Walks, Errors Lead To 18-9 Loss Vs. Ottawa
June 14, 2008 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Worcester Tornadoes News Release
WORCESTER - The Ottawa Rapidz took advantage of 11 walks and five Worcester errors, doubling up the Tornadoes, 18-9, on Saturday evening at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.
The Rapidz opened up the 14-0 lead after the top of the fourth, but the Tornadoes were resilient in cutting the lead to 14-9 before eventually falling by the 18-9 final. In total, the teams combined for 17 walks, only a night after one free pass was assessed. There were also five hit batsmen while only 181 of 350 pitches (52%) were strikes. Worcester also committed a season-high five errors, leading to seven unearned runs.
Every batter in the Ottawa lineup had one hit, except Felix Escalona who finished with three. He led the charge with a 3-for-5 effort, including five RBI and three runs scored. Pete Pirman added four RBI, finishing 1-for-3 with a home run. B.J. Weed was the offensive star for Worcester, racking up five RBI on a double and home run. Mike MacMillan and Chris Colabello each added two hits of their own. Alex Pena was strong in his first outing of the season, pitching three innings while limiting the damage to only two unearned runs.
The Rapidz scored more runs in the first inning than they did all of Friday evening, crossing the plate three times behind three hits and a walk. Juan Infante began the rally with a one-out single. After Jereme Milons flew out, and Jabe Bergeron walked, Kyle Geiger gave Ottawa its first run with a bloop in front of Weed. Escalona followed with a double down the left field line to score Bergeron and Geiger.
Ottawa extended its lead to 7-0 with a four-spot in the third. Worcester could have minimized the damage when Juan Salas was caught with Escalona at second base following a double, but Chuck Jeroloman's attempt to erase Salas got by Colabello, allowing the Rapidz' fourth run to cross the plate. Things went from bad to worse when Pirman blasted a no-doubt three-run home run to left field.
Both offenses were strong in the fourth inning, touching four separate pitchers for 13 runs. In total, 22 hitters came to the plate (12 for Ottawa, 10 for Worcester), taking 82 pitches while drawing seven walks. Escalona started it all with a bloop double down the right field line, scoring Milons for the 8-0 advantage. The Rapidz followed with a walk, hit batter, walk, and two errors to up their lead to 13-0. Milons doubled in his second at-bat of the inning, scoring Jose De Los Santos for the 14-0 lead.
The Tornadoes wouldn't say die, answering with six runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Alex Trezza drove in the first run with a groundout. Later in the inning, Brett Thaler swatted his first professional hit, driving in Francisco Caraballo for his first-career RBI. MacMillan followed with a two-run double to make it 14-4. Weed finished the scoring with a long two-run double to left-center field, scoring MacMillan and Thaler for the 14-6 score.
In the sixth inning, Weed drove in Worcestester's seventh, eighth, and ninth runs with a long home run to center field, drawing the Tornadoes ever-closer at 14-9. But Ottawa answered with a home run of their own, a two-run shot by Escalona in the seventh to make it 16-9. The Rapidz tacked on two more runs in the ninth, converting five Jake Ociesa walks into the 18-9 final.
Worcester closes out its series with Ottawa at 1:05 p.m. on Father's Day Sunday. Shaun McNamara takes the hill looking for his first win of the season! Sponge Bob Square Pants will make an appearance and fans will be able to play catch with their father after the game! For tickets, call the Tornadoes' office at 508-792-2288 or crash the web at worcestertornadoes.com. All games can be heard live on NewsTalk 580 AM and 94.9 FM WTAG and online at www.wtag.com.
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Canadian American League Stories from June 14, 2008
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- Walks, Errors Lead To 18-9 Loss Vs. Ottawa - Worcester Tornadoes
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