Rangers Use Big Hits to Topple Indians, 9-7

  The Rangers used a combination of good defense and big hits to squeak past the Springfield Indians 9-7 on Saturday. The win was the fifth in the last six games for the Rangers, moving them into 3^rd place in the league.

Jacob Robinson started for the Rangers and pitched 8 strong innings, picking up the win and improving his record to 7-1 on the season. Jake has won six straight starts and has not lost since May.

The first two innings went to the pitchers and Jacob struck out 2 and Indians starter Matt Spradlin struck out 4. The Indians struck first in the top of the third when catcher Mike Pickarski tattooed a Robinson fastball over the fence in left field for a 1-0 Indians lead. Spradlin continued to dominate on the hill, mowing down 7 Rangers batters in the first four frames. The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the fifth when Kevin Canfield led off with a single and scored on a triple by Joel Murray.

James Robinson started off the bottom of the fifth, reaching base on an error. Brent Collinsworth followed with a single before Shane Fallen laid down a bunt single, sacrificing his right thumb in the process. Spradlin buckled down and got a popup and a strike out to bring up Clint Wolf. Wolf, already with two hard hits on the day, took the intentional, unintentional walk to plate the first run of the game. Jonmarc Lippincott then laced a bases-clearing double to left-center to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead. The Rangers scored three more in the bottom of the sixth, capped by a two-run double by pinch hitter Josh Rayburn. Two more runs came across in the seventh when James roped a two-run single to right field.

Holding a 9-2 advantage, the Rangers skipper stuck with Jake on the mound in the top of the eighth. However, that was probably one inning too many as the Indians fought back with another Mike Pickarski longball and doubles by Joe Cherry, Joe Pickarski, Phil Beach, and Kevin Canfield to cut the lead to 9-7. Josh Rayburn came in to relieve Robinson in the ninth and after a hit-by-pitch and infield single, Rayburn recorded a sacrifice bunt out and then two straight strike outs to earn the save, his second as a Ranger.

Offensive highlights: Clint 2-for-4, RBI, 2B, SB; Jonmarc Lippincott 2-for-5, R, 3RBI, 2B; Brent Collinsworth 3-for-4; James Robinson 2-for-3, 2RBI, Josh Rayburn 1-for-2, 2RBI 2B.

Historical notes: Jacob’s seven wins are a career-high for a single season. Clint is 1 HR shy of tying Matt Caraway’s record of home runs in a single month (5) and 4 RBI away from tying Caraway’s monthly mark of 19 RBIs.