Paints Get Off The Road With Win

Chillicothe 7, Kalamazoo 1

These last three games for the visiting Chillicothe Paints have been sour to say the least. Only 1 run has been scored in the course of those three games. In the last game at Kalamazoo's Homer Stryker Field, the Paints were wide awake offensively. The Paints scored some runs thanks to some home run shots that cleared the short left field porch that is only 306 feet deep in the corner.

However, the position players weren't the only ones having a good game.

Lefty starting pitcher Brian Gartley had his best start of the 2008 season in this game, even better than his start just before this one. Gartley was simply outstanding on the mound, going 8 innings deep, the longest he's ever been in a ballgame for the Paints, and he only gave up one run, and that was a solo home run shot very late in his outing. He gave up 6 hits and 3 walks, but recorded 7 K's. This had to be flashes of how good Brian was back in Bradenton last year.

Joe Brown pitched the last inning to relieve Gartley. Brown only gave up a hit and no runs. If you had to make a guess, I think it would be okay to say that this was one of the best starts out the Paints' starting rotation all year. This was the type that I can relate to, seeing the team rest easy with 5, 6, or 7 run lead towards the later innings of the ballgame.

Nathan Faulkner had a single, an RBI single, and he went deep with a 2-run home run to break the game wide open in the sixth inning. Travis Garcia went deep for a solo home run. Zach Rodeghero had an RBI single. Drew Saylor had a single. Jeff Vincent had a triple and an RBI double. Travis Storrer had a single and a stolen base. Gerardo Verastegui had a single. Joe Spiers had an infield RBI single.

With this win, the Paints return home to V.A. Memorial Stadium coming off a 3-3 road trip. That's a .500 average. For the Paints to make one last charge for fading playoff hopes, they will play the Windy City Thunderbolts, who hold one of the last two playoff spots and lead the Paints by 7 and 1/2 or so games in the wild card chase. There will be a doubleheader on Tuesday, and teh T-Bolts will be the home team for the rain shortened first game.