CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Despite 19 Hits, Pelicans Fall in Odd Winston Opener

Published on July 6, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


WINSTON-SALEM, VA - A Pelicans offense on shaky footing of late lived, and died, by a double-edged sword Wednesday night in Winston-Salem. Though Myrtle Beach tallied 19 hits, the Pelicans left 16 men on the bases, including a mind-numbing 14 through their first seven innings, and fell on a controversial final play at the plate to drop the series opener of three with the Dash 8-7 in ten innings at BB&T Ballpark.

With the bases loaded, one out, and the game tied at seven in the bottom of the tenth, Luis Sierra served a fly ball to center field that settled in the glove of Ryan Strausborger. Myrtle Beach's All-Star center fielder made the catch and a strong throw to the plate where Zach Zaneski initially missed the tag on pinch runner Kyle Eveland. Though it appeared Eveland never touched the plate, however, home plate umpire Ben Leake began signaling that the runner was safe with the game-winning run. Perhaps most indicative of whether or not the run scored there, Eveland himself scrambled to his feet to touch the plate, where Zaneski applied a tag that Leake ruled too late. As the Dash spilled out of their dugout to celebrate a walk-off win, the Pelicans did the same to voice their objections to Leake's call. The home plate umpire began oddly ejecting Pelicans players and manager Jason Wood after the game's final run had been counted, and Myrtle Beach was left with nothing but a frustrating defeat to slip into last place in the Carolina League Southern Division's second-half standings.

That the game was close in the tenth to begin with, though, was Myrtle Beach's own issue. The Pelicans smashed the baseball all evening long against Winston starter Joe Serafin, touching the lefty for 13 hits over his six innings but never broke through. The Pelicans left at least one man on in each of their first seven innings, three times leaving the bags loaded, twice against Serafin. The lefty limited what could have been massive damage against him, allowing four Myrtle Beach runs, three earned, over six innings.

On the other side, Pelicans starter Robbie Ross dealt. Ross extended his scoreless innings streak to 17 with five brilliant three-hit frames, striking out six and walking two. For the second time in as many starts, Ross departed in line for his ninth win of the season, this time with the Pelicans in front 4-0. For the second time in as many starts, Ross's bullpen couldn't hang on for him. Kennil Gomez allowed five runs in his lone winning of work, blowing the lead and giving Winston a 5-4 advantage through six. After the Pelicans tied things in the seventh, the Dash again went in the lead against Ryan Kelly with two more runs.

Myrtle Beach tied things again with two outs in the ninth inning after Jared Bolden singled and scored on a Jared Prince double and Mitch Hilligoss later singled Prince home with the tying run. As became a frighteningly common refrain through the night, though, the Pelicans left two on in the ninth and went down in order in the tenth before Winston's walk-off. Joe Ortiz (4-4) took the loss for the Birds. Taylor Thompson (6-1), who blew the save in the ninth, picked up the victory. Myrtle Beach went a stunning 6-for-22 with runners in scoring position in the defeat and fell to 0-6 on the road in extra-innings games.

With six losses in seven games including four of the first five of their current ten-game road trip, the Pelicans look to even this three-game set Thursday night when they send lefty Miguel De Los Santos (0-1, 6.00) against Winston's All-Star righty Andre Rienzo (2-3, 3.44) at 7:00 p.m. Following this ten-game road trip, the Pelicans return home for the first of four with the Salem Red Sox at BB&T Coastal Field from July 13-16. Tickets for all Pelicans home games can be purchased by visiting the BB&T Coastal Field box office, the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, or by calling (843)918-6000 or (877)918-TIXX.

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Carolina League Stories from July 6, 2011


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