Bridgeport Scores Five Unanswered Runs In Eighth Inning For The Win

June 8, 2016 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Bridgeport Bluefish News Release


(Bridgeport, CT) - The Bridgeport Bluefish (16-29) defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers (24-20) 9-8 at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Wednesday afternoon to even up the three game midweek series at a victory apiece with the rubber game taking place tomorrow evening. The Bluefish sent 11 men to the plate in the home half of the eighth inning, scoring five runs on six hits, turning an 8-4 deficit into a 9-8 advantage. The victory was the largest comeback of the season for the 'Fish as they tallied ten or more hits in a contest for the 16th time this season.

Bridgeport Starting Pitcher Jonathan Albaladejo registered a no-decision, allowing eight runs on nine hits in six innings of work, walking one and striking out five while surrendering a home run and hitting a batter. Lancaster Starting Pitcher Bryan Evans also did not factor in the game's final outcome, tossing six innings, giving up four runs on four hits, walking two, striking out three and giving up two home runs while throwing a wild pitch. Paul Demny (1-0) earned the victory in his Bluefish debut with a clean inning of relief, striking out a pair. Scott Gracey (2-1) was tagged with the loss out of the bullpen for the Barnstormers after he allowed two runs on three hits in just one-third of an inning, walking and striking out one while tossing a wild pitch in just five batters faced. Taylor Thompson pitched a scoreless ninth en route to his team leading third save of the season.

Lancaster took the early lead off Albaladejo with three runs in the top half of the opening inning as Josh Whitaker laced a two run double scoring Kevin Ahrens and Caleb Gindl, and Sean Halton plated Whitaker with a sacrifice fly as the visitors had a 3-0 edge just six batters into the ballgame. Bridgeport scored their first run of the day in the home half of the second inning off Evans on a leadoff solo home run to right field off the bat of Dan Johnson, cutting the deficit to 3-1. The Bluefish would get back to within two runs at 4-2 in the bottom of the third on a run-scoring groundout by Luis Hernandez, bringing home Rossmel Perez who led off the frame with a double.

Lancaster held on to their two-run cushion until the bottom half of the sixth inning, when Endy Chavez launched a game-tying home run to right field off Evans with one man out, and just like that the Bluefish had evened the game up at 4-4. It was the first roundtripper for Chavez in a Bridgeport uniform, as the Kids Day morning crowd cheered on their Park City heroes. The Barnstormers would regain the lead in the top of the seventh when Kevin Ahrens launched a go-ahead grand slam home run to left field off Albaladejo to give Lancaster their largest advantage at 8-4. Looking to mount an epic comeback, the Bluefish came up in the bottom of the eighth and did just that. Johnson blasted his second home run of the day with this big fly coming off reliever Al Yevoli again to right field, bringing Chavez in right in front of him after he began the rally with an opposite-field single to left, and the deficit was cut in half as Lancaster's lead was now 8-6. Josh Vitters drove home Luis Nunez with an RBI single after Nunez reached on a pinch-hit infield base knock off Yevoli, and all of a sudden it was 8-7. With runners at the corners and two out, Anthony Giansanti came up huge with a game-tying single off Gracey as Vitters crossed the plate to even up the score at 8. Bridgeport completed the epic comeback when Rossmel Perez gave the 'Fish a 9-8 lead as he hustled down the line from third base on a wild pitch thrown by Gracey, giving Bridgeport their first lead of the game, one they would never relinquish. Thompson took care of Lancaster in the ninth inning closing the game out in fashion by striking out Gindl as the Bluefish had their most impressive victory of the 2016 season. Johnson and Perez led the offensive attack with three hits apiece.

Bridgeport concludes their series with the Lancaster Barnstormers at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Thursday, June 9th. First pitch is scheduled for 7:12 P.M. It is Throwback Thirsty Thursday as the Bluefish celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.



Atlantic League Stories from June 8, 2016


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