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Scrappers’ bats spring to life vs. Batavia
By Steve Ruman
NILES
Something had to give Saturday when the Mahoning Valley Scrappers returned home to host the Batavia Muckdogs.
The Scrappers entered the game having lost five straight, scoring just three runs in the process.
The Muckdogs came to Eastwood Field winless, and sporting a 6.68 team earned run average — the worst among all teams in minor league baseball.
What gave was Batavia’s pitching. It gave up a four-run first inning lead, then continued to give in the form of a 10-4 Scrappers win in front of 2,649 fans.
The Scrappers (2-7) logged their first home win of the season, while the Muckdogs fall to 0-9.
Early on, it appeared as though Batavia was headed to its first victory of the season. The Muckdogs wasted no time jumping on Scrappers starter Luis Jimenez. After Jimenez retired the game’s leadoff hitter, three straight Muckdogs reached on a pair of singles and a walk. Isaiah White then gave the Muckdogs a 4-0 lead when he belted a grand slam over the right-field wall.
The blast was White’s first of his professional career.
Mahoning Valley scored its first run in the bottom half of the inning when catcher Logan Ice hit a solo home run over the right-field wall. Ice was recently selected by the Indians in the second round of the June draft.
“Logan has been taking very good at-bats, so to see him homer tonight, that was no surprise,” said Scrappers manager Edwin Rodriguez. “He’s been making good contact. He is a nice all-around player.”
The Scrappers cut their deficit to 4-3 with a two-run third when second baseman Alexis Pantoja doubled to plate a pair of runs. The Scrappers then exploded for six runs in the fourth. Pantoja again provided the big blow in the inning with a 2 RBI triple.
Despite the recent offensive struggles, Pantoja said that he and his teammates have remained upbeat and confident.
“We haven’t felt pressure,” Pantoja said. “We just keep working, work hard, play hard and play good defense. No matter what, win game or lose game, we play hard.”
Pantoja said he was “zoned in” during his first two at-bats which resulted in four RBIs.
“I was looking for something in the middle or in, and when I got what I was looking for I swung hard and hit it,” Pantoja said.
While the Scrappers’ bats heated up, the Muckdogs’ offense was stymied from the second inning on. Five Scrappers relievers combined to pitch 72/3 scoreless innings, giving up just two hits while recording eight strikeouts.
“The pitching has been outstanding for us,” Rodriguez said. “They have been doing their job. I only recall one game that has gotten out of hand. Other than that, the pitching has been really good.”
As a team, the Scrappers own a 2.51 ERA, fifth-best in the New York-Penn League.
The Scrappers and Muckdogs will continue their three-game series today at 4:05 p.m.