PCL1 Round Rock Express

E-Train Suffers Heartbreaker in Extra Innings, Bees Take Finale 7-5

Published on August 27, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (71-61) and Salt Lake Bees (53-79) series would not be complete without a dose of free baseball, but fortune did not come the E-Train's way as Salt Lake scored two in the 10th inning to win the series finale, 7-5. The result left each team with two wins in their lone series of the year.

Express starter Phil Klein and Bees southpaw Nate Smith treated the Round Rock faithful to a pitching clinic through the first three innings as the two pitchers combined for just two hits against with both holding the opposition scoreless. Klein kept his shutout bid in tact through the fourth and received offensive support as the Express bats began to exploit Smith's vulnerability in the home half of the inning. The lefty tossed back-to-back one-out walks that put two on for Round Rock 1B Ryan Rua. The big right-handed hitter connected on a 2-1 pitch from Smith and jettisoned the ball over the Salt Lake dugout to supply the 3-0 lead. Smith found his way out of the inning on consecutive ground outs.

Smith started the bottom of the fifth by striking out RF Jared Hoying, but was taken up the middle by E-Train CF Drew Stubbs to place a runner on first. LF Nomar Mazara put the second out on the board by flying out to left, summoning 2B Ed Lucas to the plate. Stubbs swiped his second bag of the game to get into scoring position with Lucas at the plate, putting him in the company of Ryan Strausborger and Tyler Pastornicky as the only E-Train members to steal multiple bases in a single game this season. Lucas provided the clutch hit with a soft fly ball to center that raced Stubbs home from second, making the score 4-0. The Lucas RBI ended Smith's (1-3, 8.00) night after 4.2 innings with four hits, five runs (five earned), four walks and two strikeouts. Salt Lake reliever Edgar Ibarra was welcomed to the series finale by DH Tommy Field who spiked a ground ball into left that scored Lucas and left him standing on second with his club on top 5-0. Ibarra sent the game into the sixth by striking out 3B Joey Gallo.

Klein's outing turned sour in the top of the sixth inning as he gave up a lead-off single to Salt Lake SS Angel Rosa and walked ML rehabber Taylor Featherston, allowing Bees to hover on first and second. A single from ML rehabber Collin Cowgill loaded the bases for ML rehabber Matt Joyce. Klein got Joyce to fly out for the first out of the sixth, but saw his first pitch to ML rehabber David Freese ripped to center field for a two-run single. The Round Rock starter recovered by popping out Salt Lake 1B Efren Navarro after a mound visit to ease the pressure as C Stephen McGee stepped in the box. McGee delivered on an 0-1 pitch with a bases-clearing double that tied the game at 5-5. Klein (1-0, 2.92) was pulled after yielding the double with 5.2 innings pitched, six hits, five runs (five earned), three walks and two strikeouts. Southpaw Will Lamb made CF Jared Mitchell to line out to end the top of the sixth.

The bullpens carried the stalemate through the scheduled nine innings and forced the series finale to be settled in extras. Salt Lake started the free-baseball session with a lead-off single from Rosa off Express reliever Tanner Scheppers. Bees PH Gary Brown then reached on an error and Rosa was called safe at second to bring pinch hitter Alex Yarbrough to the dish with runners on first and second. A wild pitch from Scheppers sent the runners up a base and a sacrifice fly from Yarbrough gave the Bees the 6-5 lead. An intentional walk of pinch hitter Roger Kieschnick placed runners on the corners for pinch hitter Alfredo Marte. Scheppers collected the second out by forcing Marte to pop out, but threw another wild pitch that scored another Salt Lake run, sending the score to 7-5. Scheppers ended the top of the 10th with a line out.

Lucas began the bottom of the 10th with a single, but the momentum was short lived as Bees reliever Vinnie Pestano retired the remaining E-Train batters in order to end the series.

Round Rock welcomes the Las Vegas 51s to Dell Diamond for a four-game series starting tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Express RHP Robert Coello (1-1, 4.70) takes the hill against 51s RHP Tim Stauffer (3-0, 2.75).

For tickets and more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Follow the Express on Facebook and Twitter!

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 27, 2015


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