Salazar shines in Captains debut

Published on August 17, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La. - The Shreveport-Bossier Captains traded for Richard Salazar because they were hoping for a starter to be able to pitch successfully deep into games. His first start for the Captains came in a must-win against the hottest team in the league, the first-place Pensacola Pelicans, and the lefty did not disappoint, no-hitting the Pelicans through four en route to six shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks with nine strikeouts, a season-high for a Shreveport-Bossier starter.

Salazar's offense picked him up early and often, scoring four in the first off Dane De Valk to bring the Captains a 9-0 whitewash, cutting the Pelicans' lead to four games in the second-half standings.

With two outs and no one on in the first, the Captains (41-43, 19-17 2nd half) began their attack. Christopher Garcia singled to left, before shortstop Dallas Christison dove for and smothered Andres Rodriguez's grounder but could not make a play. Newcomer Jorge Alvarez lined a base hit to right-center to give the Captains their first run of the game, Jose Torres followed with an RBI double and Luis Guance brought in two more against his former team to cap the five straight hits off De Valk (6-3).

The Captains continued to get runs off De Valk in the next three innings, making it 8-0 after four thanks to six Pelicans errors and four unearned runs.

Meanwhile, Salazar (4-0) retired the first six men he faced before Christison reached on an error to start the third. But Salazar got a flyout and a pair of strikeouts to end the inning. Another leadoff runner in the fourth on an error was erased by two more K's and a groundout, before Christison finally got the first Pensacola hit of the game with a clean single up the middle with one out in the fifth. After Lou Palmisano singled to put two on for the first time in the game, Salazar reared back and struck out Adam Darby before inducing Kevin Reynolds to ground out to end the inning.

Pensacola (47-37, 23-13) got two on and no one out in the sixth, but Marshall McDougall flied out, Chase Burch popped out and Marcos Rodriguez hit a comebacker to Salazar to end the inning.

Derrick Miramontes pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for the Captains, Tony Pierce allowed a one-out flare double in the eighth but nothing more, and Robert Romero pitched around a walk and a single in the ninth to complete Shreveport-Bossier's second shutout of the year.

Notes: The Captains' first shutout of the season was against Wichita on July 11, when Ronald Lowe and Jakob Cunningham four-hit the Wingnuts...Tonight's five hits allowed to Pensacola was second to that by the Captains this season...All nine Captains had at a hit, and Kevin Griffin had two...Dwayne White, Alvarez and Guance each drove in two runs.

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American Association Stories from August 17, 2009


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