Comeback Effort Falls Just Short as Captains Top RailCats 11-9
Published on August 18, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - The first-place Gary SouthShore RailCats were forced to settle for a split of the six-game series with the Shreveport-Bossier Captains after falling 11-9 to the 2010 Champs Wednesday evening at U. S. Steel Yard.
The RailCats (51-39) fought to get the tying run to first base in the ninth but were unable to complete the comeback against the Captains, who improved to 41-47 with the victory. The American Association Central Division race also became a bit tighter as the Wichita Wingnuts rallied for four runs in the seventh to earn a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City T-Bones. The RailCats lead over the 'Nuts stands at 1.5 games with a three-game series in Wichita looming this weekend.
Outfielder Mike Massaro continued a record-breaking Tenth Anniversary Season of RailCats Baseball when he collected his 120th base hit of the 2011 campaign with a fifth inning RBI-single. Massaro broke the franchise record for hits in a single season, which he and Adam Klein set in the 2010 season (119) and finished the night 2-5 with four RBI and a triple in the loss.
Shreveport-Bossier grabbed three runs in the first to grab a 3-0 advantage before the RailCats got their turn to swing the bat. Singles by Bryan Sabatella and Chad Gabriel drove in a run apiece and an Andres Rodriguez double drove in the third. The 'Cats answered the Captains rally in the bottom of the inning, as was the pattern in Tuesday night's RailCats victory. The RailCats capitalized on a Shreveport error to get the first run as Brad Boyer, who went 1-4 on the night with a run scored and an RBI, drove in Massaro with a single for the first run for the home team. Cristian Guerrero doubled off the wall in centerfield to earn his franchise-record 77th RBI of the season as Boyer crossed the plate to make it a 3-2 ballgame, and the 'Cats tied the game when Brian Kolb scored on a Craig Maddox single in the second.
Both pitchers settled in nicely until the fifth when the Captains exploded for four runs off the combination of RailCats Starter Alain Quijano and newcomer Baron Short. Palmer Karr Jr. and Gabriel each singled home a run to chase Quijano from the ballgame. Quijano allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits while walking five over his four plus innings of work to take the loss for the RailCats. Short hit a batter to load the bases before a run came home on an error and a sacrifice fly to give the Captains a 7-3 lead. The RailCats grabbed a run to make it 7-4 in the bottom of the fifth when Klein scored on a wild pitch.
Shreveport used three-run sixth to take a commanding 10-3 lead with Rodriguez doing the damage on a home run over the First Midwest Bank Catwalk in left field driving in Karr Jr. and Gabriel in the process. However, once again the RailCats battled to get back in the ballgame scoring three runs of their own in the home half of the frame. The 'Cats loaded the bases on a Kolb walk and singles by Maddox and Chris Carrara before Massaro knocked everyone home as he slid into third with a triple to push the score to 10-6, and it was 10-7 after the seventh, when Mike Rohde doubled home Toddric Johnson.
The Captains got a solo homer from catcher Brian Peterson to make it 11-8 and the 'Cats got a run on an RBI groundout in the ninth before Hector Carrasco managed to strand the tying run on first and pick up his first save of the season.
American Association Stories from August 18, 2011
- American Association Game Recaps - AA
- Ka'aihue Homers Twice, Drives in Five as T-Bones Take Series - Kansas City Monarchs
- AirHogs Bats Break out to Salvage Series - Grand Prairie AirHogs
- Saints Reliever Thielbar Picked up by the Twins - St. Paul Saints
- American Association Game Recap - AA
- Coles Delivers in Tenth to Give RedHawks 3-2 Victory, Sixth Win in a Row - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
- Saints and Ryan Companies to Restore Palace Recreation Center - St. Paul Saints
- Willie Wilson Legends Game Returns in 2011 - Kansas City Monarchs
- Kobayashi Plows Through Hamburgers at RailCats Game - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- AirHogs and Jim Austin Online to Hold Negro League Tribute - Grand Prairie AirHogs
- Last Saints Home Stand Full of Celebrations - St. Paul Saints
- RailCats Welcome Denis Savard on Blackhawks Night - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Final Home Series Begins This Weekend - Amarillo ThunderHeads
- X'S DROP 5-2 DECISION TO FARGO - Sioux City Explorers
- American Association Results - AA
- Two-Out Deluge Sends AirHogs to Third Straight Loss - Grand Prairie AirHogs
- Comeback Effort Falls Just Short as Captains Top RailCats 11-9 - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Rodriguez's Four RBIs Lead Captains to 11-9 Victory, Series Split in Gary - Shreveport-Bossier Captains
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
