West Michigan WhiteCaps at Michigan BattleCats
April 4th, 2002
| West Michigan |
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0 |
1 |
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0 |
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0 |
1 |
0 |
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2 |
10 |
1 |
| Michigan |
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0 |
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0 |
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2 |
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E-Kelly, LOB WM-8, MIC-4, SB-Lentini, Self, CS-Francia, Gonzalez, HBP-Rodriguez, SACB-Francia, GIDP-Checksfield
HB-Petty, WP-Petty 2, PB-Rabelo, SO-Francia 2, Gonzalez, Durham 3, Rabelo 2, Mattle, Tejeda, Yount 2, Kelley, Lentini, Conrad, Checksfield, Lydic 2, Hodges 2, Stegall, BB-Tejeda, Kelly, Self 2
T-2:16, A-1,042
Battle Creek Enquirer
by Howie Magner
About the only guy not happy with Mike Burns' pitching performance was Mike Burns.
While snow flurries and 30 degree weather chased off many of the 1,042 who paid to be at C.O. Brown Stadium on Opening Night, Michigan's Burns was living up to his name, smoking through the West Michigan lineup. His six innings of work netted nine strikeouts, not to mention praise from both managers, while allowing zero walks and just one run Thursday.
But that was on more run than Burns' Battle Cats could score, as West Michigan's Chad Petty and two other WhiteCaps pitched combined on a two hit 2-0 victory. The loss dropped Michigan to 2-6 in season openers and 4-4 in home openers.
"I just got outpitched," said Burns, who began his second consecutive season with the Cats. "You hate to get back with a loss."
But nobody was blaming the loss on Burns. Though he gave up Juan Francia's bloop single to left on the season's first pitch and saw three consecutive singles lead to the season's first run, Burns (0-1) would've earned a win on most days. Of the six hits against him, three came on bloopers, that dropped just beyond the infield.
"It was a great outing by Burns," said Michigan manager John Massarelli, whose team gets another chance against the 1-0 WhiteCaps today at 6:30 pm in a game to be followed by fireworks. "He's a guy that deserves to be out of this league, and he ouls be if we had a High-A team."
Michigan (0-1) even had a chance to cut down the lone run Burns game up. With two outs and runners on first and second, Andy Yount slapped a ball into short rightfield that was fielded by Steve Checksfield. A good throw from the Michigan right fielder would've nailed Jason Knoedler at the plate, but it was up the third base line and the WhiteCaps had their 1-0 lead.
That was enough for Petty (1-0) who took a no hitter into the fourth, where Todd Self broke it up with a bloop single to left. Petty ended the threat by getting Checksfield to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play, on of three twin killings the WhiteCaps turned.
"Our defense was really good tonight and both pitchers threw the ball really well," WhiteCaps manager Phil Regan said. Michigan's best chance to tie the game came in the seventh inning after Petty went to the dugout with a line that included six innings, six strikeouts, a hit and a walk.
Self drew a walk from reliever Jerrod Fuell, went to second on a passed ball and took third on Checksfield's groundout. But Fuell escaped the jam with consecutive strikeouts of Joe Lydic and Kerry Hodges, then later gave way to Landon Stockman, who pitched a perfect ninth for the save.