Sox Pummel Z's, 10-3

Published on August 4, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


The Colorado Springs Sky Sox broke out in a big way on Wednesday evening at Security Service Field as they pummeled the New Orleans Zephyrs 10-3 in front of 2,071 fans. The win gives the Sox a 1-0 lead in the four-game series.

Josh Muecke (4-6) picked up the win for the Sky Sox after throwing five solid innings. He gave up just one on six hits while walking none and striking out six. Wes Whisler (1-6) took the loss for the Zephyrs surrendering nine runs, six earned, on seven hits and five walks.

New Orleans got to Muecke early with a run in the top of the first inning. Cameron Maybin singled, moved to second on a fielding error by Eric Young Jr. in left field then went to third on a wild pitch before being driven home on an RBI single by veteran Mike Lamb.

The Sky Sox would answer right back in the bottom of the first though as Matt Miller reached on a fielding error by shortstop Gookie Dawkins with two outs. The next batter, Brad Eldred, cashed in the error and then some with a two-run bomb to deep center that hit three quarters of the way up the batters eye. The prodigious blast was Eldred's 25th of the season which is third most in the PCL this season.

In the third, Eric Young Jr. would almost single-handedly score the Sox' next run of the game. He led off the inning with a single to center and on the very next pitch took off and stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Chris Hatcher. Jonathan Herrera, just optioned down from Colorado, was next up and plated Young with a groundout to short to put the Sox up 3-1.

Muecke ran into a jam in the fourth but was able to work his way out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation. Lamb singled to lead off the inning and after a flyout the Zephyrs got singles from Brian Barden and Brett Carroll to load them up. But Muecke was then able to strike out both Dawkins and Hatcher to squelch the rally.

The Sky Sox would power their way forward in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back home runs by Travis Metcalf and Michael McKenry to lead off the inning. Both blasts went to deep left and came off Whisler. For Metcalf it was his ninth homer of the season and McKenry smashed his sixth.

McKenry's seventh homer on the season would blow the game wide open in the fifth frame. After Mike Paulk struck out to start the inning, Whisler proceeded to walk three straight batters, Eldred, Cole Garner and Metcalf, to bring McKenry to the plate. The compact and powerful catcher then crushed the ball down the left field line for his first grand slam of the season. It was the Sox' first slam since Chris Iannetta blasted one against Albuquerque on May 11th earlier this year. The two-homer game was the second of the season for McKenry with his other coming against Portland at home on June 26. In that game, he went 4-for-4 with two homers, two runs scored and three RBI.

The home run parade continued for the Sox in the seventh when Kaz Matsui ripped his second homer of the season, a solo shot, to right off reliever Adalberto Mendez to push the score to 10-1. The homer was the fifth of the game for the Sox setting a new season-high for a game this year.

New Orleans would take on three more runs on a two-run homer by Lamb in the eighth and an RBI groundout by Maybin but it wouldn't be enough as the Sox pen held the Z's at bay.

Game two of the series is set for 7:05 PM (MDT) tomorrow night with the Sky Sox sending out RH Jhoulys Chacin (3-1, 1.86) to face RH Tom Mastny (3-2, 2.83).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 4, 2010


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