Scrappers suffer 9-4 loss

By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers' winning ways were short-lived.
One day after opening their home schedule with a victory, the Scrappers fell apart in the fourth inning Saturday night and lost to the Batavia Muckdogs 9-4 at Cafaro Field.
Batavia (2-3), an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, broke a 2-2 tie by scoring five runs in the fourth off starter Michael Rogers (0-1) and reliever Matt Blethen.
Three of those runs came off the bat of Batavia's Terry Jones, who hit a bases-loaded triple to the right center field gap.
"We gave them some runs in the fourth," Scrappers manager Chris Bando said. "They put a big inning together, and we were unable to put a big inning together.
"We're going to have our streak, and when we hit it we're going to be tough to beat."
Four errors
The fourth inning also included three errors by Scrappers third baseman Matt Knox. Knox committed his fourth error of the game in the sixth inning.
"I told him to keep his head up and stay aggressive," Bando said. "The tendency is you start thinking about it. It's part of them learning how to develop and battle through those tough games."
The Scrappers (1-4) cut into their deficit in the bottom half of the fourth when Dave Wallace hit the team's first home run of the season, a solo shot over the left-field wall.
Knox tried to make amends for his miscues by tripling off the center-field wall and scoring on Bryce Uegawachi's second RBI of the game to make it 7-4.
"Both teams swung the bats good today," said Wallace, who also singled. "It just came down to making plays in the field and throwing strikes.
"It's still early in the season. This stuff is going to happen," he said. "We're not panicking."
Last runs
The Muckdogs hit back-to-back doubles off Blethen in the fifth for an 8-4 lead and added a sacrifice fly in the eighth for the final margin.
"It's a long season. You never want to get too high or too low," Bando said. "These guys will find out that you have to play every day, so emotionally you've got to keep an even keel."
In the home opener Friday, the Scrappers' Bill Peavey went 3-for-3 to raise his average to .667. He continued that streak in his first at-bat Saturday, singling to right, but he followed that with two groundouts and a deep flyout to center.
Notes
Francis Finnerty, who had three straight stints at Mahoning Valley, was released by the Cleveland Indians. A third baseman who converted to the outfield this season, Finnerty had yet to play in a game. He batted .163 with one home run and 10 RBIs last season while committing 21 errors. Finnerty was the Indians' 12th-round draft selection in 1999. ... The Indians assigned three more picks from this year's draft to Mahoning Valley -- second-round pitcher Brian Slocumb from East Chester, N.Y.; fifth-round outfielder Ben Francisco from Anaheim, Calif.; and 10th-round pitcher Keith Ramsey from Los Angeles. ... Left-handed reliever Jahseam George has been sent from Mahoning Valley to Rookie-League Burlington. He appeared in one game for the Scrappers. ... The Scrappers play Batavia at 2 p.m. today at Cafaro Field. Right-hander Kyle Evans (0-0) faces Muckdogs right-hander Erick Arteaga (0-0).
BATAVIAMAHONING VALLEY
abrhbiabrhbi
Rodriguez ss6141Gomez lf3000
Dancy lf5100Van Every cf3010
Jones 3b4213Wright rf4000
Barthelemy 1b5020Peavey 1b4110
Silvera 2b3122Manfrdonia dh4010
Rivera rf5000Wallace c3121
McRoberts dh4200Knox 3b4210
Pratt c4131Uegawachi 2b4012
Roberson cf4122Abreu ss4000
Totals409149Totals33473
Batavia020510010--9
Mahoning Valley020200000--4
E--Knox 4. DP--Batavia 1, Mahoning Valley 1. LOB--Batavia 11, Mahoning Valley 5. HR--Wallace. 3B--Jones, Knox. 2B--Pratt, Roberson. SB--Silvera 2, Knox. SH--Dancy. SF--Silvera.
IPHRERBBSO
Batavia
Richardson W, 1-0564421
Brewster310002
Reyes100000
Mahoning Valley
Rogers L, 0-13 1-353211
Blethen2 2-365523
White221120
Martin110002
HB--by Brewster (Wallace). Umpires--Charlie Carillo, home; Aaron Banks, bases. T--2:47. A--4,051.
HOW THEY SCORED
SECOND INNING
BATAVIA 2, MAHONING VALLEY 2
Muckdogs: Michael Rogers pitching. Andres Silvera bunted to reach first, stole second. Erick Rivera grounded out back to the pitcher. Mark McRoberts walked. Silvera to third on an attempted pickoff throw from the catcher to first. Trent Pratt singled to left, Silvera scored, McRoberts to second. Chris Roberson singled to left, McRoberts scored, Pratt to second. Carlos Rodriguez singled to center, Pratt to third, Roberson to second to load the bases. Cliff Dancy popped out to short. Terry Jones grounded out to first. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 left.
Scrappers: Beau Richardson pitching. Bill Peavey singled to right, Sean Manfredonia struck out. Dave Wallace singled in the infield, Peavey to second. Matt Knox reached on a fielder's choice, Wallace out at second, Peavey to third. Peavey scored when the pitcher tried for the pickoff at first. Bryce Uegawachi singled to center, Knox scored, Uegawachi to second on the throw home. Angel Abreu lined out back to the pitcher. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
FOURTH INNING
BATAVIA 7, MAHONING VALLEY 4
Muckdogs: Rogers pitching. McRoberts reached on an error by the third baseman. Pratt lined out to third, McRoberts to second on an error by the third baseman. Matt Blethen pitching. Roberson walked, Rodriguez singled to left, McRoberts scored, Roberson to second. Dancy reached on a fielder's choice, Roberson to third on an error by the third baseman, Rodriguez to second to load the bases. Jones triples to the gap in right-center field, Roberson, Rodriguez, Dancy scored. Ryan Barthelemy struck out. Silvera singled to left, Jones scored. Silvera stole second. Rivera grounded out to first. 5 runs, 3 hits, 3 errors, 1 left.
Scrappers: Richardson pitching. Manfredonia fouled out to first. Wallace homered over the left-field wall. Knox tripled to center, Uegawachi grounded out to short, Knox scored. Abreu flied out to right. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 left.
FIFTH INNING
BATAVIA 8, MAHONING VALLEY 4
Muckdogs: Blethen pitching. McRoberts struck out. Pratt hit a ground-rule double to right, Roberson doubled to left, Pratt scored. Rodriguez flied out to the catcher. Dancy flied out to right. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 left.
EIGHTH INNING
BATAVIA 9, MAHONING VALLEY 4
Muckdogs: Jones walked, Barthelemy singled to right, Jones to third. Silvera hit a sacrifice fly to right, Jones scored. Rivera flied out to right. McRoberts flied out to left. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left.
richesson@vindy.com