The magic number was three.

Two three run innings by Lowell sent the Bombers to their second straight defeat on the road as they were spun for a 6-3 loss in the first game of the series up in Massachusetts Saturday. They’re now 2-2 on the six-game road trip.
Suddenly, the Spinners (36-27) are only a game behind Staten Island (36-25) for the wildcard which makes the final couple of games of this series pretty big.

The defeat also dropped the Bombers to four games behind the Cyclones, who posted a blowout win over Vermont.

Lowell used a three-run third and fourth to get the victory.

Tyler Weeden got the scoring started with a leadoff solo homer to center off losing Staten Island hurler Adam Olbrychowski (1-5). After an E3 by Taylor Holiday allowed Luis Segovia to reach putting runners on second and third, a Carlos Fernandez-Oliva sac fly and two out Jorge Jimenez RBI double gave the Spinners a three-run lead.

The Bombers responded with a run of their own in the fourth thanks to an RBI bunt hit from left fielder D.J. Hollingsworth which plated Damon Sublett to cut it to 3-1. But with the tying runs on, DH Chris Raber bounced out to second to end it.

Up two, Lowell immediately put up three more. After consecutive base hits from Rafael Cabreja and Deshaun Brooks, Weeden tripled home both for his second and third RBI’s of the night. He then scored on a David Marks sac fly to put his ballclub up five.

The Bombers got a run back in the fifth when catcher Frank Lonigro doubled and scored from third two batters later on Holiday’s infield single to short. Sublett followed with his second hit of the night moving Holiday to third. However, the rally stalled when third baseman Braedyn Pruitt hit into an inning ending 1-6-3 twin killing.

After two scoreless frames from reliever Phil Bartleski, the Bombers got a little closer thanks to some hustle from Raber. After a leadoff double to start the seventh and advancing to third on a Justin Snyder bouncer for the second out, he stole home to slice the deficit to 6-3.

The Bombers got a runner on in the ninth when Hollingsworth was beaned but Lowell closer Felix Ventura got Raber and Lonigro swinging to fan the side, notching his 14th save.

Notes: In a losing effort, Sublett finished 3-for-4 with a run scored to raise his average to .314. With two more hits, Hollingsworth is up to .366. … Miguel Socolovich went the first six for Lowell giving up two runs on eight hits while K-ing five to improve to 4-3. … Hitless on the night, Snyder is 0 for his last nine. In his last five games, the utilityman who’s settled into playing short has just one hit in his last 15 at bats lowering his average to .358. Despite the slump, he’s still managed to get on due to six walks scoring three runs. … Staten Island reliever Daniel Kapala worked the final two scoreless frames striking out three. … Bombers will look to bounceback in the middle game which begins just after 5 PM today.