Sidewinders Rally For Marathon Win

Published on July 19, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Tucson Sidewinders News Release


Tacoma, WA - Jeff Salazar's triple off the wall in right scored Matt Morgan with the go ahead run as the Sidewinders rallied from a 6-0 deficit and beat the Tacoma Rainiers in a four and a half hour, 13 inning slugfest 10-8 on Friday night.

Morgan opened the top of the 13th with a bunt single and advanced to second on Donnie Kelly's sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch moved him to third and Salazar brought him home with a high drive off the right-centerfield wall. Trent Oeltjen followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Sidewinders some insurance.

Dustin Glant pitched the final three innings for his second win of the season. Glant (2-2) walked four, hit a batter and allowed four hits but gave up just one run. He faced 18 hitters, stranding the bases loaded in two of his three innings.

Tacoma left 20 men on base for the game.

The Sidewinders took their first lead of the game in the top of the 12th. Tim Raines, Jr. drilled his PCL leading 11th triple and scored on Josh Whitesell's sacrifice fly to give Tucson a 8-7 advantage but the Rainiers came right back. Tug Hulett's solo home run off Glant in the bottom of the 12th retied the game at 8 and forced the 13th inning.

The Rainiers did most of their damage early with four in the first off Sidewinders starter Juan Gutierrez. Matt Tuiasosopo, Victor Diaz and Craig Wilson all had run scoring base hits in the bottom of the first and Wladimir Balentien hit a two run home run off A.J. Shappi in the fifth to give Tacoma a 6-0 lead.

Gutierrez went three innings and allowed four runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked one.

The Sidewinders started their comeback with five in the sixth. Oeltjen doubled home a run and Raines singled in another before Jamie D'Antona blasted his 16th home run of the year, a three run shot, over the wall in right-center. The home run for D'Antona is a new career high.

Tacoma moved their lead back to two when Emiliano Fruto walked Victor Diaz with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, but Tucson scored twice in the eighth to tie the game at seven. Josh Whitesell and Jesus Merchan each had RBI base hits as part of individual big nights. Whitesell went 3 for 5 and extended his hitting streak to 19. Merchan went 4 for 6, his third four hit game this season.

Jailen Peguero and Glant each avoided trouble late in the game to give the Sidewinders a chance to win it. Peguero got Luis Valbuena to pop up with runners at second and third and two outs in the ninth and Glant worked out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the 11th with back to back ground ball outs.

Reid Mahon worked a scoreless 10th and has yet to give up a run in six Triple-A appearances.

The Sidewinders and Rainiers play game two of their four game series on Staurday night at Cheney Stadium. Right-hander Billy Buckner (5-8, 4.73) starts for Tucson against right-hander Sean White (5-10, 5.21) for Tacoma. First pitch is at 7:00. The game will air live on COOL 1450 beginning at 6:50.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 19, 2008


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