The bullpens played a big part in yesterdays games as the affiliates split. In New Hampshire the bullpen turned a 6-5 lead with two outs in the ninth into an 8-6 loss. In Dunedin a 6-1 lead for the Jays became 6-5 in a flash. In Syracuse the bullpen had to pitch 7.2 innings after David Purcey had a bad day. In Lansing the bullpen only had to pitch two innings to preserve a 2-0 lead.
Burnett started and got the win yesterday.............that would be Sean Burnett who defeated Syracuse.
David Purcey has had good days and some bad days on the mound, yesterday was a bad one. The game started single, home run, walk, single, walk. Purcey then got three outs while allowing another run and the Chiefs were down 3-0 before they came to bat. The second was only marginally better for Purcey as it went out, single, walk, RBI single and that was the end of the day for Purcey. Ryan Houston came on in releif and pitched very well, 4.2 innings, one hit, no walks and three K's as he lowered his ERA to 2.70.
The Chiefs scored a run in the third on singles by Rob Cosby and Wayne Lydon, and added an unearned run in the sixth. Indy got an unearned run in the eighth and Ryan Roberts answered with a homer but that was as close as the Chiefs could get. Syracuse had only six hits in the game off Sean Burnett and the Indy bullpen, Russ Adams went 0-4.
The teams traded the lead through 8 innings and New Hampshire scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead and took a 6-5 score into the ninth inning and Rodney Ormond quickly got the first two outs. Then the Harrisburg hitter singled which was followed by a home run, then a second home run and now it was 8-6 for Harrisburg. New Hampshire were unable to get a runner on base in the bottom of the ninth and took a tough loss.
Curtis Thigpen was in the lead -off position for the Fisher Cats and singled to lead off the first inning. Edgardo Alfonzo walked and David Smith hit a three run home run to give New Hampshire 1 3-0 lead. Kurt Isenberg started for the Cats and took a 4-3 lead into the sixth when he gave up a 2 run home run to put the Cats down 5-4. Isenberg gave up five runs in 5.1 innings on eight hits and two walks. In the bottom of the seventh Thigpen walked and Adam Lind hit a two run home run to retake the lead and set up the ninth inning collapse.
Thigpen was 2-4 with a walk and scored three times. Lind was 2-5, Eric Kratz had two hits while Alfonzo was 0-2 with two walks.
Bullpen troubles afflicted Dunedin as well, they took a 6-1 lead to the bottom of the eighth. Robert Ray was back after missing time with an injury and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh and got the first out of the eighth before loading the bases on a walk and two singles. Ray got the second out but was pulled for Daryl Harang. Harang gave up a grand slam home run to make it a one run game. Harang then gave up a single to the first batter of the ninth but escaped by getting the next three outs.
Dunedin got off to a hot start when Ryan Klosterman hit his own grand slam in the first inning. Dunedin added two more in the fourth when Robinzon Diaz singled with the bases loaded. Jesse Litsch started and pitched well, four hits, no walks, one unearned run and five K's over six innings. Klosterman was 2-3 with a walk and the grand slam, Diaz also had two hits.
Russell Savickas pitched seven shutout innings although he allowed ten baserunners though six hits and four walks. Savickas got 14 gound balls against 2 fly balls and that led to three double plays. Anthony Hatch got the start as shortstop and was part of two of the DP's.
Lansing scored their first run in the third when Anthony Garibaldi walked, moved to second on a single, and scored from second on a ground out as Fort Wayne tried to turn the DP. Lansing added to their lead in the seventh, Brian Pettway doubled and Hatch singled him in. Pettway had two doubles in four tries, Brian Bormaster was 2-3.
Stars
3 Russell Savickas
2 Jesse Litsch
1 Ryan Klosterman, grand slam
Standings
Syracuse are 21-28, and are in sixth place, 8 games behind Rochester
New Hampshire are 18-29, and are in sixth and last place, 8.5 games behind two teams
Dunedin are 30-20, and are in first place, one game ahead of Fort Myers
Lansing are 30-18, and are in first place, one half game ahead of West Michigan
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