Poor defense burns Stars again

By Aaron Morse

The Tennessee Smokies (34-21) scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh that turned out to be the difference as the Huntsville Stars (25-31) fell by a score of 8-5 Saturday night.

The Stars got some two out lightning in the top of the first to take an early 2-0 lead against Smokies’ starter Alberto Cabrera. After Brett Lawrie grounded-out and Lorenzo Cain struck-out, Caleb Gindl drilled a double to center that Tony Campana couldn’t handle cleanly. Gindl was able to advance to third due to the first of what would be three Smokies’ errors in the contest. Cabrera started struggling with his control as he issued back-to-back walks to Zelous Wheeler and Drew Anderson to load the bases. That’s when Taylor Green continued his recent RBI tear with a two-RBI single to score Gindl and Wheeler.

Tennessee would take the lead back against Stars’ starter Alex Periard in the bottom of the third with some two-out production of their own. Tony Thomas hit a slower roller to Wheeler at short, who threw wild to first, allowing Thomas to advance to second on the play. Two outs later Marwin Gonzalez doubled to center to drive in Thomas. A Ty Wright single up the middle plated Gonzalez to the tie the game. Blake Lalli kept the hit parade going with a double to give Tennessee a 3-2 lead.

The Stars came back quickly in the top of the fourth. Lee Haydel and Dayton Buller drew back-to-back walks. Periard bunted them over and an error on the play allowed him to reach safely. Lawrie singled home Haydel to tie the game at three. That’s when Cain hit a grounder to first, Lalli tagged Lawrie then threw home, but the collision at the plate caused the ball to get away allowing two to score and Huntsville took a 5-3 lead.

But the Stars couldn’t hold on as the Smokies got three in the sixth and two in the seventh to take the lead for good.

Periard gave up a single to Matthew Spencer to start the sixth. He got the next batter out, but was replaced by Donovan Hand. Hand got the first batter he faced, but pinch hitter Russ Canzler drilled a two-run bomb to tie the game at five.

Then in the seventh it all came apart. With one out new pitcher Mark Willinsky walked Lalli. After that another Stars error came back to burn them as grounder to second was booted by Lawrie. A fielder’s choice put runners at the corners and a HBP loaded them up with two away. Thomas and pinch hitter Steve Clevenger came up huge with back-to-back singles. Thomas drove in one with his base knock while Clevenger provided the insurance with two RBI on his hit.

Willinksy (2-2) took the loss while reliever Ryan Buchter (3-0) picked up the win. David Cales pitched two scoreless innings to earn his third save of the year.

Brett Lawrie paced the Stars with four hits while Taylor Green chalked up two RBI. But it was Lawrie’s error that opened the floodgates in the seventh.

With the loss the Stars fall to 9.5 games out of first. They take on the Smokies again Sunday starting at 4pm.