Pitching Coach Flores Makes Spot Start, Captains Beat Amarillo 6-3 Behind Five-Run First

Published on July 30, 2011 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La.---Captains pitching coach Pedro Flores came out of the coaches' office and onto the mound Saturday night, making a spot start and giving up two runs in 3.2 innings as Shreveport-Bossier beat the Amarillo Sox 6-3 at Fair Grounds Field. Veteran reliever Hector Carrasco, who was terrific as the Captains closer in 2010, pitched the ninth inning in his first appearance of the year for the Captains.

Flores walked six and struck out six. In the third inning, he worked out of a bases loaded-no out jam by striking out the next three batters he faced.

Captains center fielder Robert Perry had another superb night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs. Perry is 9-for-20 on the current homestand and has hit safely in every game. First baseman Uriak Marquez, catcher Brian Peterson and left fielder Joe Urtuzuastegui each had two hit nights as well for the Captains.

Shreveport-Bossier gave Flores help with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the first. That came one night after the Sox put up the same run and hit totals Friday night in a 7-4 win. Perry started things off with a triple into the gap in right-center. Sox starter Ryan Mitchell (4-5) then hit Palmer Karr Jr. with a pitch. With two outs, Mitchell came inside on Andres Rodriguez and struck him with a pitch as well. The next four Captains hitters would hit singles. Brian Peterson's base hit scored two. Marquez, Mike Provencher and Urtuzuastegui all added RBI singles to give Shreveport-Bossier the 5-0 lead.

Amarillo would get to Flores in the fourth. Fehlandt Lentini's ground out to second would score Kevin Butler. A double by Adam de la Garza scored Alex Chavez to make it 5-2.

Shreveport-Bossier got a run back in the last of the fourth. Perry singled with two outs and came home to score on a Bryan Sabatella triple to right-center. It was Sabatella's third triple in the homestand and fourth on the year.

Captains relievers Mark Haynes (1-2) and Jose Velazquez combined to go 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. Velazquez has now gone five scoreless innings in the first two games of the series.

Carrasco, a 12-year Major League reliever, came on in the ninth. He allowed a base hit to Lentini and an RBI triple to de la Garza but settled in to retire the last three Sox hitters in order.

In the loss, Amarillo's Lentini went 2-for-4 with a triple, run and an RBI. De la Garza was 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs. Starter Mitchell lasted five innings, giving up six runs on eight hits. He walked none but hit three while striking out four. Austin Chambliss, Pat Overholt and LaCurtis Mayes threw scoreless sixth, seventh and eighth innings for the Sox respectively.

With the win, Shreveport-Bossier improves to 34-38 and 20-15 at home. The Captains trail Grand Prairie by 10.5 in the American Association South with 28 games to play. They trail the St. Paul Saints by eight games in the Wild Card race. Shreveport-Bossier tries to make it a winning homestand when they take on Amarillo in the rubber game of the series Sunday, July 31 at 6:05 p.m. on Pepsi Presents: Bark at the Park where fans get $2 admission plus pay just $2 for any Pepsi products. Shreveport-Bossier will throw Osvaldo Rodriguez (4-4, 5.85) to the mound against Corey Bass (4-2, 7.78). Gates open at 5:05.

Season tickets and single-game tickets to the Captains are available for purchase in-person or over the phone by visiting the Captains Executive Offices at 2901 Pershing Boulevard at Fair Grounds Field or by calling (318) 636-5555. VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express accepted.

For more information about season and individual game tickets, game times, promotions, marketing opportunities, full game schedule, and everything else Captains, visit the "Official Website of the Shreveport-Bossier Captains" by logging onto www.sbcaptains.com.

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American Association Stories from July 30, 2011


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