The GreenJackets returned from the all-star break the same way they went into it - with a loss.
After winning their first two to start the second half of the South Atlantic League season, the GreenJackets have lost their past five. Capital City gave them loss No. 5 on Thursday with a 6-4 win at Lake Olmstead Stadium that was more lopsided than the score indicates.
Tanner Osberg dominated the GreenJackets' batters for six innings before his bullpen ruined the shutout bid.
Osberg gave up three hits in six scoreless innings to improve to 6-3. He only let one GreenJacket reach second base. In his three starts against Augusta, Osberg is 2-1 and has given up five earned runs in 16 innings.
"I don't know what, but he does something where we can't do anything against him," Augusta manager Chad Epperson said. "I guess he's just got our number."
Everyone has seemed to have Augusta starter Kyle Jackson's number this season. The right-handed hurler is now 1-12. He gave up four runs on six hits in five innings and got hit hard by the Bombers (4-2).
Jackson started the game well with the aid of right fielder Brandon Moss, who laid out for Lastings Milledge's leadoff line drive. David Reaver watched the third strike for out No. 2.
Ryan Harvey started a Bomber rally with a broken bat single to left field. Ian Bladergroen followed with a single up the middle, and both scored when Brandon Wilson roped a double over Moss' head.
Hill scored on Whealy's homer in the fourth after reaching when Jackson booted his grounder.
"They're a good hitting ball team," Augusta first baseman Tim Burgess said. "You've got to give credit to them."
Reliever Cory Willey gave up another pair of runs in the seventh.
The GreenJackets' offense didn't wake up until Osberg was out of the game. Seven of their 10 hits came after the sixth innings.
"We were sluggish," Epperson said. "We looked like we had three days off."
Catcher Jon de Vries singled home Mickey Hall for the GreenJackets' first run of the game in the seventh. Hall and de Vries teamed up again to provide offensive life for the GreenJackets in the bottom of the ninth.
Hall led off the inning with a triple down the line and scored on a groundout by de Vries. Ian Cronkhite kept the rally going with a single to left.
Peter Ciofrone walked. Borowiak struck out, but Moss singled home Cronkhite to cut it to 6-3. Ciofrone scored when third baseman Shawn Bowman booted Scott White's grounder that should have ended it, but cut the lead to two.
Burgess grounded out to foil the rally.
NOTE: Augusta starter Beau Vaughan will make a spot start with the Boston Red Sox Double-A affiliate in Portland today, but will rejoin the team Saturday.
In other moves, the Red Sox added first baseman Justin McClain, who played for Georgia, and right-handed reliever Carlos Morla to the GreenJackets roster.
Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.
STAR OF THE GAME: Capital City starter Tanner Osberg threw six scoreless innings to improve to 6-3 for the season.
KEY PLAY: The GreenJackets didn't have a player reach third base until the seventh inning.
TONIGHT'S GAME: 7:15, Bombers at GreenJackets
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