Ian Gac Saves Clinton LumberKings from Another 8-5 Loss, his 3-Run Homer Beats Beliot Snappers by What? 8-5 Natch - A, Midwest League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Clinton, IA – After seeing 5-0 leads evaporate in back-to-back 8-5 losses to the Beloit Snappers, the Clinton LumberKings had reason to be nervous.  Up 5-0 early again Wednesday night, this time the Kings staved off another comeback with a big three-run homer by Ian Gac to win 8-5.

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Clinton kept right-hander David Bromberg uncomfortable, hanging a pair of three-run innings and a two-run frame on the All-Star.  Cristian Santana laced a double down the left field line in the second, scoring Gac and Jonathan Greene.  With Santana at third after a groundout, Andres James sliced a single over the drawn-in infield to give the Kings a 3-0 lead.

 

In the third, it was Tim Smith starting the offense as his double to the left-center gap sent Renny Osuna home.  Gac’s liner to left in turn scored Smith as the LumberKings built that familiar but dubious 5-0 lead.

 

The Snappers followed the script from the previous two nights, putting together a comeback against starter Fabio Castillo in the fourth.  Estarlin De Los Santos and Chris Cates each worked walks, and a single by Deibinson Romero loaded the bases.  Chris Parmelee put Beloit on the board with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring De Los Santos.  Joe Benson followed, ripping a single into left, plating Cates.

 

Beloit got to within a run as Castillo struggled again in the fifth.  A leadoff walk to Eric Santiago and bunt single by Mark Dolenc set the table, with Romero providing the big hit.  His double over the head of centerfielder Engel Beltre plated both baserunners as Clinton’s lead was trimmed to 5-4.

 

Instead of being overtaken by the Snappers, as was the case the previous two games, the Kings instead mounted another offensive charge.  With Bromberg still on in the fifth, Smith reached on a ground single to right and Mitch Moreland stroked his team-leading 22^nd double out to center, putting runners at second and third.  After working the count to 2-2, Gac flipped the bat through the zone, serving a high fly ball to the berm in left.  His 19^th home run of the year plated three runs, opening an 8-4 lead.

 

17-year-old left-hander Joseph Ortiz made his LumberKings’ debut in the sixth, tossing a scoreless frame.  He then ran into trouble in the seventh, walking two batters before yielding a sac fly to Cates, bringing the Snappers to within three runs. 

 

However, that was all as right-hander Chris Dennis (H, 3) worked 1.1 scoreless frames, and righty Adalberto Flores (S, 6) notched his first save since May 24 with a scoreless ninth.

 

Castillo (W, 1-3) finally earned his first victory of the year in his 19^th overall appearance, despite less-than-stellar stuff.  He gave up four runs (all earned) on four hits over 5.0 innings and walked four while striking out three, but didn’t allow a home run for just the second time in his last seven outings.

 

Bromberg (L, 5-5) was hammered for eight runs (all earned) on 11 hits over just 4.0 innings.  He didn’t walk a batter while striking out four, and failed to record an out in the fifth inning.

 

Gac paced the 12-hit attack for the LumberKings, going 3-for-4 to reach the 60 RBI plateau.  Osuna finished 1-for-4, extending his hitting streak to 18 games.  Smith, Moreland and James all had two-hit nights as well, and Santana added two RBI.

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