanyon Sturtze and former Sidewinder Mike Koplove fired shutout baseball over the final 2.2 innings to preserve the win.

Koplove worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his seventh save of the season.

Josh Whitesell went 3 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to 14, tying for the second longest by a Sidewinder this season. It is the longest current streak in the PCL. Jamie D'Antona drove in two runs and Evan MacLane delivered a pinch hit RBI single.

Josh Ellis threw two shutout innings in his Triple-A debut.

The Sidewinders return home on Friday night to open a four game series with the Portland Beavers. Left-hander Evan MacLane (5-6, 4.95) starts for Tucson against right-hander Clay Hensley (1-1, 3.43) for Portland. First pitch is at 7:00. The game will air live on COOL 1450 beginning at 6:50.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 10, 2008


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