Link Report for Saturday 7/11 - Peralta's Link Report Return; Monte Harrison exits (back)

[Mass Haas]

Final: Oklahoma City 7, Colorado Springs 3

 

OKC Pulls Away Late In Sox 7-3 Loss

Colorado Springs' Offense Can't Keep Up as Dodgers Secure Series Win

By Ed Pearsall / Colorado Springs Sky Sox

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/5/1/8/125047518/cuts/05_17_057sm_pk_dk8wk6wp_qxhyg32p.jpg

 

Logan Schafer scored the Sox first run in the fourth before driving in a run of his own on a sac fly in the sixth in Colorado Springs' 7-3 loss. (Photo by Paat Kelly)

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The Sox battled the Dodgers in a tight contest early until OKC took advantage of the Colorado Springs bullpen in the latter frames in a 7-3 loss before a Saturday night crowd of 6,993 at Security Service Field.

 

Sox starter Josh Roenicke (4-7, 5.63) allowed three runs on nine hits while striking out two and walking none over a solid 5.2 innings of work. After a 1-2-3 first inning, Roenicke would begin the second by giving up back-to-back solo blasts to OKC's four-five combination of Chris Heisey and Andy Wilkins before settling down to work out of the inning with his team trailing 2-0.

 

Colorado Springs scratched their first run across in the home fourth against Dodgers starter Zach Lee (6-3, 2.34). Logan Schafer led off the inning with a double before moving to third on a Jason Rogers single in the next at-bat. Lee followed by getting Matt Dominguez to ground into a run-scoring 6-4-3 double play, allowing Schafer to scurry home from third to cut the Oklahoma City lead to one after four innings of play.

 

Both starters tossed scoreless fifth frames with Lee departing at the inning's conclusion. The recently re-activated Dodgers prospect allowed just the one run on six hits and a walk while striking out one in his five impressive innings of work.

 

Roenicke gave up his final run in the sixth, serving up back-to-back singles by second-inning tormentors Heisey and Wilkins to leadoff the frame before O'Koyea Dickson drilled a one out double to deep center that scored Heisey from second. Wilkins would have crossed the plate too had it not been for an excellent 8-6-2 relay started by Schafer to nab the corner infielder at home for the second out of the inning. Roenicke departed after the defensive gem with a runner on, handing the ball off to Austin Ross who would induce a 6-3 groundout to end the scoring threat and send the Sox into the home half of the sixth trailing 3-1.

 

Elian Herrera would ensure that Colorado Springs answered quickly in the home sixth as the second baseman drilled a leadoff triple to right-center off of Dodger reliever Daniel Coulombe. Schafer immediately followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to center, cutting the OKC lead to 3-2 through six.

 

The Dodger lineup would break through for two more in the seventh to begin the late-inning separation. Ross allowed back-to-back RBI doubles to Crawford and Corey Seager after issuing a one-out walk to Sweeney. The Dodgers held their new 5-2 lead heading into the home eighth where the Sox would tally their final run of the night.

 

Ramon Troncoso took over on the mound for OKC in the eighth after two innings of work for the lefty Coulombe. Pinch-hitter Bryan Petersen led off with a single before coming around to score on a Jason Rogers two-out RBI base knock to pull Colorado Springs within two.

 

David Goforth's scoreless eighth led to Jaye Chapman toeing the rubber in the ninth. The right-hander would allow two hits and a walk to open the frame, though Darnell Sweeney's leadoff double was likely misplayed in the outfield, with Carl Crawford collecting an RBI single and Wilkins adding to a strong night with his second RBI on a sac fly. OKC took a 7-3 lead by the end of the frame; one they would not relinquish as Ryan Buchter closed out the ninth to end the ballgame.

 

Colorado Springs collected 11 total hits with Herrera, Rogers and Dominguez each recording multi-hit nights. The 2-5 hitters in the OKC lineup combined to go 8-for-18 with six RBIs and five runs scored helping the Dodger improve to 56-31 on the season. The Sky Sox fall to 33-54 with the loss.

 

The Sox will look to close out this tough homestand with on a positive note on Sunday afternoon as they wrap up their five-game set with these same Dodgers. Hiram Burgos (1-1, 4.87) leads the way on a special Grateful Dead Day against OKC lefty Rudy Owens (0-2, 3.78) with first pitch set for 1:35 PM (2:35 Central) from Security Service Field.

 

Colorado Springs Box Score

 

Matt Clark still idle, but he looked thrilled in that video, didn't he?

 

Colorado Springs Game Log

[Mass Haas]

By the way, another beautiful backdrop, this one in Orem, Utah...

 

Orem Bottom of the 4th

 

Ranyelmy Mendoza lines out to left fielder Troy Stokes.

Alex Abbott singles on a fly ball to center fielder Monte Harrison.

Helena Brewers center fielder Monte Harrison left the game due to an injured chest.

Defensive Substitution: Omar Cotto replaces center fielder Monte Harrison, batting 2nd, playing right field.

Defensive switch from right field to center field for Carlos Belonis.

Tanner Lubach singles on a line drive to left fielder Troy Stokes. Alex Abbott to 2nd.

Kenny Towns lines out to right fielder Omar Cotto.

Kyle Survance Jr grounds out to first baseman Steven Karkenny.

 

MILB.TV for subscribers: Go to the one hour, three minute mark --

 

Harrison dove forward for the ball, couldn't come up with it, and immediately started reaching for his back while rolling on his belly. Of course, staff immediately rushed out. With Doug Melvin in the ballpark, Harrison would make it to his knees after a few minutes and then eventually stood up. Harrison then started stretching out his torso, but was lifted, walking off on his own. As noted earlier, certainly seems "precautionary", and that a major injury was averted.

 

Also, you get to watch Marcos Diplan for four innings, subscribers...

[igor67]

Brandon Diaz has upped both his walk rate and his ISO for the season to date over last year in Helena. I wouldn't say he is having a good year yet, bet he definitely is showing some development.

[Kelbysdaddy]

Matt didnt seem all that amused by that prank. Even after that guy said it was just a joke, he still looked a bit grumpy about it.

[TheCrew07]

So when I woke up after falling asleep last night waiting on the game story I didn't take the time to add any additional thoughts.

 

Last night Zach Hirsch had major issues with the home plate umpire, like Angel Ventura earlier in the week, and he let it get to him. Zach doesn't have much margin for error as you saw when I posted his velocity in Monday's Link Report. Every "lost" strike is going hurt someone like Hirsch much more than the guys who are working 90+, that's just life. However the Rattlers continually seem to be on the wrong end of this stuff... I've watched enough sports to know that right or wrong bad teams rarely get the marginal calls to go in their direction, and the while the Rattlers have good individual talent they aren't playing well as a team, and their record is accurate reflection of what they've done. What I mean to suggest is that they haven't been unlucky, they've just been really poor in one facet of the game or another which limits the team's margin error. If they pitch well then no one hits, if they hit well then the pitching leaves quite a bit to be desired, and so on... they just aren't putting together many well played contests from all angles.