Not Seventh Heaven: D-Braves Drop Seven Straight
July 27, 2012 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Danville Otterbots News Release
DANVILLE, Va. - The Johnson City Cardinals defeated the Danville Braves in another one-run extra-inning affair 6-5 Friday night at American Legion Post 325 Field. The decision sends the D-Braves to their seventh straight loss of the season. The seven-game skid is the longest in Braves history dating back to 2005.
After a 73-minute rain delay, the Braves got on the board with a bang in the first. Shortstop Jose Peraza hit a solo home run, his first of the season, and the Braves beat the Cards to the scoreboard for the second straight night.
Braves starter Williams Perez faced the minimum through two innings before shortstop Cesar Valera legged out an infield hit to lead off the third. Working out of the stretch for the first time in the game, Perez paid no attention to Valera at first and he easily stole second base and moved into scoring position. With some clutch hitting, the Cards tied the game 1-1 on a two-out double by leadoff man center fielder C.J. McElroy, Jr.
Perez put together a four-pitch fourth inning and an Old Fashioned pitcher's duel ensued. After he surrendered a first inning homer to Peraza, Cards starter, Silfredo Garcia, retired 10 Braves batters in a row before third baseman Carlos Franco broke the streak with a single in the fourth.
Garcia came apart at the seams in the fifth. Catcher Troy Snitker cracked a one-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Garcia then issued his first walk in 39.0 innings pitched to second baseman Ronald Luna. After a pair of meetings on the mound, left fielder Kurt Fleming jumped on a first pitch fastball to load the bases. Snitker then scored on Garcia's second wild pitch of the inning and the Braves retook the lead. Peraza pushed Luna home on an RBI groundout to cap the Braves two-run fifth.
After retiring six straight Cardinal batters, Perez ran into some sixth inning troubles. McElroy, Jr. split the gap for a one-out single and teamed-up with second baseman Ildemaro Vargas to advance to second on the hit-and-run. For the second night in a row, right fielder Felix Marte lost sight of a routine fly ball, which fell to the outfield grass and allowed first baseman Jeremy Schaffer to reach second and McElroy, Jr. to score. The Cards tied it at 3-3 on a sac fly from designated hitter Bruce Caldwell.
The lead changed hands again in the seventh. Center fielder Blake Brown drew a walk and the Braves got back-to-back singles from Luna and Fleming to make it 4-3.
And for the sixth time the Braves have taken the lead in the series, the Cards tied it, this time in the eighth inning. Catcher Steve Bean worked the walk and scored after a McElroy, Jr. single and Schaffer double to tie it 4-4. The Cards benefitted from another Marte misread in the field to take a 5-4 ninth-inning lead.
But the Braves rallied to tie the game in their last at-bats. Snitker, a last-minute line-up change, hit a two-out homerun, his first of the season, off Apply League saves leader Ronald Shaban. Before the at-bat, Shaban had successfully converted 9-of-9 save opportunities.
The Cards benefitted from a throwing error to plate the go-ahead run in the tenth inning and win the game 6-5.
With a pitch count of 67, the Braves lifted Perez in the sixth. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits while striking out six. Shae Simmons (0-1), called-up from the Gulf Coast League Braves last week, suffers his first loss as a Danville Brave. Cardinals relief man, Joseph Donofrio (1-1), pitched 2.0 innings of one-hit ball and is the winning pitcher of record for the Cards.
Lucas Sims, the Braves first round selection in this years' First-Year Player Draft, will toe the rubber tomorrow for the Braves. The Cards will counter with righty Zachary Petrick.
Tomorrow night's game is Breast Cancer Awareness Night. The Braves will wear pink-themed jerseys, which will be auctioned off with proceeds benefitting the Centra Foundation and Danville Cancer Association. Game time is 7:00 p.m. and gates will open an hour beforehand.
Tickets can be purchased to all future home games by calling the Ticket Office at (434) 797-3792 or in-person at the ALP 325 Field Box Office (Mon. - Fri., 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.).
Appalachian League Stories from July 27, 2012
- Not Seventh Heaven: D-Braves Drop Seven Straight - Danville Otterbots
- Burlington Powers Their Way Past Pulaski - Pulaski Mariners
- Bristol White Sox Announce New Sports Turf Manager - Bristol White Sox
- Twins pick up a game on Astros - Greeneville Astros
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
