Blasters Start Spring Training with Scrimmage
May 10, 2016 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
The Joplin Blasters took the field for the first time in 2016 on Tuesday afternoon at Joe Becker Stadium, beginning preseason play with a scrimmage against the New Jersey Black Sox. During the scrimmage, pitchers faced hitters from their own team, and innings were dictated based partly on the pitch count of the player on the mound.
The scrimmage ended with six runs scored by the Black Sox hitters, and five scored by Blasters.
Tuesday's game was the opening of spring training for the Blasters, who will play six games before the regular season begins next Thursday at home against the Winnipeg Goldeyes.
Pitching ruled the game in the opening three innings, as neither team was able to score off their hurlers. For the Blasters, Josue Montanez tossed the first two frames, allowing only two walks in the ten hitters he faced.
The first show of power came in the fourth inning, when the Blasters offense put two runs on the board. Those runs were courtesy of Jake Taylor, who launched a two-run home run well over the left field fence. Taylor, whose longball drove in Willie Cabrera, hit 15 home runs last season for Joplin.
After the Black Sox offense scored the next five runs- two in the fifth and three in the sixth- the Blasters' hitters pushed their third run across in the seventh inning. Michael Pair started the frame with a double to deep center field. Pinch runner Aaron Brill quickly stole third base, and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Geraldo Valentin.
New Jersey scored a run in the eighth inning, and the Blasters finished the game with two runs in an extended ninth inning.
Six pitchers saw time on the mound for Joplin, and four- Montanez, Winston Abreu, Victor Capellan, and Tyler Herr- exited without giving up a run. Abreu, a league All-Star a year ago, was the only pitcher in the game to retire the side during his time on the mound.
The Blasters and the Black Sox will play again Wednesday at Joe Becker Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Wednesday's game will be the first broadcasted contest, as fans can listen on 99.1 FM, or at http://991urock.com/listen-live. The series with New Jersey concludes on Thursday, when the teams will travel to Miami, Oklahoma for a 6:00 game at Joe Pollack Field and Wardog Stadium.
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