Dodgers Survive Rain, Sweep Twin-Bill

Published on August 23, 2004 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Vero Beach Devil Rays News Release


(Port St. Lucie, FL) – It wasn't until after midnight when it was completed, but the Vero Beach Dodgers survived a two-hour and five-minute rain delay Monday night to sweep the St. Lucie Mets in a double-header at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, FL. The Dodgers grabbed game one 3-2 before taking the finale 4-2.

The 3-2 game one score didn't accurately reflect how well pitched the game was for both sides. RHP Jonathan Broxton got the nod for the Dodgers and turned in a great outing. "The Bull" had struck out 11 batters, walked no one and allowed only two hits through five shutout innings before allowing a pair of runs in the sixth, leaving the game with one out.

Broxton's counterpart, RHP Yusmeiro Petit, allowed three runs, only one earned, through six innings of work, taking the hard luck loss. He gave up an RBI-single in the third inning to LF Bryan Goelz, plating SS Tony Abreu, who had singled in his first at-bat since being called up from low Class-A Columbus earlier in the day. The Dodgers would make it 3-0 in the top of the sixth, when 2B Delwyn Young's double-play ball with the bases loaded scored a run before C Russell Martin plated the final tally with two outs, singling up the middle off of Petit, who was saddled with the loss.

LHP Eric Stults relieved Broxton, retiring the final two batters in the sixth before RHP Beau Dannemiller threw a perfect seventh for his fifth save, nailing down Broxton's team-best 11th win.

Vero Beach first reached the scoreboard with a wild fourth inning, plating a pair of runs. The first one came across when 3B Adam LaRoche scored all the way from first on a highly-contested infield single by C A.J. Ellis. First base umpire Buzz Laird ruled that the throw to first pulled the first baseman off the bag, prompting a rant by Mets Manager Tim Teufel. The second run would score later in the inning when CF Alex Requena struck out, but a past ball by C Matt Bacon allowed the run to score from third and the inning to continue.

The Mets got to RHP Mike Rodriguez in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring a run on a single to left field, but the would-be equalizer was thrown out at the plate by LF Scott Gillitzer. The Dodgers would build on their lead with a pair of runs in the fifth thanks to back-to-back doubles by LaRoche and Kemp, running the lead to 4-1.

Rodriguez would go on to toss five solid innings, allowing only three hits and an unearned run to earn his sixth win of the season. RHP Alfredo Gonzalez allowed a run in the seventh inning, but gave way to RHP Rich Bartlett with two outs, who threw one pitch, inducing a groundout to earn his fifth save. The loss went to starting pitcher LHP Michael Cox, who allowed only one earned run over 3.2 innings.

With the Dodgers back up on second Palm Beach by five games with 13 to play, their magic number has been reduced to nine. They return home for one game at 7:00 PM Tuesday night with Brevard County.

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Florida State League Stories from August 23, 2004


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