Friday Pebble Report

Colorado Springs - Game postponed due to snow.

Tulsa, L 5-20 - The Drillers scored all five runs in the top of the ninth when Matt Miller scored on a bases loaded HBP for Duke Sardinha and a Brian Esposito grand slam.

No Drillers pitcher escaped unharmed last night. Ching Lung Lo allowed nine runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 IP. Jon George allowed six runs on six hits in 2 2/3 IP. Jarrett Grube and Casey Weathers allowed one run each while Adam Bright allowed three in between Grube and Weathers.

Modesto, W 11-10 in 12 innings - Now this game ended in a reasonable number of extra innings. With two out and Jason Van Kooten on third in the  top of the 12th, Bret Berglund reached on a throwing error and Van Kooten crossed home plate. Van Kooten drove in the first Modesto run of the night in the third, his first RBI of the season. In the seventh inning, Rolando Valdez entered the game with one out and had a balk with the bases loaded, which scored Mike McKenry. After a Bret Berglund RBI single in the same inning, Cole Garner scored from third after Mitch Canham committed a throwing error while attempting to throw out Bret Berglund on the steal of second. Victor Ferrante then singled in Berglund. His double in the ninth inning scored two runs. Mike Paulk had his first homer of the season to leadoff the ninth.

Shane Lindsay went four innings, allowed three runs on one hit and six walks. He also struck out six. Andy Graham allowed four runs (two earned) in two innings. Will Harris struck out three in two innings, and David Patton blew the save and picked up the win. He allowed the three runs in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Andrew Johnston has three saves this season after last night's game.

Brian VanderBeek muses on the Nuts' offense after last night's showing.

Asheville, W 6-3 - Jeff Cunningham started the scoring last night with a single to right field. It scored Brian Rike, and a fielding error allowed Darin Holcomb to score on the play also. To start that, Rike had a single and then stole second and third bases (7) while Darin Holcomb was at the plate. As part of his 3-for-4 night, Lars Davis' single in the seventh helped widen the game to its final score.

Bruce Billings limited the opponent to one hit on two runs and two walks over six innings. He struck out six. Joey Williamson hit two batters and gave up two runs in the seventh to see the 3-1 lead disappear. A Helder Velazquez error also contributed to losing the lead. Williamson picked up the win. Craig Baker and Randall Taylor  (4 SV) had clean sheets.

After the fold, you can listen to what Jason McGill suggests for every time Billings strikes out a batter: