Huge Comeback Goes for Naught at Fort Worth

Published on August 16, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Grand Prairie AirHogs News Release


FORT WORTH, Texas -- A six-run top of the ninth inning gave the Grand Prairie AirHogs their biggest comeback of the season and helped force extra innings against the Fort Worth Cats on Monday. But Trent Lockwood's third RBI hit of the night off former Cat Matt Sartor put a sour ending on the game for the AirHogs, as Fort Worth took the series opener 8-7 at LaGrave Field in 10 innings.

Sartor (2-3) allowed a leadoff single to Marcos Rodriguez to start the final frame, before walking Kelley Gulledge to bring up Lockwood.

A pitcher's duel developed between AirHogs debutant Tim Brown and Cats starter Phil Bartleski, who each allowed a solo home run - to Fort Worth's Lockwood and Grand Prairie's Stephen Douglas, respectively - through the game's first five innings.

But in the sixth, the two AirHogs errors kept the inning going, and Lockwood's double to right gave the Cats (39-46) the lead for good. That was followed up moments later by John Allen's three-run homer to make it 5-1. That inning spoiled Brown's outing, after he gave up five hits on two walks and four strikeouts, allowing only one earned run in his six innings.

Bartleski, meanwhile, got around a one-out walk in the first, a single and a hit batter with one out in the second, a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third, and a second-and-third, two-out jam in the fifth. He also went six innings, pitching around a leadoff double in his final frame, finishing with five hits allowed with three walks and three strikeouts.

Fort Worth got two more on Ryan Patterson's two-run homer off Jakob Cunningham in the seventh, while the AirHogs (55-32) were held off the board by Griffin Bailey in the seventh and eighth, before the huge rally in the ninth.

Scott Vander Weg allowed two walks and two hits, with a Cats error mixed in as well, as Grand Prairie cut their deficit to four and loaded the bases with one out. Manger Stan Hough called for closer Nick DeBarr (4-5), and he promptly allowed a three-run double to Joey Gomes. David Thomas followed with a single to right that sent Gomes to third, before Chris McMurray walked to re-load the bases. Danny Figueroa worked the count full and then hit a fly ball to medium rightfield. Gomes just beat Marcos Rodriguez's off-line throw home to tie the game, while McMurray and Thomas advanced. Catcher Kelley Gulledge tried to throw McMurray out at second, but he was too late, while Thomas then tried to score - but was thrown out by second baseman Aljay Davis to send the game to the bottom of the ninth still tied.

Notes: This was the second time this season the AirHogs had tied a game in their final at-bat, having done so against Lincoln on August 1...Grand Prairie left 12 men on base and allowed four unearned runs...Five AirHogs had multi-hit games...Lockwood finished a triple shy of the cycle...Cunningham was re-signed on Friday and was appearing in his first game since late June...Jon Fulton pitched two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, allowing one hit.

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The AirHogs continue their four-game series with the Fort Worth Cats on Tuesday, August 16 at 7:05 p.m. at LaGrave Field. The series then shifts to QuikTrip Park on Wednesday, August 17, also at 7:05 p.m. All games are available with live, free streaming video on ustream.tv. Individual game tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling 972-504-9383 or by visiting www.airhogsbaseball.com.

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American Association Stories from August 16, 2011


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