PCL1 Round Rock Express

McLemore Impressive In Express Loss

Published on May 13, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK - A day after climbing out of the cellar in the Pacific Coast League's American Southern Division, the Round Rock Express were primed to pick up their season-high fourth consecutive win.

But an ugly eighth inning helped Portland to three runs in a 5-3 win over Round Rock that erased a powerful performance by Express spot starter Mark McLemore, who allowed just three hits over five innings of work.

Josh Anderson went 2-for-4 with a double and a run and Eric Bruntlett picked up his eighth double for the Express, but it wasn't enough to overcome a tough eighth inning.

Reliever Paul Estrada entered in the eighth and immediately picked up an out before the wheels fell off. Pinch-hitter Michael Johnson drew a walk and Brett Dowdy singled through the left side, but both runners moved up on Tim Raines' throwing error.

Estrada intentionally walked Vincent Sinisi to load the bases before Craig Stansberry singled home a run to cut knot the game 3-3. A wild pitch helped Dowdy score the go-ahead run before Paul McAnulty lifted a sacrifice fly to open up a two-run lead.

The inning erased McLemore's longest outing of the year. The 26-year-old allowed two runs, both in his final frame of work, on five hits, no walks and a season-high eight strikeouts and stood in line for his first decision of the season when he left with a 3-2 lead intact.

Portland's Ryan Ketchner held Round Rock to just three hits over five innings, but added four walks to help the Express build an early three-run lead.

Ketchner led the game off by walking Bruntlett, then followed up with back-to-back one-out walks of Brooks Conrad and Eric Munson before Danny Klassen deposited an RBI-single to left field.

Cody Ransom followed up with a sacrifice fly to left field to move Round Rock ahead 2-0.

With the bases loaded in the fourth, Ketchner walked Tim Raines, Jr. in, boosting the lead to three.

The Beavers, who had scored three or fewer runs in 18 of their 35 games heading into Sunday and ranked last in the Pacific Coast League with a .237 team batting average, managed just one hit against McLemore over the first four innings.

Vincent Sinisi singled with one out in the first before McLemore set down the next 13 batters he faced. Paul McAnulty homered to start the fifth, and Portland cut the lead to one run with a trio of follow-up singles.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 13, 2007


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