Collaro's three-run shot saves White Sox

[dasox24]

I don't think anyone cares, but if you do, here are articles on last nights games for Great Falls and Bristol since I don't think many people would take the time to find these:

 

Collaro's three-run shot saves White Sox

Tribune Staff

 

BILLINGS -- Tom Collaro hammered a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning as the Great Falls White Sox rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Billings Mustangs Tuesday night in a Pioneer League game.

 

Collaro's homer, a blast over the scoreboard in left-centerfield estimated at more than 400 feet, brought the Sox back from a 5-4 deficit and made a winner of Adam Russell, who worked three innings of hitless relief. Right-hander Jeff Little allowed a run in the ninth, but pitched out of trouble to pick up the save.

 

The outcome left both teams 3-2 on the young Pioneer season, which resumes tonight as the longtime rivals open a four-game set at Legion Park. The first pitch is slated for 7 p.m.

 

Manager John Orton's White Sox used three Billings errors to plate three runs in the third and take a 4-1 lead. But the hard-hitting Mustangs, who won the series opener 9-3 on Monday, rallied for four in the home half of the third to take a 5-4 lead.

 

That's the way the game stayed for a long time as the bullpens of the respective clubs turned in some solid work.

 

But in the eighth, Great Falls got a spark when leadoff hitter Derrick McNeil reached base on an error. Matt Deuchler sacrificed him to second, and Chris Kelly followed with a line single that put runners at the corners. Collaro, who homered in Great Falls last Friday on opening night and is expected to provide a lot of power for the Sox offense this summer, followed with his three-run clout deep into the night at Cobb Field.

 

The Mustangs rallied in the ninth as Drew Andrews contributed a run-scoring single with two out. But Little nailed it down as the Sox managed a split of the short two-game series.

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BriSox win home opener

By BUCKY DENT

BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

Jun 23, 4:30 AM EDT

 

BRISTOL, Va. – Evan Tartaglia saw the third baseman move back to the dirt once the count reached 2 balls and 2 strikes.

"That told me it was time to bunt," he said.

 

And the Bristol leadoff man did, placing it in front of Elizabethton's David Winfree for a game-opening hit that set the tone for Tuesday night's 6-4 White Sox win at DeVault Stadium.

 

While Tartaglia's ploy didn't result in a run – he was stranded at third – it signaled that Bristol would be a far more aggressive outfit than the one which lost 11-3 a night earlier at Pulaski.

 

Nine hits, eight walks and four steals later, the BriSox squared their record at 1-1 and sent 1,010 opening night fans home happy.

 

"These guys hustle and they know how to play the game," said Bristol manager Jerry Hairston. "We're going to score some runs, steal some bases and hit-and-run some.

 

"Every now and then, we'll probably hit one out of the ballpark. But we're not going to look for that. Tonight was a demonstration of what we can do."

 

Forcing the action at every opportunity, Hairston sent Gilbert Alcantara for third as Jose De Los Santos swung at a first-pitch fastball from Alexander Smit in the bottom of the third.

 

With Winfree lured towards third for a possible throw from catcher Javier Sanchez, De Los Santos' bouncer got through for a single that broke the scoring seal.

 

Alcantara's wheels also led to a key insurance run in the eighth, when he drew a one-out walk from reliever Javier Martinez, then stole second and third during Tartaglia's third walk of the game.

 

After De Los Santos popped out to Luke Hughes for the second out, Alcantara deked Hughes into an ill-advised peg to third from short right field. The short-hop throw skidded past Winfree for an error and a 6-3 lead.

 

The extra run came in handy when the Twins (0-2) loaded the bases with none out in the ninth. But Luis Pena got a fielder's choice grounder from Trevor Plouffe, then induced a game-ending double play ball off Winfree's bat.

 

Starter James Casey earned the win with five good innings, allowing just three hits and fanning four. Reliever Lucas Harrell showcased a 91 mile per hour fastball during two solid innings.

 

Harrell was tagged with two unearned runs in the seventh due to a play that caused Hairston to lodge a protest which was tossed out as soon as the BriSox won.

 

Johnny Woodard's double play grounder to second turned into no outs due to throwing errors by De Los Santos and shortstop Javier Castillo. Hairston protested when umpires Joe Dobo and Pat Harrington awarded Sanchez third and home after Castillo's throw to first bounded out of play.

 

"The ball was thrown on the infield," Hairston said. "When the ball goes out of play, that's the base he's going to plus another base. They ruled he was already at second base but we made a play on him at second base.

 

"He (Sanchez) should have only gotten second and third."

 

Hairston lost that argument, but was much more persuasive with his team following the blowout in Pulaski. He walked through the clubhouse afterwards saying, "Tomorrow, men, tomorrow."

 

"Last night wasn't so great, but that's baseball," Tartaglia said. "It felt good to get the home opener. Tonight was our night."

 

SOX YARNS: Weather permitting, the series continues tonight at 7 with knuckleballer Charlie Haeger pitching for Bristol ... Appalachian League president Lee Landers attended the game and participated in pre-game ceremonies that delayed the first pitch for 14 minutes ... De Los Santos, Castillo and Brandon Allen each went 2-for-4 for the BriSox ... Designated hitter Mike Gulan, in town on a rehab assignment, went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run. The 33-year old Gulan's seventh inning double was his 1,179th hit in 12 minor league seasons.

[thomsonmi]

That Bristol story was written by a guy named "Bucky Dent." Very interesting...

[danman31]

I don't think anyone cares, but if you do, here are articles on last nights games for Great Falls and Bristol since I don't think many people would take the time to find these:

I don't want to give you the wrong idea because these are good articles. They say some stuff you can't get from just boxes. However, I feel that rookie ball is really crap. Obviously it is the lowest level in the minors, but my thing is that not many of these guys will even make it to Winston-Salem. I still follow the teams because there are some good guys out there that will be future big time prospects. Anybody else feel the same way? Is this just obvious stuff and I sound like a total dope?

 

Anyway I like Tartaglia, I found some info on him from FutureSox and he is a real stolen base threat. If he can hit for a good average he has the mold of a really good leadoff hitter. Unfortunately, he is 23 and starting in Bristol. I'm hoping he does well though.

[thomsonmi]

I don't want to give you the wrong idea because these are good articles. They say some stuff you can't get from just boxes. However, I feel that rookie ball is really crap. Obviously it is the lowest level in the minors, but my thing is that not many of these guys will even make it to Winston-Salem. I still follow the teams because there are some good guys out there that will be future big time prospects. Anybody else feel the same way? Is this just obvious stuff and I sound like a total dope?

 

Anyway I like Tartaglia, I found some info on him from FutureSox and he is a real stolen base threat. If he can hit for a good average he has the mold of a really good leadoff hitter. Unfortunately, he is 23 and starting in Bristol. I'm hoping he does well though.

I can't argue with you on how many of these guys have any kind of shot at making the majors, yet, at the same time I think its kind of fun to follow how they do.

[bmags]

its still fun to follow baseball...its a pretty pure game down there...fun to hear about.