Monday, June 29, 2009

Montgomery Biscuits Lose 6-4 To Jacksonville Suns

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

The Jacksonville Suns won a wild ballgame, 6-4, over the Biscuits on Monday afternoon at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

Fernando Cortez delivered the Biscuits their first lead in the first inning, batting with two outs and taking Suns' starter Graham Taylor deep to the bleachers in right field. Cortez's fourth of the season put the Biscuits on top quickly, 1-0.

Just as quickly, the Suns snatched the lead away in the bottom of the inning. Montgomery starter Brandon Mann walked the leadoff man Bryan Petersen and Ryan Klosterman followed with a bunt-single to put two aboard. A batter later, Scott Cousins chipped in RBI double into short left-center field to tie the game, 1-1. Lee Mitchell then gave the Suns the lead with a bouncer to third that Cesar Suarez had no choice on but to go to first. Klosterman scored to give Jacksonville a 2-1 advantage.

Jacksonville added to their lead against Mann in the fourth inning. Lee Mitchell singled to start the inning, and Lorenzo Scott followed with a two-run blast to the bleachers in right-center field for a 4-1 lead.

Three unearned runs allowed the Biscuits to tie the game, 4-4, in the fifth inning. With one out, Desmond Jennings singled and was quickly chased to second base as Brandon Chaves singled behind him. Fernando Cortez sent a high-hopper to second baseman Klosterman that Klosterman misplayed off his chest. He compounded that error by flipping the ball over the head of first baseman Mitchell, allowing Jennings to come in and cut the lead to two, 4-2. Chaves moved to third on the multiple errors and scored when Suarez lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Rashad Eldridge completed the rally with an RBI double to plate Cortez and tie the game, 4-4.

Taylor left after the uprising, not factoring in the decision. He allowed four runs -- one earned -- on five hits. Mann also left following the fifth inning. He did not record a decision, surrendering four runs, all earned, on five hits. Adalberto Mendez for the Suns and Eddie Morlan traded a pair of scoreless innings of relief and the ballgame continued into the eighth tied at four.

After nearly a 20-minute delay due to heat exhaustion suffered by home plate umpire Shaun Barbour, the Suns took the lead with two runs off reliever Mike Wlodarczyk in the eighth inning. Cousins started the game-winning rally with a single. Wlodarczyk then walked Mitchell to put two aboard. Scott attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Matt Spring played the ball to third base and didn't get Cousins loading the bases. Chris De La Cruz followed with a liner to centerfield that Jennings got to quickly. Cousins bluffed from third and returned to the bag, but Mitchell charged toward third and got hung up in-between second and third. Jennings through home to the plate and Spring's throw attempting to get Mitchell at second was wild into centerfield, allowing Cousins to score. Tim Torres delivered an RBI single later in the inning to cap the scoring, 6-4.

Matt Peterson, a night after blowing a save opportunity, worked incident-free in the top of the ninth to nail down the win and earn his league-leading 18th save.

Game three of the series is scheduled for 6:05 PM on Tuesday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. RHP Heath Rollins (6-6, 3.90) will make the start for Montgomery against LHP Aaron Thompson (3-8, 4.20) for Jacksonville.

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