Errors kick off close loss


By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

NILES

One day after hosting Bark at the Park Night at Eastwood Field, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers saw their game go completely to the dogs.

In a home game against Williamsport, the Scrappers on Monday committed five errors before recording an out — a dubious franchise record. The blunders led to three first-inning unearned runs, and eventually led a Williamsport 3-2 win in front of 1,695 fans.

Williamsport (27-16) owns a 5-0 record against the Scrappers (18-24) this season. In those five games, the Crosscutters have scored just nine runs. The Scrappers have been limited to just four runs.

Scrappers first baseman Emmanuel Tapia committed three of the five first-inning errors. Shortstop Alexis Pantoja and right fielder Silento Sayles also committed fielding miscues during the nightmarish frame. A double play and a groundout got the Scrappers out of further trouble, and Tapia was removed from the game before the Scrappers had their first at-bat.

“They were tired, I felt that during batting practice, that travel [from Aberdeen] Sunday morning was showing up today,” Scrappers manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “The energy was not there the first three innings. It’s part of being a minor leaguer, it’s part of the learning the process.”

“They have to get a good night sleep and come back ready to play.”

Tapia’s three errors increased his team-high in that category to 14. Rodriguez said his removal from the game “wasn’t a penalty,” but rather an opportunity for the first baseman to regain his focus.

“Emmanuel was very negative after the first error, his mind was gone,” Rodriguez said. “There was no punishment, nothing like that. I just wanted him to regroup and be ready to play [today].

The Scrappers scored a single run in the first inning when Gabriel Mejia walked, and eventually scored on an Erlin Cerda groundout. Their only other run came in the sixth on a Gavin Collins RBI single.

The loss overshadowed more solid pitching by the Scrappers. Starter Aaron Civale worked three innings, giving up three hits without surrendering an earned run. Ben Krauth came in to relieve Civale, and pitched three scoreless innings. The lefty gave up just two hits and recorded five strikeouts.

Krauth was making his Scrappers debut. He was selected in the 16th round of the June draft out of Kansas. He began this summer in the Arizona Rookie League. In Arizona, Krauth pitched 14 innings without surrendering an earned run.

“I don’t want to say it’s been easy, because that is the kiss of death,” Krauth said. “I’m not really trying to pay attention to the numbers. I’m just going out there throwing the ball over the plate, trying to get guys out.”

“I had some butterflies out there tonight, but once I got settled down, things went okay.”

There were 23 strikeouts recorded in the game — 10 by Williamsport pitchers and 13 by a trio of Scrappers.

The two teams will conclude their three-game series tonight beginning at 7:05.

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