NYPL Vermont Lake Monsters

Expos double up Scrappers

Published on July 6, 2004 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


Niles, OH- The Expos had just one hit after eight innings and lost a 1-0 lead on a two-out two-run Mahoning Valley homer that came after an error in the bottom of the eighth, but Doug Vroman led off the ninth with a home run and Edgardo Baez followed three batter later with a two-run homer to give Vermont a 4-2 victory over the Scrappers in New York-Penn League action Tuesday night at Eastwood Field.

Vermont's only hit over the first eight innings came in the fourth when Ofilio Castro followed a leadoff walk to Vroman with a single to right that put Expos runners on first and third. After a strikeout, Vroman scored on a sacrifice fly to center from Baez.

The Expos were able to hold the lead with just the one hit because starter A.J. Wideman was outstanding over six innings. The only baserunners against Wideman came on a two-out single in the first and a two-out double in the second. After the double, Wideman retired the final 13 batters that he faced.

Francisco Sandoval relieved Wideman and retired the first four batters he faced before giving up a one-out walk in the eighth inning. After a strikeout for the second out, Sandoval looked to be out of the inning when he got Parker to pop the ball straight up, but catcher John Poppert was unable to corral the final out and was charged with an error. Parker then homered deep to leftfield to plate the two unearned runs and give Mahoning Valley the 2-1 lead.

The Scrappers brought Matt Knox, who had allowed one earned run over his first 8.2 innings of relief, to try and pick up his second save of the season. But Vroman quickly made it a blown save with his second home run of the season to knot the game 2-2.

One out later Marvin Lowrance doubled down the leftfield line and Baez smashed a 2-1 pitch deep to rightcenter for his league-leading fourth home run of the season, giving Vermont the 4-2 lead. It was the first time since July 26, 2002 that the Expos had won a game when trailing after eight innings (had lost 75 straight games when down after eight).

Gus Hlebovy, from nearby Campbell, Ohio, came on in the ninth inning and struckout two to pick up his league-leading fifth save of the season and give the Expos their fourth win over the first six games of the seven-game roadtrip.

Vermont (9-10) will wrap up that seven-game roadtrip at Mahoning Valley on Wednesday night before getting their first off day of the season on Thursday. The Expos return home to Centennial Field this Friday for the start of a brief three-game homestand against the Oneonta Tigers.

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New York-Penn League Stories from July 6, 2004


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