Andreoli blast paces Cubs in 4-2 win
After going 488 plate appearances this season without a homerun, Cubs CF John Andreoli crushed the first pitch of the ballgame from RHP Brandon Williamson over the scoreboard beyond the left field fence to give Daytona a 1-0 lead.
Also in the first, 3B Christian Villanueva blooped a one-out single to left-center, stole second and came around to score on a DH Nelson Perez two-out double off the right field wall to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.
Matt Loosen (W, 11-5), who earned his team-leading 11th win of the season, worked five very strong innings, and allowed just a run on two hits with six strikeouts.
Daytona scored individual runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead on the Manatees.
In the seventh, Manatees RF Franklin Romero JR. laced a two-out RBI single off LHP Jeff Lorick to cut the Cubs lead to 4-2, but that was the conclusion of the scoring on the evening.
RHP A.J. Morris came on in relief of Lorick to start the eighth inning, and shut the door on the 'Tees. Morris' two perfect innings of work earned him his seventh save of the season, all of which have come in his last 11 appearances.
In the game, Andreoli stole two more bases to add to his leage-leading total (55), and Villanueva stole two as well. The first of Andreoli's two marked the 200th base the Daytona Cubs stole in 2012. They ended the game with 201.
Perez finished with two double, a run, a walk and the RBI.
With the win, the Cubs have won back-to-back scheduled games for the first time since 8/7 and 8/9 when they defeated Lakeland.
The two teams will play the season-finale on Sunday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. First pitch on Fan Appreciation Night is scheduled for 5:35p.m., which fireworks to follow the final out.
Game Note
Saturday marked "Front Row Joe's" 1,200 consecutive Daytona Cubs game attended at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, dating back to 1995. Joe was honored when Cubs Manager Brian Harper asked him to dress in uniform for the game, and sit in the Cubs dugout at the Assistant Pitching Coach for the game.