Errors come back to haunt Napa Silverados in one-run loss to Sonoma
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Who knew the season of giving came so early?
According to Napa Silverados manager Tito Fuentes Jr. his team both gave and received runs from the Sonoma Stompers in their 6-5 loss Thursday.
“We gave them the four runs; they gave us the five runs,” Fuentes explained. “It was a game of give and give, not take and take.”
Sonoma (32-17) got on the board first with a three spot in the top of the third that was fueled by two Napa errors.
The Stompers added another run in the top of the fourth when Miles Williams singled and later scored on a Rob DeAngelis single.
Napa (21-28) staged it’s comeback after Sonoma had jumped out to a 4-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth John Nunnally singled and later scored on a Kai Davis sacrifice bunt that saw Sonoma starter Tyler Sharp overthrow his first baseman. Later on, Dominic Bethancourt, who singled after Nunnally, came home on a Ray Jones fielders choice.
In the fifth the Stompers scored again on two more Napa errors to increase their lead to 5-2, but their lead was mauled into when the Silverados got another run back. Nicco Toni reached on a throwing error to lead off the bottom half of the inning and later scored on a Kai Davis single.
In the sixth Napa knotted the game up with a two-run inning. Jones and Willy Salas walked to lead off the inning before moving up on a throwing error by Cole Watts who came in to relieve Sharp. A Josh Montelongo groundout brought home Jones, while a wild pitch that ventured all the way to Napa’s dugout down the third base line brought home Salas.
In the ninth an error brought in the go-ahead run for Sonoma.
Elvin Liriano, who started for Napa, got a no decision on the day going six innings and hurling a mind boggling 132 pitches. He struck out eight and walked two and gave up five runs with four of them being earned. Fuentes says without all the errors Liriano would’ve only tossed 90 or so pitches.
“If we don’t make six errors he only throws 91 pitches,” he pointed out. “Those errors equivalent to the difference in the pitches.”
Closer Angel Mejia was slapped with the loss after giving up a run that wasn’t earned in the ninth.
Even with the loss Napa can still make up ground in the standings this week. They will play the finale of the two-game series with Sonoma today at 6 p.m. and then welcome in the first-place San Rafael Pacifics over the weekend.
“Yes, it is a crucial homestand because what’re we seven games behind .500 where easily we can be seven games over .500,” Fuentes added. “We just give games away.”
