Sioux City Deals Blasters Defeat in Final Game of Series
July 21, 2016 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
The Joplin Blasters were swept on Thursday night by the Sioux City Explorers, dropping the final game of a three-game series, 6-1 at Lewis and Clark Park. It was the sixth consecutive victory for the host Explorers, and the third straight loss for the Blasters.
For the third consecutive night, the Blasters surrendered a run in the bottom of the first inning, as Sioux City scored a pair of runs in the opening frame. Derrick Robinson led off the inning with a walk, which was followed by a single from Michael Lang. Joplin catcher Charlie Valerio then threw out Robinson stealing third. Tommy Mendonca and Jarek Cunningham were consecutively hit by pitches, loading the bases. With two outs, Tim Colwell hit a double into right field to score Lang and Mendonca, but Cunningham was tagged out at the plate to end the inning.
Sioux City's 2-0 lead held until the top of the sixth inning, mostly due to the performances of the game's starting pitchers. Joplin's Alex De La Cruz recorded five straight shutout innings after the two-run first, while Explorer rookie James Walsh did not allow more than a Mitch Glasser double in his first five innings of work.
The Blasters cut the Sioux City lead to one run in the top of the sixth, courtesy of three key hits. After a leadoff flyout, rookie outfielder Mark Krueger clubbed a double. Fellow rookie Alex Polston followed with a bunt single to put runners on first and third. Sean Smith drove in the first Joplin run of the game with an RBI groundout to third. A single by Mitch Glasser, who had two hits in the losing effort, put runners back on the corners. However, Sioux City relief pitcher Jake Kuebler induced an inning-ending groundout to keep the Explorers ahead, 2-1.
Four runs in the bottom of the seventh put the game away for the Explorers. Sioux City loaded the bases on an Ino Patron double, a hit by pitch to Matt Koch, and a single by Robinson. A one out error committed by the Blasters scored Patron, and kept the bases loaded. The Explorers then drove in runs on an RBI single by Nate Samson, a Mendonca sacrifice fly, and a Cunningham RBI single. The quartet of runs pushed Sioux City's lead to 6-1, a margin that would hold for the remainder of the game.
Despite working into the seventh inning for the second start in a row, De La Cruz was charged with his fourth loss. Walsh picked up his second win for the Explorers.
Joplin leaves the Hawkeye State and heads to Wichita for a weekend series with the first place Wingnuts, which begins Friday at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Isaac Hess will make his second start in a Blaster uniform, and will face righty Jon Link in the 7:05 ballgame.
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