Webster strong in Lookouts win

Chattanooga Lookouts fans may not be all that familiar with Allen Webster, and following Wednesday night's 5-4 win over Huntsville at AT&T Park, they might get to know him while they can.

The 21-year-old right-hander, ranked the Dodgers' No. 5 prospect according to Baseball America, pitched six strong innings to up his Chattanooga record to 2-1. Webster allowed three runs, gave up five hits and struck out seven without a walk as the Lookouts improved to 9-5 in the Southern League's second half.

As good as he was, Lookouts' pitching coach Chuck Crim knows there's more to be found in the lanky North Carolina native.

"Allen did a great job," said Crim, who coached Webster in Great Lakes last year. "The thing is, he was about four bad pitches away from the shutout. He didn't take care of the eight, nine and pitcher one inning and that hurt him, and he's got too good enough to not take care of that. I hold high expectations for him because he's got very good stuff.

"He's got big league stuff; he just needs to learn how to use it a little better. It's all about development, and we like what we see."

Webster fell behind 2-0 when the Stars (8-6) scored on consecutive groundouts after No. 7 hitter Anderson de la Rosa singled to lead off the third, with No. 8 batter Matt Cline following with a double. The Lookouts responded with three runs in the fourth, the first two on back-to-back homers from Travis Denker and Wilberto Ortiz. They would add the go-ahead run on a throwing error following Griff Erickson's double.

The veteran Denker, who's hit in tough luck of late, says he found a new approach.

"Today our pitching was phenomenal, and we hit enough to get by," he said. "I've hit the ball hard a couple of days with nothing to show for it. I asked someone before I hit in the fourth if there was anybody playing on the other side of the fence. He said no, so I guess it's all right to hit one over there. I hit a home run, so that was funny."

Chattanooga added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, just enough as relievers Shawn Tolleson (two innings, one run, four strikeouts) and closer Josh Lindblom (a perfect ninth with two strikeouts) took care of the rest.

Each Lookout regular had at least one hit, with leadoff man Alfredo Silverio getting three and Brian Cavazos-Galves two.

The teams conclude their series tonight at 7:15 before the Lookouts hit the road for four games at Tennessee.

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