There’s an imprint of American Defenders starting pitcher Lucas Ledbetter on a wall somewhere. After sailing through five shutout innings on Friday – a miracle for this club — he hit the wall in giving up six runs in the sixth inning of an 8-5 loss. It had to be a disappointment for an announced fireworks crowd of 2,021, and for the 20-26 Defenders themselves.

What happened? He even struck out the first Brockton hitter of the fateful inning, Dom Ramos. But eventual bombs by Palmer Karr (three-run shot) and Melvin Falu (two-run blast) spelled his exit.

“Maybe I should have gotten him out of there earlier,” Defenders manager Brian Daubach said. “He pitched so good, I was trying to get him through an inning. I probably shouldn’t have let him face Falu, so I’ll take the hit on that one.”

It’s too bad, because starting pitcher has been this team’s Achilles Heel and every night it seems to haunt it. “The big inning,” Daubach said.

Despite 15 hits, the Defenders left 11 men on base, including the bases loaded in the fourth and two in scoring position in the fifth. “With the pitching we have, we have to take advantage of those,” Daubach said. “Here it is, it’s only 2-0 (Defenders up), we should have been in control of the game…the crowd was in the game, it was a good crowd for us. Big inning again, it’s tough.”

It’s been so tough the Defenders are using relievers Adam Piechowski (setup) and Juan Padilla (closer) in losing situations because they need the work. Daubach was so desparate to stop the bleeding down 5-2, he summoned Piechowski, normally the eighth inning setup man, in the sixth. And he struggled, giving up two runs on two hits over 1 1-3 — allowing a two-out, two-run double to Keith Brachold in the seventh.

“He could have got us into the eighth inning, probably,” Daubach said. “Brachold put a tough at-bat on him and won the battle, so to speak.”

And, so did the Rox, now winners of 12 straight. Freddy Flores raised his record to 2-1 despite giving up three runs on nine hits. Besides Zane Chavez’ 3-for-5 night, another Defenders highlight was the debut of newly signed rookie reliever Pat Driscoll, who tossed a scoreless eighth.

What do the players think?

“It feels like we’re facing every starting pitcher on his best night of the year,” left fielder Greg Lemon said. “Guys are going six, seven scoreless innings against us and a run here and there. It’s tough, we just have to keep trying to play hard and do the best we can…and some offenses are hot against us right now.” 

– TOM KING