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M.V.’s fortunes rise with temps
Photo
Scrappers catcher Jeremy Lucas can’t snag the baseball while Connecticut Tigers baserunner Jordan Dean prepares to slide into home for the Tigers’ first run in the top of the third inning. Mahoning Valley won 5-4 in 11 innings.
By Steve Ruman
NILES
While the recent heat wave has greatly altered most outdoor activities throughout the Mahoning Valley, it has been business as usual for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
Maybe it’s the exuberance of youth. Or perhaps it has to do with the fact that many of the Scrappers hail from warm weather locations.
Whatever the case may be, the recent scorching temperatures which have chased the Valley natives indoors have brought out the best in the Scrappers.
On Sunday, the Scrappers won for the ninth time in 11 tries. This time, it took 11 innings, but the Scrappers prevailed 5-4. The winning run came when Tyler Naquin lined a two-out single to center that scored Erik Gonzalez from second. Gonzalez walked to lead off the inning, then moved to second when Aaron Siliga (3-for-5) was intentionally walked with two outs.
Naquin, the Indians’ first-round draft pick in June, is a native of Fort Worth, Texas.
“Just another day in Texas,” Naquin said of the recent heat wave. “Actually, it can get even warmer back home at times. I like it. I don’t think it’s been bad at all.”
What really burned Naquin was seeing the batter in front of him being intentionally put on base.
“I understand why they did it. Aaron has been the hot hitter, they did the right thing. But at the same time, I took it personal,” Naquin said. “I know I’ve been struggling the last few games, but you just have to keep grinding it out and keep your confidence.
While Naquin’s heroics sealed the deal, the Scrappers’ defense made the extra-innings win possible. The Scrappers turned six double plays, including four straight in the late innings.
“We’ve been working on our defense, and it paid off tonight,” said Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak. “There were some great plays out there today. Everyone in the infield contributed at different points.”
In the bottom of the third, the Scrappers scored a pair of runs off Tigers starter Endrys Briceno. Robel Garcia started the rally with a one-out double. Siliga plated Garcia with a base hit, then Siliga eventually scored with two outs on a wild pitch.
An inning later, Briceno was again hurt by his wildness. He walked a pair, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and gave up a single before being chased with the bases loaded. The Scrappers scored a pair of runs in the frame on a Siliga groundout and a bases-loaded walk by Charlie Valerio.
The Tigers scored a pair of runs in the seventh off Scrappers reliever James Stokes. The right-hander gave up a pair of hits, and coughed up a wild pitch which scored a run. However, he was aided by an inning-ending double play which occurred with the tying run in scoring position.
An inning later, the Tigers tied the game at 4-4 when Jake Stewart reached on a leadoff walk, then came around to score on a Danry Vasquez single. Again, the inning ended with a double play, this time with the go-ahead run in scoring position.
The Scrappers’ fifth double play came in the ninth after the Tigers’ lead-off runner reached with a single. The final twin-killing came in the 10th with a runner at third.
“We need to teach our pitchers to stop trying to trick batters when they have two strikes,” Kubiak said. “We were burned too many times tonight when our pitchers should have just tried to put away the batter with a fastball.”
Scrappers 5, CONNECTICUT 4
11 innings
ConnecticutScrappers
abrhbiabrhbi
Stewart cf3100Siliga lf5132
Hanover 3b4020Naquin cf4011
Vasquez lf5011Valerio 1b4011
Aguas 1b5110Wendle 2b4010
Travis 2b4100Stock dh5010
Smith rf5020Romero rf5000
Dean ss5121Lucas c5110
Kirksey dh1001Gonzalez 3b3200
Neil c4010Garcia ss4110
Totals36493Totals39594
Connecticut00100021000—4
Scrappers00220000001—5
E—Gonzalez (3), Garcia (5). DP —Connecticut 1, Scrappers 6. LOB—Connecticut 6, Scrappers 10. 2B—Aguasvivas (5), Garcia (1). 3B—Dean (1). SB—Siliga (3), Naquin (3), Gonzalez (5).
IPHRERBBSO
Connecticut
Briceno3 2-344432
Nesbitt3 1-340013
Heckman L, 0-13 2-301122
Rogers010000
Scrappers
Davenport631103
Stokes122210
Homblert121110
Tejeda210011
Wagoner W, 1-2110001
Homblert pitched to 1 batter in 9th.
WP—Briceno 2, Nesbitt, Stokes. IBB—by Heckaman (Siliga). HBP—by Davenport (Kirksey), by Stokes (Travis), by Briceno (Naquin), by Briceno (Gonzalez). Umpires—Home, Ryan Simmons; Bases, Ben Levin. T—3:13. A—2,178.