The Saltdogs won game three of the best-of-five American Association Championship Series 14-7 to take a 2-1 series lead Friday night. Aaron Jackson took the loss as five different pitchers combined to walk 12 Saltdogs while yielding 15 hits.
The Saltdogs jumped ahead early with two runs in the first inning and another in the second. Pensacola closed the gap to two with a Dallas Christison solo homer in the third inning, but Lincoln added two more runs of their own in the fifth inning when Rafael Alvarez hit a two-run shot.
The Saltdogs added three more runs with one in the sixth and two more in the top of the seventh, but the Pelicans started to rally after the seventh-inning stretch. Marcos Rodriguez collected a leadoff single and Chase Burch hit his first home run of the post season to bring the score to 8-3.
The Pels made it 8-5 by adding two more in the last of the eighth. Jason Diaz singled and moved to second on a passed ball. Antoin Gray walked and Marshall McDougall knocked in Diaz with a hit. After Rodriguez singled to load the bases, Dallas Christison walked to force Gray home, but the Pelicans would leave the bases loaded.
Lincoln lit up Pensacola for six more runs in the top of the ninth to put the game out of contention. Yet Pensacola wasn’t finished just yet, bringing in two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs Jason Diaz singled and Antoin Gray did as well. McDougall followed with his second RBI single of the night, and Rodriguez walked to load the bases again. Chase Burch drew a base on balls to bring home the final Pelicans’ run. A groundout to the shortstop would end the game however, with the ‘dogs victorious 14-7.
Jason Diaz and Marcos Rodriguez both went 3-5 in the losing effort, and Christison and Burch went deep.
Aaron Jackson took the loss to even his postseason record at 1-1. He allowed five runs on five hits and five walks, striking out six. Francisco Butto added an inning and a third of relief, yielding a run on a walk and two hits while notching two strikeouts. Tyler Wilson allowed two earned runs on three hits and a walk in his inning of work, and Ulysses Roque added two runs of his own in the eighth inning, walking two of his own and allowing two hits. Bubba Nelson would strike out the side, as did Roque, but Nelson yielded one earned run in the four that scored while he pitched. He also allowed three walks and a hit in his inning of work.
With the series now 2-1 in favor of Lincoln, the Pelicans must win Saturday’s game four at 7:05 p.m. and force Sunday’s “if necessary game” to win the Championship. Tickets are available now at www.pensacolapelicans.com.
