Pelicans earn series-opening win over Potomac
August 24, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Finding themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard when the first run came across for the first time in five games, the Pelicans earned their second straight comeback win in the first of four with the Potomac Nationals.
Jesus Sucre and Gerry Rodriguez each homered, the Myrtle Beach bullpen tossed five and a third innings of scoreless relief, and the Pelicans picked up a 5-3 victory over the P-Nats in front of 2,056 at BB&T Coastal Field.
After scoring first in four consecutive contests, the Pelicans fell behind in the top of the first behind the Nationals' leadoff Michael Martinez triple and an RBI groundout by Danny Espinosa. Myrtle Beach evened the score the following frame on a leadoff Sucre homer, the Pelicans backstop's fourth of the season. The Birds surged to their first lead behind a three-run third inning, sending their one through nine hitters to the plate. Leadoff man Cole Miles started the frame with a single, scoring on Donell Linares's RBI base hit one out later to put Myrtle Beach in front. Cody Johnson worked a walk behind Linares, and Gerry Rodriguez's single loaded the bases for Sucre who came through again, this time with a two-run single to give the Pelicans a 4-1 cushion. Lefty Tom Milone (10-5) dropped his first decision in five meetings with the Pelicans this year, allowing four Myrtle Beach runs on seven hits over five innings.
Pelicans starter Jacob Thompson departed after three and two-thirds inning, walking five over his time. Thompson was charged with two in a shaky fourth that forced his departure. A pair the right-hander allowed to reach came home to score on Martinez's second triple of the game, this one off reliever Tommy Palica. The three-bagger cut the Pelicans' lead to 4-3 after four.
The Pelicans held that advantage until the eighth when Rodriguez tattooed a Dan Leatherman fastball over the top of the scoreboard tower in left field. The homer, Rodriguez's ninth of the year, gave the home team an insurance run heading to the final frame.
Behind Thompson, Palica, Jaye Chapman (1-0) and Cory Gearrin kept the Nationals off the board. Chapman pitched two innings of scoreless ball, striking out four without a walk and only allowing two hits for his first decision of the year. Gearrin (17) rebounded from a rough outing Saturday in which he suffered his first loss, working around a leadoff walk to earn his 17th save in 18 tries.
Carolina League Stories from August 24, 2009
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