Sunday, May 18, 2008
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Blown opportunites lead to 3-2 loss for Biscuits
Tennessee snaps eight-game skid with win
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MONTGOMERY – The Montgomery Biscuits (19-25) snapped a four-game winning streak and an eight-game losing streak by the Tennessee Smokies (16-28) at Riverwalk Stadium Sunday by failing to push runners across in crucial situations. The home club lost, 3-2.
The Biscuits put Ronnie Merrill at third base with no outs in the first inning but failed to score after Rhyne Hughes struck out and Erold Andrus grounded into a double play. The Biscuits grounded into three double plays, bringing their Minor League-leading total to 49. In all of baseball, only the Boston Red Sox (with 50) have grounded into more.
In the eighth, Montgomery loaded the bases on a Ronnie Merrill single, a Hughes walk and a hit batsman by Nowak. But three hitters later, they again returned to the field without a run.
In the field, Montgomery committed two crucial errors behind starter Richard De Los Santos, each leading to an unearned run for the righty. Nowak's throwing error plated a run in the first inning and Sergio Pedroza missed a cutoff man in the fifth for the Smokies' third and final run.
Montgomery did scratch across two against Tennessee starter James Russell. Nowak singled in Eldridge with two outs in the third and Hughes singled in the fifth to score Merrill. But Russell won the game thanks to scoreless relief from Tanner Watson (2 IP), Grant Johnson (.2 IP) and Michael Cooper (1.1 IP, Save).
The Biscuits and Smokies finish the series Monday night, with Montgomery lefty Mike Prochaska against Tennessee righty Mitch Atkins. Gametime is 7:05.
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