MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Sands to the Rescue

Published on August 14, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, MI - Jerry Sands was tearing up the Pioneer League this season before re-joining the Loons August 7. With Ogden, the big right-handed batter was hitting .350 with 14 home runs and was on pace for the league's MVP award. On Friday night, he was the Loons' most valuable contributor.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 5,754, Sands hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and the go-ahead triple in the sixth, leading the Loons to a 6-5 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps. The win earned a split against the top team in Minor League Baseball, and left the Loons 6-2 on a successful eight-game homestand.

With the game tied 5-5 in the eighth, Sands hit an opposite field, line drive home run over the wall in right-center off former Dodger farmhand Eduardo Perez. It was his first home run in a Loons' uniform and his 15th overall on the season. Earlier in the game in the sixth, Sands tripled home two runs to give the Loons a short-lived 5-4 lead. He finished the game with three RBIs.

Great Lakes rallied from down 4-0 to win the game. Loons starter Josh Walter surrendered three home runs in the game, one to each batter in the bottom one-third of the TinCaps' lineup. Eight-hole hitter Justin Baum homered out of the stadium in the second to give Fort Wayne a 2-0 lead. The next batter, Brayden Drake, followed with a solo shot. Then in the fourth, catcher Adam Zornes, the seventh hitter in the lineup, joined the homer parade with a solo shot of his own.

But the Loons left the yard to pull to within one. In the fourth inning, with Anthony Hatch on with a double and Kyle Russell walking, Alfredo Silverio slugged a long home run on to Buttles Road for a three-run shot.

Jordan Pratt (3-4) threw a scoreless eighth inning to earn his third win. He entered in emergency duty after Jon Dutton was struck with a line drive off the bat of Jaff Decker and had to leave the game. Cole St. Clair set the 'Caps down 1-2-3 in the ninth for his 11th save of the season.

Fort Wayne had two players - Daniel Robertson and Zornes - ejected by home plate umpire Taro Hamano for protesting balls and strikes.

The Loons begin an eight-game roadtrip Saturday in the state capital against the Lugnuts. Game time Saturday is 7:05pm. The game will be broadcast in Mid-Michigan on ESPN 100.9-FM and online at Loons.com. Right-hander Bobby Blevins (3-3, 3.89 ERA) will start for the Loons against Lansing righty Chris Holguin (1-2, 5.12).

The Great Lakes Loons are the third-year Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and members of the Midwest League. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.

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Midwest League Stories from August 14, 2009


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