RailCats race past Flyers, 9-3
Published on August 3, 2009 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - After playing 12 of 13 games on the road, the Gary SouthShore RailCats returned to U. S. Steel Yard Monday night and won their eighth straight home game, downing the Schaumburg Flyers in front of 3,326 fans in the opener of a four-game series.
The RailCats have not lost a home game since July 13 and beat the Flyers for the 10th time in a row at U. S. Steel Yard, a streak that reaches all the way back to June 22, 2008. The âCats are the Northern League's best home team at 25-9 and scored four times in the fifth inning Monday night to take control.
The Flyers scored two unearned runs without a hit in the top of the first against Derell McCall (3-0), using two errors, a walk, a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout to open the scoring. But in the bottom of the inning the RailCats offered an important response, with Steve Haake and Mike Rohde notching run-scoring singles as the RailCats tied the game.
The âCats defense kept the score tied, turning double plays to end the second and fifth innings before the offense went to work on Dustin Glant (5-5) in the bottom of the fifth. Glant had retired 10 in a row before walking Chris Carrara to lead off the inning, and two batters later Carrara came around on a line drive triple from Mike Massaro. Jordan Czarniecki followed, singling Massaro home, and Eric McNamee was hit by a pitch to end Glant's night. Haake welcomed reliever Jon Huizinga with a single to center that ended up under the glove of centerfielder Antoan Richardson, with the error allowing both runners to score.
Glant allowed six runs (five earned) in just 4.1 innings, the shortest of his 16 starts this season. The RailCats added two runs on a two-out McNamee single in the sixth and another on a Carrara base hit in the seventh to round out the scoring. Three of four Flyers pitchers - Glant, Huizinga and Kris Jiggits - allowed runs in the game.
McCall won for the third time in his three RailCats starts by pitching out of trouble repeatedly. McCall had the two double plays turned behind him and left seven Flyers stranded on base, ending up charged with three runs (one earned) despite allowing seven hits and three walks in 5.1 innings. RailCats relievers Grant Johnson and Eddie De la Cruz worked 3.2 hitless innings to close out the game.
Carrara reached base three more times Monday with a single, walk and hit-by-pitch. The âCats utility infielder is 6-for-7 over his last three games and has been on base eight times, adding two runs scored and two RBI. Massaro and Haake each had two hits to lead a 10-hit attack, with Haake's first inning single extending his hitting streak to nine games.
Craig Maddox and Richard Mercado each went 2-for-3 for the Flyers.
Tuesday night, the RailCats (41-30) and Flyers (31-39) resume their four-game series at 7 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard. For the second straight night, the âCats will be giving White Sox Ticket Vouchers to the first 2,500 fans, redeemable for a free Upper Reserved seat at an upcoming White Sox home game. It's also Latino Family Night, with themed activities all night long and between inning music from DJ-Z Entertainment.
Chris Jones (5-2, 3.29 ERA) will get the start for the RailCats Tuesday against Flyers southpaw Alain Quijano (3-3, 5.40 ERA). That game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.
Notes: The RailCats have 25 wins at U. S. Steel Yard this season. The franchise record for home wins is 31 (31-19) in 2006 ... the RailCats improved to 11 games over .500 for the fourth time this year. Each previous time, the RailCats lost the following game ... the RailCats moved to within 3.5 of idle Winnipeg for first place in the Northern League ... Carrara made back-to-back starts for the first time since July 11-12, going 5-for-6 over the last two days. The last time Carrara started back-to-back games he went a combined 4-for-8 with four RBI ... with two hits, Massaro recorded his 11th multi-hit effort in the last 18 games.
Northern League Stories from August 3, 2009
- RailCats race past Flyers, 9-3 - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Fargo opens series with nine-run outburst - Kansas City Monarchs
- RailCats nickel and dime Flyers - Schaumburg Flyers
- RedHawks swing past T-Bones, 9-2 - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
- Rick and Walker Named Northern League Player and Pitcher of the Week - NL
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