JetHawks beat former teammates in 6-1 win over Ports
July 23, 2015
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — The JetHawks returned home shaken up this week, having dropped five games in a row, including a four-game sweep at the hands of San Jose, and going 1-6 during a seven-game road trip.
Set to attempt to put their struggles in the rearview mirror beginning with a four-game series vs. Stockton, Thursday started with more turmoil for the JetHawks, who lost catcher Jacob Nottingham and right-hander Daniel Mengden in a trade that landed Houston pitcher Scott Kazmir from Oakland while sending the pair to the Ports' clubhouse.
“It was a big loss,” JetHawks designated hitter Ronnie Mitchell said. “But we got a lot of guys on the team that can step up to the plate and keep on grinding and pushing.”
For the 16th game in a row, Mitchell did his part, and so did the pitching staff in a 6-1 win that stopped the JetHawks’ bleeding and put a happy ending to a difficult day in Lancaster.
Trailing 1-0, Mitchell’s leadoff homer to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning knotted things up and gave the DH his 16th game in a row with at least one hit.
Mitchell homered off Pat Venditte, the Athletics’ switch-pitcher who is with the Ports on a rehab assignment. As part of his rehab, Venditte was pitching right-handed even though Mitchell bats left-handed.
“I hadn’t hit (a homer) in a while,” Mitchell said. “It felt good to put some runs on the board for our team.”
Chase McDonald also helped. After Derek Fisher singled and Jamie Ritchie walked to lead off the sixth, McDonald gave the JetHawks the lead for good with an RBI single to center field.
Moments later, an unlikely source would put the game away following a Mitchell two-out, bases-loading walk off Taylor Thompson, also on a rehab assignment.
Facing Sam Roberts, Mott Hyde, who came into the game 1-for-16 in his last four games, cleared the bases with a double to left field to give the JetHawks (13-13, 50-46) a 5-1 lead.
“It was awesome,” Hyde said. “It gave us three more runs, gave the pitchers a comfortable lead to pitch with.”
Keegan Yuhl started for the JetHawks and gave up three hits and the only Lancaster walk of the game while striking out six in five innings. The only run scored against him was unearned after a pair of fielding errors allowed the Ports to open the scoring in the third inning.
Bryan Radziewski finished off the Ports (13-13, 51-45) by giving up no hits and striking out three in four innings. He also got the win, improving to 3-3.
“It feels great,” Radziewski said. “We’ve been struggling as of late and to come home and get a win is huge. “
The pitching duo combined to retire 14 consecutive Ports, starting with two outs in the top of the fourth and ending when Nottingham reached first on a J.D. Davis error at third base with one out in the ninth.
Radziewski retired the next two batters to end the game.
“Me and Keenan just pounded the zone and it worked out for us,” he said.
On a day in which Bret “The Hitman” Hart threw the first pitch and signed autographs for a multitude of fans, the JetHawks collected 10 hits. McDonald and Fisher went 2-for-3 and Hyde went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Called up from Quad Cities on July 16, Ritchie, a catcher, made his JetHawks’ home debut and hit a solo homer with two outs in the seventh inning.
With Nottingham gone, it was a sight to behold for the JetHawks, who have lost many of their top performers via promotion and now, as the MLB trade deadline is approaching, via trade.
“We were expecting (the Astros farm system) was going to lose some guys,” JetHawks manager Omar Lopez said. “And it was from our team, so there's nothing we can do. I don’t know if more is coming.”
Barring any more roster movement today, the JetHawks will send recent call-up Francis Martes to the mound at 6:30 p.m. in the second game of the series.
The young right-hander and the rest of the JetHawks who are still here will try to keep Nottingham and Mengden winless in Lancaster.
“That’s what we got to do, keep grinding every day,” Mitchell said.
By ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — The JetHawks returned home shaken up this week, having dropped five games in a row, including a four-game sweep at the hands of San Jose, and going 1-6 during a seven-game road trip.
Set to attempt to put their struggles in the rearview mirror beginning with a four-game series vs. Stockton, Thursday started with more turmoil for the JetHawks, who lost catcher Jacob Nottingham and right-hander Daniel Mengden in a trade that landed Houston pitcher Scott Kazmir from Oakland while sending the pair to the Ports' clubhouse.
“It was a big loss,” JetHawks designated hitter Ronnie Mitchell said. “But we got a lot of guys on the team that can step up to the plate and keep on grinding and pushing.”
For the 16th game in a row, Mitchell did his part, and so did the pitching staff in a 6-1 win that stopped the JetHawks’ bleeding and put a happy ending to a difficult day in Lancaster.
Trailing 1-0, Mitchell’s leadoff homer to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning knotted things up and gave the DH his 16th game in a row with at least one hit.
Mitchell homered off Pat Venditte, the Athletics’ switch-pitcher who is with the Ports on a rehab assignment. As part of his rehab, Venditte was pitching right-handed even though Mitchell bats left-handed.
“I hadn’t hit (a homer) in a while,” Mitchell said. “It felt good to put some runs on the board for our team.”
Chase McDonald also helped. After Derek Fisher singled and Jamie Ritchie walked to lead off the sixth, McDonald gave the JetHawks the lead for good with an RBI single to center field.
Moments later, an unlikely source would put the game away following a Mitchell two-out, bases-loading walk off Taylor Thompson, also on a rehab assignment.
Facing Sam Roberts, Mott Hyde, who came into the game 1-for-16 in his last four games, cleared the bases with a double to left field to give the JetHawks (13-13, 50-46) a 5-1 lead.
“It was awesome,” Hyde said. “It gave us three more runs, gave the pitchers a comfortable lead to pitch with.”
Keegan Yuhl started for the JetHawks and gave up three hits and the only Lancaster walk of the game while striking out six in five innings. The only run scored against him was unearned after a pair of fielding errors allowed the Ports to open the scoring in the third inning.
Bryan Radziewski finished off the Ports (13-13, 51-45) by giving up no hits and striking out three in four innings. He also got the win, improving to 3-3.
“It feels great,” Radziewski said. “We’ve been struggling as of late and to come home and get a win is huge. “
The pitching duo combined to retire 14 consecutive Ports, starting with two outs in the top of the fourth and ending when Nottingham reached first on a J.D. Davis error at third base with one out in the ninth.
Radziewski retired the next two batters to end the game.
“Me and Keenan just pounded the zone and it worked out for us,” he said.
On a day in which Bret “The Hitman” Hart threw the first pitch and signed autographs for a multitude of fans, the JetHawks collected 10 hits. McDonald and Fisher went 2-for-3 and Hyde went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Called up from Quad Cities on July 16, Ritchie, a catcher, made his JetHawks’ home debut and hit a solo homer with two outs in the seventh inning.
With Nottingham gone, it was a sight to behold for the JetHawks, who have lost many of their top performers via promotion and now, as the MLB trade deadline is approaching, via trade.
“We were expecting (the Astros farm system) was going to lose some guys,” JetHawks manager Omar Lopez said. “And it was from our team, so there's nothing we can do. I don’t know if more is coming.”
Barring any more roster movement today, the JetHawks will send recent call-up Francis Martes to the mound at 6:30 p.m. in the second game of the series.
The young right-hander and the rest of the JetHawks who are still here will try to keep Nottingham and Mengden winless in Lancaster.
“That’s what we got to do, keep grinding every day,” Mitchell said.