Riccio Torrez's three-run homer in the seventh was the decisive hit for the Biscuits.
photo by Tim Evearitt
One fat pitch from reliever Hector Nelo undid six-plus innings of shutout work by starter (and tough loser) Andres Santiago. Montgomery's Riccio Torrez blasted a three-run homer to lead the Biscuits to a come-from-behind 4-3 win in a lunchtime special at AT&T Field Wednesday with over 3,900 in attendance.
Thus, for the second time in less than 24 hours, a superlative pitching performance by a Lookouts' starter went to no avail.
Game Recap
Santiago (3-6) hasn't had a lot of good luck in 2013, but Wednesday's reveral had to be particularly painful.
A Sean Burroughs RBI double in the fourth inning put the game's only run on the board against Montgomery starter Enny Romero. The run was an unearned run, but it was the only run in the game until the seventh frame.
Cameron Seitzer singled to open the sevent inning, and with one out Keith Castillo drew a walk that ended Santiago's day. But Nelo's second pitch to Torrez was launched past the scoreboard for a 3-1 lead.
In the eighth, the Biscuits added another run against reliever Michael Thomas to make it 4-1.
Trailing by three in the bottom of the ninth, the Lookouts mounted a gallant comeback. Erik Hamren, not the usual closer for the Biscuits, had trouble slamming the door. Bobby Coyle led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk and Miguel Rojas moved him up 90 feet with a single. After Matt Wallach was called out on strikes, Rafael Ynoa followed with an RBI single that scored Coyle and pushed Rojas to third. Joc Pederson walked to load the bases.
The inning, and perhaps game, changing play followed, when Brian Cavazos-Galvez's grounder to third forced Pederson at second. Having already been frustrated by umpire Alex Ransom's calls during the game, manager Jody Reed rushed on to the field and confronted Ransom. Reed argued that he could see the play clearly from his spot as the third base coach and that Pederson was safe. Naturally the umpire was not going to change his decision and eventually Reed was ejected, but the Lookouts were still alive.
J.T. Wise ended the contest with a ground ball that led to a force out.
Pederson, Rojas and Ynoa all had two hits for the Lookouts, which outhit the Biscuits 10-7.
Box Score
Although the Biscuits have already captured the series with three consecutive wins, the teams meet for game four of the series on Thursday night at 7:15 p.m.
Tempers flared after Lookouts' pitcher Andres Santiago hit Hector Guevara on the knee.
photo by Tim Evearitt