Pirates halt Royals' win streak
The Burlington Royals' five-game win streak came to a screeching halt on Saturday evening with a 9-4 loss at the hands of the Bristol Pirates. The game Highlighted by a triple play turned by the Pirates in the first inning. With runners at first and second, 1B Josh Banuelos lined a ball at Pirates SS Trae Arbet. Arbet caught the ball and threw back to second to double off CF Amalani Fukofuka, and the Pirates sent the ball to first to get RF Logan Moon.
Moon was on base thanks to his first of three hits, as he fell a home run shy of the cycle on the night. Earlier in the inning, Royals LF Leland Clemmons was hit by a pitch and stole second before moving to third on a balk. He scored on a strikeout wild pitch, scampering home as Fukofuka headed to first.
The Royals never seemed to be the same after the triple play, collecting only five hits in the game. Bristol grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third on a two-RBI double by RF Nick Buckner that scored 1B Jerrick Suiter and 3B Jose Salazar. Royals starter Corey Ray worked four innings in his start, allowing the two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three.
RHP Julio Pinto came in for the fifth for the Royals and gave up another run on an RBI groundout by C Chris Harvey. It drove in Suiter, who was on base thanks to a walk and had moved to second on another walk before advancing to third on a wild pitch.
The Royals tied the game in the sixth when 2B D.J. Burt walked and Clemmons hit a two-run home run that barely cleared the left field fence. The lead was short-lived as the Pirates got the lead back in the seventh when Buckner singled home CF Candon Myles.
Pinto left the game in the eighth after allowing three Pirates runs on a walk, a pair of doubles and a single. The Royals did score in the eighth when Moon hit a leadoff triple and scored on SS Jose Martinez's sacrifice fly, but after two Pirates runs in the ninth it was too little, too late.
The Royals will head to Pulaski to face the Mariners in a series that begins Sunday at 7:00 p.m. from Calfee Park.
Bristol 9, Burlington 4
WP: De Leon (1-0)
LP: Pinto (4-2)
HR: Clemmons (5)