Stars Fall to O-Rays in Series Opener, 5-2

April 7, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Huntsville, AL – For the first time all season, Stars fans could exhale. With electricity filling Joe Davis Stadium throughout the season-opening series against Jacksonville, everyone needed a breather. A Stars laugher would have done nicely. Instead, Orlando's pitching staff quieted things down. The Rays (3-2) took the lead for good in the third, then scored twice in the eighth to salt away a 5-2 win over Huntsville (2-3) on Monday night at Joe Davis Stadium.

The Rays' Jim Magrane made his first start of the season after picking up an earlier win in relief. Magrane surrendered Ryan Knox's first-inning triple and J.J. Hardy's double to plate Knox. After Richard Paz doubled to lead off the second, he scored one out later on Joel Alvarado's sacrifice fly to forge a 2-2 tie. From that point on, Magrane was in command.

Magrane mowed down 13 of the last 16 batters he faced before handing off to reliever Batolome Fortunato. Fortunato tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, and Evan Rust closed out the game for his first save, allowing two hits and no runs in the ninth.

Orlando's offense came from Dan Grummit, who hit a second-inning solo homerun to dead-center and later doubled ahead of Jonny Gomes' opposite-field two-run blast in the eighth. Antonio Perez accounted for the Rays' other tally, singling in a run in the second.

Magrane (2-0) picked up his second win, lasting 5 2/3 innings and permitting two runs on six hits and two walks while fanning five. Stars starter Pedro Liriano (0-1) suffered the loss in his Huntsville debut, giving up three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts in five frames.

The Stars and O-Rays play the first of back-to-back 12:05 p.m. starts on Tuesday at the Joe. The Stars' Ben Diggins (0-1, 3.86) faces the Rays' Jose Veras (0-0, 0.00). Wednesday's game is also a 12:05 start.



Southern League Stories from April 7, 2003


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