Tough-luck Heard takes first defeat

Published on August 12, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Shreveport-Bossier Captains News Release


SHREVEPORT, La. - The Shreveport-Bossier Captains righty Jimmy Heard has not pitched any differently since being named the American Association's pitcher of the month in July, but what has changed is his run support. In his first seven starts, Heard was 6-0, the Captains won the only other game, and they averaged nearly seven runs per game for him. But in his last three starts, the righty has only been given a combined four runs of support, with Heard going 0-1 in that stretch despite allowing only three runs (two earned) in 17 innings.

The latest of those games was Wednesday night, when the Fort Worth Cats plated an unearned run in the sixth and saw four pitchers combine for a five-hit shutout in a 3-0 win in front of 1,176 fans at Fair Grounds Field. The loss gave Heard (6-1) his first professional defeat, despite allowing only the one run in his 5 2/3 innings.

Ryan Riddle (5-6) was dominant through six innings, allowing only three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. He faced only one major jam, loading the bases in the third inning on two two-out hits and a walk. But Christopher Garcia bounced the first pitch to second to end the inning. Riddle gave up only three other baserunners, and had one of them, Richard Paz in the first, caught stealing on a strikeout by Garcia to end that frame.

Meanwhile, Heard ran into a little trouble in the third and fourth, allowing two runners on in each frame but escaped both situations quickly. In the sixth, however, he allowed a one-out single to John Allen, who moved to third on a pair of passed balls. After a walk to Michael Bell, Ryan Patterson hit a grounder deep in the shortstop hole. Angelo Fermin could only get one out on the play, allowing Allen to come in to score and break the scoreless tie.

Fort Worth (46-34, 16-16 2nd half) tacked on a couple of insurance runs against Matt Petty in the eighth, with the Cats bullpen shutting it down after Riddle departed.

Gary Lee gave up a pair of singles in the seventh while it was still 1-0, but struck out Fermin and got Bryan Sabatella to ground out to end the inning. Then Ryan Trytten and Scott Vander Weg each pitched an inning with two groundouts and a strikeout, with Vander Weg getting Dwayne White to swing and miss for the 10th and final Captains strikeout on the night and his fourth save of the season.

Notes: This was the first time this season that the Captains (39-41, 17-14) and their opponent were scoreless through five. There were two other times that there were combined shutouts through four, ironically both in Heard wins at home against Pensacola, in his debut on June 27 and also on July 15...The 3-through-6 hitters in the Captains order were a combined 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts...This was the fourth time that the Captains have been shut out this season, and the second at Fair Grounds Field.

The Shreveport-Bossier Captains have Thursday off before heading to Texas to take on the Grand Prairie AirHogs in a three-game series starting on Friday, August 14 at 7:05 p.m. The Captains return home on Monday, August 17 for Jose Cuervo Presents Margarita Monday, with half-priced margaritas all night long for the start of a pivotal three-game series against first-place Pensacola. Game time is at 7:05 p.m. All games are broadcast on ESPN Radio, KRMD-1340 AM and streamed live on supertalk1340.com, with streaming video provided by NiftyTV on www.sbcaptains.com for all home games and select road games. For information on tickets, promotions, advertising, and other opportunities with the Captains, check out the team's Web site at www.sbcaptains.com, or call the Fair Grounds Field office at (318) 636-5555.

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American Association Stories from August 12, 2009


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