Watanabe Pitches Barnstormers To Edge Of Title
October 2, 2014 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
Lancaster's two Japanese players have stepped to the forefront of the post season.
Yusuke Kajimoto's pinch hit grand slam on Saturday kept the Barnstormers alive, and on Wednesday, Shunsuke Watanabe tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings to pitch Lancaster to a 5-0 victory over the Sugar Land Skeeters and a two games to none lead with the rest of the Atlantic League Championship Series to be held at Clipper Magazine Stadium.
Watanabe (1-1) in the playoffs limited the Skeeters to four hits and five walks while striking out six. Only twice in the game did Sugar Land have more than one runner on base at the same time.
Rene Tosoni led off the game with a single and moved to third on a pair of walks in the opening inning. Watanabe calmly retired Denny Almonte on a fly out down the right field line. It took until the eighth for Sugar Land to build a similar threat. Watanabe walked both Ryan Langerhans and Travis Scott to put two runners on base with two outs. Ross Peeples was summoned to face the switch hitting Almonte and retired him on a fly out that took Brett Carroll back to the fence in right field.
The Barnstormers jumped out early on Steve Hammond (0-1). Wilson Batista rapped a single to left to lead off the game and took second on Cole Garner's two-out single to left center. Olmo Rosario brought both home with a double to the alley in right center.
Blake Gailen dropped a pop fly into shallow left center with the bases loaded in the second for a two-run double and a 4-0 lead. Lancaster failed to take advantage of a chance to put the game away in the third, leaving the bases loaded against Hammond.
Sugar Land's bullpen yielded only two singles by Gailen over the next five innings before a double by Batista, a sacrifice bunt and Garner's sac fly to center produced an insurance run.
The series moves to Lancaster for the weekend. Chris Schwinden (14-5, 2-0) makes the start for the Barnstormers on Friday against right-hander Sean Gallagher (3-4, 0-0). Fans may tune into 1390-AM, WLAN; 1390wlan.com, the I Heart Radio cellphone app or go to Ustream for the video.
NOTES: Watanabe dealt Lancaster's sixth quality start in the seven playoff games...The starting rotation has a 1.88 ERA in the playoffs...Gailen jumped ahead of Golson for the team RBI lead in the post-season...Gailen has driven in eight this year and 17 in 15 playoff games as a Barnstormer...Gailen also reached base for the 43rd consecutive game, dating back to the regular season...Brett Carroll reinjured a calf muscle and had to leave the game after making the catch on Almonte's drive in the eighth.
• Discuss this story on the Atlantic League message board...
Atlantic League Stories from October 2, 2014
- Watanabe Pitches Barnstormers To Edge Of Title - Lancaster Stormers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
