Captains edge closer to Pelicans with 3-2 win

Published on August 19, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La. - Luis Guance played 69 games with the Pensacola Pelicans this season before coming over to the Shreveport-Bossier Captains last week. While Guance went 0-for-4 Tuesday night, he hurt his former team with two sparkling defensive plays, preserving the Captains' 3-2 lead in the seventh and ninth innings and keeping the Captains' goal of a sweep alive.

First, the second baseman dove to his right to snare a liner by Dallas Christison with two outs in the seventh inning and the potential tying run at third. Then, he dove that way again to knock down a grounder by Adam Darby with one out in the ninth, keeping Chase Burch from scoring from second base. Rookie Jakob Cunningham, the Captains' new closer, then got Lou Palmisano to strike out and Christison to line out to center to get his second save and get the Captains the 3-2 win, their second in a row.

With the triumph, Shreveport-Bossier (42-43, 20-17 2nd half) moved to three games behind first-place Pensacola (47-38, 23-14), and gave the Captains a chance to get to two back with a sweep on Wednesday.

Jimmy Heard (7-1) gave up two runs in seven innings of work for the Captains to get his first win in his last four starts, despite once again getting little runs support. The rookie struck out five and allowed five hits, but occasional bouts of wildness hurt him. The Pelicans got the first run of the game in the third, starting a rally when Palmisano walked to start the inning. Christison sacrificed him to second, and then Kevin Reynolds grounded a double down the first-base line to give the Pels a 1-0 lead.

Shreveport-Bossier had a threat in the second on singles by Andres Rodriguez and Jorge Alvarez with no outs, but with the Pensacola infield in, lefty Randy Beam (9-7) got Jose Torres and Guance to hit ground balls to infielders, keeping the Captains off the board for the time being, before striking out Tommy Bryant to end the inning.

But in the next frame, Beam walked Angelo Fermin to start the inning. The speedy shortstop then stole second and third, before Bryan Sabatella knocked him in with a double down the rightfield line. After a strikeout and a walk to Christopher Garcia, Rodriguez had his second hit of the night with a two-run double into the left-centerfield gap to give the Captains the lead for good.

Rodriguez picked up his fourth four-hit game of the year, finishing 4-for-4 for the first time.

Beam went on to escape another jam or two, and finished with six innings pitched, allowing five hits and three runs with four walks and eight strikeouts. Newcomer Francisco Butto got around a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh, and then got through the eighth easily, keeping the Captains lead at one.

Heard had cruised through the middle innings, but gave up a single to Marcos Rodriguez on the first pitch of the seventh. After a wild pitch and a fly ball moved him to third, another wild pitch brought in Rodriguez to cut the Captains' advantage to 3-2.

Matt Petty got the first out of the eighth inning, but after he walked Francisco Leandro, manager Ricky VanAsselberg summoned Cunningham, who picked up the last five outs to get the save, his first since July 11.

Notes: Fermin went on to steal three bases...Only four players got the seven hits for the Captains with Rodriguez getting four, while Pensacola had seven players pick up one each...The Captains did not make an error for the fifth time in their last six games...This was the third game this year that the Captains scored in only one inning but got the win, joining four-run innings in the second game of a doubleheader on May 27 against Grand Prairie and on June 11 against Sioux City - both on the road.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains finish their three-game set with the Pensacola Pelicans on Wednesday, August 19, with Willis-Knighton Wednesday, where all kids receive a free meal with a paid ticket to the game. Game time is at 7:05 p.m. 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 August 19, 2009


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