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Can-Am New Jersey Jackals

Quebec comeback spoils Yogi Berra night

August 16, 2006 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
New Jersey Jackals News Release


Little Falls, NJ When the opposing team's manager decides to start himself on the mound, one can only expect a crazy game, and tonight's matchup between the New Jersey Jackals and Quebec Les Capitales could be pegged as just that, with a 7-run 9th inning putting this one in the win column for the Canadians.

Quebec Manager/General Manager/RHP Michel Laplante made an emergency start, signing himself to a one-day contract, in lieu of his pitching staff dwindling down to just seven arms. The 36-year-old Laplante is no stranger to spot starts; last season he went 5 innings while striking out 7 in his lone game of the year. Tonight, though, the Jackals were able to touch up Laplante for 3 runs on 5 hits, but he did fan 4 batters in his 4 innings of work, which included striking out the side in his last inning, before yanking himself out of the game.

New Jersey RF Alex Fernandez opened up the scoring in the 1st with a solo shot to deep RF, taking a first-pitch fastball into the lawn seats. The homer was part of a big night for Fernandez, who went 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. The Jackals continued to leave the ballpark in the home half of the 2nd. After 1B "Big" Bill Peavey drew a walk to start the inning, DH Joey Gomes blasted a 2-run homerun that hugged the LF line, putting the Jackals ahead 3-0. Gomes would finish 2-for-5 with a run scored and a team-high 4 RBIs.

Quebec came right back in the top of the 3rd inning to keep the game close. CF Geoff Tomlinson ripped a triple into RF that got past a sliding Fernandez and rolled all the way to the wall, bringing DH Mathieu Bergeron and SS Willie James around to score, making it a 3-2 ballgame. Tomlinson had himself quite the performance, as he would add another triple in the 9th and end the game 2-for-5 with a run scored and a whopping 5 RBIs. Les Capitales took the lead in the 6th, knocking four singles in the inning and bringing three runners home to go up 5-3.

A charged-up Jackals team would respond in the bottom of the 7th, with Manager Joe Calfapietra getting ejected for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire. CF Zack Smithlin smacked a base hit into RF, scoring LF "Mayor" John Lindsey and cutting the Quebec lead to a run, 5-4. Fernandez later roped a single into LF that scored two Jackals and gave New Jersey the 6-5 lead. Then it was Gomes who smoked a 2-RBI double down the LF line, putting the Jackals ahead 8-5. But the 3-run cushion proved to be insufficient for the Jackals bullpen, as the ever-steady closer RHP Jason Wylie hit a big bump in the road.

Brought in, as always, to put away the opposition in the 9th, Wylie immediately showed signs of control problems, walking the first two Quebec batters he faced. A base hit up the middle by Bergeron made it an 8-6 game in favor of the Jackals, and the lead shrunk to just a run after a broken-bat infield single by James brought C Olivier Lépine in to score. Wylie was then yanked with just 1 out for LHP Raul Valdes, who had been very solid both out of the pen and in the starting rotation for the Jackals. But, like Wylie, tonight was not Valdes' night. He would not even record an out, as Tomlinson came up with the bases loaded and proceeded to empty them on what would prove to be a game-winning triple down the RF line, propelling Les Capitales ahead 10-8. The Jackals' bleeding could not be stopped, as multiple base hits broke the game open in favor of Quebec. RHP Joe Orloski was brought in to record the final 2 outs of the game, but by then, Les Capitales were ahead 12-8.

It was a Quebec error in the bottom of the 9th that allowed New Jersey to add a run. RHP Juan Hernandez (2-0) notched the win for Les Capitales, allowing a hit while walking a couple and striking out a batter in his inning of work. Wylie (3-1) took his first loss as a Jackal, finishing with 4 earned runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in just .1 innings pitched.

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