EL PASO, TX- El Paso's bullpen could not hold a 4-2 seventh inning lead as the Lincoln Saltdogs scored a run in each of the last three innings to beat El Paso 5-4 and end the Diablos' four game winning streak.
With two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the ninth, David Espinosa's drive down the left field line off Reyes Dorado (0-2) stayed fair by a matter of inches, scoring Mike Provencher and giving Lincoln its first win of the series in three tries.
El Paso built a 3-2 lead on an RBI double by Welington Dotel and a two-run home run by Jonathan Cisneros before adding its final run in the fifth on a double steal play to push the score to 4-2. The Saltdogs bullpen then shut down El Paso for the rest of the game while the offense began its comeback.
Drew Graham took over for starter Steven Evarts, who lasted less than five innings but surrendered just two runs. In Graham's third inning, he surrendered a solo home run to catcher A.J. Miller that allowed Lincoln to pull to within one run.
The Saltdogs would tie the game in the eighth off Dorado on an RBI single by Asif Shah before winning the contest the very next frame. Brandon Cooney picked up the victory for Lincoln with a scoreless inning in relief.
The Diablos are 20-32 heading into the series finale on Sunday and will try and earn the series victory.
Link to Box Score
GAME DATE: 07/14/2012
El Paso Diablos 4 AT Lincoln Saltdogs 5
YTD YTD
El Paso AB R H BI AVG Lincoln AB R H BI AVG
M.Gonzalez SS 4 0 1 0 .338 J.Spiers SS 3 1 0 0 .297
R.Fronk 3B 3 1 1 0 .277 M.Provencher 3B 5 1 1 0 .273
M.Einertson CF 4 0 2 0 .296 D.Espinosa 2B 4 0 1 1 .271
W.Dotel RF 4 0 2 1 .404 J.Alonso 1B 4 1 1 1 .309
D.Nelson 2B 4 0 0 0 .313 S.Holdren LF 4 1 2 0 .283
J.Acey DH 3 1 1 0 .300 J.Rohan DH 3 0 3 1 .328
J.Cisneros 1B 4 1 1 2 .276 B.Payne PR 0 0 0 0 .252
P.Arlis C 3 0 0 0 .299 A.Shah RF 4 0 1 1 .269
J.Muse LF 2 1 1 0 .293 S.Smith CF 4 0 1 0 .250
A.Miller C 4 1 1 1 .246
31 4 9 3 35 5 11 5
El Paso 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 4 9 1
Lincoln 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 - 5 11 0
2B--R.Fronk (10), W.Dotel (4), D.Espinosa (5). HR--J.Cisneros (3), A.Miller
(3). RBI--W.Dotel (8), J.Cisneros 2 (27), D.Espinosa (10), J.Alonso (51),
J.Rohan (20), A.Shah (16), A.Miller (15). SB--J.Muse (1), J.Spiers (18),
S.Smith (1). CS--W.Dotel (5), B.Payne (5). E--J.Cisneros (4).
LOB--El Paso 3, Lincoln 8. DP--T. Po Vey(P) - J. Spiers(SS) - J.
Alonso(1B), M. Gonzalez(SS) - D. Nelson(2B) - J. Cisneros(1B), W.
Dotel(RF).
YTD
IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
El Paso
S.Evarts 4.1 5 2 2 3 3 0 3.38
D.Graham 2.2 1 1 1 1 1 1 5.79
R.Dorado (L,0-2) 1.2 5 2 2 0 0 0 5.21
8.2 11 5 5 4 4 1
Lincoln
R.Sheldon 5.0 6 4 4 3 3 1 4.14
C.Spink 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1.74
T.Po Vey 1.2 2 0 0 0 2 0 6.59
B.Cooney (W,4-2) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.97
9 9 4 4 3 6 1
PB--P.Arlis 2. SO--R.Fronk, W.Dotel, D.Nelson, J.Cisneros, P.Arlis 2,
J.Spiers, D.Espinosa, S.Smith, A.Miller. BB--R.Fronk, J.Acey, J.Muse,
J.Spiers 2, D.Espinosa, J.Rohan. BF--S.Evarts 21 (26), D.Graham 9 (46),
R.Dorado 9 (97), R.Sheldon 21 (289), C.Spink 4 (41), T.Po Vey 6 (125),
B.Cooney 3 (105). P-S--S.Evarts 66-38, D.Graham 36-21, R.Dorado 24-15,
R.Sheldon 103-68, C.Spink 23-15, T.Po Vey 16-13, B.Cooney 13-7.
T--3:03. A--3673
Weather: 96 degrees, cloudy
Umpires: Plate Ump - Mo Hassen, Field Ump #1 - Nick Gonzalez (1B), Field Ump #2 - Kurt Branin (3B)