Sabatella's Three Hits Lead Charge as Captains Beat Amarillo 6-2 for Series Win

July 31, 2011 - American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La.---Bryan Sabatella's 3-for-4 night with a stolen base and two runs helped the Captains win the rubber game against Amarillo 6-2 on Sunday evening at Fair Grounds Field. Bryan Peterson added a 2-for-4 night with two RBIs as Shreveport-Bossier made it a winning six-game homestand, going 4-2.

Starter Osvaldo Rodriguez (W, 5-4) lasted six innings, giving up just two runs (one earned) on five hits. He walked six and struck out three to pick up his first win of the year in four tries against the Sox.

Rodriguez battled out of a bases-loaded two-out jam in the first by inducing a ground ball off the bat of Kevin Butler to third. Andres Rodriguez raced baserunner Lee Cruz to third and beat him there, ending the threat. The Captains would get on the board in the first. Sabatella hit a two-out single and came home on Palmer Karr Jr.'s double.

In the third, Shreveport-Bossier would plate three more. John Johnson walked to start the frame and stole second base. Sabatella hit his second base hit with one out, moving Johnson to third. The Captains compelling rookie shortstop then came home on a wild pitch by Sox starter Corey Bass (L, 4-3). Andres Rodriguez's double would score Sabatella and Rodriguez came home on another two-out double by Peterson to make it 4-0 Captains.

Amarillo halved the lead in the sixth. Butler led off with a single and Josh Banda walked. Pitcher Bass sacrificed the runners over to second and third. Bass was batting because the Sox lost the designated hitter when DH Butler came in to left field in the fifth after Amarillo second baseman Alex Chavez was ejected for arguing a close steal play at second base. Leftfielder Adam de la Garza came in from left to take over for Chavez at second.

Jason White's sacrifice fly would score Butler with the Sox's first run. A throwing error by Johnson would score Banda to make it 4-2.

The Sox threatened in the eighth, putting runners on first and second with one out, but Captains reliever Jameson Maj got Fehlandt Lentini to pop out to first and then struck out de la Garza to end the inning.

Shreveport-Bossier added two runs in the eighth off Sox reliever Pat Overholt. With two outs, Rodriguez drew a walk and took second on Overholt's wild pitch. Peterson would knock in Rodriguez with a single for his second RBI of the night. Peterson would take second on another wild pitch and score on a throwing error by second baseman de la Garza.

Jake McCarter came in and threw a scoreless ninth to preserve the win. In addition to Sabatella's three-hit night, Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a double, run and RBI. Johnson was 1-for-3 with a run, stolen base and caught stealing. He has reached in all nine games played this season.

Maj threw two scoreless innings, extending his scoreless streak to 11.1 innings over his last seven outings dating back to July 18. In the loss, Amarillo's Cruz was 3-for-4 with a walk. Catcher Josh Banda went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Amarillo starter Bass went seven innings; his longest outing of the year. He allowed four runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out none. Bass, who has made 25 appearances and five starts for the Sox, got his first loss as a starter.

With the win, Shreveport-Bossier improves to 35-38 and moves into a second-place tie in the American Association South with the Sox. St. Paul defeated Winnipeg, so the Captains remain eight games out of the Wild Card with 27 games left. Shreveport-Bossier is off Monday before taking on the El Paso Diablos at Cohen Stadium in El Paso on Tuesday, August 2.

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.



American Association Stories from July 31, 2011


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