Yankees lose final game, series to Wizards

Published on June 27, 2004 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Southwest Michigan Devil Rays News Release


BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — The Battle Creek Yankees were unable to split the four-game series with the Fort Wayne Wizards, losing 8-4 Sunday afternoon in Midwest League action at C.O. Brown Stadium. The Wizards took three of the four games to open the second half of the season.

Each team scored a run in the first inning. Jordan Pickens singled with two outs off Yankees starter Abel Gomez and scored on Fernando Valenzuela's double. The Yankees tied the game 1-1 in the bottom half off Wizards starter Chris Tierney. Enrique Cruz walked to lead off and took third on Erold Andrus' single. Eric Duncan's groundout scored Cruz.

Battle Creek took the lead in the bottom of the fourth for the first time since Friday night. Duncan led off with single and advanced to third when Matt Carson doubled to right field. Jason VanMeetren, in his first game with the Yankees, grounded out to score Duncan, giving Battle Creek a 2-1 advantage. VanMeetren finished with two hits in his Battle Creek debut.

Fort Wayne regained the lead in the seventh inning, scoring four runs (one earned) off Gomez. Matt Brumit relieved Gomez with one out to finish the frame. Gomez pitched 6.1 innings, allowing five runs (two earned), five hits, and two walks while striking out seven. Tierney pitched seven innings for Fort Wayne, giving up two runs, six hits, one walk while striking out six. The Wizards added two more runs (one earned) in the eighth inning off reliever Josh Smith. Battle Creek tried to come back in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two runs off Wizards reliever Paul Abraham. Cruz bunted for a hit with one out, and Andrus followed with another single. Carson's single scored both Yankees, making the score 7-4. Fort Wayne answered with an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning off Heath Castle. That 8-4 score became the final.

Gomez (6-4) took the loss for Battle Creek while Tierney (1-0) got the victory for Fort Wayne. Both teams now head to Fort Wayne for four more games. Game one of that series is Monday night at 8 EDT.

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Midwest League Stories from June 27, 2004


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