Orleans Firebirds

Firebirds Lose Third in Two Days to Red Sox

July 20, 2009

By Tyler Maland

Orleans, Mass. - Things looked a bit different this time, but the ending was all too familiar for the Orleans Firebirds. They took a 1-0 lead in the third inning and had their trustworthy starter Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) sail through the first four, but a three-run fifth inning doomed the Firebirds and was all Red Sox starter Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) would need, as Y-D took another game from Orleans 5-1.

Gaynor, recently named to the East Division All-Star team, began the day 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in five starts. He had things going early, giving up just two hits in the first four innings.

It was the bottom third of the Y-D lineup that got things going in the fifth. With one out, Josh Rutledge (Alabama) walked and Ben McMahan (Florida) doubled before Jonathan Jones (Long Beach St.) hit an RBI single to bring home Rutledge. Red Sox leadoff man Jordan Casas (Long Beach St.) followed with an RBI single to score McMahan, and with two outs Tyler Hanover (LSU) finished the inning’s scoring with an RBI single to left field to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead after five innings.

Gaynor finished with five innings pitched, and gave up six hits and three earned runs.

Orleans got seven hits off of Sale and had several deep fly balls and line drives caught, but the lanky 6’6” lefty got the outs when he needed them. Sale lasted seven innings, and gave up just one unearned run while walking one and striking out four. With the win, he improves to 4-2.

Orleans scored its only run when Gary Brown (CS Fullerton) singled and moved over on an error before Ross Heffley (Western Carolina) hit a single to right field to bring him in.

The Firebirds threatened again in the sixth when Alex Hassan (Duke) reached on an error and moved to second on a ground out. With two outs, Steve Selsky (Arizona) singled sharply to left field. As Hassan approached third base, he was knocked to the ground by Y-D third baseman Steve Chatwood (San Diego) and awarded third base, but not home, on fielder’s interference – a judgment call by the third base umpire. Hassan was shaken up on the play but remained in the game, and Sale got the next hitter to fly out to end the inning.

Brett Weibley (Kent St.) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for Orleans, giving up just one hit. Tommy Kahnle (Lynn) pitched the eighth and gave up two hits and one run.

Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt) pitched the final two innings for Y-D and retired all six batters he faced for his first save of the season.

Despite the offensive troubles, Orleans flashed some leather Monday afternoon. Brown, recently named the Coca Cola Player of the Week, made a diving catch on a line drive in the first inning and trumped his own effort in the third on a McMahan fly ball to deep center. Brown tracked the ball back to the fence, timed his leap, and went way up on the 10-foot fence to make a spectacular catch and rob McMahan of extra bases. Shortstop Devin Lohman (Long Beach St.) made a diving snag of his own in shallow left field, and second baseman Danny Muno (Fresno St.) saved a run in the eighth with an over-the-shoulder basket catch with a man on third.

Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) went 2-for-4 with two bunt singles and two stolen bases for Y-D, and Jones was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Brown was 1-for-3 with an intentional walk and a run scored, and Heffley went 1-for-4 with his RBI single. Muno was 1-for-3 with a double.

After winning all three games on Sunday and Monday, Y-D is now in first place with a 20-12-1 record and 41 points. Orleans is 17-14-1, and will look forward to facing a new team to try to break its three game skid. The Firebirds host the Hyannis Mets Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

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Home Firebirds News Game Day Central Roster Statistics Coaching Staff Sounds of the Game Clinics Volunteer Alumni Contact	Firebirds Lose Third in Two Days to Red Sox July 20, 2009 By Tyler Maland Orleans, Mass. - Things looked a bit different this time, but the ending was all too familiar for the Orleans Firebirds. They took a 1-0 lead in the third inning and had their trustworthy starter Casey Gaynor (Rutgers) sail through the first four, but a three-run fifth inning doomed the Firebirds and was all Red Sox starter Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) would need, as Y-D took another game from Orleans 5-1. Gaynor, recently named to the East Division All-Star team, began the day 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in five starts. He had things going early, giving up just two hits in the first four innings. It was the bottom third of the Y-D lineup that got things going in the fifth. With one out, Josh Rutledge (Alabama) walked and Ben McMahan (Florida) doubled before Jonathan Jones (Long Beach St.) hit an RBI single to bring home Rutledge. Red Sox leadoff man Jordan Casas (Long Beach St.) followed with an RBI single to score McMahan, and with two outs Tyler Hanover (LSU) finished the inning’s scoring with an RBI single to left field to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead after five innings. Gaynor finished with five innings pitched, and gave up six hits and three earned runs. Orleans got seven hits off of Sale and had several deep fly balls and line drives caught, but the lanky 6’6” lefty got the outs when he needed them. Sale lasted seven innings, and gave up just one unearned run while walking one and striking out four. With the win, he improves to 4-2. Orleans scored its only run when Gary Brown (CS Fullerton) singled and moved over on an error before Ross Heffley (Western Carolina) hit a single to right field to bring him in. The Firebirds threatened again in the sixth when Alex Hassan (Duke) reached on an error and moved to second on a ground out. With two outs, Steve Selsky (Arizona) singled sharply to left field. As Hassan approached third base, he was knocked to the ground by Y-D third baseman Steve Chatwood (San Diego) and awarded third base, but not home, on fielder’s interference – a judgment call by the third base umpire. Hassan was shaken up on the play but remained in the game, and Sale got the next hitter to fly out to end the inning. Brett Weibley (Kent St.) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for Orleans, giving up just one hit. Tommy Kahnle (Lynn) pitched the eighth and gave up two hits and one run. Drew Hayes (Vanderbilt) pitched the final two innings for Y-D and retired all six batters he faced for his first save of the season. Despite the offensive troubles, Orleans flashed some leather Monday afternoon. Brown, recently named the Coca Cola Player of the Week, made a diving catch on a line drive in the first inning and trumped his own effort in the third on a McMahan fly ball to deep center. Brown tracked the ball back to the fence, timed his leap, and went way up on the 10-foot fence to make a spectacular catch and rob McMahan of extra bases. Shortstop Devin Lohman (Long Beach St.) made a diving snag of his own in shallow left field, and second baseman Danny Muno (Fresno St.) saved a run in the eighth with an over-the-shoulder basket catch with a man on third. Austin Wates (Virginia Tech) went 2-for-4 with two bunt singles and two stolen bases for Y-D, and Jones was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Brown was 1-for-3 with an intentional walk and a run scored, and Heffley went 1-for-4 with his RBI single. Muno was 1-for-3 with a double. After winning all three games on Sunday and Monday, Y-D is now in first place with a 20-12-1 record and 41 points. Orleans is 17-14-1, and will look forward to facing a new team to try to break its three game skid. The Firebirds host the Hyannis Mets Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. (Box Score)