Sox finish two-day game victorious; plus one

August 16, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Amarillo ThunderHeads News Release


AMARILLO, TX - The Sox hold the lead to snap their four-game losing streak in a 7-6 win over the Airhogs at Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium. Jason Johnson earns a five-inning-save as he pitched the rest of the continuation game from Wednesday. And then Amarillo won again, 5-3 in the second, seven-inning game. The combined time of playing in the two-day game was three hours and twenty minutes. Two hours and thirty minutes comprised the second game of Thursday night as 2,131 attended the ballpark.

Game 1:

Grand Prairie restarted the bottom of the fourth with their infield playing on the grass for the runner on third. Trey Ford began the restart with an RBI-double pop-up which glanced off the glove of center-fielder, Rian Kiniry. Chris Valencia bunted Ford to third, which led to another to another high pop-up over the shallow infield. Joe Weik picked up the RBI but was later thrown out at home when Cory Patton doubled to right-center. Amarillo's lead was 7-4 going into the fifth.

Jason Johnson retired his first seven batters faced, allowing his first runner on with a walk in the seventh. Johnson would give up two runs on four hits in the eighth, however. Angel Flores and Rian Kiniry singled and both scored. Ryan Pineda and Brandon Pinckney then reached second and third base respectively on a single and a double. With the go-ahead run on second, Johnson got Andres Rodriguez to groundout, getting out of the jam. During the ninth, Johnson walked a batter with two outs, allowed a hit, but forced a grounder to end the game.

Matt Larkins (W, 5-2) pitched an inning and a third on Wednesday before the rain delay and allowed two hits in six batters faced. Brand Bargas (L, 3-6) pitched on Wednesday but officially left the game with the deficit as he gave up six runs on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout. Bargas also allowed the game-tying grand slam to Jorge Delgado in the third, Wednesday. Stephen Nikonchik went an out and three innings for Grand Prairie on Thursday, allowing a run on three hits while walking one and striking out two. Jakob Cunningham pitched two outs in the seventh and all of the eighth and gave up just one hit with two strikeouts. Jason Johnson (S, 1) allowed two runs on five hits through five innings pitched in his first official appearance out of the bullpen for the Sox.

Game 2:

The Sox starting pitcher was Jason Mitchell and the Airhogs used Josh Strawn. Mitchell allowed no runs through his first four innings pitched while Strawn gave up a pair of runs in the third. KC Serna led the bottom of the third off with a double and then a fielder's choice, sacrifice bunt by Trey Ford moved the runner over as Serna avoided the tag at third. Steve Rinaudo came up and singled to right for the first run of the game. Joe Weik flied out to center but scored Ford from third base, making it 2-0.

Amarillo added two more in the fourth with a triple starting the inning by Chris Valencia, followed by another triple by Chris Grossman. KC Serna got another hit and the score was 4-0. Strawn would settle down and get out of the inning after walking two batters. The Airhogs came within a run in the fifth with two consecutive doubles by Chad Mozingo and Brandon Pinckney; and later runs batted in by Andres Rodriguez and Austin Newell to make it 4-3. Erik Draxton allowed the third RBI of the inning in relief of Jason Mitchell, but struck out Yasutsugu Nishimoto on nine pitches to end the fifth.

Boomer Potts came in relief after an out in the fifth and shut down the Sox while allowing a hit. But to start the sixth, Potts allowed a solo shot to Trey Ford to give the Sox an insurance run into the seventh. Cephas Howard pitched a scoreless sixth and left the inning after the Sox catcher, Chris Grossman tagged out Chad Mozingo at home, trying to score on a passed ball.

Jason Mitchell (W, 7-4) pitched four and two-thirds and allowed three runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Josh Strawn (L, 8-6) went four and third innings and gave up four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out one. Boomer Potts allowed a run on two hits in his third over an inning pitched. Jakob Cunningham recorded one out in one batter faced in relief during the sixth. Kristhiam Linares (S, 1) pitched the seventh, walked two, struck out two, and allowed no hits during his first save of the season.

With the pair of wins, the Sox improve to 43-41, while the Airhogs fall to 45-39 on the season. Friday, the Sox host Laredo for a three-game series against the Lemurs. Game time is set for 7:05pm with the pregame show starting at 6:55pm on Ustream via www.amarillosox.com.

Season tickets are available for purchase in-person by visiting the Sox Front Offices at 801 S. Polk or over the phone by calling (806) 242-4653. For more information on tickets, game times and schedules, promotions, marketing opportunities, and everything else Sox, visit the "Official Website of the Amarillo Sox" at www.amarillosox.com.



American Association Stories from August 16, 2013


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