Mets Lose Tough One to Johnson City

The Kingsport Mets drew their biggest crowd of the season at 1,792 on Saturday evening, but the extra fan support didn't help them get past the Johnson City Cardinals.

 

A two-out double by Vaughn Bryan in the ninth inning accounted for the decisive runs, and Johnson City scored a 5-3 victory in the rubber game of their Appalachian League series at Hunter Wright Stadium.

 

Kingsport (25-17), which won 21 games in the month of July, has lost two straight for the first time since June 30 and July 1 against Elizabethton. On the bright side, the K-Mets maintain a comfortable lead over Elizabethton and Johnson City in second place in the West Division. Good news considering the top two finishing teams in each division reach the playoffs.

 

Kingsport struck first tonight, with back-to-back singles by Yeixon Ruiz and Victor Cruzado followed by a fielder's choice grounder by Jeyckol De Leon. Ruiz broke on contact and scored, and Cruzado was safe at second thanks to an error. Elizabethton answered on the fifth, with Steve Bean and Devante Lacy tallying back-to-back run-scoring hits. The bottom two hitters in the Johnson City lineup, both Bean and Lacey came into the game hitting under .200.

 

Justin Ringo gave the Cards some insurance in the eighth on a solo home run to right-his second homer in as many games. This time, Kingsport responded. The K-Mets pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to RBI doubles by Joe Tuschak and Michael Bernal. That forced a 3-3 deadlock going into the ninth, but Johnson City roughed up the usually reliable reliever Robert Coles in the final inning.

 

Johnson City loaded the bases with one out, and after Coles fanned pinch hitter J.J. Altobelli, Bryan hit a flare into right field that bounced past the diving Cruzado for a double.

 

Ringo homers late in the game for the second straight night. Fernando Baez worked a perfect ninth for his first save.

 

Robert Whalen started for Kingsport. Whalen came in leading the league in WHIP (0.88) and third in ERA (1.36), and allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings. He issued one walk and struck out six.

 

Johnson City starter Blake McKnight also went seven innings but Kingsport's rally in the eighth forced him into a non-decision. Zach Loraine picked up the win for Johnson City despite the blown save in the eighth.

 

Kingsport heads on the road for a single game on Sunday against Greeneville, which remains atop the West Division. Then the K-Mets have Monday off before opening a three-game set with Pulaski at home.

 

NOTES: The Cardinals turned a rare double play to end the first inning, as Pedro Perez hit a sharp grounder to Ringo at first base. He stepped on the bag then threw home to get Cruzado for the final out. … This was the final head-to-head meeting of the season between the K-Mets and the Cardinals. … The announced crowd of 1,792 was the biggest of the 2013 season for Kingsport. … Ruiz and Tuschak had three hits apiece for Kingsport, which lost despite outhitting the Cardinals by a 9-7 margin.