Scrappers lose in extras again



Staten Island scored 10 runs in the 10th inning to post a 13-3 victory.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Angel Bastardo's three hits and three runs batted in propelled the Mahoning Valley Scrappers to extra innings, but weren't enough to produce the team's third win of the season at home.
Bastardo's production became a forgotten footnote after the Scrappers' worst defensive inning of the season gave the Staten Island Yankees (15-7) a 10-run 10th inning and a 13-3 victory Friday at Cafaro Field.
"We played a good baseball game before that last inning," Scrappers (6-18) manager Dave Turgeon said. "That shouldn't have happened. We battled our butts off."
Fourth loss in row: The loss was the last-place Scrappers' fourth straight and 12th in 14 games. Their Cafaro Field record dropped to 2-9 and they are 0-6 in extra inning contests.
Bastardo put the Scrappers ahead 3-2 in the sixth inning with a one-out single to left field that scored Rickie Morton from second base.
Bastardo's first hit, a two-run homer into the left-field bullpen in the fourth inning, broke up Yankees starter Sean Hess' no-hitter and gave the Scrappers a 2-1 lead.
"Angel is hot," Turgeon said. "He's been swinging the bat well. That's why he's in the lineup as designated hitter when he's not catching.
"Angel's got thump. He got fooled by a breaking ball, so he kept his hands inside and he one-handed that ball into the left-field bullpen."
Bastardo's blast brought in Morton, who drew a one-out walk on four pitches.
The Yankees tied the score in the eighth inning against reliever Todd Pennington when John-Ford Griffin doubled and Juan Camacho singled.
Disasterous 10th: The game deteriorated from a tight showdown to a blowout shortly after the Yankees' Andy Cannizaro led off the 10th inning by reaching base on shortstop Bryce Uegawachi's throwing error to first baseman Morton.
After Griffin singled off Scrappers pitcher Chris Cooper, Shelley Duncan knocked in the winning run with a double into the right-field corner.
Turgeon said he didn't see the ball land, but right fielder Miguel Quintana told him the ball landed 2 feet foul.
"That's why he didn't catch it," Turgeon said of his fleet right fielder. "He made the right play."
With two outs, reliever Nate Fernley took over and gave up five consecutive RBI singles.
Morton dropped an infield popout for a two-run error and Comacho doubled before second baseman Keith Lillash went to the mound to retire Jeff Seger on a popout.
Scrappers starter Nick Moran was strong for five innings, limiting the Yankees to one run on four hits.
Moran walked one batter and struck out four before giving way to the bullpen.
The Yankees scored first when Jeff Christensen's two-out double into the left-field corner brought home Duncan in the second inning.
After Bastardo's homer, the Yankees tied the score 2-2 in the sixth inning on a very unusual sacrifice fly.
After Duncan doubled, Segar hit a ball to deep center field where Jonathan Van Every raced backwards to make an over-the-shoulder catch.
Duncan tagged up and scored from second base. The Scrappers tried to appeal that Duncan left early, but Turgeon said they erred by calling time instead of putting the ball in play before making the appeal.
HOW THEY SCORED
SECOND INNING
YANKEES 1, SCRAPPERS 0
Yankees: Shelley Duncan singled to left-center field and took second base on Juan Comacho's groundout to second base. Jeff Segar fouled out to the catcher. Jeff Christensen doubled down the left-field line, scoring Duncan. Deivi Mendez grounded out to second base. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
FOURTH INNING
SCRAPPERS 2, YANKEES 1
Scrappers: Miguel Quintana grounded out to first base. Rickie Morton walked. Jonathan Van Every lined out to third base. Angel Bastardo homered over the left-field fence, scoring Morton. Francis Finnerty grounded out to second base. 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left.
SIXTH INNING
SCRAPPERS 3, YANKEES 2
Yankees: Duncan doubled. Camacho struck out. Segar hit a sacrifice fly to center field, Duncan scored from second base. Christensen walked. Mendez struck out. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
Scrappers: Quintana walked and was retired on Morton's fielder's choice. Van Every was hit by a pitch, sending to Morton to second. Ricardo Gomez relieved starter Sean Henn. Bastardo singled to left field, scoring Morton and sending Van Every to second, Francis Finnerty grounded out to the pitcher, advancing Van Every to third and Bastardo to second.
EIGHTH INNING
SCRAPPERS 3, YANKEES 3
Yankees: Griffin doubled to right field. Duncan grounded out to the pitcher, advancing Ford-Griffin to third base. Camacho singled to right-field, scoring Ford-Griffin. Segar flew out to left field. Camacho tagged up and was thrown out trying to take second base. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left.
10TH INNING
YANKEES 13, SCRAPPERS 3
Yankees: Andy Cannizaro reached second base on third baseman Francis Finnerty's throwing error. Griffin singled, sending Cannizaro to third base. Duncan doubled into the right-field corner, scoring Cannizaro and sending Ford-Griffin to third. Camacho grounded out to third base, runners hold. Segar was intentionally walked. Christensen popped out to shortstop. Nate Fernley relieved Chris Cooper. Deivi Mendez singled to left field, scoring Ford-Griffin and Duncan. Omir Santos singled to right, scoring Seger and sending Mendez to third. Kaazim Summerville singled to left field, scoring Mendez and sending Santos to second. Cannizaro singled to right, scoring Santos and sending Summerville to second. Ford-Griffin singled, scoring Summerville and sending Cannizaro to second. First baseman Morton dropped Duncan's popup, scoring Cannizaro and Griffin and sending Duncan to second. Camacho doubled to right field, scoring Duncan. Lillash relieved Fernley and Maximo Made took over at second base. Segar popped out to shortstop. 10 runs, 8 hits, 2 errors, 1 left.
williams@vindy.com