[ArquimedezPozo]

Seals Stay Alive Behind Duran, Hunter as Austin Treads Water

In a battle of the dark horses, Austin - coming in five games back of St. Paul - and San Francisco - 8 games back - both needed a win. In the end, San Francisco walked away with it on the strength of Danny Duran’s bat and George Hunter’s arm.

For the second straight game, George Hunter went deep into the night, this time lasting more than eight innings without allowing a run to Austin while striking out 8. He was matched for much of the game by Austin ace Tim Lank, who allowed a run in the first on a solo shot by Danny Duran, but was otherwise stingy for the game’s first five innings.

Hunter wasn’t flawless early on, dancing around two hits, two HBP, and a wild pitch over the first three before he finally nailed down a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, and another in the fifth.

Duran’s homer, meanwhile, was one of four San Francisco hits over the first five, the others all harmless base hits.

That ended in the sixth, as aging slugger Josh Henry opened with a single, followed once again by a Duran homer into left to make it 3-0 Seals.

Hunter made it through the 6th, 7th, and 8th without a clean inning - two singles and a double, with another wild pitch for good measure. But they were spread out, and though Marty Evans reached third in the 6th, no one got down those last 90 feet.

San Francisco added insurance in the bottom of the 8th on five straight base hits from Duran, Jim Tyndall, Eric Hicks, Urbano Corteso, and finally Julian Tapia after Lank was finally pulled. Those hits made it 5-0 San Francisco, and Hunter was pulled in the final inning as Juan Cerda came in to end it.

The win, combined with a St. Paul loss, moved San Francisco to seven games back, still in fourth but climbing. Austin, meanwhile, missed a golden opportunity to gain ground, staying 5 games back. These two clubs have another head to head game tomorrow.