Chattanooga Lookouts shortstop Dee Gordon began this season as the top prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and recently earned invitations to the Futures Game and the Southern League All-Star Game.
Gordon leads the league in steals, but he also is No. 1 in errors, and that’s how he was most notable in Tuesday night’s game at AT&T Field. In the fourth inning, the 22-year-old coughed up a grounder that opened the floodgates to three unearned runs as Carolina rolled to a 9-1 victory.
“I lost us that game tonight, so I’m going to come out here tomorrow and try my hardest to win the next one,” Gordon said. “That inning had nothing to do with the pitcher. It was all me.”
Chattanooga dropped to 9-6 in the second half after losing on consecutive nights for the first time in more than a month. Tuesday’s result made Monday’s 7-2 defeat seem like a cliffhanger, as the Lookouts suffered their worst defeat since May 14, when they lost 9-1 at home to Mississippi.
Jerry Sands doubled to center field in the first inning and Jaime Pedroza homered to left in the second, but the Lookouts were held hitless the rest of the night.
“We had a 4-1 game until the eighth, so that was plenty enough to make a comeback,” Lookouts manager Carlos Subero said. “We just didn’t hit.”
Mudcats starting pitcher Matt Fairel worked seven innings and allowed two walks in addition to the the two hits. Chattanooga counterpart Aaron Miller wasn’t quite as dominant but was an out away from going four innings with allowing just one run until Gordon’s bobble.
Miller then walked Carlos Mendez and Fairel before Kristopher Negron ripped a triple to left-center.
Gordon committed another fielding error in the fifth inning, his 23rd this season. No other league player entered Tuesday with more than 15.
Adkins returnsRelief pitcher James Adkins began this season in Chattanooga and returned to the Lookouts on Tuesday after going 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA in five games at Triple-A Albuquerque. The 39th overall selection in the 2007 draft, Adkins played at the University of Tennessee and became the Volunteers’ all-time strikeout leader with 380.
“I don’t look at those numbers. I see player development,” Subero said. “I see a kid who’s getting better at all phases of his game. People have to understand that this is only his second full year, and there is going to be a process taking place, learning when to come in and when to stay back.
“It’s part of the experience he is gaining, but he’ll be fine. He’ll be a great shortstop.”
The game was delayed 18 minutes in the fifth inning when AT&T’s overhead lights went out. The Lookouts had utility infielder Ramon Nivar pitch the ninth inning, and he retired the Mudcats in order.
“We didn’t want to burn a pitcher in a game like this,” Lookouts pitching coach Danny Darwin said.
Chris Withrow (3-4, 4.69 ERA) is scheduled to start this morning’s 11:15 game for the Lookouts in their series opener against visiting Huntsville.