An all-star hangover: Scrappers spiked, 10-5

Photo by: Special to The Vindicator/Nick Mays

Photo

NOT IN TIME: State College's Butch Biela beats the tag of Robbie Alcombrack Sunday at Eastwood Field.

By Steve Ruman

Mahoning Valley’s offense finally showed some life but it wasn’t enough.

NILES — In the three games prior to the New York-Penn League all-star break, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers offense came to life, scoring 25 runs against some of the league’s top pitchers.

The Scrappers offense apparently then decided to take an extended vacation, as they scored just four runs in their first three games following the three-day break.

For five innings on Sunday, the drought continued before the Scrappers finally broke loose to put five runs on the scoreboard. Unfortunately for the home team, it was too little, too late.

State College — which began play on Sunday with a New York-Penn League-low 18 home runs — went deep four times to log a 10-5 win over the Scrappers in front of 2,363 fans.

The win marked the first time this season that the Spikes (13-47) won back-to-back road contests.

The Scrappers (26-37) have now dropped four straight since returning from the all-star break. They have also dropped two straight to a team which is in danger of logging the worst record in the 79-year history of the New York-Penn League. The Spikes need to finish at least 4-10 to avoid finishing below the 1981 Batavia team which finished 16-59.

Sunday’s game featured the professional debut of Scrappers starting pitcher Zach Putnam. Earlier this month, the Ann Arbor, (MI) native signed a $650,000 contract with the Cleveland Indians after being selected in the fifth round of the June draft.

Putnam recently completed his junior year at the University of Michigan, where this past spring he was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after going 9-0 and posting a 2.58 ERA. As a designated hitter, Putnam batted .307 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI in 55 games.

Pitching for the first time in over two months, Putnam threw just 35 pitches before being lifted with two outs in the second inning. The righty walked a pair and gave up a single in the first, but escaped without damage thanks to a double play. He recorded a strikeout and a groundout against the two batters he faced in the second inning.

Scrappers reliever Anillins Martinez retired the first five men he faced before State College designated hitter Kyle Morgan gave the Spikes a 1-0 lead when he belted a towering solo home run over the wall in right-center.

The home run would be the only run and hit Martinez would surrender during his 31‚Ñ3 innings on the mound. However, the Spikes touched up David Roberts for three runs in the sixth to take a 4-0 lead. After Roberts retired the first two men he faced on a groundout and strikeout, he issued a pair of walks in front of an Andy Vasquez line drive homer over the right field wall.

Meanwhile, the Scrappers offense was completely stymied by Spikes starter Rudy Owens. The lefty pitched five hitless innings before being lifted from the contest. Owens struck out four batters and issued one walk.

After being shut down by Owens, the Scrappers offense finally broke through in the sixth on an RBI base hit by Lonnie Chisenhall. One inning later, the Scrappers plated four runs thanks to a Ryan Blair double, followed by three straight walks. Cord Phels also plated two runs during the frame with a single to right field.

However, the Spikes would continue to put runs on the board via the long ball. Ciro Rosero belted a two-run blast in the seventh, then Vasquez picked up his fourth and fifth RBI in the eighth when he clobbered a two-run shot into the right field bullpen.

The win was the first Sunday victory for the Spikes in 10 tries.

The Scrappers and Spikes conclude their three-game series tonight at 7:05. The Scrappers will then host Batavia for a two-game set before embarking on their final road trip of the season.

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STATE COLLEGESCRAPPERS

abrhbiabrhbi

Payne 3b3100Velasquez4101Rosero cf5112Phelps 2b5122

Farrell 1b4000Fedroff cf3011

Morgan DH3431Chisenhall ss4011

Biela lf3111Simpson rf4000

Vasquez ss5235Alcombrck 1b4000

Rubenstein lf5120Blair lf3110

Peley c5011Valadez c0000

Rice 2b4000Booker c2110

Diaz 3b2100

Totals37101110Totals31565

State College000103231—10

Scrappers0000001400—5

E—Payne (11), Farrell (11), Booker (2). DP—State College 2, Scrappers 1. LOB—State College 7, Scrappers 6. 2B—Morgan (7), Blair (6). HR—Morgan (2), Vasquez (2), Rosero (2). SB—Biela (4), Rubenstein (5).

IPHRERBBSO

State College

Owens W, 2-6500014

Broisma1 1-345540

Ponderc S, 22 2-320003

Scrappers

Putnam1 2-310021

Martinez L, 0-33 1-311112

Roberts225532

Arias133313

Longwell141100

WP—Roberts. HBP— Valadez (by Owens). Umpires—Home, Joseph Born; Bases, Ryan Goodman. T—3:06. A—2,363.

HOW THEY SCORED

State College 4th—Jeremy Farrell flew out to right. Kyle Morgan homered to right-center. Butch Biela walked. Biela stole second. Andy Vasquez struck out swinging. David Rubinstein popped out to second. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 error, 1 LOB

State College 6th—Ciro Rusero grounded out to third. Farrell struck out swinging. Morgan walked. Biela walked, Morgan advanced to second. Vasquez homered to right, Morgan and Biela scored. Rubenstien lined out to first. 3 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Scrappers 6th—Walter Diaz walked. Isaias Velasquez grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, Diaz was forced out at second. Cord Phelps singled to right. Tim Fedroff singled to second, Phelps advanced to second. Lonnie Chisenhall singled to left, Phelps scored, Fedroff advanced to third. Brock Simpson flew out to left. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB

State College 7th—Josue Peley grounded out to second. Chad Rice struck out looking. Mathew Payne walked. Ciro Rosero homered to left. Farrell flew out to center. 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB

Scrappers 7th—Robbie Alcombrack grounded out to second. Ryan Blair doubled to the wall in left. Zach Booker walked. Walter Diaz walked, Blair advanced to third, Booker advanced to second. Velasquez walked, Blair scored, Booker advanced to third, Diaz advanced to second. Phelps singled to right, Booker and Diaz scored, Velasquez advanced to third. Fedroff hit a sacrifice fly to right, Velasquez scored. Chisenhall flew out to center. 4 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB

State College 8th—Morgan walked. Biela struck out swinging. Vasquez homered to right Morgan scored. Rubinstein singled to left. Rubinstein stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Peley sinlged to center, Rubenstein scored. Rice struck out looking. Payne struck out swinging. 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB

State College 9th—Rosero grounded out 5-3. Farrell grounded out to second. Morgan doubled to the wall in right-center. Biela singled to right, Morgan scored. Vasquez singled to right, Biela advanced to second. Rubinstein singled to right, Biela advanced to third, Vasquez advanced to second. Peley flew out to right. 1 run, 4 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB