DiPietro Helps Captains Extend Streak to Eight

Published on June 21, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


PENSACOLA, Fla. - In his first start, Shreveport-Bossier Captains lefty Ryan DiPietro went five innings to beat Sioux City. In his second start, he went six innings to beat Fort Worth. In his third start, he kept the trend going, with seven strong innings against the Pensacola Pelicans, allowing just one run, six hits and a walk, with six strikeouts, as the Captains took a 5-3 victory at Pelican Park and extended their season-high winning streak to eight games.

In the process, Shreveport-Bossier (23-13) also extended its lead over the Grand Prairie AirHogs (18-18) to five games in the South Division, with 12 contests remaining in the first half.

The Captains got their first run out of a two-out, no-one on situation in the fourth. Jared Gothreaux (4-3) hit Bryan Frichter, and Uriak Marquez singled through the right side to send Frichter to second. Brian Peterson then fouled off one 3-2 pitch on a check-swing, before thinking that he walked on another check-swing. But home plate umpire Lance Schoenwald ruled that Peterson had made contact with the ball, and after a brief discussion the Captains catcher returned to the plate and promptly singled through the right side on the next pitch to give Shreveport-Bossier the lead.

DiPietro (3-0) held the Pelicans (15-21) at bay in the next two innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth. With one out, Francisco Leandro hooked a double down the rightfield line and scored on Antoin Gray's ground-ball single to left. Palmer Karr bobbled the ball, allowing Gray to go to second, but DiPietro got Javier Brito and John Alonso to end the inning.

Shreveport-Bossier came right back in the seventh to take the lead for good. With one out, Joe Urtuzuastegui singled up the middle, and then was replaced by pinch-runner Bryan Cooksey. Bryan Sabatella then smacked one to second towards Dallas Christison, who dove and grabbed the ball, but shoveled to second high, resulting in a fielder's choice. Jovanny Rosario singled through the left side to load the bases, and Christopher Garcia hit a 3-2 pitch through the right side to score two and make it 3-1. Palmer Karr then singled in nearly the same spot to bring in Rosario and give the Captains a three-run cushion.

Marcus Salmon came on for DiPietro in the eighth and allowed a leadoff home run to Chase Porch, the Pelican leftfielder's first of the year, cutting the Captains' lead to 4-2. Salmon then walked Leandro, before a rocket line drive from Gray to third was the first out of the inning. On the first pitch to Brito, Peterson was charged with a passed ball to send Leandro to second, and manager Ricky VanAsselberg pulled Salmon in favor of Jameson Maj.

The righty promptly allowed an RBI single to Brito on his first pitch, and Alonso singled to left as well, putting the possible tying run in scoring position. But Maj struck out Lou Palmisano and induced a groundout from Adolfo Gonzalez to end the inning.

Shreveport-Bossier got an unearned insurance run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Garcia, and Hector Carrasco pitched around a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth and got a great diving play up the middle from Frichter on the second out to earn his fourth save of the season.

Notes: The start of the game was delayed 51 minutes by rain...Garcia had been 0-for-4 with four strikeouts with the bases loaded before his two-run hit in the seventh...Andres Rodriguez was 0-for-5, snapping his 15-game hitting streak...Rosario stole two bases to leapfrog Sabatella again for the team and league lead, now with 20 swipes on the season.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains continue their three-game series with the Pensacola Pelicans on Tuesday, June 22, at 6:45 p.m. The Captains are back at Fair Grounds Field for a six-game homestand starting on Thursday, June 24, against the El Paso Diablos. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. for 99X Thirsty Thursday, with discounted beverages and a chance to win the Captains' Sports World Shirts off our Backs that night. All games are broadcast on ESPN Radio, KRMD-1340 AM as well as streaming live on supertalk1340.com.

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American Association Stories from June 21, 2010


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