RedHawks Stage Late Comeback, Win in Extras

Originally Published: Jul 15, 2010 11:18 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma City RedHawks made a late comeback to force extra innings and beat the Iowa Cubs 7-6 with a walk-off double in the 10th Thursday.

The RedHawks (50-39) entered the ninth down 6-4, but quickly erased the deficit with three straight hits. Esteban German capped that run with a two-run double to tie the game and suddenly put OKC in strong position to win.

After an intentional walk to Brandon Boggs, Jarrod Saltalamacchia worked another walk in the next at-bat to load the bases with the two outs. Ryan Garko then worked a full count, putting the RedHawks one bad pitch away from a win. But Garko flied out to end the inning and force extra frames.

The Cubs (49-42) managed to get a runner into scoring position in the top of the 10th but could not drive him home. In the bottom of the inning, Gregorio Petit drew a walk on a full count that drew the ire of Cubs manager Ryne Sandberg, who made his first return to Oklahoma City since playing for the former 89ers in the early '80s.

Sandberg came on the field to argue the call and was eventually tossed from the game. Craig Gentry responded by driving home the game’s winning run with a double in the next at-bat.

Despite the strong finish, OKC pitcher Tanner Scheppers struggled in his second straight start. Scheppers pitched 4.2 innings and gave up five runs on 11 hits, one of which was a home run.

He is one of the Texas Rangers’ most promising pitching prospects, and has typically been held to four innings in each of his starts to avoid overworking his arm. The RedHawks have tried to increase his load in each of his last two starts, but he struggled both times. On July 8, he also lasted into the fifth inning but gave up six runs.

Scheppers surrendered the game’s first run in the second inning on an RBI single by Wellington Castillo, and the Cubs extended the lead to 2-0 when Bobby Scales led off the fourth with a home run.

Oklahoma City fought back with a big inning in the bottom of the second, starting with a lead-off homer from Gentry. After a single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Ryan Garko delivered a two-run single to give the RedHawks their first lead. They added one more run in the inning for a 4-2 advantage.

OKC sent Scheppers back to the mound in the fifth, and paid for it. He allowed the first five batters he faced to reach base, with Micah Hoffpauir and Scales combining for back-to-back singles to drive in three runs and retake the lead 5-4. The Cubs later extended the lead to 6-4, setting up the final comeback.