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Opening flop
Photo
Scrappers right fielder Juan Romero falls as he attempts to reach the ball during the fifth inning of the team’s season opener Monday against the Jamestown Jammers at Eastwood Field in Niles. The Scrappers fell 5-0.
The Jammers produce 14 hits in shutout triumph at Eastwood
By Steve Ruman
NILES
Mahoning Valley Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak summed up Monday’s season-opener against Jamestown in one simple sentence.
“They outplayed, outhit, outran and outscored us,” Kubiak said.
Indeed, the Jammers had everything going for them in a 5-0 win over the Scrappers in front of 5,531 fans at Eastwood Field.
“They played well tonight,” Kubiak said. “That’s baseball.”
Jamestown banged out 14 hits, while Jammers pitchers limited the Scrappers to just five hits, striking out nine.
Jamestown scored the only run it would need in the top of the second when Dan Collins opened the inning by blasting a towering home run to left-center field. It was the only run surrendered by Scrappers starter Luis Lugo, who scattered five hits and recorded a pair of strikeouts in five innings.
The Jammers added insurance runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
“Luis pitched very well tonight,” Kubiak said. “He did a great job with his breaking ball, and he kept batters off balance all night. He looked really good out there.”
James Stokes relieved Lugo and surrendered a run in two innings of work. However, Joshua Nervis took over in the seventh and surrendered a pair of runs on three hits.
The Scrappers had several scoring opportunities, but failed to capitalize. In the first, Claudio Bautista reached second base, but was doubled up on a fly ball. Martin Cervenka was thrown out at the plate on a third-inning come-backer to the pitcher. Ryan Battaglia was picked off first base in the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs.
“I had just told Ryan to watch out for a throw, and on the next pitch there it was,” Kubiak said. “It happens. You just can’t dwell on it.”
Cervenka proved to be a bright spot for the Scrappers. In addition to his double, the Czech Republic native threw out a pair of would-be base stealers in the sixth inning.
“It always feels good to throw out base runners. It’s especially exciting to do it in the first game,” Cervenka said. “It was a good way to start the season. It’s nice to get that first hit and first base runner out of the way.
“James was throwing strikes and making a quick delivery to the plate, so he made my job a lot easier.”
Kubiak was impressed with the performance of his catcher.
“On his second throw to second, he got out of the crouch in such a quick motion and made such a quick release,” Kubiak said. “He’s a good ball player. What you saw tonight is what we expect from him.”
The Scrappers’ best scoring opportunity occurred in the seventh inning. A double, an infield single and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. However, after Battaglia was picked off first by Jammers catcher Jin De-Jhang, Robel Garcia popped out to third, and Cervenka ended the threat with a strikeout.
JAMESTOWN 5, Scrappers 0
State CollegeScrappers
abrhbiabrhbi
Carvajal 2b5010Booth cf5110
Escobar lf4131Bsutista 2b4010
Ramirez cf5121Herrera ss4010
Jhang c4121McAdams lf4010
Collins dh4121Battaglia dh2000
Espinal 1b4011Garcia 3b3000
Vasquez rf4120Cervenka c3010
Wallace 3b 3000Rodriguez 1b3010
Fransoso ss4010Romero rf3000
Totals375145Totals30050
Jamestown010000121—5
Scrappers0000000000—0
E—Fransoso (1, throw), McAdams (1, fielding).
DP—Jamestown 2, Scrappers 1. LOB—Jamestown 7, Scrappers 4. 2B—Ramirez (1), Cervenka (1), Herrera (1). HR— Collins (1). SB—Ramirez (1), CS—Carvajal (1), Escobar (1). PO—Battaglia (by Jhang). SF—Escobar.
IPHRERBBSO
Jamestown
Sanchez W, 1-0500005
Breedlove H, 1220013
Kleis200001
Scrappers
Lugo L, 0-1551102
Stokes241020
Nervis132200
Homblert121100
WP—Stokes, Nervis. Balk—Nervis. HBP—Wallace (by Homblert). Umpires—Home, Mike Wiseman; Bases, Brennan Miller. T—2:18. A—5,531.