[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]Biscuits' left-hander Brandon Mann (3-2) carried a perfect-game bid for 6 2/3 innings, ultimately working eight shutout frames, as the Biscuits blanked the Carolina Mudcats, 3-0, on Wednesday night at Five County Stadium.
Pitching dominated the early portion of the ballgame, as Mudcats' starter Zach Stewart worked four scoreless innings to start his second Double-A start. Mann was even better through three innings, working a perfect pass through the order the first time around, retiring the first nine batters he faced.
Mann kept piling up outs, working in order through the fourth and fifth inning as Stewart inexplicably called it a night after four innings.
The Biscuits finally got on the board following Stewart's departure. Reliever Kyle Aselton (0-1) worked a scoreless fifth inning, but Fernando Cortez opened the sixth with a ringing-double off the wall in right field. Rashad Eldridge then broke the scoreless-stalemate with a single to centerfield that plated Cortez for a 1-0 lead. Cesar Suarez followed with a double to score Eldridge for a 2-0 advantage. Following a pitching change that brought Sean Watson into the ballgame, Suarez stole third base. He scored the third run of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Matt Spring and the Biscuits led, 3-0. Aselton was tagged with the loss for Carolina.
Meanwhile, Mann continued his pursuit of perfection. After retiring Logan Parker, Jose Castro and Korey Feiner in order in the sixth he took his perfect-game bid into the seventh. He recorded the first two outs of the inning before Chris Heisey finally ended the bid with a triple off the wall in centerfield for the first hit for Carolina. Mann retired Juan Francisco to end the inning.
The left-hander returned to work a scoreless eighth inning, turning in the longest start of the season for Montgomery, while claiming his third win. In all, Mann allowed two hits, walked none and struck out two.
Calvin Medlock finished off the Mudcats with a perfect ninth inning, retiring the Mudcats in order to collect his league-leading 13th save of the season. Medlock finished the first shutout of the season for Montgomery.
Game three of the series is scheduled for 6:15 PM on Thursday night at Five County Stadium. RHP Heath Rollins (5-2, 3.38) will make the start for Montgomery against LHP Travis Wood (3-3, 1.38) for Carolina.
No comments:
Post a Comment