Dayton Dragons at Clinton Lumberkings
April 19th, 2004
| Dayton |
|
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
2 |
7 |
4 |
| Clinton |
|
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
7 |
X |
|
|
10 |
9 |
0 |
E-Dickerson, Bolivar, Cairns 2, LOB DAY-5, CLI-7, 2B-Smith, Kinsler 2, Bubela, Richardson, Kreuzer, 3B-Dickerson, SB-Himes, Jacobsen, CS-Dickerson, Wishy
WP-Till, Volquez, BB-
Umpires-Nick Monaco, Jesse Redwine
T-3:03, A-543
Clinton Herald
by Jon Gremmels
Leadoff batters aren't expected to come to home plate with the bases loaded very ofter, and Clinton squandered an opportunity to break open the game when it happend in the second inning Monday night.
"You just have to stay positive in those situations where you don't get as many runs as you should have," Clinton shortstop Ian Kinsler said.
Given a second chance in the same situation, Kinsler and his teammated cleared the bases in the eighth inning and turned a close game into a 10-2 rout of Dayton at Alliant Energy Field. Kinsler doubled twice to keep his batting average at .400 and had three runs batted in as the Lumberkings improved to 6-5 on the season.
"I love hitting with people on base," said Kinsler, who has had five multi-hit games this season.
It didn't work out so well the first time he did it though. The Lumberkings were poised for a huge second inning after Kevin Richardson and Josh Kreuzer led off with back to back doubles for a 1-0 lead and a walk to Brock Jacobsen and a one out single by Casey Benjamin loaded the bases for Kinsler. "I was just trying to get the guy in from third, " Kinsler said.
That's all he accomplished too, despite smashing a first pitch slider from Derek Hawk off the base of the wall in left center field. Kreuzer scored easily, but Jacobsen waited at second base to tag up in case the ball was caught while Benjamin and Kinsler were figuering it was a double all the way. With the late start, Jacobsen was held at third base, and that created a traffic jam on the bases as Kinsler was on second base and Benjamin was almost to third base himself. With nowhere to go, Bejamin was tagged out between the bases. Clinton had to settle for just the two runs when second baseman Habelito Hernandez made a nice play on Dane Bubela's ground ball up the middle and recorded the third out.
"Base running could have easily cost us," Clinton manager Carlos Subero said. "Jacobsen shouldn't have gone back to tag with one out, but Benjamin can't assume (the runner ahead of him is going to keep running), either." It almost did cost the Lumberkings their lead a few innings later.
Ahead 3-0, they added a run on a leadoff walk by Jacobsen in the fourth a stole base, a fly ball on which Jacobsen advanced to third base on an error the Lumberkings almost saw the advantage disappear in the top of the sixth inning.
Chris Dickerson, who battered Clinton pitching (10- for 15, plus three walk) in the four game series, was at it again when he hit a long drive to deep right center field off reliever Craig Frydendall with one out in the sixth. The ball appeared to clear the first wall for a home run, but umpire Jesse Redwine ruled it bounced off the wall, and Dickerson wound up with a triple. He scored on Luis Bolivar's groundout.
Joey Votto, Sunday's hero for the Dragons when the knocked in seven runs, kept the inning alive with a single, and Kyle Smith followed with a fly ball that hit high off the center field wall. Votto scored, but Smith was thrown out trying to turn the hit into a triple. Second baseman Benjamin took the throw from centerfielder Juan Senreiso and fired a strike to third baseman Emerson Frostad, who tagged out Smith for the third out.
"He (Smith) lost track of the ball after it hit the wall and slowed down." Dayton manager Alonzo Powell explained. "I thold him when that happends, you've got to shut it down (and stop at second base)."
The out preserved a 3-2 lead for Clinton. The importance of the out was magnifield when the Dragons opened the seventh inning with successive singles by Ben Himes and Ryan Fry. "It never fails that the base ball gods let the next two guys get hits," Powell said, "Who's to say if that would've happened in the same situation (in the sixth), though."
Another base running mistake by Clinton in the seventh inning helped keep it a one run game, but Clinton wrapped up the win with a seven run eighth inning. "We fell behind some hitters in the eighth, and usually that's what happens when you fall behind guys," Powell said of the big inning.
The Lumberkings loaded the bases against Brock Till (1-1) on a leadoff single by Andrew Wishy, followed by back to back walks to Richardson and Kreuzer. Don Gemmell replaced Till, and Jacobsen coaxed his third walk of the game to force in a run. Frostad delivered a two run single to give Clinton a 6-2 lead before Benjamin walked to load the bases for Kinsler.
This time the Lumberkings got more than they deserved. "That time I definately was looking for a fastball and trying to put it away." Kinsler said. Kinsler deposited the ball between the left and centerfielders for what might have been just a two run single. But Kinsler, who lead the Midwest League with nine doubles, wasn't satisfied with a single. "When I was running to second base. i saw the second baseman wasn't even paying attention." he said.
As Kinsler raced to second base, Dickerson, the centerfield, made an off target throw to Hernandez and the wild throw allowed Benjamin to score with the third run on the play. Kinsler, who took third on the throw, then scored the seventh run of the inning on Bubela's groundout for the 10-2 lead.
"Tonight was big for us at home." Kinsler said of the win that gave Clinton a four game split against the Dragons. "You never want someone to come to your house and beat you. Splitting was big. If you can stay around .500 early and then find yourself, it's a positive."
Notes
The Lumberkings begin a four game series aginst Cedar Rapids with a 6pm game today at Alliant Energy Field. It's the first 50 cent hot dog Tueday of the season. The Kernels won three of four again Clinton last week in Cedar Rapids and are tied fro the lead in the Western Division standings. Lefthander Tim Cunningham (0-1, 6.35) gets the start for Clinton. Clinton starter Matt Farnum, Texas' seventh round pick last year, turned in an outstanding performance Monday. He held Dayton hitless, allowing just two walks, while striking out five batters. he left after four innings because of pitch count (63). "He got deep in counts and that cost him a little." Subero said, "but he did a good job," Because he lasted just four innings Farnum didn't qualify for the victory. That went to Frydendall, with his two innings of middle relief.