Late Rally Falls Short
Published on August 15, 2010 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, NY - After early-afternoon losses by Vermont and Connecticut, the ValleyCats had a chance to pull within 1.5 games of a playoff spot. Unfortunately for the 'Cats, Staten Island scored six runs with the aid of two homers, and a late rally fell short. The Yankees avoided the sweep, holding on for a 6-5 victory.
Tri-City entered the ninth inning facing a four-run deficit but gave the visitors a scare, thanks to multiple Staten Island miscues. Ben Orloff walked, but the next two batters got out, leaving a runner on second with two outs. Dan Adamson beat out an infield single, and a throwing error by shortstop Jose Mojica allowed Orloff to score on the play. Another Mojica error brought the tying run to the plate, and Chris Wallace singled home Adamson to make it a two-run game.
Chase Whitley, who threw 33 pitches in the final frame, quickly jumped ahead to an 0-2 count on Adam Bailey. But he then threw a pair of wild pitches, scoring Marcus Nidiffer and advancing pinch runner Oscar Figueroa to third.
Whitley then fanned Bailey to end the game.
Carlos Quevedo, the ace of the ValleyCats' staff all season, tied a season high with seven strikeouts. He allowed two runs on two big hits in the second inning - a Kelvin De Leon homer and a Nick McCoy double - but allowed only one other baserunner in his first five innings.
Quevedo, the NYPL leader in walk rate, had his usual command. He walked one batter - only his fourth in 68.1 innings - and did not throw three balls to any other hitters. But he had trouble controlling his throws to the other bases, allowing runners to advance on two errant pickoff throws.
He got into some more trouble in the sixth inning. Three runners reached base off the righty and Shane Brown scored the go-ahead run after advancing two bases on a pickoff miscue. Quevedo was removed with two outs for reliever Adam Champion, a southpaw called upon to face lefty Mike Ferraro. But Ferraro pulled an 0-1 curveball into the wind, carrying just over the right-field fence to make the score 6-2.
The ValleyCats tied the game with a pair of third-inning runs, also aided by poor defense. Wilton Infante reached base on a fielding error by Brown and advanced to third on a Ben Orloff single. Kiké Hernandez plated Infante with a forty-foot grounder to the pitcher.
Tyler Burnett and Adamson followed with two-out singles, allowing Orloff to tie the game at 2-2.
Marcus Nidiffer could not follow up his career night with more highlights, as the first baseman went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Hernandez also went 0-for-5, fanning twice.
Adamson paced the hosts with three hits in five at-bats. Orloff reached base in four out of five plate appearances.
The ValleyCats, along with the rest of the NY-Penn League, will get to rest for a couple days for the All-Star break. Burnett and Orloff will participate in the All-Star Game on Tuesday at Staten Island. The 27-29 'Cats, who remain 2.5 games behind Vermont and 1.5 back of Connecticut, will resume the playoff chase on the road, playing the Tigers on Wednesday.
New York-Penn League Stories from August 15, 2010
- Late Rally Falls Short - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Doubledays Take Series with 2-0 Win - Norwich Sea Unicorns
- Jammers Beat Lake Monsters, Head into Break in First - Jamestown Jammers
- Lake Monsters Drop Series Finale At Jamestown 11-5 On Sunday Afternoon - Vermont Lake Monsters
- Renegades Avert Sweep, Win 8-6 - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Sunday's Spikes-IronBirds Game Canceled - State College Spikes
- Five-Run Eighth Leads Scrappers to Victory - Mahoning Valley Scrappers
- State College Spikes Game Notes - August 15 at Aberdeen - State College Spikes
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