NYPL Vermont Lake Monsters

Expos arms strike down 15 Spinners when it's all said and done

Published on July 12, 2004 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


Lowell, MA- Steve Mortimer broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning and three Expos pitchers combined to strikeout 15 Spinners as Vermont opened a five-game series at LeLacheur Park with a 2-1 victory over Lowell in New York-Penn League action Monday night

With two outs and no one on in the eighth, Mortimer drilled a pitch over the wall in leftcenterfield for his fourth home run of the season and his third in the last 5 games. He is also the first Expos batter to hit a home run in consecutive games since Larry Broadway on September 1 and 2, 2002.

Lowell's first batter of the game scored on a Matt Van Der Bosch leadoff single, stolen baseand RBI single from Chuck Jeroloman to give the Spinners a 1-0 lead. But Lowell would not score again the rest of the game as Vermont pitchers gave up just five hits and one walk over the last eight innings.

Expos starter Jim Henderson hurled the first five innings, allowing the one run on one walk and five hits. Henderson also finished the game with nine strikeouts after having struckout just seven batters in his first 25.1 innings this season. After a strikeout in the first inning, Henderson struckout the final two batters in each of his last four innings of work.

Greg Bunn (1-0), making his first appearance since June 25th, took over for Henderson in the sixth inning and struckout three as he retired all six batters he faced in two innings of work. Ben Cox took over in the eighth inning and gave up two-out singles in both of his innings before striking out Salvador Paniagua to end the game for his second save of the year..

The 15 combined strikeouts for Henderson, Bunn and Cox tie an Expos record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Vermont also struckout 15 New Jersey batters in a 3-1 win on August 4, 1996 at Centennial Field.

After Lowell scored the first run of the game in the first inning, the Spinners held the 1-0 lead until the Expos were able to score their first run in the seventh inning. Brad Ditter singled with one out and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw. After a strikeout for the second out, Doug Vroman doubled down the leftfield line to plate Ditter with the tying run.

Lowell starter Barry Hertzler took a no-decision despite allowing just four hits over the first six innings, while Mike James allowed the tying run in the seventh and Randy Beam (1-2) gave up the Mortimer home run in the eighth to take the loss.

With the victory, Vermont (11-13) moves into sole possession of third-place in the Stedler Division ahead of the Spinners (10-14). The two teams will play the second of five games in Lowell on Tuesday night with Jon Felfoldi getting the start for the Expos.

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New York-Penn League Stories from July 12, 2004


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