 June 28, 2004 - Ryan Pink
El Paso Times
Things seemed oddly familiar at Cohen Stadium on Sunday, as the El Paso Diablos dropped their first home game of the second half of the season 6-4 to Tulsa.
El Paso had a four-run lead after five innings before allowing six unanswered runs to the Drillers in the final four innings, extending their habit of losing comfortable leads late in the ballgame.
"It's the little mistakes during the course of the game that can cause problems," Diablos manager Scott Coolbaugh said. "And when you lose, those mistakes are magnified. You can't afford to make costly mistakes against a team as good as Tulsa. And that's a problem our ball club continually seems to have."
Costly mistakes such as Sergio Santos' dash for third base from first on a Jesus Cota single to center field, resulting in both baserunners being thrown out, dramatically changed the course of the game.
Catcher Chris Snyder hit a solo shot over the left-center field fence in the next at-bat, and the two missing Diablo base runners proved to be the difference.
El Paso starting pitcher Sergio Lizarraga had an outstanding night on the mound, leaving the Diablos in great position to win the game after six innings.
Lizarraga finished with eight strikeouts while allowing just two Tulsa runs, recording his 20th strikeout in the past 12 innings against the Drillers.
"I feel more aggressive than I did earlier this season," Lizarraga said. "But I didn't even realize I had those stats. I just go out there and do my job without worrying about that."
Sunday's game was the first of an eight-game homestand that runs through the Fourth of July weekend.
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