Captains pummeled by Loons 17-6

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Lake County Sentinel

Captains pummeled by Loons 17-6

BY TIM SHIRER

CAPTAINS BEAT WRITER

(EASTLAKE, OH) – Tuesday night the Lake County Captains returned to Classic Park in first place in the High-A Central Eastern Division and one game out of the final High-A Central playoff spot. The top two teams regardless of division. The Captains lost outfielder George Valera who was promoted to Double-A Akron on Monday. Valera had been the Captains hottest hitter the last month, but the Indians sent the Captain some reinforcements as first baseman Bobby Bradley and left fielder Harold Ramirez have joined the team starting tonight on injury rehab assignments. Both will play at least two games with the Captains before a decision is made on whether they are ready to rejoin the Indians. Both guys hope to be back with the big club by the weekend. Unfortunately for those in attendance at Classic Park the Loons took out some of their recent offensive frustrations on the Captains pitchers, pummeling Lake County 17-6.

Things did not go well for Captains starter Kevin Coulter as he lasted only one and one third giving up five runs all earned on four hits. He issued two base on balls and struck out one batter. Things were no better for Zach Draper as he gave up nine more runs, all earned in four and one thirds innings on five hits and one base on balls. He also struck out four. Six of the eight hits Draper surrendered were home runs and that is a Captains record for a single pitcher as the team record was six.

With two outs in the sixth inning Draper’s night ended after 89 pitches. Kellen Rholl relieved Draper and did not record an out. His night might have been the worst of the Captains first three pitchers. He gave up three runs, all earned on one base hits, three base on balls and hit two batters. Rholl threw 26 pitches, eight were strikes. Two of the 26 pitches went behind the batter.

Bradley and Ramirez each had two at bats before leaving the game as scheduled. Bradley struck out looking in his first at bat and went down swinging in his second at bat. Ramirez lined out to center field in his first at bat and grounded out to first base in his second at bat.

The Captains first run came in the third inning when Raynel Delgado singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on the play courtesy of a throwing error by Great Lakes starting pitcher Jesus Vargas. Delgado then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Gianpaul Gonzalez singled to right field.

The Captains tallied another run in the sixth inning when Joe Naranjo replaced Bradley at first base and poked his fifth home run of the season over the right center field fence to close the deficit to 17-2.

The Captains put two more runs on the board in the seventh inning when they chipped away at the Loons lead with two more runs. Gonzalez drew a one out base on balls followed by a Quentin Holmes strikeout and another base on balls by Wilfri Peralta to put men on first and second. Peralta pinch hit for Jose Tena. After the Loons made a pitching change Naranjo singled and Gonzalez came home with Lake County’s third run. Jonathan Rodriguez then singled driving home Peralta and cutting the Loons lead to 13 runs.

The Captains once more cut into the lead with two runs in the eighth inning when bases were loaded, and Peralta poked a single to right field driving in the final two runs of the contest for Lake County.

Vargas picked up the win for the Loons and improves to 6-5 with a 4.70 ERA. Coulter took the loss for Lake County and falls to 7-4 with a 6.06 ERA. The Captains used six pitchers in the game. They threw a total of 219 and both teams threw a total of 387 pitches in the contest.

The Captains are now tied for first with the Loons and are a game and a half behind Cedar Rapids who was postponed due to rain.

The Captains and Loons will play game two of the series on Wednesday night. Gavin Stone will be on the mound for the Loons. Stone, a righthander is 0-0 with a 13.50 ERA. Tanner Burns will be on the mound for Lake County. Burns also a righthander is 2-4 with a 3.84 ERA.