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Turning the tables: Scrappers get back to .500
Owen Dew and two relievers combine on a two-hitter as the Mahoning Valley Scrappers get back to .500
By Tom Williams
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Mahoning Valley Scrapper, Owen Dew, throws a pitch during the fourth inning at Eastwood Field on Thursday evening. Dew had a no-hitter after finishing the 6th inning.
One night after his Scrappers were nearly no-hit in Batavia, N.Y., manager Travis Fryman was doing less scoreboard watching.
So little that he didn’t realize that starting pitcher Owen Dew had a no-hitter after six innings.
“I didn’t even notice it until the bottom of the eighth inning [when] I saw they had one hit,” said Fryman after three Scrappers combined to toss a two-hitter in Thursday’s 3-0 victory over the Jamestown Jammers at Eastwood Field.
“Yesterday, we dang near got no-hit. I certainly felt it yesterday,” Fryman said. “I didn’t even notice it today that they were in that situation [but] I knew we threw the ball pretty well.”
Dew, Takafumi Nakamura and Nick Kirk faced two batters over the minimum as the Scrappers (7-7) climbed back to .500.
In the first inning, Scrappers third baseman Giovanni Urshela booted a ground ball off the bat of Marcell Ozuna.
With one out in the seventh inning, Ozuna broke up the no-hitter with a single to center field off Nakamura. A double play ended the threat.
In the ninth inning with two outs, Brent Keys reached on an infield single. First baseman Andrew Kinney fielded the ball but Kirk was late covering the base.
Dew said he felt he was hitting his spots and had success with his two-seam fast ball as he extended is season-opening scoreless streak to 10 innings.
“It felt pretty good,” said Dew whose earned-run average remains 0.00. “Guys made some plays behind me which really helped out.”
Jammers designated hitter Sequoyah Stonecipher led off the fifth inning with a liner at Scrappers infielder Kevin Fontanez. The second baseman leaped to snag the ball, bobbled it then pulled it in to keep the Jammers hitless.
In the sixth inning, right fielder Carlos Moncrief snagged a line drive off the bat of James Wooster. Center fielder Jordan Casas then made a running grab of a sinking liner by Dallas Poulk.
Dew, who left the game after 68 pitches, knew he was on a limited pitch count.
“Eventually I will give up a run,” said Dew who said the difference from college to the minors is “throwing my fastball a little more. With the aluminum bats, you can’t get away with as much stuff.”
Fryman said Dew showed plenty of composure and was impressive but “wasn’t that sharp. He was sharp in the first two innings and then I think he was overthrowing a little bit and got up in the zone.”
The Scrappers’ lone hit in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to the Muckdogs came in the ninth inning. This time, they grabbed a 2-0 lead much earlier.
With two outs in the second inning, Diego Seastrunk drew a walk on an eight-pitch at-bat off Jammers starter Luis Chirinos and took third when Kinney doubled to right field on the next pitch.
Urshela singled to center field to score both.
“Big hit,” Fryman said. “He hasn’t had a lot of hits, but he’s found a way to get one almost each game.”
Wyatt Torregas’ lead-off walk in the sixth inning against reliever Jeremy Heatley led to the Scrappers’ other run. After taking second on a passed ball by catcher Wilfredo Giminez, Toregas stopped at third base on Burnette’s single to left then scored when Seastrunk grounded into a double play.
JamestownScrappers
abrhbiabrhbi
Keys cf4010Casas cf4000
Perio ss4000Fontanez 2b3010
Ozuna lf3010Cannon ss1000
Fisher 3b3000Toregas dh2100
Stncphr dh 3000Burnette lf4010
Senne 1b3000Seastrunk c3100
Giminez c3000Kinney 1b3110
Wooster rf3000Urshela 3b3012
Poulk 2b3000Moncrief rf2000
Totals29020Totals25343
Jamestown000000000—0
Scrappers02000100x—3
E—Perio (3), Urshela (4). DP—Jamestown 3, Scrappers 1. LOB—Jamestown 2, Scrappers 7. 2B—Kinney (1). CS—Moncrief (1).
IPHRERBBSO
Jamestown
Chirinos L, 1-2532252
Heatley211040
Kainer100000
Scrappers
Dew W, 1-0600003
Nakamura H, 1210001
Kirk S, 2110002
PB—Giminez. Balk—Chirinos. Umpires—Home, Robert Porter; Bases, Mike Patterson. T—2:15. A—4,390.