Spinners Lose Their Way
September 3, 2013 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Lowell Spinners News Release
ABERDEEN, MD. - The Lowell Spinners fought back to take a three-run lead, but a three-run Scott Kalush home run erased the lead and it was Kalush who scored on a third strike wild pitch to give the Aberdeen IronBirds an 8-7 lead that would hold as the final score Tuesday night at Ripken Stadium.
It was a costly loss for the Spinners who had an opportunity to control their own destiny heading into the season's final game, as the Wild Card leading Jamestown Jammers had lost to the State College Spikes earlier in the evening. Tri-City had previously defeated the Brooklyn Cyclones to clinch the Stedler Division title.
The Spinners now need to not only win Wednesday at Aberdeen, but also hope for a Jammers loss to the Spikes. A win by the Jammers or loss by the Spinners will spell the end of the Spinners' playoff hopes.
Aberdeen (39-32) jumped on the Spinners early, scoring three in the first inning on a three-run home run by Manny Hernandez, giving the Birds an early 3-0 lead.
Facing rehabbing Major League pitcher Jason Hammel, the Spinners were able to scratch out a run in the third inning. Nathan Minnich led off the inning with a single and was replaced at first by Deiner Lopez after a force out. Lopez would steal second, take third on a passed ball and score on a Carlos Asuaje RBI single.
The IronBirds would add a run in the fourth inning after Mario Alcantara came out of the bullpen. Back-to-back singles by Hernandez and Tanner Rust led off the inning and on a double steal Jake Romanski's throw ended up in left field, scoring Hernandez and increasing the lead to 4-1.
With Hammel done after four, Lowell (40-32) would get to Austin Urban for two innings in the fifth. A one-out triple by Mike Meyers led off the inning and Asuaje promptly doubled him in, before scoring from second on a throwing error by Frederico Castagnini to pull the Spinners within one, 4-3.
The Spinners would take the lead in the sixth inning, taking advantage of some shaky Aberdeen defense. A one-out triple by Aaron King got things started. After a Romanski strikeout, the Spinners got things rolling when Minnich reached on a fielding error by Ronarsy Ledesma that allowed King to score. Lopez followed with a bunt single and Meyers grounded into what should have been an inning ending forceout, but the ball was thrown away by Justin Viele and Minnich and Lopez scored. An RBI single by Asuaje would score Meyers, giving the Spinners a 7-4 lead.
The lead was short lived however as Alcantara gave up a three-run home run to Kalush before being lifted for Elis Jimenez, who escaped the inning with the score tied at seven.
The Spinners wasted a golden opportunity in the seventh, unable to score after a leadoff triple by Wendell Rijo. The IronBirds made them pay in the eighth when Kalush was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He took second on a wild pitch by Jimenez. After a strikeout, Joe Gunkel came on and induced a groundout before striking out Chance Cisco for what should have been the final out. The ball however got past Romanski and Kalush scored the go-ahead run.
The Spinners would get Manuel Margot to second with two outs, but Danny Bethea flew out to end the game and put the team's playoff hopes on life support.
Asuaje and Rijo paced the offense atop the line-up, each with three hit nights. King had a hit and two walks, while both Lopez and Meyers from the bottom of the line-up.
Teddy Stankiewicz started and allowed three runs on five hits, the Hernandez home run doing all the damage. He struck out two in three innings. Alcantara followed, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks in 2.1 innings. Making his Spinners debut, Jimenez (0-1, 4.50) was charged with the loss, allowing a run on one hit in two innings, striking out one. Gunkel recorded three outs in two-thirds of an inning, striking out two.
With their season on the line, the Spinners send Corey Littrell (0-3, 2.03) to the mound for a 7:05 first pitch. The Jammers will have a head start, hosting the Spikes with a 6:05 first pitch.
New York-Penn League Stories from September 3, 2013
- Voit's Late Hit Gives Spikes 3-1 Win over Jammers - State College Spikes
- CT Native Milone Leads Renegades to Victory - Norwich Sea Unicorns
- Home Runs Fly in 5-1 Renegades Win - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Aberdeen Scores 8-7 Win Over Lowell - Aberdeen IronBirds
- Spinners Lose Their Way - Lowell Spinners
- Scrappers Flirt with Perfection while Splitting Twinbill - Mahoning Valley Scrappers
- Connecticut Tigers Set Franchise Marks for Attendance - Norwich Sea Unicorns
- Game Notes: Spinners at IronBirds - Aberdeen IronBirds
- State College Spikes Game Notes - September 3 at Jamestown - State College Spikes
- Scrappers Increase Average Attendance - Mahoning Valley Scrappers
- Conor Bierfeldt Named New York-Penn League Player of the Week - Aberdeen IronBirds
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