Complete Game Bested by a Walk-Off Inside-The-Park Home Run
August 31, 2022 – Pioneer League (PL) – Rocky Mountain Vibes News Release
JOHNSTOWN, Colo. – Drama continued to be the operative word this week as the Vibes saw one of their best pitching performances matched in excitement by one of the most heartbreaking losses of the season.
Game 1
The first game was the Dusty Baird show. He went the first time though the Owlz lineup nine up, nine down on only 28 pitches. In the fourth he walked two batters but did not allow a hit. In the fifth he struck out a batter then walked one, then quickly erased him on a double play. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, four outs away from a no-hitter, Cameron Phelts doubled and brought in a run. Alan Garcia nearly made a spectacular diving catch to keep the no-no intact. Baird went out for the seventh inning, gave up another run, but finished the game for his, and the Vibes’, first complete game of the year.
Oh yeah, and his offense scored 13 runs behind him. Extra bases were aplenty in the shortened seven-inning game: Ethan Lopez had his eighth home run of the year and eight doubles were shared by Gio Diaz, Cesar Lopez, Alan Garcia, Mike Annone, Andrew Hanson (2), and Joe Encarnacion.
Baird flirted with history. It would have been the first no-hitter in the Pioneer League since 2016 (a five-inning no hitter) and the first in the history of the franchise as the Vibes. The previous no-hitter in the franchise was back in 2005 when the Vibes were playing as the Helena Brewers, that one in particular was a combined no-hitter.
This was the sixth straight win for Rocky Mountain, building on an already high mark for Vibes history.
Game 2
30 minutes later, game two began with two runs in the first for the s’mores. Annone had an RBI single and another run came in on a wild pitch by LJ Diaz.
The Vibes got a third run in the second, again on a wild pitch. But then in the bottom of the inning the Owlz struck for three runs off Felipe Rodriguez and tied the game. Robbie Kellerman and Alex Jackson both had RBI singles in the inning.
It would not be tied for long as the lead went back to the visitors on a Nick Michaels RBI groundout. In the fourth yet another wild pitch scored a run for Rocky Mountain, who now led 5-3.
They continued to add on in the fifth. Annone blasted a ball to centerfield for a two-run home run, his second of the year to make it 7-3. It’s now nine RBI for Annone (the former Owl) through the first three games of the series.
Both of those runs came right back for NoCo who got an RBI triple followed by an RBI single in the fifth.
The game stayed 7-5 until the bottom of the seventh.
Seth Davis came in for the save. A single and a walk placed two men on with no one out when Kellerman bunted them both over into scoring position. Davis then got Jackson to strike out looking. With two outs Davis was in a battle with Phelts who worked the count full. And in what has to be one of the most impressive but absurd ways to win or lose a ball game, Phelts sent a ball down the left field line which dropped fair in the corner. Both runs came in to tie the game and Phelts, with his great speed, was sent all the way around the bases to end the game on an inside-the-park home run.
It’s a significant blow to what are longshot but hopeful playoff ambitions. With Grand Junction losing tonight, the Vibes could have been seven games back with 11 to play but now are eight back. The line is even more fine and even if the Vibes win the next four against NoCo, the Rockies can clinch if the win three more this week in Boise.
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