Sidewinders Score Nine Unanswered Runs To Win 15-14

Published on June 8, 2007 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Tucson Sidewinders News Release


Tucson, AZ - Tucson opened a seven game homestand with a wild 15-14 win against division rival, the Sacramento RiverCats. Sacramento tagged Tucson pitching for 18 hits, including seven for extra bases, and had the lead until the bottom of the eighth. At one point, Sacramento led by 8 before a 6 run seventh and 3 run eighth earned Tucson a victory by the end of the game.

2B Danny Richar was the hero for the Sidewinders, cashing in with a grand slam and the base hit that ultimately won the game for Tucson. Richar finished the game going 2-for-5 with a run and 6 RBI.

3B Chad Tracy, starting at third base for the Sidewinders on a rehab assignment, went 1-for-5 with a run scored.Tucson came into the series trailing Sacramento by 2 ½ games in the division. With the win, they move within a game and a half of the division leaders.

After striking out the first two batters of the game, RHP Dustin Nippert walked Dee Brown and gave up a double to 1B Daric Barton to give Sacramento an early 1-0 lead. DH J.D. Closser then singled on a slow grounder through the right side to score Barton. Nippert then forced a ground out to end the inning, holding Sacramento to a 2-0 lead. Nippert threw 32 pitches in the first inning. On the other side, LHP Dallas Braden got the first three Sidewinders out on 13 pitches in the bottom of the first.

In the top of the second, SS Donnie Murphy led off with a double off the wall in center. Nippert then issued his second free pass of the night, this time to 3B J.J. Furmaniak, to put runners on first and second. The runners moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, but Nippert managed to get the next to outs to leave the inning unscathed.

LF Chris Carter broke through with Tucson's first hit to lead off the top of the second. He doubled to the gap in left-center. Carter scored when the next batter, DH Jaime D'Antona, doubled off the wall in right to cut Sacramento's lead in half to 2-1. D'Antona scored with two outs after SS Augie Ojeda singled to center. The game was tied at 2 after two innings.

With one out in the top of the third, Barton doubled to left-center and Closser walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out for the second consecutive inning for the RiverCats. Nippert issued his fourth walk of the game to load the bases. Murphy doubled off the wall in right to score two runs and regain Sacramento's lead at 4-2. Furmaniak then grounded into a 625 fielder's choice that saw Suzuki thrown out trying to reach home but allowed runners to remain on second and third. Nippert then threw a wild pitch and allowed his fifth walk of the night before being pulled with two outs in the third.

The first batter RHP Casey Daigle faced, LF Chris Snelling, singled in another run to extend Sacramento's lead to 6-2. Daigle then recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

With two outs in the top of the fourth, Closser and Suzuki slapped back-to-back singles. Daigle then threw a wild pitch to put runners at the corners setting the table for a Murphy singled to center that plated Closser. Furmaniak then doubled to right to bring home two more runs and extend Sacramento's lead to 9-2 before Daigle escaped the inning.

1B Brian Barden led off the bottom of the fourth with a double to center. CF Jeff Salazar reached on an infield single that put runners at the corners. C Matt Morgan then walked to load the bases with nobody out. Ojeda swung at the first pitch and flew out to shallow center, forcing the runners to hold. After falling behind quickly 0-2, 2B Danny Richar slapped a two-run single into right to bring the Sidewinders within 5 at 9-4.

LHP Leonard Landeros came in for the RiverCats with a runner on first and second and gave up a first pitch single to RF Alex Romero that scored another run. Rehabbing Tracy grounded into a double play to end the inning and keep the score at 9-5 after four.

Sacramento added to their lead in the top of the fifth when 2B Kevin Melillo and former Sidewinder Dee Brown smacked back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Closser tripled to center to plate both runners and make the score 11-5. Daigle departed the game, bringing on RHP Mike Schultz. His first batter, Suzuki, hit an infield single to score another run. Murphy then picked up his fourth hit of the night with a single up the middle, but he would be stranded along with Suzuki.

Tucson picked up a run in the fifth. With one out, D'Antona singled to center and later scored on a Salazar triple to center. Sacramento still led the game 12-6.

The RiverCats added another run in the sixth to take a 13-6 lead. Facing Schultz, Snelling walked on four pitches with one out and then came around to score on a Brown double to left.

Richar and Romero drew back-to-back walks with one out in the sixth, but Tucson failed to bring a run home.

Sacramento put up at least one run for the fifth straight inning in the top of the seventh. Suzuki singled up the middle with one out and moved to second on a ground ball. He scored on a Furmaniak single extending the RiverCats' lead to 14-6.

The Sidewinders got something going with six runs in the bottom of the seventh. They loaded the bases with two outs to set the table for Richar, who hit a grand slam to deep right field. Romero walked and Tracy singled to put runners on first and second with two out for Carter who tripled to right to bring the game within two runs at 14-12.

Tucson came scratched back to pick up the three runs in the bottom half of the eighth. Salazar walked and morgan singled to put runners on first and second. Ojeda then singled to left, scoring one run, and a fielding error LF Lloyd Turner, who pinch hit for Snelling, led to runners advancing to second and third. Richar came up with the big hit for the Sidewinders with a line drive up the middle that scored two runs to give Tucson a 15-14 lead. RHP Chad Harville came on to work a scoreless ninth to pick up the save.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 8, 2007


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