Valdespin provides heroics in walk-off win
Jordany Valdespin hit a walk-off, two-run double in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the New Orleans Zephyrs a wild 3-2 win over the Oklahoma City RedHawks on Thursday night.
Trailing 1-0 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Zephyrs rallied to force extra innings only to fall behind again in the top of the 10th following a fielding error by shortstop Juan Diaz.
But Diaz redeemed himself with a single leading off the bottom of the frame, and moved to second when the RedHawks misplayed a sacrifice bunt by Brian Bogusevic. After Josh Rodriguez struck out, Valdespin laced a double into the right-center field gap, and Bogusevic raced around to score the winning run ahead of the relay throw.
Much of the game was dominated by a pitcher's duel between starting pitchers Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano.
Selected by the Marlins with the ninth overall pick in the 2012 draft, Heaney was touted as the organization's top prospect and the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball by MLB.com. Facing his hometown team, the Oklahoma City native struck out five batters through three innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth.
Max Stassi doubled off the center field wall with one out and advanced to third on a two-out single by Gregorio Petit. A line drive off the bat of Andy Simunic grazed the glove of a leaping Mark Canha at first base for an infield single to score Stassi.
The southpaw had a scare an inning later when he took a Robbie Grossman liner off his lower leg. After briefly limping around the infield, consulting with the coaching and training staff and making a warm-up pitch, Heaney responded with a strikeout of Jon Singleton, his seventh of the game.
Heaney's night ended one batter later, completing his Triple-A debut with one run and seven hits allowed in five innings. He struck out seven without a walk.
Meanwhile, Tropeano continued his mastery of the Zephyrs, extending his streak to 14 2/3 scoreless innings over three outings against New Orleans this season.
Tropeano breezed through the Zephyrs' lineup, allowing two-out singles in the first and second innings and then keeping the Z's out of the hit column until a two-out single by Josh Rodriguez in the sixth. He was lifted following a two-out walk to Kyle Jensen in the seventh, but Kevin Chapman came on to strike out Rob Brantly to end the inning.
Alex White, on a rehab assignment while recovering from Tommy John surgery, retired the Zephyrs in order in the eighth before the Z's rallied against Rhiner Cruz in the ninth with the help of two RedHawks errors.
Rodriguez reached on an error by Petit leading off the inning, and third baseman Jonathan Meyer committed an throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Jordany Valdespin, allowing Rodriguez to move to third.
Canha then ripped a single to right to plate the tying run, giving the Z's only their second run in the last 30 innings.
An intentional walk to Justin Bour loaded the bases with no outs, and the RedHawks brought Simunic in from right field to provide a fifth infielder. The strategy paid off as Jensen bounced into a double play, and after another intentional walk, Cruz retired Jake Marisnick on a pop out to send the game to extra innings.
Grossman led off the 10th with a double off eventual winning pitcher Grant Dayton (1-0), and the Zephyrs were unable to record an out on a slow grounder by Jon Singleton, putting runners on the corners. Roe struck out Domingo Santana and got a potential inning-ending double play ball from Stassi which was mishandled by Diaz to allow the go-ahead run to score.
Cruz (1-1) suffered the blown save and the loss, though only one of the three runs he allowed was earned.
The Zephyrs open a four-game set against the Nashville Sounds on Friday. First pitch at Zephyr Field is slated for 7 p.m.
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