Closers Can’t Shut Door on Mavericks

Shoddy defense and relief pitching cost the JetHawks in a 8-2 loss to the High Desert Mavericks before 3,344 at the Hangar.

Closer John Thompson (1-5) entered the ninth with the score tied, but he gave up four runs while recording one out. Chad Soden also gave up two runs.

The JetHawks (14-12) led 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, when third baseman Carlos Villalobos made a pair of two-out errors to give the Mavericks the tying run without a hit. Villalobos has a team-leading 32 errors.

The unfortunate JetHawk starter was Brett Hinchliffe, who gave up one run on three hits in seven innings. He has a 2.66 earned-run average in his last four starts.