Great Falls White Sox Game Story 7-25

[elrockinMT]

Brewers break out the champagne

 

By LEE VERNOY

Tribune Sports Writer

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

There are good things and bad things to be said for over-aggressiveness. Ask Great Falls White Sox manager Chris Cron.

 

Trailing 2-0 with no outs in the bottom of the seventh in Friday's 3-1 loss to Helena, Cron had runners on second and third when Clinton King lined a single to left.

 

Seth Morris scored easily from third, but Cron waved Charlie Lisk around third, and he was shot down at the plate on a strong throw from left fielder Nic Carter and equally strong relay from third baseman Justin Barnes.

 

Lisk was out by 12 feet, despite a bone-jarring collision with Brewer catcher Lou Palmisano.

 

Cron admitted it. He committed the cardinal sin as far as third base coaches are concerned: don't make the first out of the inning at home plate.

 

"If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have sent (Lisk)," Cron confessed after the game. "(Helena) executed good; they played catch on the throw to the plate, and they had a little collision there at the plate.

 

"That was my bonehead mistake for the night, and we weren't able to capitalize for it. Who knows what would have happened if I didn't send him. I made the mistake and I got to get better at it. That cost us something. ... momentum, for one thing."

 

With the win, Helena clinched the first-half title in the Northern Division of the Pioneer League, even though second place Billings -- who trails the Brewers by 1Þ games -- scored a 4-1 decision over Missoula at Cobb Field.

 

The Brewers own the tiebreaking edge over the Mustangs, who can do no better than earn a tie for the first-half flag.

 

Terry Trofholz got things going for Helena off starter and losing pitcher Denis Ulacia (0-2) with a bloop single to right. He scored one out later when Vinny Rottino doubled into the left center field gap.

 

Manny Ramirez drove Rottino across with a single to give the Brewers a 2-0 advantage before an all-time Legion Park record crowd of 4,786 could get their seats warm.

 

Once Ulacia got through the first, he had no problems, retiring the final 13 batters he faced. The left-hander, who was making his third start in a rehabilitation assignment from Class AA Birmingham, struck out seven in five innings, allowing three hits and no walks to earn his manager's praise.

 

"That's nice to see," Cron said. "His last two rehab starts weren't nearly as good as this one. He had much better command of his fastball, especially on the inside part of the plate, and that's what he needed to do. He kept us in the ballgame, didn't let things explode like they have been doing in the past. It was a real nice outing by him also.

 

"I don't know if he's going to stick around for another start with us or if he's going to move on, but he did a lot of positive things tonight."

 

Meanwhile, Helena starter Mitch Stetter (4-1) was doing his part, holding the Sox in check before giving way to Kenny Durost in the last of the sixth. Stetter, a 6-4, 195-pound portsider from Indiana, allowed five hits and fanned six to earn his fourth victory in five decisions.

 

Nick Slack pitched the last 2 1/3 innings to earn his sixth save for the Brewers.

 

Rylan Reed took over for Ulacia in the sixth and retired the first six batters he faced before allowing a single by Barnes leading off the eighth, but Barnes was cut down in a strikeout-throwout double play from Lisk to Antoin Gray.

 

Cron was pleased with Reed's performance. "He needed to do that, he needed to keep us in the game. He worked ahead in the count for the most part and made some big pitches when he had to, got some strikeouts, We just hope to have him keep that stuff going. He's been pitching like that for the last three or four outings. He's had some real good outings, and that's a real good positive for him and the club."

 

Reed did give up a ninth inning run when Trofholz scored on a wild pitch.

 

"We did a lot of nice things," Cron added. "After (Helena) scored their two runs in the first, from the second inning on it was a pretty good baseball game, . The big guys made some nice plays in the field, the pitchers pitched their tails off. and our defense was very solid.

 

"We just came up on the short end of the stick again. That's baseball."

 

Cron is looking for improvement and more consistency from his charges once the second half kicks off Monday.

 

"We gave it a nice run here, and we got the second half to look forward to," Cron added. "We're getting some guys back who are healthy...(Michah) Schnurstein is going to be a big plus for us"

 

Cron noted that Schnurstein should be available tonight when the Sox travel to Billings for a two-game series with the Mustangs at Cobb Field.

 

"The guys got their feet wet in that first half. It was nice to be in such a pennant race to try to win the first half. It's a good learning experience for these kids, and there ain't nothing better than playing for something other than just personal stats."

[dasox24]

Cron noted that Schnurstein should be available tonight when the Sox travel to Billings for a two-game series with the Mustangs at Cobb Field.

That's awesome that Schnurstein is gonna be back, I've been waiting to hear that for almost a month now. I hope he just tears the cover off the ball!

[danman31]

Manny Ramirez drove Rottino across with a single to give the Brewers a 2-0 advantage before an all-time Legion Park record crowd of 4,786 could get their seats warm.

Haha, Manny Ramirez. That's funny. What's he doing in rookie ball?

[Jim Fainter]

The real Manny Ramirez was in the news today (the one who plays for Boston). He took a water bottle with him to the outfield in today's game.