MWL1 Clinton LumberKings

Beltre Scampers Home For Wild Walk-off

Published on August 13, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Clinton LumberKings News Release


Clinton, IA - A game that featured 21 combined runs on 27 hits finally came to a finish on an error in the bottom of the 12th. Burlington Bees' reliever Tony Bradley tossed a pickoff throw into center, and pinch-runner Engel Beltre ran through a stop sign, scoring all the way from second as the Clinton LumberKings walked off with an 11-10 win.

Miguel Alfonzo chopped a single through the left side to begin the inning, and Beltre was brought on to pinch run. A sac bunt by Jose Felix moved him to third, and after Kyle Murphy was intentionally walked, Beltre jumped out to a huge lead. Bradley nearly picked him off on a throw to second-baseman Johnny Giavotella, but his second pickoff attempt sailed into center. Beltre scored just ahead of the throw from centerfielder David Lough, running right into the waiting arms of his happy teammates.

A game that was billed to be a strong pitchers' duel between Burlington lefty Danny Duffy and Kings' ace right-hander Blake Beavan turned out to be anything but. Both starters were ousted before the fifth as the league's premier power hitters took the stage. Mike Moustakas hammered a two-run homer (his 21st) to put the Bees on top in the first, but Jonathan Greene answered with a three-run shot (his 20th) to the left-field berm to put the Kings up 9-5 in the sixth.

That lead would not last as the Bees rallied for five runs to take the lead in the seventh. Jason Taylor, who homered earlier to help chase Beavan from the game, contributed an RBI single to center off to get the rally started. Clint Robinson's groundout plated another run, and a flare single by Nick Van Stratten scored Taylor to make it a 9-8 game. A drag bunt by Juan Rivera plated the tying run, and an off-balance throw by charging second-baseman Matt Lawson got away from first, sending Jamar Walton home for a 10-9 Bees' lead.

Still, the Kings had fight left. Facing righty Zach Peterson (BS, 1) with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, league RBI leader Mitch Moreland provided the tying run with a massive blast (#13) that carried completely over the right-field Lumber Lounge and out of the ballpark.

Kings' lefty Ryan Turner kept the game tied over 4.0 pivotal relief innings, yielding only a hit and a walk while striking out two. Right-hander Keisuke Ueno (W, 4-3) then worked a scoreless 12th to set the stage for the walk-off.

Bradley (L, 1-4) took the loss, although the winning run was unearned. He struck out two over 1.1 innings.

Although hampered by a season-high 19 strikeouts, the LumberKings' lineup still mashed for five extra-base hits, with four hitters finishing with multi-hit nights. Greene finished 2-for-3 with three RBI...his 20th home run leaves him just two back of the Clinton single-season franchise record (Dick Kenworthy of the 1967 C-Sox). Moreland ripped two doubles in addition to his homer, finishing 3-for-6 with two RBI. Alfonzo and Felix both went 2-for-5.

Designated-hitter Tim Smith kept his hitting streak alive at 13 games, going 1-for-6 with an RBI single and a run scored.

The Bees actually out-hit the Kings 15-12 on the night, with Van Stratten's 3-for-5 game leading the way. They also got two-hit nights out of Lough, Moustakas, Taylor, Walton and Rivera.

The LumberKings (27-25) and Bees (30-21) continue the three-game series from Alliant Energy Field Thursday night, first pitch scheduled for 7 PM. Listen to the game on AM 1340 KROS in Clinton or live on the web at www.lumberkings.com.

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Midwest League Stories from August 13, 2008


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