Captains Again Fail to Win Third Straight

Published on June 17, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La. - The Shreveport-Bossier Captains had no business winning Wednesday night, as the Pensacola Pelicans outhit the Captains 11-5 and led 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning in front of 1,436 at Fair Grounds Field. But closer Hunter Davis walked two men and hit Jonathan Reynoso to load the bases with two outs and give the Captains a chance. White hit a hard grounder that Davis deflected to the second baseman Antoin Gray, but still should have given Pensacola the win. But Gray bobbled the ball, and two runs scored on the error to tie the game. The inning ended on the same play, when Jonathan Reynoso was thrown out at third after Gray's throw home.

Pensacola's second baseman had an immediate chance to redeem himself, leading off the tenth inning against Justin Dowdy. Gray singled, and two hits and an out later, scored the winning run as Dowdy walked Chase Burch to force in a run. Davis had an easier go of it in the bottom of the tenth, getting a 1-2-3 inning to seal a 5-4 Pelicans win, once again preventing the Captains from getting their first three-game winning streak of the year.

The late runs by the Captains (13-18) gave a no-decision to Pensacola starter Kyle Middleton, who worked eight innings, allowing an unearned run in the first and an earned run in the eighth, ending a streak of 33 1/3 innings without an earned run. The American Association strikeout leader fanned five Captains hitters, walked four, and allowed five hits on the night.

Luke Massetti nearly matched Middleton, allowing four runs on 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. But with a 1-0 lead after two innings, Pensacola (13-18) tied the game with a run in the second on back-to-back doubles by Burch and Luis Bautista. The Pelicans then took the lead in the third, getting a two-out single from Burch, who had three hits and two RBIs on the night. They extended it with more two-out hitting in the fourth, as Gray doubled and Rafael Alvarez singled to score two and make it 4-1.

Massetti settled down after that, leaving with a runner on first and one out in the eighth. Robert Romero came on and got a flyout and a popout to keep the Captains' deficit at three. After Rodney Medina, who drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly in the first and a single in the eighth, made it 4-2, Dowdy (0-2) came on to pitch the ninth. He gave up a leadoff double to Bautista, and pinch-runner Dallas Christison then stole third. But Dowdy struck out Adam Deleo, got Christison at home on a grounder to third, and induced a groundout from Francisco Leandro to give the Captains a chance in the bottom of the ninth.

Davis (1-0) started that inning by striking out B.J. Wheeler, but he then walked Christopher Garcia on four pitches. He came back to strike out Kevin Griffin looking, but walked Albert Gonzalez on four straight balls. He then hit Reynoso to bring up White, who with Gray's error, forced extras.

After Alvarez singled to move Gray to second in the top of the tenth, Luis Guance struck out on a foul bunt, and then Marcos Rodriguez hit a dribbler to short that Gonzalez could not make a play on, loading the bases. Dowdy had a 2-2 count on Burch, who fouled off the lefty's first 3-2 pitch before taking high and away to force in the winning run. It marked the second time Dowdy has lost in extras to Pensacola, after walking three and allowing a single in the 11th inning on June 1.

Davis got Medina on a groundout, Andres Rodriguez swinging and Jose Torres on a grounder back to Gray, who this time made the play to end the game.

Notes: White's streak of reaching base safely in 17 straight games came to an end with his 0-for-5 night...Pensacola stole five bases without being caught, while the Captains did not attempt any...Middleton's last earned run before tonight was on May 26 at El Paso. He allowed three unearned runs against the Captains on June 1...Pensacola is now 2-1 in extra innings against Shreveport-Bossier this year, with each game being won by the road team...The Captains are 1-4 overall in extra frames...The 2-through-6 hitters in the Captains order were 1-for-23 with six strikeouts.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains conclude their four-game set with Pensacola on Thursday, June 18, with Gap Broadcasting Thirsty Thursday, featuring two-dollar 16-ounce beers and Pepsi products. It is also another Shirt off our Back Night, sponsored by Bud Light. All games are broadcast on ESPN Radio, KRMD-1340 AM and streamed live on supertalk1340.com, with streaming video provided by NiftyTV on www.sbcaptains.com for all home games and select road games. For information on tickets, promotions, advertising, and other opportunities with the Captains, check out the team's Web site at www.sbcaptains.com, or call the Fair Grounds Field office at (318) 636-5555.

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American Association Stories from June 17, 2009


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