Lowell unable to bounce back vs Vermont

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The Lowell Spinners returned home to finish a suspended game vs Vermont. That was started back on August 7th, and at the time of game being halted, the Spinners were trailing 4-1.

The Spinners fell behind in the very first inning, as starter Jose Gonzalez gave up four runs on three hits. One of those hits was a two-run home run off the bat of right fielder Nick Osborne.

The other two runs were driven in by shortstop Jeremy Eierman who ripped two-run double to right field. Before the Spinners came to bat, they were already down 4-0.

Lowell did respond in their half of the first with their lone run so far. A walk to leadoff hitter Grant Williams was followed one out later by a double to left by Tyler Dearden. Devlin Granberg loaded the bases with a free pass. Tyler Esplin brought home Lowell first fun with a fielder’s choice to score Williams. 4-1 Vermont .

Logan Browning, son of former major league pitcher Tom Browning, took over for Lowell. His team got a run closer in the fifth. with a man out, Korby Batesole reaches in a infield error by shortstop Eierman, he would come all the way around to score on a double down the right-field line by Williams. 4-2 Vermont after five.

With Browning throwing zeros (4 IP, 3H, 2R, 5K’s), Lowell crept to within a run in the seventh. Dylan Hardy lead off the inning with a hustle double down the left field line. After being sacrificed to third by Batesole, Hardy scored on a base hit up the middle by Williams. 4-3 Vermont after seven.

Vermont tacked on a run in the seventh against Kris Jackson on in relief of Browning. An RBI single by Aaron Arruda scored Eierman to give Vermont back their three-run lead at 6-3.

In the top of the ninth, Vermont made it a four-run game. A leadoff walk to Devin Foyle started it. He then stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and score Vermont’s seventh run on a Jackson wild pitch.

Chris Kohler, who went five innings in relief of starter Adam Russ got the win (3-2). Jose Gonzalez took the loss (0-2).

The Lake Monsters restored their two-run lead in the eighth. Anthony Churlin led off with a double to right, moved to third on a fly out, then scored on a wild pitch. 5-3 Lake Monsters.

Lowell needed game two, which would be a seven inning affair. Chris Machamer got the start, and for Vermont Chase Cohen got the nod.

There was good news for Spinners fans with the return to the lineup of outfield Cole Brannen. He had been out for the past month due to a high ankle sprain. Would his return help the Spinners?

Machamer danced his way through the first two frames getting a double play ball to get out of the first. Then, he escaped a bases-loaded mess by getting a pop up and a called third strike.

Cohen, meanwhile, had little trouble with the Spinners lineup through three retiring eight of the first ten batters he faced.

Through four, a scoreless duel between the game’s two starters was on. Vermont was first to go to their pen after going the first four shutout innings. Jefferson Mejia was brought on to start the fifth. Lowell went to their bullpen in the sixth, bringing on Victor Garcia. In the bottom of the sixth, the game was still scoreless.

The zero-zero tie moved to the seventh and in the top of that frame, Vermont broke through with the game’s first run. A single by Nick Osborne got it started. Catcher JJ Schwarz then walked. With two on and nobody out, Max Schuemann dropped a bunt down the third base line. Jonathan Ortega fielded the bunt, but in his haste to get the lead runner, threw wildly to third. That allowed Osborne to score from second with the game’s first run.

After a Spinners pitching change, Garcia was out and Politi was in. Second baseman Marcos Brito hit a fielder’s choice ground out to score Schwarz.

A double to deep right by Jonas Bride plated two more, and gave Vermont a 4-0 advantage.

The Spinners mounted nothing in the bottom of the seventh and the doubleheader loss is a crushing blow to their playoff chances.

Mejia was the winner and is now 2-1 while Garcia took the loss and falls to 3-3. The Spinners (33-31), and Vermont (31-34), will be back on the diamond Friday night at 6:35 pm.