CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Myrtle Beach unable to capitalize on late-inning ralies

Published on July 18, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - In the longest game of 2009 at BB&T Coastal Field, both in innings and in time elapsed, the Pelicans came up just short in the series opener of three with the Winston-Salem Dash.

A Salvador Sanchez sacrifice fly plated Brent Morel in the top of the 11th inning, snapping a 5-5 deadlock, and the Dash bullpen stopped multiple late-inning Myrtle Beach rallies to spring the Dash to a 6-5 win in front of 4,801.

The Pelicans' offense was helped to an early lead by Winston-Salem starter Gregory Infante's command issues. The right-hander beaned Donell Linares with one out in the bottom of the first, walked Cody Johnson and Ernesto Mejia and surrendered an RBI single to Gerry Rodriguez to put the Pelicans up 1-0 in the first. The next inning was much the same. With two gone, Infante hit Cole Miles and Johnson to bookend a Linares walk. The right-hander then issued bases-loaded free passes to Mejia and Rodriguez to plate another pair for an early 3-0 Pelicans lead.

Myrtle Beach starter Cole Rohrbough cruised through four innings but ran into his first trouble in the fifth. With outs and two in scoring position, Brent Morel laced a two-run single to center field, cutting his club's deficit to a run. Later in the inning, after Morel moved to second when Seth Loman was hit by a pitch, Linares couldn't handle an infield pop up by Salvador Sanchez. Morel scored as the ball kicked off Linares's glove on the edge of the infield dirt to tie the game at three on the error. In the sixth, also with two outs and two on, it was Jimmy Gallagher doubling to right-center, scoring a pair and spelling the end of Rohrbough's day.

In the sixth and seventh, the Pelicans scratched out a run, pulling even in the latter on a suicide squeeze bunt by Robert Marcial scoring Benji Johnson. Things stayed the same until the top of the eleventh when Morel doubled to open the inning, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Sanchez's sac fly. Pelicans catcher Benji Johnson received the throw from right fielder Chris Shehan in time and had the plate blocked but applied the tag high, allowing Morel to slide in under it for the winning margin. Craig Kimbrel (0-1) took the loss, one of five Pelicans relievers to toe the rubber in the contest.

The Pelicans got the would-be game-winning run to scoring position in the ninth, tenth and eleventh innings but were unable to cash in any of those opportunities. Myrtle Beach went 3-for-17 as a team with runners in scoring position and left 15 men on base. Luis Santos (4-4) worked the tenth and eleventh, closing the door on the win.

Tomorrow night, Atlanta Braves right-hander Tim Hudson makes his first rehab start since August, 2008 Tommy John surgery, taking on Winston-Salem's Jacob Rasner (3-0, 2.89) at BB&T Coastal Field. Tickets are available for game two of this three-game series at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, by calling the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or by visiting the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

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Carolina League Stories from July 18, 2009


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