Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009

Dust Devils pull out win in 9th in Yakima

From Herald news services

YAKIMA — It's nothing new, this matter of low-scoring teams struggling mightily to win games. But that doesn't mean it can't become especially old for a squad thus plagued.

"It's been proven," Bears manager Bob Didier said Wednesday night, having witnessed another distasteful example of that age-old axiom. "In rookie ball, single-A ball, whatever, you have to score four to six runs a game to win."

Or one more than Yakima managed against East Division leader Tri-City at Yakima County Stadium.

The Bears' 4-3 loss was their fifth straight, matching their second-longest skid of the year, while the Dust Devils' fifth consecutive triumph moved them closer to the East title.

Secured by Jeremiah Sammy's two-out RBI single in the ninth inning, after which Charles Ruiz came on for his league-leading 16th save in 17 chances, the victory kept Tri-City (39-26) seven games up on second-place Spokane with 11 to play.

It also made setup man Craig Bennigson, who allowed no hits through the seventh and eighth, the league's first eight-game winner (8-3).

Yakima had enjoyed scant success against Tri-City starter Rob Scahill, who was in line for his first win against four losses when he left with a 3-0 lead through five innings.

But Tim Sherlock launched a double off the wall in right-center off reliever Eric Federico in the sixth that scored two. Sherlock took third on Gerson Montilla's single, then scored on a wild pitch.