CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Birds Squander Lead in Rubber Game

Published on July 1, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC - The Pelicans seemed headed for another series victory. Robbie Ross turned in six shutout innings and the bats tagged Kinston ace Drew Pomeranz for three runs. But the K-Tribe rallied with five unanswered runs in the late innings to take the rubber game of the three-game set 5-3 in front of 4,197 at BB&T Coastal Field.

The Pelicans had handed Pomeranz his only two losses of the season and they jumped ahead against the lefty in the second. Vinny DiFazio led off with a walk and moved to third on Travis Adair's double. David Paisano followed with a single to bring home DiFazio with the game's first run. With two down and Adair at third base, Andres James legged out an infield single to give the Birds a 2-0 lead.

Jared Prince added another run in the fifth with a towering home run to left field off Pomeranz that made it a 3-0 game. It was the fourth home run of the season for Prince, who took part in an on-field guitar performance with pitching coach Brad Holman after the game.

Pomeranz departed after five and one-third innings after allowing three runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out seven and was on the hook for the loss before the Kinston comeback.

As the reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week, Ross was once again brilliant. He cruised through six scoreless frames, allowing only four singles, and walked one while equaling his season-high with seven strikeouts.

The K-Tribe was happy to see Ross out of the game and rallied to tie the game in the seventh against Ryan Kelly. Adam Abraham led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored the first run on Tyler Cannon's single. Justin Toole reached on a two-base fielding error by shortstop Leury Garcia that put the tying runs in scoring position with nobody out.

Kelly buckled down to strike out Roberto Perez and get Delvi Cid on an infield pop, but could not finish the job as Tyler Holt snapped a 4-for-41 skid with a two-run double down the left field line to even the score at three.

Anthony Gallas led off the eighth with a long home run to leftfield off Kelly (2-4) to give the Indians their first lead at 4-3. Kinston added an insurance run in the frame when pinch-hitter Chase Burnette singled against new reliever Chad Bell to increase the lead to two.

Francisco Jimenez (3-1) was stellar in relief and picked up the win as he shook off two infield singles to retire seven of the nine batters he faced from the sixth to the eighth. The Birds brought the tying run to the plate with two down in the eighth, but lefty Chris Jones came on to get Mitch Hilligoss on a grounder back to the mound to end the threat.

Preston Guilmet (S, 19) breezed through a 1-2-3 ninth to lock down the save and give Kinston the series victory. It's only the second time in 12 tries that an opponent has come to Myrtle Beach and taken a series from the Pelicans. The Lynchburg Hillcats also won two of three May 13-15.

Kinston heads home to begin a three-game series with Frederick while Myrtle Beach embarks on their longest road trip of the season. The Pelicans start their ten-game trek with the first of four against the Lynchburg Hillcats. Southpaw Miguel De Los Santos (0-0, 0.00) makes his first start for the Pelicans against Lynchburg lefty Chris Masters (4-3, 3.26). First pitch at City Stadium is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

After that series, the Birds head to Winston-Salem and Wilmington before finally returning on July 13 for a four-game set against the Salem Red Sox. Tickets for all Pelicans home games are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, and by phone at 843-918-6000 or 877-918-TIXX.

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Carolina League Stories from July 1, 2011


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