PL Idaho Falls Chukars

Chukars Drop Third Straight to Rockies

Published on June 24, 2012 under Pioneer League (PL)
Idaho Falls Chukars News Release


The Idaho Falls Chukars have completed their 180-degree turnaround from their 3-0 start to the season, as the Greybirds have now lost three in a row to the Grand Junction Rockies after Saturday night's 10-6 defeat at Sam Suplizio Field.

In front of a huge crowd for the Rockies first ever home game, the Chukars once again looked good early as they took a 3-2 lead into the fifth inning. Like the night before however, the Idaho Falls pitching staff could not hold on to the lead as they allowed the Rockies to score eight runs over the next four innings en route to the loss.

Chukars starting pitcher Clayton Schulz allowed single runs in both the first and second frames before settling in to throw two consecutive scoreless innings. The Idaho Falls offense responded with a run in the second on an Ysmelin Alcantara RBI single and two more tallies in the third on Rainier Bello's 2-run home run, his first and the Chukars first long ball of the year. The 3-2 lead would not last long, though.

Grand Junction erupted for four runs in the fifth to re-take the lead and go up 6-3. The big hit of the inning was a 2-RBI single from Rockies third baseman Jason Stolz. The Rockies would tack on another run in the sixth on an RBI sacrifice fly by first baseman Miguel De Leon to go up 7-3, before Chukars second baseman Carlos Garcia hit a solo home run to right to pull the Greybirds back to within three runs at 7-4.

The Idaho Falls bullpen just couldn't stop the Rockies however, as Grand Junction scored three more times in the eighth, highlighted by DH Ryan Garvey's 2-run blast, to go up 10-4. The Chukars would pick up their final two runs in the ninth on Jin-Ho Shin's 2-run homer to left, his first of the year, and finish the scoring at 10-6.

Grand Junction starting pitcher Josh Mueller (1-1) earned the win after going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on six hits and two strikeouts. Schulz (0-1) took the loss for Idaho Falls finishing with 4.1 innings pitched, surrendering five runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

With the loss the Chukars drop to 3-3 while the Rockies improve to 3-3. Both teams are two games back of the Ogden Raptors in the South Division. The two clubs will wrap up their brief two-game series Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m.

Check out the Idaho Falls Chukars Statistics

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Pioneer League Stories from June 24, 2012


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