Light hitting Hector Gomez had three hits for the Stars.
photo by Tim Evearitt
The Chattanooga Lookouts again found runs difficult to come by in their series and homestand finale against the Huntsville Stars Sunday afternoon. The start of the game was held up for 30 minutes due to the threat of rain. The rain failed to come but the game was played in 94 degree weather.
Four Huntsville pitchers combined to hold the Lookouts to seven hits, while their offense generated single runs in four separate innings to take the decisive game in the five-game series, 4-0, Sunday at AT&T Field. Chattanooga could only score once although they had runners in scoring position eight time.
Not even the return of pitcher Rob Rasmussen from Albuquerque helped Sunday. the Stars managed only one earned run (two total) against tough-luck loser Ross Stripling (5-3), but added single runs against each of Chattanooga's two relievers, including Rasmussen, who would have been named an all-star as a starter if not for his promotion to Triple-A.
The Stars broke the ice in a scoreless game with a run in the third inning, coming on a Hector Gomez double followed by an RBI single from Stars leadoff hitter Chadwin Strang. Gomez was on the production end of the fourth-inning run, following an Anderson De La Rosa single and a Lookouts error with an RBI single.
Neither team did anything until the eighth, when Eric Patterson led off the Stars' half of the inning with a double and came around to score on a ground ball. Their ninth-inning insurance run was provided by Jason Rogers, who had an RBI double.
Gomez had three of Huntsville's 11 hits to raise his season average to .188. For the Lookouts Rafael Ynoa continued to be productive out of the leadoff spot, picking up two hits and raising his average to .262 but giving him hits in seven of his last eight games. He and pitchers Stripling and Pedro Baez each hit doubles in a losing cause.
The Lookouts (16-33 in the second half) will welcome a day off Monday before beginning a five-game series in Kodak against the Tennessee Smokies.
RHP Onelki Garcia was promoted to Albuquerque.
Shortstop Rafael Ynoa is dumped as he throws to first in an attempted double-play that failed.
photo by Tim Evearitt