Tornadoes win in extras

June 11, 2008 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release


Quebec City, Quebec -- Scott Grimes ripped a home run off the top of the batters eye in dead straightaway centerfield in the top of the 8th inning to snap a 1-1 tie and send the Worcester Tornadoes to a 2-1 extra innings victory over the Quebec Capitales in Game One of the doubleheader at Le Stade Municipal on Wednesday night. The Capitales received a dominating pitching performance from RHP Luis Valdez and earned the twinbill split, taking Game Two, 9-0.

In Game One, both Worcester lefty Tom Cochran (3-0) and Quebec righty Erick Nadon were on their game. The Tornadoes struck first for an unearned run in the 3rd inning, using a single, an error and a Grimes sacrifice fly to go up 1-0. But Quebec would tie it in the bottom of the 4th when Patrick Deschenes started things by lacing a Cochran pitch on a line over the rightfield wall, tying the game at 1-1. The teams remained deadlocked through the scheduled seven innings and went into extra innings still tied at 1-1. In the top of the 8th, Grimes quickly untied it, hitting his long home run to center off lefty reliever Felix Arellan (0-1) to put Worcester up 2-1. John Birtwell closed things out in the 8th with a perfect frame for the save. Cochran (3-0) allowed just the one earned run in 7 innings pitched for the Win and Arellan (0-1) took the Loss. Birtwell recorded his 4th Save in as many chances.

In game two, costly errors doomed the Tornadoes early, as an Omar Pena miscue at shortstop allowed 3 unearned runs to score off Matt Weagle (4-1) in a four-run 2nd inning. The Capitales tacked on three more in the 3rd, as a Weagle throwing error made one of those runs unearned. Quebec added two more runs (one earned) in the 6th off lefty Jake Ociesa, as another error at shortstop factored prominently in the scoring. In all, five of the Capitales nine runs on the night were unearned. Meanwhile, Quebec righty Luis Valdez (4-0) was brilliant, going the distance in a complete game one-hit shutout. The Tornadoes only hit was a Scott Grimes single with one out in the 1st inning. Valdez (4-0) was the winner and Weagle (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season.

The Tornadoes finish up their Canadian trip at an even 3-3 and sit in second place, 1.5 games behind Quebec, heading into Thursday's off-day. Worcester will be back in action to start a six-game, seven-day homestand on Friday night, hosting the Ottawa Rapidz in the first game of a three-game weekend series. Righty Junior Guerrero is scheduled to make the start for Worcester. First pitch is set for 6:05pm.



Canadian American League Stories from June 11, 2008


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