Dodgers lose healthy lead in 9th

Published on June 23, 2006 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Vero Beach Devil Rays News Release


(Daytona, FL) - The Daytona Cubs scored five runs on only one hit in the bottom of the 9th to hand the Vero Beach Dodgers their fourth straight loss with a 6-5 defeat. Newcomer Drew Locke went 3-5 with and RBI and run scored in a losing cause for the Dodgers. The series in Daytona ends with a 7:05 PM contest Saturday night. The Dodgers took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth when Julio Pimentel walked Jeff Culpepper and Olin Wich to start the inning. Jake Muyco then grounded a ball to first base which was thrown into left field to score Culpepper. Albenis Castillo relieved Pimentel but walked Jonthan Mota to load the bases. After striking out pinch-hitter Alan Rick, Nate Spears blooped a triple between center and right that cleared the bases and tied the score. Then on a hit-and-run Jemel Spearman grounded out to first base and scored Spears for the 6-5 victory. The loss spoiled two fantastic pitching efforts from Vero Beach. Starter Alberto Bastardo dealt five innings and allowed only one unearned run. He struck out six. Friday also saw the return of Jose "Jumbo" Diaz. He tossed two scoreless relief innings, striking out two and allowing just one single. After surrendering the unearned run in the first inning, Bastardo and the Dodgers settled down. Vero finally tied the score in the sixth. Blake DeWitt led off with a walk and went to third on wild pickoff throw. He later scored on Cory Dunlap's sacrifice fly. The Dodgers took the lead in the eighth. DeWitt reached on an infield single and Locke rapped a base hit to left. Chris Westervelt sacrificed each runner up a base and Dunlap walked to load them up. A wild pitch score the lead run and when the catcher tried to throw out DeWitt at home, the throw went wild and Locke came around to make it 3-1. Carlos Santana added an RBI single to put the Dodgers ahead 4-1. In the ninth, Xavier Paul led off with a double and went to third on an error. Locke singled him in to give Vero Beach what seemed to be a comfortable 4-run advantage. Paul, DeWitt and Locke - batting 1-2-3 in the order - went a combined 7-14. The rest of the lineup suffered through a 3-19 evening. The loss was Vero's 20th one-run loss of the season. The Dodgers are 0-2 in the 2nd Half and 26-44 overall. They have dropped four straight.

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