Stars Fall At Home To Lookouts

The Stars trailed the entire way Tuesday night, falling in game one of a series opener 9-3 to the visiting Chattanooga Lookouts.

Dee Gordon led off the game with a single, stole two bases and scored on a sacrifice fly. Things took a strange turn after Stars pitcher Mark Rogers worked out of the inning with 29 pitches.

Lookouts starting pitcher Mario Alvarez only delivered one pitch before he was ejected from the game for hitting Brett Lawrie with a fastball. Home plate umpire Marcus Patillo then tossed Chattanooga manager Carlos Subero during the heated argument that followed. The Stars and Lookouts last played in Huntsville from April 26-29 and it’s possible Patillo felt the wayward pitch was a carryover from the previous series between the two squads. Lawrie did score as the lone run of the Stars first. Lawrie’s run tied the score and was credited to Alvarez, who did not record an out before being run from the contest.

Rogers did not last long either. One of the Stars hottest hurlers of late retired one and allowed one in the second before calling Stars pitching coach John Curtis out of the dugout. After examining Roger’s pitching hand, the decision was made to bring in reliever Donovan Hand. Roger’s threw 41 pitches through 1.1 innings, allowed three runs on two hits and walked three while striking out one.

The Stars bullpen did not fare much better, giving up six runs on 11 hits. Rogers picked up the loss, his sixth of 2010.

Huntsville’s best chance came in the third but could only take one run back. With one run already in, two outs and runners on the corners, Dayton Buller sent a fly ball to right field that Kyle Russell reeled in easily to end the frame.

A doubleheader is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. (CDT) in Huntsville on Wednesday. Huntsville will send Amaury Rivas (6-5 2.960 in game one and Lucas Luetke (1-0 1.00) in game two. Both games will be streamed live on huntsvillestars.com.