Lowell takes game one over Vermont 12-5

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When last we saw the Lowell Spinners they were heading into the All-Star break feeling good about themselves. The team was in the thick of a Division race, then came a six game road trip after the days off in which the Spinners went 1-5. The bats went quiet and Lowell fell back into a tie for last place.

On Tuesday night the bats came alive, banging out 16 hits, including three home runs. The pitching was good enough to provide the Spinners with a much needed win 12-5 over Vermont to keep their playoff hopes in play.

Every member of the starting lineup had at least one hit. The top two guys in the order, Michael Osinski, and Frankie Rios went a combined 6-9. The Spinners had two four run innings to back the pitching of starter Durin O’Linger who went the first five innings. His line was 5H, 3R, to improve his record to 3-1.

The Spinners got things rolling in the first with back to back singles by Osinski and Rios, with Rios getting thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. It gave Lowell a man in scoring position and Garrett Benge drove him in with a fielder’s choice ground ball. 1-0 Lowell.

The Spinners made it 5-0 after two against Lake Monster starter Argenis Blanco. Lowell would hit two home runs in the inning including Yoan Aybar his second just inside the right field foul pole. Osinski hit his second, a towering blast over the scoreboard in left. The two bombs were sandwiched around a two-run double off the bat of Raiwinson Lameda to center field. He too would get thrown out trying to extend the hit to a triple, but the damage had been done.

Any thoughts of an easy night for the home team went away at least in the short term, as the Lake Monsters put up a three spot in the third. With one away, Jesus Lage singled to right off O’Linger, that was followed by a double from Logan Farrar to center scoring Lage. Greg Deichmann also doubled to center scoring Farrar. Deichmann would later cross the plate on a wild pitch to make it 5-3 Spinners.

The Spinners got one back in the bottom of the inning, and then pushed across four in the fourth, three of those runs coming off one swing of the bat from Marino Campana off of Blanco (10R, 8H in 3.2 innings) his third of the year, 10-3 Lowell.

Vermont cut into the lead in the sixth when James Terrell took Spinners relief pitcher Mitchell Osnowitz deep to left for a two run blast ,his second of the year, 10-5 Lowell.

The Spinners would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth and added one more in the eighth to make the final score 12-5 home team.

After the game, Manager Iggy Suarez called these games crucial division games. He liked the way his top two guys in the order gave quality at bats and stung the ball.

He also maintains this is the fun time of year, getting the chance to play games against teams directly in front of them in the standings.

As for his starter O’linger, he thought his offense gave him a cushion to work with during his outing. He called O’Linger a confident guy who did his part to get this short home stand off to a good start.

Game two is Wednesday night, first pitch scheduled for 6:30 pm.