April 22, 2005

NL Game 12

HAP A's    8

Children's Medical Red Sox    6

In a very close game, the HAP A's edged the Children's Medical Red Sox 8-6. 

The A's Daniel Enterlin led off the game with a shot down the left field line, but Red Sox outfielder Carlton Butcher made a phenomenal catch to rob Enterlin of an extra base hit.  The A's stayed hot scoring 4 runs in the first behind run-scoring hits by Ashton Raines, Calvin Samson, Jeff Gregg, and Greyson Nelson.  In the bottom of the first, the Red Sox countered with 4 runs of their own.  Three of the runs scored on consecutive hits by Dominic Nunag, Tyler Barton, Tom Platt, and Daniel Grandieri.  Tyler Godwin drove in the fourth run of the inning with a clutch two-out RBI single. 

The A's opened the second inning with more offense.  Three straight hits by Chris Heinerichs, Daniel Enterlin, and Sean Myers led to one run.  However, an unassisted double play by Red Sox first basemen Dominic Nunag and a nice catch by outfielder Tyler Barton ended the A's scoring threat.  In the bottom of the 2nd, Nunag and Barton both scored runs for the Red Sox after hitting consecutive doubles. 

In the 3rd inning, the A's collected one more run in the top of the inning before shutting down the Red Sox offense in the bottom of the inning behind nice defensive plays by Ashton Raines and Sean Myers.

The A's scored 2 more runs in the 4th on a two-run single by Ian McKernan.  Despite giving up two runs, Red Sox pitcher Daniel Grandieri pitched very well striking out three A's in the inning.  In his debut on the mound, A's pitcher Calvin Samson struck out two Red Sox before giving up a triple to Tom Platt.  Samson then caught a hard line drive off the bat of Rob Brown to end the inning.

In the top of the 5th, Grandieri continued his dominance of A's hitters allowing no runs and striking out three.  A's pitcher Ashton Raines proved to be just as dominant in the bottom of the 5th striking out the side while giving up no runs.

The game was called in the top of the sixth due to darkness.