GreenJackets get best of Bombers' duds

The Capital City Bombers have gotten the best of Augusta for most of this season.

The first-place Bombers had taken 13 of 18 against with the GreenJackets going into Thursday night's series finale. Make that 13 of 19, as Augusta beat Capital City 8-5 to win the rubber match of the three-game set.

The GreenJackets (12-15) scored three of their final four runs on two wild pitches and a hit batter, and Cla Meredith shut the door in the ninth to earn his sixth save.

In his Lake Olmstead debut, designated hitter Lee Curtis roped a single up the middle in the fifth inning that scored two and gave the GreenJackets a 4-3 lead. The GreenJackets never relinquished the lead thanks to a wild Capital City pitching staff.

The Bombers (16-10) walked seven, threw three wild pitches and hit two batters. Three relievers gave up one run each after starter Tanner Osberg (6-6) allowed five runs on nine hits in 4q innings.

Augusta reliever Chris Farley (3-4) worked three good innings, but walked the first two batters he faced and hit the third batter to start the seventh. Manager Chad Epperson pulled Farley in favor of Carlos Morla.

Jimmy Anderson hit a sacrifice fly that scored one, but the GreenJackets were able to double up David Reaver, who ventured too far from first base. Rashad Parker dropped a single to shallow right center to cut the lead to 6-5, but Jamar Hill lined out to right field to end the rally.

Starter Arthur Santos put the GreenJackets in a 3-0 hole after three innings, while Osberg coasted through the first three. But with a look at Osberg's recent statistics, it seemed like just a matter of time before he'd give up some runs. The Bombers' right-hander had given up 21 earned runs in his last three starts.

The GreenJackets added to his misery. They tagged Osberg for five runs in the next inning and a third. Ian Cronkhite, Wednesday's star, doubled home Jon de Vries in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-1. In the fifth, Brandon Moss singled home Dustin Pedroia, and de Vries scored on a wild pitch. Curtis' two-run single was just out of the reach of shortstop David Reaver and gave Augusta the lead.

The game could have been much worse for Capital City, but the GreenJackets failed again to get hits with runners in scoring position.

Jose Gomez came in for the seventh inning and walked Zach Borowiak and Ian Cronkhite. Gomez got an unusual strikeout when he threw behind Dirimo Chavez. The ball hit Chavez's bat and went into Anderson's catcher's mitt for the third strike. Pedroia walked to load the bases and Borowiak scored on a wild pitch by Gomez.

Moss struck out and Justin McClain popped up to second to strand the bases full. The GreenJackets had the bases loaded in the fourth, too, and managed only one run when de Vries got hit by a pitch.

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.

STAR OF THE GAME: Designated hitter Lee Curtis hit a two-run single in the fifth to give Augusta the lead.

KEY PLAY: Capital City's bullpen helped the GreenJackets out by allowing two runs to score on wild pitches and one to score on a hit batter.

TONIGHT'S GAME: 7:15, Asheville at GreenJackets