Salazar nearly perfect as Captains and Cats split

Published on July 31, 2010 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


FORT WORTH, Texas - After a frustrating offensive performance in the first game of a doubleheader, the Shreveport-Bossier Captains bats exploded in the nightcap, backing a nearly-perfect Richard Salazar to a split of the twinbill, salvaging the final game of a four-game series at LaGrave Field. After the Fort Worth Cats took Saturday's opener 8-5, the Captains came back with a dominating 13-3 win in the finale, with Salazar allowing only four hits and one walk in the seven innings.

The Captains lefty (7-3) threw a perfect first inning but walked John Allen on four pitches to start the second. After a flyout and a fielder's choice, catcher Brian Peterson nailed Jeremy Sauceda stealing second to end the inning. Salazar got the next eight men out in a row before Jeremy Sauceda doubled over leftfielder Palmer Karr's head to get the Cats (30-41, 10-13 2nd half) in the hit column.

Salazar then set down four more in a row before Kevin Thompson singled to start the seventh. After a groundout moved Thompson to second, Allen singled him in, and with two outs, Sauceda homered to cap the offense for the night, before Salazar struck out Cory Morales to get his complete game victory.

After Colin Allen (2-7) retired the first six Captains hitters, Brian Peterson singled and Joe Urtuzuastegui walked. Zach Welch pushed a bunt to the right side, and first baseman John Allen threw the ball away all the way into the left field corner to allow both runners and eventually Welch to score, giving the Captains (41-30, 12-12) a 3-0 lead.

The Captains then broke the game open an inning later, getting five hits and two walks to start the inning against Allen and reliever Gary Lee, including a two-run home run by Joe Urtuzuastegui. A double play brought in another run, and Palmer Karr's infield single capped the 11-batter, six-run, seven-hit frame.

Lee retired Shreveport-Bossier in order in the fifth, but gave up two two-run homers, to Christopher Garcia and Uriak Marquez, as the Captains finished their scoring.

Cody Kelley (1-2) fell behind early in the opener, allowing a one-out walk and stolen base to Kevin Thompson. Brian Fryer then singled up the middle to score Thompson and give the Cats the lead. Fryer was then thrown out stealing, but John Allen walked and a double and a single later, scored to make it 2-0.

Jose Duran and Nick McCoola each drew walks leading off the bottom of the second inning, and they scored on Fryer's two-out, full-count double to give the Cats a 4-0 advantage. Shreveport-Bossier got one run back in the third on a Garcia double, bur the Cats chased Kelley with a two-run, two-out single by Allen in the fourth.

The Captains scored two in the fifth off starter and winner Jason Fernandez (4-6), but it was not enough, as the Cats righty went six innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with four walks and a season-high-tying eight strikeouts. Fort Worth got its last run on Fryer's third hit - an RBI triple - in the bottom of the sixth, as the Captains' two-run seventh was far too little and too late to make the Cats sweat out the first game.

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American Association Stories from July 31, 2010


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