APPALACHIAN LEAGUE: Johnson, Kuehn Combine On One-Hitter for BriSox

Page 2C, 8-13-08

One hit away from none at all

BY TIM HAYES
Bristol Herald Courier
BRISTOL, Va. — Bristol White Sox pitchers Garrett Johnson and Justin Kuehn came excruciatingly close to combining on a no-hitter Tuesday night.

However, the two weren’t sulking over a missed opportunity at a rare feat. Instead, they were glad to keep the BriSox in the thick of a pennant race.

Johnson and Kuehn teamed up for a one-hitter and Bristol’s postseason hopes remained alive with a 4-1 Appalachian League victory over the Elizabethton Twins at DeVault Stadium.

Bristol (27-22) is now 3 ½ games behind Elizabethton (33-21) in the Appy League’s West Division.

“Our team mentality right now is we’re just going out there and playing every day like we have nothing to lose,” Kuehn said. “We’re a scrappy team … We come up with big plays and hits when we need them and pick each other up when we need to.”

Pitching was the marquee attraction on Tuesday.

Johnson (4-2, 3.18 ERA) struck out eight in six hitless innings, while Kuehn tossed the final three innings for his second save.

Kuehn was three outs away from securing Bristol’s first no-hitter in five years, but Elizabethton’s Jonathan Waltenbury placed a clean single up the middle on Kuehn’s first pitch of the top of the ninth inning to break up the hitless bid.

“We had a three-run lead, so you have to throw strikes,” Kuehn said. “I just wanted to get ahead in the count … I wasn’t really thinking about the no-hitter. After the fact, it was a little bit of a bummer, because I wanted to pick up my starter.”

For Johnson, it’s been a memorable summer. The 6-foot-10 left-hander leads Sox pitchers in wins and strikeouts (53). That came one year after he was hit around to the tune of an 0-2 record and 8.10 ERA in Bristol.

“Last year, I think he was afraid to throw it over the plate,” Bristol manager Bobby Thigpen said. “He got behind in counts all the time. He didn’t have much on the ball and his confidence level wasn’t there.
“This year, he started off good, knew he would be in the rotation and get the chance at some innings and to pitch. That’s helped him confidence-wise and he’s gone out there and pitched well for us.”

Johnson’s Bristol experience is also different since the BriSox are winning. They were 25-43 last season and out of the pennant race by late-July.

“This is great,” Johnson said. “It makes you want to stay here and play longer. Last year was tough, because everybody was tired of being here. Everybody in the clubhouse wants to play and win a ring. That makes it a lot easier.”

Elizabethton scored an unearned run in the seventh, when Bristol left fielder Misael Tavarez misplayed a flyball to left field. However, Bristol overcame any further threat.

Andrew Garcia and Jordan Kendall each had two hits to lead Bristol at the plate. Meanwhile, the pitching prowess was the story.

“It speaks for itself,” Thigpen said of the performance.
NOTES: The two teams will play again tonight at 7 p.m. in the final game of the four-game series … The last no-hitter for Bristol came on July 10, 2003, as Tim Tisch held the Johnson City Cardinals hitless in the first game of a doubleheader at DeVault Stadium. Marco Betances tossed a nine-inning no-hitter for the Bristol Tigers on July 8, 1988 … While Waltenbury had Elizabethton’s lone hit, it was a miserable night for the Twins first baseman. He struck out twice and committed three errors … Former Milligan College standout Nathan Fritz is 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA as a relief pitcher for Elizabethton … Bristol announced that Virginia Lottery Night will be held on Thursday, not Wednesday as originally scheduled. All fans will be admitted free to Thursday’s doubleheader with Princeton.