Captains grind out win over Diablos

Published on August 6, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La. - The Shreveport-Bossier Captains organization took time out during their game Friday night to honor a man who has worked at Fair Grounds Field for its entire existence and has been vending to baseball crowds in Shreveport even before that. On his 74th birthday, Shelton Parsons, whom everyone knows better as "Preacher" for his colorful rhymes to entice his future customers, was presented a plaque by the organization for his years of service to baseball in the area. As the icing on the cake, after that went on in the stands, the crowd of 1,152 got to enjoy a hard-fought 6-4 win by the home team over the El Paso Diablos.

El Paso (26-48, 7-21 2nd half) did get out to an early lead, as the second batter of the game, Arnoldo Ponce smashed a solo homer to left off lefty Richard Salazar (8-3). But Jorge Alvarez answered for the Captains (43-32, 14-14) on the first pitch that he saw in nearly two weeks, making a triumphant return to the lineup with a solo homer (his fourth of the year) leading off the second against Aaron Kalb.

After being retired in order for the only time in the game in the third inning, the Captains got an unearned run in the third to take the lead and scored again on an infield single by Palmer Karr in the fourth after Christopher Garcia had been intentionally walked with two outs.

Salazar had cruised through the Diablos order after the homer, but ran into trouble in the sixth. Hector Bernal, the American Association's July Batter of the Month, hooked a double to right, and went to third on J.D. Reininger's one-out infield single. After Salazar walked Kyle Nichols on four pitches to load the bases, Bryon Smith laced a double to right-center to clear the bases and give El Paso the lead back at 4-3.

That lead proved to be short-lived, though, as Kalb walked Andres Rodriguez to start the bottom of the sixth. After a strikeout put the starter at 102 pitches, Diablos manager Butch Henry summoned righty Christian Staehely (0-4), who got Brian Peterson to hit a slow grounder to short. Ponce decided to get the sure out at first, eschewing a possible force at second. Joe Urtuzuastegui made him pay, lining a single to left-center to tie the game.

After a stolen base, and a walk, Jovanny Rosario put the Captains ahead for good with a single up the middle to score Urtzuastegui and make it 5-4. Salazar then backed up the lead with a perfect seventh inning, Jameson Maj worked around a bout of wildness to escape a two-runner jam in the eighth and the Captains scratched out an unearned insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.

In came closer Hector Carrasco in the ninth, and he looked dominant, striking out Mike Provencher and Jeff Vincent before Bernal bounced to second to end the game and get Carrasco his 14th save.

Notes: The Captains drew six walks, after drawing seven total in their last four games...All of Alvarez's homers have been solo shots, and three of the four have been leading off innings...El Paso's bottom four hitters were 0-for-15 with four strikeouts and one walk...Garcia was intentionally walked twice, and drew three free passes overall...Smith finished 3-for-3 with his three RBIs.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains continue their nine-game, 10-day, season-long homestand with game two of a three-game series against the El Paso Diablos, starting at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, August 7. It is Heineken/98 Rocks Jersey off Our Back Night, with a chance to win the Captains' Heineken jerseys that they will be wearing. There will also be a postgame concert by the Lost Boys, with $2 Heineken during the event. All weekend is also Big Splash Weekend, featuring free water games and slides from Party Central Family Fun Center in the SWEPCO/Party Central Family Fun Park down the rightfield line at Fair Grounds Field for no additional cost. All games are broadcast on ESPN Radio, KRMD-1340 AM as well as streaming live on supertalk1340.com. 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 6, 2010


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