One Rodriguez Hits, the Other Pitches Captains to Game 1 Win

Published on September 7, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La. - In a crisp game that was devoid of the drama of the last three games at Fair Grounds Field, the Shreveport-Bossier Captains got a seven-inning, no-earned run performance by Osvaldo Rodriguez and two RBIs including his first postseason home run from Andres Rodriguez to help beat the Sioux Falls Pheasants 3-1 on Tuesday night in front of 431 fans at Fair Grounds Field to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five American Association Championship Series.

After a 1-2-3 top of the first inning by Osvaldo Rodriguez (2-0), Andres Rodriguez bounced an RBI single up the middle with two outs to score Christopher Garcia with the first run of the game. After Ben Moore (0-1) had a three-batter second, Bryan Sabatella singled to short to start the third. He stole second, and moved to third on Robert Perry's sacrifice bunt. Garcia then grounded to second to bring in the Captains' second run.

Andres Rodriguez then led off the third with the home run to left, smashing an 0-1fastball off Moore to make it 3-0. Moore did not allow anything after that, becoming the first American Association pitcher to throw a complete game during this postseason.

But he was outdone by the two Rodriguezes, as Osvaldo worked around a leadoff walk and a wild pitch in the second, two singles in the third, a walk in the fifth and a single in the sixth to keep the Captains ahead by three. He gave up an unearned run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly bus Gus Milner, turning things over to Dan Griffin.

After a couple of groundouts, Reggie Abercrombie singled to bring up league MVP Beau Torbert as the possible tying run. But Abercrombie tried to steal second on the first pitch and was gunned down by Brian Peterson to end the inning and keep Torbert from having a chance at a game-tying homer.

Closer Hector Carrasco got his first save opportunity of the playoffs in the ninth, retiring Torbert on a liner to second before hitting Brandon Sing to bring up Trevor Lawhorn as the potential tying run. But Lawhorn bounced the first pitch to Andres Rodriguez, who started a 5-4-3 around-the-horn double play to end the game and give the Captains the series lead.

Notes: The two best hitting teams during the season combined for just 11 hits and four walks on Tuesday.Andres Rodriguez and Abercrombie were the only players with multiple hits.Rodriguez struck out eight hitters, his best performance in that department since striking out 10 at Sioux City on June 9. It was his first seven-plus strikeout game in eight starts - since July 23 against Grand Prairie.Andres Rodriguez hit one home run during the regular season.The winning team in all six Captains playoff games has hit exactly one home run in the game.Osvaldo Rodriguez became the first Captains playoff starter to make it through the sixth inning.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains finish the 2010 home schedule with Game 2 of the 2010 American Association Championship Series against the North Division Champion Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants, on Wednesday night, September 8, at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at Fair Grounds Field. All games are broadcast streaming live on ustream.tv. For information on tickets, promotions, advertising, and other opportunities with the Captains, check out the team's Web site at www.sbcaptains.com, or call the Fair Grounds Field office at (318) 636-5555.

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American Association Stories from September 7, 2010


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