Jennings Strong in First Start - AirHogs top X's
When the Grand Prairie AirHogs signed the 2002 National League Rookie of the Year Jason Jennings to start on Tuesday night, the plan was for the righty to throw about 50 pitches in his first start of the season. Nearing the five innings necessary to be eligible for a victory, the veteran hurler convinced manager Ricky VanAsselberg to let him throw a few more. Jennings completed the fifth and departed with 66 pitches and his bats backed him up, scoring seven times in a 7-2 victory over the Sioux City Explorers at Lewis and Clark Park
For the second day in a row, the AirHogs (7-5) got on the board first, as Cesar Nicolas walked and Greg Porter singled with two outs in the first. John Alonso drove them both in with a double to right-center off Ty Marotz (0-1), and the AirHogs were on their way. Jennings (1-0) struck out two in the first inning, one in the second and one in the fourth, allowed four hits and a walk, and never had more than one baserunner on in an inning, picking up his first win as a starter since June 19, 2007, when he beat the Dodgers with the Houston Astros.
After Jennings left, the AirHogs scored the rest of their runs, getting a two-out RBI double from Jake Taylor in the sixth, and four runs on just two hits in the seventh, with Taylor driving in two more with two outs to cap the rally off Explorers reliever Bryan Wilde.
Jon Fulton and Bo Schultz combined to pitch the final two frames, allowing only two runs in the bottom of the ninth after the game was already decided.
The AirHogs conclude their three-game series with the Sioux City Explorer at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25. The next home game at QuikTrip Park is Friday, May 27, against the defending champion Shreveport-Bossier Captains at 7:05 p.m.
