Error leads to Fresno’s 3-1 win over Sky Sox
More often than not, miscues at Security Service field are masked by massive run totals.
Jonathan Herrera picked the wrong day to be the exception.
Herrera’s boot at shortstop on a potential double play cleared the path for a three-run eighth as Fresno beat the Sky Sox 3-1 in a rare pitcher’s duel.
“It looked like he just kind of got caught in between which hop he wanted to take,” Sky Sox manager Stu Cole said. “He tried to go after that short hop and it kicked up on him.”
The error, which occurred with nobody out and a man on first, put two on for Grizzlies first baseman John Bowker, who responded with a two-run double that proved to be the game-winner.
“In that situation it was just my job to get one guy in there with less than two outs,” Bowker said. “It just worked out that I got both in.”
Bowker later scored the game’s fourth and final run on a single from Ryan Rohlinger. Since April 30, the average Sky Sox home game had seen 16.9 runs cross the plate – with none coming in under 10 runs.
The late developments meant no-decisions for Sky Sox starting pitcher Matt Belisle and his Fresno counterpart, Kevin Pucetas.
Pucetas, 5-1 this year and the winner of 15-of-18 decisions since the beginning of 2008, held the Sky Sox to three hits and six innings.
Belisle was even more effective, tossing six shutout innings while scattering six hits. The veteran of 146 major-league games needed just 58 pitches.
Belisle gave the Sky Sox a legitimate shot at their first home shutout of the season, but Cole opted to go to his bullpen.
“He hasn’t really been out there starting that much, maybe only going two, three innings,” Cole said. “For him to go six like he did was really a plus for us.”
Sky Sox catcher Austin Rauch – called up from extended spring training for his first action above rookie ball – made the most of what figures to be a brief opportunity by calling a solid game with Belisle and driving in the only run for Colorado Springs when he singled in Dan Ortmeier in the second inning.
Rauch was brought in as an extra body after the Rockies took two Sky Sox catchers – Paul Phillips and Edwin Bellorin – to fill needs as Chris Iannetta rehabs from an injury and Yorvit Torrealba spends time on the restricted list to deal with a family issue.”It’s just nice to be in the lineup,” Rauch said. “I wasn’t really expecting anything.”
Damian Moss (5-2) suffered the loss for the Sky Sox (31-21), giving up three runs – one earned – while recording just two outs.Keiichi Yabu (1-1) was the winner for Fresno (30-23).
NoteIannetta is expected to start today
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