Escobar K’s Double Digits in 3-0 Shutout Win

by Zane Bloom

Evansville, IN - July 30, 2025 - Anthony Escobar and the Lake Erie Crushers (39-27) got some sweet revenge against Joan Gonzalez and the Evansville Otters (24-44) on Wednesday. They took home a 3-0 shutout win to stay two games up for first place in the Central Division.

Back on July 18th, RHP Joan Gonzalez pitched seven scoreless innings to outduel RHP Anthony Escobar in a 1-0 Evansville win right out of the All-Star Break. The Crushers got right to Gonzalez in the 1st on Wednesday to make sure that didn’t happen again.

C Derek Vegas lined an RBI single to score RF Sam Franco in the opening frame, his fourth RBI hit in the last two days.

The Otters threatened Escobar in the 2nd inning, loading the bases with two outs for DH Dennis Pierce. To that point, Escobar had struck out five batters to get all five of his outs, and he stayed par for the course, striking out Pierce to strand the Otters and quell the threat.

Escobar and Gonzalez duked it out in the middle innings, but the Crushers knocked out Gonzalez in the 6th. CF Burle Dixon grounded an RBI single to get the Crushers back on the board, then was involved in a first-and-third play that scored 3B Kenen Irizarry.

The Crushers led 3-0 with Escobar finishing up his scoreless day with a 1-2-3 6th inning. Escobar’s final line: 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K (Crushers high).

RHP Leonardo Rodriguez faced the minimum in two scoreless innings fresh off his Frontier League Pitcher of the Week honors from last week, and RHP Michael Brewer struck out a pair in yet another save, tying him for the Frontier League lead.

Anthony Escobar (8-3) got back at the Otters with a career performance in the strikeouts department while Joan Gonzalez (3-2) was tagged with his first loss in three starts. Michael Brewer (14) joined Quebec’s Harold Cortijo for the most saves among any Frontier League pitcher.

The Crushers and Otters will conclude their series tomorrow, July 31th at 7:35pm ET. All-Star Jack Eisenbarger will get the baseball for Lake Erie. The Crushers return home Saturday, August 2. Tickets are online at lakeeriecrushers.com/tickets!

Can’t join us at the ballpark? You can stream Crushers games home and away in 2025 on the brand new Frontier League streaming partner, HomeTeam Network or watch live on local television on Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN) in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati markets!

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Whether it’s a birthday celebration, youth sports night, corporate event, or family reunion, group outings with the Crushers offer great fan experiences and benefits, including reserved seating and special perks. Visit www.LakeErieCrushers.com/groups or call (440) 934-3636 for more information.

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About the Lake Erie Crushers

The Lake Erie Crushers are a professional baseball team that plays just 18 miles outside Cleveland at the 5,000 seat Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio. They compete in the Frontier League - a prestigious MLB Partner League. Since its founding in 2009, the Crushers have been dedicated to delivering exciting baseball and family-friendly entertainment to fans in Northeast Ohio.