6/19/2081 to 6/22/2081
The Nashville Predators (32-38)
AT
The Denver Broncos (33-37)
Pitching Matchups:
RH Alfred Ambriz (4-7, 5.22 ERA) VS. RH Robert McNett (6-5, 4.93 ERA)
LH Frank Margolis (6-1, 6.71 ERA) VS. RH Christopher Kirk (7-6, 5.24 ERA)
RH Steven Withrow (4-6, 5.15 ERA) VS. RH Kenny Pillsbury (6-7, 4.28 ERA)
RH Douglas Malone (4-4, 4.64 ERA) VS. RH Valentine McGurk (1-0, 3.86 ERA)
The Broncos jumped all over Nashville's pitching in this series, starting with game one. They opened with 2 runs in the first inning and three more in the second inning. One run was scored in both the third and fourth innings. In the fifth, the Broncos scored two more runs, and then
Alexis Vazquez hit a two run homer in the 6th innning. In the seventh, they got a three run homer from
Ellis Bolling. The only inning that Denver
didn't score in was the 8th, as
they stomped Nashville, 14-5.
Russell Thomas had 4 hits and drove in 2. Bolling had 3 hits (two doubles and a homer) and 5 runs batted in. Vazquez had three hits and two RBI.
Joseph Swayze, who has done pretty much nothing for over a month, broke out with 4 hits (1 homer) and 3 RBI.
Robert McNett pitched 7 innings and allowed 3 runs, while striking out 6.
******
The second game didn't get off to a great start, and the Broncos trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second. In the 2nd, however, they exploded for 9 runs.
Joseph Swayze hit a pair of two run homers in the inning, and
Mark Bakke and
Lee Chappel added 2 run shots of their own.
Tomas Sato's 2 run homer highlighted a 3 run fifth inning, while
Ellis Bolling smashed a three run shot in the 6th. Bakke added his second homer of the day in the 8th inning. When the fireworks were over, and the smoke cleared, the
Broncos had pummeled the Predators, 17-1.
Christopher Kirk didn't have to be great with all the offense, but he was. Kirk pitched 7 innings, allowed 1 run, and struck out 8.
Bolling finished with 4 hits and 3 RBI, Bakke has 3 hits and 3 RBI,
Russell Thomas had 3 hits and scored 2 runs, Sato had 2 hits, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored, and Chappel had 2 hits, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored.
******
The third game was much closer, but
the Broncos prevailed again, 8-7.
Kenny Pillsbury served up a 1st inning homer to
William Gammill, but the Broncos responded.
Ellis Bolling jacked a 2 run shot in the first to the tie the game at 2. Pillsbury continued to struggle, and served another homer in the second, this one to
Edward Lafferty.
But, the Broncos tied it up in 3rd inning, and a home run from
Alexis Vazquez took a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning. Pillsbury then imploded in the 5th inning, and gave up 4 runs. He served up another homer to Gammill, a two run shot, and then a 2 run homer to
Isaias Hernandez to give the Predators a 7-4 lead. Both of the home runs came with two outs.
The Denver lineup wouldn't go down without a fight, however. Bolling jacked
his second homer of the day, another two run shot, in the seventh inning, to cut the score to 7-6.
And then
Lee Chappel came to save the day. Chappel led off the ninth inning with a game-tying home run, and delivered a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to win the game.
Pillsbury got pounded, as he pitched 7 innings, gave up 12 hits, 7 runs, and served up 4 homers.
James Virgen tossed 3 scoreless innings of relief and picked up the win.
Asbel Fuentez had 4 hits and scored 2 runs, Bolling had 3 hits and 4 RBI, and Chappel had 3 RBI.
******
The Broncos completed the four game sweep of Nashville, and finally reached .500 for the first time this season, with
a 14-8 thumping of the Predators.
Valentine McGurk's second start was much less impressive than his first. It got off to a bad start, as he surrendered 1st inning home runs to
Clarence Lei and
William Gammill. Fortunately for him, the Broncos matched it the two runs, and the game was tied after one inning. The two teams exchanged runs in the second inning, and the game was tied at 3.
In the fourth, McGurk served up back to back home runs to Gammill and
Carlo Romero, and the Predators led 6-3.
Tomas Sato got one back in the bottom of the 4th with a solo homer, and in the 5th inning,
Lee Chappel and
Ellis Bolling hit back to back homers to give the Broncos a 7-6 lead.
In the 6th inning, the bats went BOOM! again, as
Joseph Swayze and
Mark Bakke hit back to back homers, and Bolling hit another homer. By the time inning was done, the Broncos had built a 12-6 lead. For good measure, Bakke hit his second homer of the game, a two run shot, in the 7th inning to make the score 14-6.
McGurk lasted just 4 innings in the game, and allowed 6 runs, walked 3, and coughed up 3 HR.
Bakke finished with 4 RBI, while Bolling and Chappel each drove in 3 runs. Sato had 3 hits and drove in 2 runs.
Now that the Broncos have reached .500, they have a particularly crucial, and difficult, stretch in front of them. The next 7 games are against Memphis and Tucson- the second and first place teams, respectively, in the division.