Sioux City Claims Pitcher's Duel
Published on August 18, 2003 under American Association (AA)
Sioux Falls Canaries News Release
(SIOUX FALLS, SD) â Very seldom are baseball fans treated to a more exciting finish than the ones Canaries fans witnessed Monday night. Unfortunately, it was the visiting Sioux City Explorers who came out on top in this heart-stopper, a 2-1 pitcher's delight at the Birdcage.
Trailing by a run with two outs in the last frame, 1B Troy Farnsworth represented the tying run on first base after earning a free pass from RHP Bubba St. Amant, a former Canaries pitcher now playing for the Explorers. When C Rich Rodrigues ripped St. Amant's offering into the left field corner, Farnsworth attempted to score all the way from first base. The relay throw from SS Paul Bartolucci arrived well ahead of the chugging Farnsworth, but the determined first-sacker refused to go quietly, violently bowling into C Mike Figga, who held onto the ball to end the game.
The game's starters, LHP Ralph McCasland for the Explorers and RHP Chad Johnson for the Canaries, engaged in a masterpiece from start to finish, with Johnson ending up with the hard-luck loss. Sioux City got both of their runs in the fifth inning on three singles and a walk, plating the final run when Figga scored from second base on an infield single. Johnson pitched eight innings, allowing just the pair of tallies on nine hits and one walk, striking out four.
Trailing 2-0, the Birds' lone tally came in the seventh when CF Tyrone Pendergrass scored from third base on a dropped pop fly by 3B Jeremy Smith.
The Canaries and the Explorers will play the middle game of this three-game home series Tuesday night at 7:03 PM. RHP Richie Burgess starts for the Birds against RHP Wes Faust for Sioux City.
American Association Stories from August 18, 2003
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