GARY, IN. 6-1-2010 — Cristian Guerrero turned around a one-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-run, two-out line drive home run against former Major Leaguer Bobby Korecky that gave the Gary SouthShore RailCats a 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes and a sweep of a Tuesday doubleheader at U. S. Steel Yard. The RailCats won game one, 3-2.
Korecky, who pitched in the big leagues as recently as last year, came on with two outs in the sixth inning of a scheduled seven inning contest, and got out of that inning before retiring the first two hitters in the seventh. With the bases empty and the RailCats down 4-3, Mike Massaro hit a line drive into right field and Kevin West slipped and fell chasing after the ball, allowing it to get down and roll to the warning track for a triple. That brought up Guerrero, who on a 1-1 pitch shot a missile off the netting in left over the First Midwest Bank Catwalk to end the game and give the ‘Cats a sweep.
Guerrero’s home run was his first of the year, netting the veteran rightfielder RBIs four and five, and giving the RailCats back-to-back wins for the first time this season. Game two Tuesday also marked the first time the ‘Cats came back to win after trailing at the end of six innings.
The big home run capped a strong day from a slumping RailCats offense, which collected 17 hits over 13 offensive innings. The RailCats had taken an early lead in the third inning of game two when Massaro drove in a run on a groundout and Jeff Beachum collected a two-out, two-run single to make it 3-1 ‘Cats.
Winnipeg would take the lead back with a three-run fifth, highlighted by a Juan Diaz two-out, two-run single off the wall in left. Diaz, who had hit a mammoth home run earlier in the game, finished with three runs batted in on the day and his fifth inning hit gave the Goldeyes a lead they would not relinquish until the seventh.
Brad Furnish (2-0) earned the win in the nightcap with a perfect seventh inning, with Korecky (0-1) taking the loss in his first game since signing with the Goldeyes Monday. Brad Halsey started for the RailCats and lasted into the fifth, allowing four runs (one earned) and striking out four in 4.2 innings. Chris Salamida went the first 5.2 innings for Winnipeg, giving up six hits.
Brandon Magee (1-2) starred in game one to pick up his first win of the season. The right-hander went six innings and allowed only three hits and two runs (one earned). Magee even pitched through a 31 minute rain delay in the fourth inning got his biggest out of the game to conclude the fifth, forcing Aharon Eggleston to ground out to first with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.
The RailCats scored all three of their runs in game one in the second inning, with Beachum reaching on a one-out infield single and going to second on a Tanner Townsend base hit. Mike Rohde came up next and launched a double to very deep left-center to score both runs. Rohde would score moments later when Louis Ott dropped a base hit into left.
Andy Shipman finished game one off for Magee, getting the side in order in the seventh to notch his Northern League-leading fourth save of the season.
The RailCats (6-7) and Goldeyes (7-6) wind down their brief series Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at The Steel Yard. Right-hander Zach McClellan (0-1, 3.00 ERA) will start for the RailCats against Winnipeg’s Ace Walker (1-0, 1.39 ERA). The game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and audio and video coverage will be available online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.
Wednesday night’s game is also the first Wet Your Whistle Wednesday of 2010, with $2 MGD and Miller Lite drafts available to fans 21 and over, courtesy Miller Lite and X-Rock, 103.9 FM. Tickets are still available for that game by calling 219.882.2255, visiting www.railcatsbaseball.com or stopping by the U. S. Steel Yard Ticket Office.
Notes: The RailCats have two walk-off hits among their four home wins the season. The first came courtesy Rohde in a 14-inning game, May 25 … Guerrero’s home run was the 28th of his three-year RailCats career, five behind Steve Haake for second all-time … Rohde had the biggest all-around day for the RailCats, going 3-for-3 in game one and adding a fourth hit in the finale … nine different players contributed the RailCats 17 hits. The ‘Cats entered Tuesday with a .197 team batting average and just 72 hits over their first 11 games … the RailCats have swept back-to-back doubleheaders, including July 22, 2009 at Alexian Field in Schaumburg … Tuesday’s game was Bark in the Park Day at U. S. Steel Yard, with a total of 102 dogs in attendance.
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