Saturday, June 11, 2005

L 13-0

Jacksonville, FL --- The Jacksonville Suns broke up a tight game with a seven-run sixth inning en route to a 13-0 clubbing of the Carolina Mudcats at the Baseball Grounds on Saturday night.

The loss skimmed the Mudcats' lead in the Northern Division to a mere 1/2 game over West Tenn with eight to play in the first half.  The Diamond Jaxx earned a 2-1, rain-shortened victory over Mississippi.

Carolina (40-20) trailed 3-0 entering the sixth when starter Josh Johnson (L, 6-2) had to be removed due to a tweak of his left knee while running the bases in the fifth inning.  Ross Wolf entered the game after Johnson attempted to make his warm-up pitches, and walked the three batters he faced on 13 total pitches.  Mike McNutt relieved Wolf, but forced in a run with a walk, then surrendered a three-run double to Sergio Garcia for a 7-0 lead.  Later in the inning, Jon Weber and Delwyn Young would connect for consecutive homers to cap a seven run inning.  In the seventh, Tydus Meadows hit his second three-run homer in two games against McNutt to stretch the lead to 13-0.

Johnson, who saw a five-game winning streak snapped, suffered his first loss since April 12th, a span of 10 starts.  He permitted three runs on six hits over five innings.  Johnson also collected two of Carolina's six singles in the game.  Chris Bass had two others while starting at first base for the first time since 2003.  Jason Hill saw his nine-game hitting streak snapped, going 0-3 with a walk.

The 13-run loss was the worst suffered by the Mudcats in over five years.  On May 25, 2000, Carolina was routed at home by Orlando by the same 13-0 score.  After winning the opener 4-0, the Mudcats have been outscored 22-1 by the Suns.  In the three games of the series, Carolina pitchers have walked 25 batters.

Joel Hanrahan (W, 3-3) earned the victory with six scoreless innings, fanning five. 

The series in Jacksonville ends on Sunday at 5:05 PM ET with Luke Lockwood (2-0, 2.72) starting against Jonathan Broxton (3-2, 3.55).  The series continues Monday through Wednesday at Five County Stadium.

CAROLINA            0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   ---   0   6   2   7

JACKSONVILLE    1 0 0   0 2 7   3 0 x   ---  13  12  1   5

WP - Hanrahan (3-3)

LP - Johnson (6-2)

S - None.

HR - Weber (5), Young (9), Meadows (10)

Time:  2:48

Att:  5,337