Somehow this team just always seems to find a way to lose, wether it be by errors, or whatever they always seem to be able to find a way to lose. Today they lost 5-3 to the Lansing Lugnuts, despite five good innings from starter Derek Tharpe.
Tharpe gave up one hit and one run in five innings. He also struck out four and walked one. The only problem is that he pitched six innings in all. In the sixth he gave up three runs on four hits.
Lansing got on the board first in the top of the first inning with a run. With one out, Curtis Thigpen singled to center, he then went to second on a wild pitch. He would get to third on another wild pitch. Eric Nielsen then grounded out to second, on the play Thigpen would score.
The Cougars actually came back, in the bottom of the inning and would take the lead, with two runs of their own. Kevin Melillo led off with a walk. Ryan Ruiz then singled to left. Both runners would advance after Lugnut pitcher Kyle Yates tried to pick off Melillo at second and threw the ball into centerfield. Javier Herrera then walked, which loaded the bases. Raul Padron followed with another walk, this time Melillo would score to tie the game. Myron Leslie then hit a fly to center. Ruiz tagged and scored, Herrera tagged at second and went to third. Jose Pineda then grounded into the inning ending double play.
The Cougars had a chance in the second inning to add some more runs but wouldn't be able to. With one out, Tommy Everidge beat out a grounder deep in the hole at short for a single. One out later, Kevin Melillo singled to center. First and second with two outs. Ruiz popped out to right to end the inning.
Agian, this time in the fifth the Cougars would leave two runners on. With one out, Melillo walked. Ruiz then was caught looking. Herrera would walk. Padron would be caught staring at strike three to end the inning.
Kane County did score once more in the game, in the seventh inning they got a run. Everidge led off with a single to right, he would get to second on a wild pitch. Nick Blasi then singled to center to get Everidge to third. Melillo followed with a single to center to score Everidge. Ruiz then put down the sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with one out. The Lugnuts then brought in a reliever, Jordy Templete came in for Juan Perez. He would strike out Herrera looking for the second out. Padron then grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Cougars had one more chance for runs in the eighth inning. Myron Leslie led off by drawing a walk. Jose Pineda then was caught looking. Eddie Kim popped out to center for the second out. Everidge then hit one to the warning track in right to end the inning.
Lansing's big inning came in the sixth off of Tharpe when they scored three runs. With two outs, Jason Armstrong singled to left. Curtis Thigpen followed with a triple off the right field wall to score Armstrong. Erik Nielsen then singled to left to score Thigpen. Nielsen then stole second base. David Hicks singled to center to score Nielsen. Hicks then stole second base. Luke Hetherington walked, to put runners on first and second with two outs. Corey Patton then grounded out to second to end the inning.
In the ninth the Lugnuts added a run. With two outs, Juan Peralta singled to center, he then stole second and third base. On the steal of third, catcher Raul Padron's throw went into left field and Peralta was able to walk home. Armstrong then walked. Thigpen singled to right. Reliever Robert Semerano then was able to get Nielsen to line to right to end the inning.
Tharpe did a nice job, after the single to Thigpen int he first he retired the next eight, five on ground outs. In the fourth inning he gave up a leadoff walk to Thigpen. Derek was then able to get Nielsen to ground into a double play,and get Hicks on a strike out to get out of the inning.
The bullpen had to get out of some trouble also. Keith Perez came on to start the seventh inning, and walked Ryan Klosterman. Klosterman then stole second base. Perez then got David Carrente to strike out. Peralta to fly out, and Armstrong to ground out to strand Klosterman at second. In the eighth inning the pen had to get out of more trouble. Perez, gave up a lead off singleto Thigpen. He was then able to strike out Nielsen and get Hicks to ground out to third. That put Thigpen on second with two outs. Luke Hetherington then walked. Cougar manager Dave Joppie then went and got Clay Tichota to face Patton. Clay would strike him out of six pitches to get out of trouble.
Lugnuts
| Name |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| Jason Armstrong |
3B |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Curtis Thigpen |
DH |
4 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
| Eric Nielsen |
RF |
5 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| David Hicks |
1B |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Luke Hetherington |
CF |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Corey Patton |
LF |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Ryan Klosterman |
SS |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| David Corrente |
C |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Juan Peralta |
2B |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Cougars
| Name |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
| Kevin Melillo |
2B |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
| Ryan Ruiz |
SS |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Javier Herrera |
CF |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Raul Padron |
C |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Myron Leslie |
3B |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Jose Pineda |
RF |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Eddie Kim |
DH |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Tommy Everidge |
1B |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| Nick Blasi |
LF |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
E-Yates, Padron, LOB-Lugnuts-7, Cougars-8, RLISP-Lugnuts-4, Cougars-5, 3B-Thigpen, SB-Nielsen, Klosterman, Peralta 2, SACB-Ruiz, SACF-Leslie, DP-Nielsen (Tharpe)(4-6-3), Pineda (Yates)(6-4-3)
| Lansing |
|
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
8 |
1 |
| Kane County |
|
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
6 |
1 |
Lugnuts
| Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decison |
WP |
BK |
HB |
AB |
BF |
GB |
FB |
NP |
S |
| Kyle Yates |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
W (3-3) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
22 |
2 |
5 |
96 |
52 |
| Juan Perez |
1.1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
ND |
1 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
26 |
16 |
| Jordy Templet |
1.2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
17 |
11 |
| Joey McLaughlin |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
SV (2) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
13 |
8 |
Cougars
| Name |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decison |
WP |
BK |
HB |
AB |
BF |
GB |
FB |
NP |
S |
| Derek Tharpe |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
L (1-3) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
23 |
25 |
8 |
3 |
88 |
54 |
| Keith Perez |
1.2+1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
37 |
18 |
| Clay Tichota |
0.1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
| Robert Semerano |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
ND |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
28 |
15 |
PB-Padron, SO-Nielsen, Hicks, Patton, Corrente, Peralta, Herrera, Padron, Leslie 2, Kim 2, Blasi, Kc-Armstrong, Hetherington, Klosterman, Ruiz, Herrera, Pineda, BB-Armstrong, Hetherington 2, Klosterman, Melillo 2, Herrera 2, Padron, Leslie
This was the biggest crowd so far this season by almost a 1000 people.
Notes-I dont know what it is but every time the Professor goes up to get a beer or something today the Lugnuts scored a run. I havent quiet figuered out if it is just a coincidence or something
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Thanks
David Malamut