SL1 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Rays sweep twinbill, skid hits 8

May 11, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Orlando Rays dealt the Suns their seventh and eighth consecutive losses, a pair of 4-2 defeats Sunday in a doubleheader in front of 2,863 fans at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

In game one, the Rays (15-21) hit three home runs off Suns pitching. Starter Eric Stults (2-3) earned the loss, allowing three runs in three inning. He allowed solo home runs to Matt Diaz and Dan Dement in the first and third innings, respectively. Jonny Gomes doubled in Diaz in the third to give Orlando a 3-0 lead.

The Suns (16-20) scored off Rays starter Jim Magrane in the third on Jesus Feliciano's sacrifice fly. Feliciano drove in Reggie Abercrombie a second time in the fifth inning on a groundout to second.

Magrane (3-2) earned the victory, leaving after the fifth inning with a 3-2 lead. Mark Malaska and Evan Rust each pitched scoreless innings of relief. Rust earned his third save.

Rays second baseman Frank Moore homered to lead off the sixth inning off Suns reliever Augustin Montero to cap the scoring.

Brennan King had two of the Suns' four hits. Gomes singled, doubled and tripled in his first three plate appearances for the Rays.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Rays benefited from four unearned runs – two in the first off Suns starter Joel Hanrahan and two in the eighth off reliever Greg Bauer.

Suns catcher Bill Duplissea dropped a foul pop-up that would've been the third out. On the next pitch, Gomes doubled home Diaz. Then, Moore singled home Gomes, giving Orlando a 2-0 lead.

Hanrahan worked out of several jams but did not allow another run over his six innings pitched. He allowed five hits and the Rays stranded 11 baserunners.

The Suns scored in the fourth and fifth innings off Rays starter Jose Veras. Mike Collins hit an RBI double to score Derek Michaelis to bring Jacksonville to within a run. Abercrombie hit his fifth home run of the year – a towering blast to left field – to tie the game in the fifth.

But Bauer (1-1) earned the loss after shortstop David Detienne fumbled a ground ball that might have started an inning-ending double play. After an RBI fielder's choice by Amado German, Dement singled home a second run, putting the Suns behind two runs in the final inning.

The eight-game losing streak is the longest for the Suns since July 22-29, 1998. The last time the team lost nine consecutive games spanned two seasons: from Aug. 24, 1989 to April 6, 1990.

Right-hander Tommy Farmer (1-2, 3.10 ERA) is scheduled to face Rays lefty Jon Switzer (3-2, 4.91) at 11:05 a.m. Monday at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The game will be broadcast solely on the Internet at www.jaxsuns.com.

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Southern League Stories from May 11, 2003


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