Early Lead Holds up as Captains Take Series

Published on August 18, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


LINCOLN, Neb. - The Shreveport-Bossier Captains had just lost their manager to an ejection on a tough call, and their brief 1-0 lead disappeared very quickly. But the Captains battled back in the next inning, scoring four times in the fourth, including a two-run home run by Bryan Sabatella, and a quartet of pitchers held the Lincoln Saltdogs back the rest of the night to earn a 5-2 win at Haymarket Park on Wednesday.

After failing to take advantage of a hit and a walk in the first two innings, Shreveport-Bossier cracked LSU-Shreveport alum John James in the third. Jovanny Rosario came back from a 1-2 count to work a walk, before stealing second base. Sabatella walked, and then he and Rosario executed a double steal. After Mike Provencher struck out, Christopher Garcia grounded a single up the middle to score Rosario. Sabatella tried to score as well, but he was ruled to have never touched the plate on a block by catcher Pat Trettel, who retrieved the loose ball and tagged Sabatella out after he tripped over Trettel. That led to the ejection of Captains manager Ricky VanAsselberg, who argued the call with the umpire who made it, home plate umpire Todd Shield.

While the Captains could not score any more in that inning, and then watched Lincoln tie it on Albenis Machado's leadoff homer in the bottom of the second, Shreveport-Bossier went right back to work in the third. Uriak Marquez started things with a one-out double, and after a wild pitch, a walk to Brian Peterson and a passed ball, Rosario laced a two-run single to put the Captains back in front. After Rosario stole his third base of the game, Sabatella smashed his homer to left to make it 5-1.

Tycen PoVey, Brendon Smith and Adam Daniels did an admirable job for the Saltdogs by holding the Captains off the scoreboard the rest of the way, but Lincoln could not ever mount a comeback.

Other than the home run by Machado, Ryan DiPietro skirted trouble throughout his outing. After two walks in the first, he allowed two baserunners in the fourth and sixth, but gave up a hit and a walk to start the seventh. After a mound visit from pitching coach (and acting manager) B.J. Litchfield, Trettel bounced into a 5-3 double play on the next pitch. But on the subsequent pitch, Gavin Dickey lined an RBI single, and then DiPietro walked Rafael Alvarez. That ended his night, but Justin Young came on to strike out Juan Richardson to keep the lead intact.

Jameson Maj and Hector Carrasco then each pitched a scoreless inning to finish things off, getting Carrasco his 18th save of the year and DiPietro his first win since July 24.

Notes: The Captains finished their regular-season schedule against the North division 9-11, including a 5-7 mark on the road and a 3-3 record against the Saltdogs at Haymarket Park.All nine Captains reached base safely at least once.This was VanAsselberg's fourth ejection of the year but his first on the road.Shreveport-Bossier hit only two balls to the outfield after the fourth inning, but both were hits by Andres Rodriguez and Rosario.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains travel home on Thursday before returning home to finish their regular-season Fair Grounds Field schedule with a three-game series against the Pensacola Pelicans, starting on Friday, August 20, at 7:05 p.m. That night is GAP Broadcasting "Practice Safe Text" Night, as well as Willis-Knighton Mouth Cancer Awareness Night and BPCC Night at the ballpark. All games are broadcast streaming live on ustream.tv. For information on tickets, promotions, advertising, and other opportunities with the Captains, check out the team's Web site at www.sbcaptains.com, or call the Fair Grounds Field office at (318) 636-5555.

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American Association Stories from August 18, 2010


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