The undefeated Isotopes expected a walk in the park but found themselves in a dog-infested junkyard during a three-game set with the Balldogs Sunday afternoon. In a series defined by good pitching (each team scored just nine runs), the Fish were lucky to take the series, two games to one.
Springfield ace Bob Tewksbury improved to 2-0 on the season in the Topes' 4-2 Game 1 victory. The control artist gave up two runs, four hits and zero walks in eight masterful innings, getting the better of Balldog hurler Chris Bosio (1-1), who allowed three runs in six. Topes' third baseman Todd Zeile collected two hits and plated the game winning RBI. Meanwhile, Dave Winfield cracked his first home run of the year for the Dawgs.
It was probably going to happen at some point, but it still came as a shock to many when the Fish took their first L of the campaign in Game 2.?Randy Johnson threw a five-hit complete game, fanning eight, in Junk's 4-1 win. The Big Unit evened his record at 1-1 and can thank teammates John Olerud and Winfield (again!) for their contributions - each homered to provide all the offense Johnson would require. Pedro Astacio was tagged with the loss.
A first inning miscue by Springfield first baseman Kent Hrbek allowed the Dawgs to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the rubber match (the Fish committed five errors in the series, the Dawgs just one), but the Topes scored the next four runs, two of them on a pinch-hit double by Phil Clark. The Junk clawed back single runs in the seventh and eighth, and only trailed 4-3 heading into the final frame. With one out and the tying run at third and the winning run at second, closer Doug Jones induced a game-ending double-play off the bat of catcher Tom Pagnozzi, and that's all she wrote. Final score Springfield 4, Junk 3.?
Springfield sits atop the Tiant division at 8-1. The Dawgs, meanwhile, are solidly mid-pack at 5-4.
