Midwest League: East routs West in lopsided all-star game
By Paul Johnson For Sun-Times Media June 19, 2012 9:54PM
Kane County's Lane Adams grounds to second base Tuesday during the Midwest League All-Star Game at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. | Brian Powers~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: June 19, 2012 11:41PM
After months of buildup and hours of events before the first pitch, the East squad made the outcome of Tuesday’s Midwest League All-Star Game at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark a foregone conclusion before some fans were even settled into their seats.
All-Star Game MVP O’Koyea Dickson of Great Lakes blasted a two-run home run as part of a five-run top of the first. Gerson Montilla and Tyler Goeddel also blasted long home runs in the first two innings as the lead was 13-0 before the West team batted in the bottom of the second inning in front of 7.528 fans.
The East went on to cruise to an 18-2 win.
“In the locker room, everybody was like, ‘Let’s go out and have fun and go out and kick their butts,’” Dickson said. “We just tried to go out and swing it and we showcased it in the first couple of innings. We came out and played a good game. I’m happy we got the win.”
With one out in the top of the first, Montilla crushed a solo home run over the scoreboard in left-center field to start the scoring. Kevin Pillar reached on an error and Dickson followed with his blast off the scoreboard to make it 3-0 and start the rout. Dickson, rated as the No. 29 prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization before the season by Baseball America, also singled and scored as part of his 2-for-3 day before leaving for a pinch hitter.
“I was just trying to hit a sac fly, to be honest,” Dickson said. “I’ve been working for the last couple of weeks to try to hit better with runners in scoring position. I got a 2-0 fastball and luckily it went out.”
Austin Hedges added a two-run double off of Peoria pitcher Kyler Burke, the former outfielder in the Cubs’ system who is reinventing his career as a pitcher. Then in the second, Steven Moya cranked a three-run triple and Goeddel blasted a two-run home run to the deck in left field to push the lead to 13-0.
The West finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Jhon Goncalves singled in Colin Walsh and later scored on a couple of wild pitches.
The West added insult to injury by tacking on four runs in the ninth inning.
Fort Wayne’s Adys Portillo notched the win. The East’s starting pitcher, he walked one, but he was erased on a stolen base attempt and coaxed a ground out and pop out in his inning of work.
As far as Cougars’ players, Matt Ridings struck out the only batter he faced on three pitches in the fifth inning. Jorge Bonifacio (0-for-3) and Lane Adams (0-for-2) were both starters for the West, but couldn’t manage a hit. Danny Mateo went 0-for-2 as pinch hitter and DH.
