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TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

McClaskey, Rodriguez carry Hooks

June 9, 2005 - Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


(MIDLAND, TX) – Strong pitching by Tim McClaskey and Jailen Peguero and clutch hitting by Carlos Rodriguez propelled the Hooks to a 3-1 win at Midland Wednesday night. The victory gives the Hooks six wins in their last 11 games and an overall record of 21-38. Midland drops to 36-23, but with San Antonio losing at Frisco Wednesday, the RockHounds' magic number for clinching the first half title in the Texas League West was reduced to seven.

Pitching clearly dominated the evening, as was the case in Tuesday's series opener. McClaskey (3-4) and Midland starter Steve Bondurant (3-5) were both working on shutouts through five innings. Corpus Christi managed to break through against Bondurant in the sixth.

Second baseman Eric Riggs led off the sixth with a walk and advanced to second on Josh Anderson's sacrifice bunt. Charlton Jimerson singled to center, with Riggs moving up to third, unable to score on the hit since it appeared as though Midland center fielder Steve Stanley had a chance to catch the sinking liner.

That brought Hector Gimenez to the plate, and on a 1-1 pitch to Gimenez, both runners were on the move. Gimenez did not offer at the pitch, leaving Riggs caught in a rundown between third and home. Riggs was tagged out by catcher Jeremy Brown for the second out, while Jimerson ended up safe at second. Jimerson then stole third, and Gimenez eventually walked, putting runners at first and third with two out.

Rodriguez needed only one pitch to end Corpus Christi's streak of 22 innings without scoring a run. He drilled a line drive to deep right on the first pitch from Bondurant. The ball sailed over right fielder Brian Stavisky and rolled to the wall for a bases-clearing double that gave the Hooks a 2-0 lead. The clutch two-out double gives Rodriguez hits in eight of the last nine games, with seven RBI's during that stretch.

The RockHounds got their only run in the seventh on Lloyd Turner's two-out single to center, plating Brown from second. Turner was out on the play at second, trying to advance on the throw home from center by Anderson.

The Hooks closed out the scoring by adding an insurance run in the ninth on Mark Saccomanno's leadoff homerun. It was Saccomanno's second homer of the year and his first on the road.

McClaskey allowed just one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out four and retired 13 of the first 14 batters he faced. Peguero tossed two shutout frames to notch his fifth save, though he had to rebound from a shaky start in the ninth. The RockHounds got their first two batters on base in the ninth and sacrificed both into scoring position. But Peguero fanned both Jason Perry and Brown to end the game.

Bondurant pitched well but suffered the loss, charged with two runs on five hits and three walks in seven innings. He also struck out four.

Wednesday's game marked the return of left fielder Mike Rodriguez to the Hooks' lineup, albeit for just an inning and a half. Rodriguez was at first with two men out in the top of the second when batter John Fagan hit a pop up into shallow right-center. The usual fierce prevailing wind at Midland, blowing in from right field, knocked the pop up down out of Stavisky's reach on a diving attempt to record the final out of the inning. The ball fell in for a hit, and Rodriguez, running hard with two out, tried to score on the play.

The throw from Stanley home forced the catcher Brown to leap into the air to get the ball, and Rodriguez slid under Brown for the apparent first run of the game. Rodriguez was called out on the play, however, by plate umpire Brandon Coony, and seconds later was ejected from the game by Coony. Hooks' manager Dave Clark came out to argue the call but the decision was not reversed.

About a minute after Rodriguez was tossed, Corpus Christi's hitting coach John Tamargo, Jr. was also given the heave-ho by Coony, who has now ejected all three members of the Hooks' on-field coaching staff this season.

Game three of the four-game series at Midland takes place Thursday night at Citibank Ballpark. Corpus Christi RHP Fernando Nieve (3-3, 2.96) will battle Midland LHP Matt Lynch (5-2, 4.08) in the 7:00 pm start.

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