8/10/2081 to 8/12/2081
The Nashville Predators (53-62)
AT
The Denver Broncos (64-51)
Pitching Matchups:
LH Frank Margolis (7-9, 8.91 ERA) VS. RH Ray Lockridge (6-7, 4.28 ERA)
RH Mose Urick (8-3, 1.98 ERA) VS. RH Kenny Pillsbury (11-9, 4.52)
RH Tony Rivera (7-7, 5.47 ERA) VS. RH Christopher Kirk (15-7, 4.70 ERA)
Ray Lockridge seemed to be fired up in his first appearance against his former team. He opened the first inning like this: Strikeout. Strikeout. Strikeout. His dominance didn't continue, however. Though he struck out two more batters in the second inning, he also coughed up 3 runs, and the Broncos were playing from behind, though not for long.
In the bottom of the second, Nashville starter
Frank Margolis lost control of the strikezone, and walked the bases loaded.
Joseph Swayze delivered a two run single to get Denver on the board. Margolis issued another walk, this one to
Booker Romero, and the bases were loaded again. To the plate came reserve outfielder
Armando Navarro, known more for his speed and fielding than for his power. Despite that, it was Navarro who knocked Margolis out of the game when he desposited a pitch into the left field bleachers for a grand slam.
The Broncos lead didn't last long, as the Predators scored 3 runs in the 3rd inning to tie the game, and 3 more runs in the 4th inning to take a 9-6 lead.
Ellis Bolling delivered a two run single in the bottom of the 4th to cut Nashville's lead to one run. In the 5th inning, the Broncos tied up the game at 9.
In the top of the 8th, the Predators went ahead again, 10-9. In the bottom of the inning, Navarro was gunned down at the plate, and the Broncos were unable to tie up the score. In the 9th, the Predators added another run, and led 11-9 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Denver got one run back, when
Tomas Sato delivered a pinch hit RBI single, and had runners on second and third. Those runners would be stranded, and
the Broncos lost, 11-10.
Lockridge's first start against his old team began well, but didn't end well- for him or the Broncos. Lockridge finished with 5 innings pitched, 11 hits allowed, and 9 runs allowed. He did strike out 6 batters.
Getting the last laugh, instead, was former Bronco backup catcher
Eric Fudge. Fudge ripped 3 doubles and drove in 3 runs against his former team.
******
Baseball is a funny game. Two games ago, the Broncos were shut out by one of the worst pitchers in the game. Coming into
this game, the Broncos would have been happy with just 2 or 3 runs.
Mose Urick, even in an injury-plagued season, is one of the best young pitchers in the game, and his sub-2.00 ERA is evidence of that.
But instead of scratching out only a couple of runs, the Broncos bombarded Urick, with two runs in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings to build a comfortable 6-0 lead. Nashville got a pair of runs in the seventh inning, but that was as close as they would get. The Broncos tacked on another run in the 8th, en route to
a 7-2 victory.
Kenny Pillsbury had the Predators flailing at his pitches, with 9 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings.
Joseph Swayze had 2 hits and 2 runs scored.
Booker Romero had 3 hits and 2 runs scored.
Armando Navarro drove in a pair of runs.
******
The Broncos finished up the series with Nashville against a familiar face.
Tony Rivera made an impressive, though ultimately unsuccessful, return to Denver.
Nashville and Denver exchanged runs in the middle innings (Nashville in the 4th, and Denver in the 6th) when
David Rosier ripped a two out homer in the 8th inning to give the Predators the lead. It was a brief lead, however. With two outs in the bottom of the 8th,
Russell Thomas and
Lee Chappel hit back to back home runs to put the Broncos on top.
Christopher Kirk finished off the game, and
Denver prevailed, 3-2.
Kirk finished with a complete game, 5 hitter. He struck out 5 batters. Rivera went 8 innings and struck out 5.
Thomas had 2 hits and 2 RBI in the game.
Tomas Sato doubled twice.