Wingnuts down Cats 4-2
August 14, 2009 - American Association (AA)
Fort Worth Cats News Release
Michael Thompson's seventh-inning two-run double lifted the Wichita Wingnuts over the Cats 4-2 in front of 4, 263 fans on Friday at LaGrave Field.
The win for the Wingnuts was their first in four attempts against the Cats this season.
In a battle of the first-half division winners, the game was scoreless until the sixth inning as starters Nat Harris and Derek Blacksher exchanged zeros.
The Wingnuts would score first as shortstop Brennan Herrera walked to lead off the top of the sixth. He then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by Kelley Gulledge. The next batter, Josh Horn, singled to center, scoring Herrera for a 1-0 Wichita lead.
The Cats would tie the game 1-1 as Isa Garcia started the bottom of the sixth with a walk. New Cats' left fielder Kevin Thompson moved Garcia to second with a sacrifice bunt and then Brian Fryer singled to center to bring home Garcia and knot the game at one.
Wichita, however, took the lead in the seventh with three runs against Cats' reliever Dan Grybash. After Harris had gone six innings and allowed just one run, Grybash walked the leadoff man Dustan Mohr. One out later, Stephen Pearson singled, followed by Thompson's two-run double to left for a 3-1 Wingnuts lead.
They added another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Herrera for a 4-1 advantage.
The Cats would come a run closer in the eighth as Thompson, a graduate of Western Hills High School in Fort Worth who appeared in 41 major league games for the Yankees and Athletics between 2006-2007, smacked a solo homer against reliever Justin Young to narrow the lead to 4-2.
Young would retire the next three hitters and then Doug Hurn finished off the game with a scoreless ninth as he recorded his third save of the season. Blacksher (10-2) became the league's first 10-game winner as he permitted just one run on five hits in seven innings of work.
Grybash (6-2) suffered the loss as he allowed three runs in two-thirds innings of work.
Fryer's 2-for-4 night extended his hitting streak to 26 games, two shy of matching his 28-game streak from earlier this season.
The Cats and Wingnuts meet again on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Joel Kirsten (9-4) will pitch for Fort Worth with Brad Davis (8-5) on the hill for Wichita.
American Association Stories from August 14, 2009
- American Association Recap - AA
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- Wingnuts down Cats 4-2 - Fort Worth Cats
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