RICHARD'S HR LEADS BULLS PAST PIGS 5-4
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| LHP Antonio Bastardo Fans Eleven In Triple-A Debut |
| BOX SCORE |
| Mike Koplove went fifteen straight games without allowing an earned run when he took the mound in the ninth inning on a rainy Saturday evening at Coca-Cola Park. When he exited, he allowed two-runs, both earned, which came off the bat of Chris Richard, who launched a two-run home run in the top of the ninth, as the Durham Bulls went on to beat the IronPigs 5-4. |
| The blown save by Koplove, his first of the season, spoiled a solid outing from LHP Antonio Bastardo, who had a Triple-A debut to remember. Promoted from Reading (AA) on Thursday, Bastardo fanned eleven batters over six solid innings, and allowed three runs and two walks. Bastardo, who is rated as the number eleven prospect in the Phillies system by Baseball America, was 2-2 with 2 saves and a 1.82 ERA for the Reading Phillies in 2009. |
| The IronPigs scored first, and they did so in the bottom of the first inning against Durham starter Jason Childers. With Pablo Ozuna on first base, and two outs, Andy Tracy doubled in Ozuna for the team's first run of the game. After one inning, the 'Pigs were up by a score of 1-0. |
| One inning later, in the bottom of the second, 'Pigs DH David Newhan stepped to the plate and launched his second home run of the season, giving Lehigh Valley a 2-0 lead. One batter later, Lou Marson stepped to the plate, and he hit his first-career Triple-A home run, and the 'Pigs were now up by a score of 3-0. The back-to-back home runs by Newhan and Marson, were the first back-to-back home runs by IronPigs hitters in 2009. The 'Pigs would score one more run in the inning on an RBI double from Jason Donald, and they were ahead at that point 4-0. |
| In the top of the fifth, with the 'Pigs leading the Bulls 4-0, Bastardo began to have some trouble. After tossing four shutout innings, Bastardo had two runners on base and two outs, when Durham RF Jon Weber stepped to the plate. Weber, who hit thirteen home runs last year for Durham, launched a three-run home run off Bastardo, and the Bulls were down at that point by a score of 4-3. The home run for Weber was his third of the season. |
| Steven Register, who was added to the IronPigs roster yesterday, tossed a shutout inning in the seventh in his first appearance as an IronPig in 2009. Register, was followed by Tyler Walker, who was activated off the disabled list before the game. Walker, who was out since May 6, extended his scoreless innings streak to twelve, as he tossed a shutout inning for the 'Pigs in the eighth. |
| In the ninth, with the 'Pigs ahead 4-3, manager Dave Huppert handed the ball to Koplove, who had been as consistent as a closer could get in 2009. After retiring Matt Joyce on a groundout to second base, Koplove hit Joe Dillon to put the tying-run on first base. With the rain falling, Koplove then allowed the game-winner, a two-run home run to Richard, which ended his fifteen straight scoreless games streaked, and put the Bulls on top by a score of 5-4. Winston Abreu (2-0) pitched the final two innings to earn the victory for Durham. |
| With the loss, the 'Pigs fell to 16-25 on the season, and will look to split the series with Durham on Sunday in the series finale. Taking the ball for Lehigh Valley on Sunday will be Carlos Carrasco (0-5, 6.31). Carrasco will look to halt his personal four-game losing skid, in which he's gone 0-4 with a 9.82 ERA during that four-game span. The 22-year-old lefty allowed three runs in six innings in a no-decision on May 17 against Gwinnett at Coca-Cola Park. |
| Taking the ball for Durham in the finale will be RHP Wade Davis (4-1, 3.10). Davis, the 2007 Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Year, picked up his fourth win of the season on May 18 in his last outing of the season. In the game, against the Rochester Red Wings, Davis tossed 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just two hits, and one walk. |
| Single-game tickets, mini-plan packages and group tickets for all IronPigs home games presented by Capital BlueCross, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Coca-Cola Park Ticket Office, online at www.ironpigsbaseball.com or by calling (610) 841-PIGS. |
| Matt Provence and Jon Schaeffer will have the call beginning at 1:05 p.m. for the AT&T pre-game show on the IronPigs Radio Network, ESPN Radio 1230-1320 AM. The game will also be televised along the IronPig Television Network powered by Service Electric Cable TV & Communications. |
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