Snappers lose home opener
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BELOIT — Midwest League commissioner George Spelius greeted fans and friends alike gathered around his seat at Pohlman Field Thursday for the Beloit Snappers' home opener.
In a conversation with one patron, Spelius pointed out a noticeable difference between this Snappers’ home opener and ones from the past.
“Normally it’s snowing right now,” Spelius joked.
Indeed, Thursday’s balmy temperatures drew an announced crowd of 789 to Pohlman Field, though the sweatshirts, windbreakers, winter hats and hot chocolate that appeared by the second inning were a reminder that, once the sun goes down, it’s still pretty cold.
And so are the Snappers.
Despite being back home, Beloit continued its early-season struggles, especially the pitching staff, in a 9-2 loss to the defending MWL-champion Burlington Bees.
Both teams entered the game 1-5, but it was the Snappers who fell to 1-6 and into sole possession of last place in the first-half standings of the MWL Western Division. More alarmingly, Beloit’s pitching staff looked exactly like the one that entered Thursday with a 6.17 ERA, worst in the MWL.
Starting pitcher Daniel Osterbrock (0-1) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs (four earned) while walking three and striking out four. As has been the problem for Beloit’s pitching staff on the young season, Osterbrock rarely got ahead in the count.
“If you don’t work ahead, a hitter’s going to see many good pitches to swing at,” Beloit manager Nelson Prada said. “One of our things right now is, we have to get those guys to work ahead and throw more strikes early in the counts.
“He faced a lot of guys (with) 3-1, 2-0 (counts), and I think that’s a big concern for all of our pitchers, why our ERA is 7 already.”
The Bees pounded out 17 hits for the game, though none came from stud prospect Eric Hosmer, the first baseman who was selected by the Kansas City Royals third overall in the 2008 draft. Hosmer was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts Thursday.
“Their best hitter may go (0-for-5), but the other eight got 17 hits, so there’s nothing you can do with that,” Prada said. “You have to take care of everybody in the lineup.”
After Burlington scored two runs in the top of the first inning, Beloit tied it in the bottom of the first when Adan Severino scored on a wild pitch and Ramon Santana drove in Evan Bigley on a groundout for his team-leading fifth RBI of the season.
But that was all the Snappers would get, as Burlington starter Sam Runion (1-1) allowed two runs on five hits in five innings, and a pair of Burlington relievers shut down Beloit’s offense from there.
The Bees went ahead for good with two runs in the top of the third and added two more in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the ninth. Beloit reliever Danny Rondon had a strong outing, limiting Burlington to a run on four hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Despite his team’s continuing struggles, Prada is glad to be back home and gain some extra practice time.
“It’s always good when you come back home, and you sleep in your bed,” he said. “At least today we got the opportunity to work on (correcting things).”
BURLINGTON 9, BELOIT 2
Burlington (ab-r-h-rbi)—Norris, cf, 3-1-3-1; Van Stratten, lf, 2-0-1-0; Tucker, lf, 2-1-0-0; Hosmer, 1b, 5-0-0-0; Martin, 3b, 4-3-2-1; Francis, rf, 5-1-3-1; Perez, c, 5-2-2-1; Bonilla, dh, 5-0-3-1; Jimenez, 2b, 4-0-1-1; Perez, 2b, 1-0-1-1; Alfaro, ss, 4-1-1-0. Totals: 40-9-17-7.
Beloit (ab-r-h-rbi)—De La Osa, 2b, 5-0-1-0; Severino, lf, 4-1-1-0; Bigley, rf, 4-1-2-0; Waltenbury, 1b, 3-0-0-0; Santana, ss, 4-0-1-1; Harrington, dh, 4-0-1-0; Morales, cf, 4-0-0-0; Tintor, c, 4-0-1-0; Romero, 3b, 4-0-1-0. Totals: 36-2-8-1.
Burlington 202 210 002—9
Beloit 200 000 000—2
E—Burlington 1, Beloit 3. LOB—Burlington 9, Beloit 8. DP—Beloit 1. 2B—Martin 2, Perez, Francis, Severino.
IP H R ER BB SO
Burlington
Runion (W 1-1) 5 5 2 2 1 0
Garcia 2 2/3 3 0 0 0 3
Bowden 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 0
Beloit
Osterbrock (L 0-1) 3 2/3 10 6 4 3 4
Rondon 3 1/3 4 1 1 1 1
Hernandez 2 3 2 2 1 3
Time—2:45. Attendance—789.
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