Raptors Flex Bats in 14-8 Win
Published on July 30, 2015 under Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release
OGDEN - One night after a heartbreaking ninth-inning loss, Ogden (1-1, 20-20) piled on season-highs in home runs (4) and hits (16) and tied a season-high in runs (14) to take the final game of the series 14-8 against Grand Junction (1-1, 21-19).
"Sometimes hitting, they say, is contagious," said Raptors manager John Shoemaker.
Josh Sborz made his first start for the Raptors, allowing one run despite giving up no hits in two innings. Mylz Jones reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, the eighth time in the past ten games an opponent has scored in the opening frame.
"We're pitching some new guys," Shoemaker said. "It's not an excuse, but sometimes that first inning is difficult for pitchers."
Ogden scored the next eight runs, beginning with Jordan Tarsovich's solo home run to left field in the second inning. It was Tarsovich's first hit for the Raptors and his first professional extra base hit.
After taking the lead in the third inning and getting no runs in the fourth despite loading the bases with no outs, the Raptors piled on six runs in the fifth inning when the Rockies went to their bullpen. Scott De Jong extended his season-long hitting streak to 17 games with a 453-foot blast to left-centerfield - a three-run shot - to put him in a tie for the Pioneer League lead in home runs (9). Deivy Castillo later doubled home two more runs to give Ogden an 8-1 lead.
"He's hot right now. When pitchers make mistakes, he's making them pay," Shoemaker said about De Jong. "You can see it in a hitter when he's got confidence and when he doesn't, and he looks like a big man now at the plate swinging the bat and he's doing a great job."
Grand Junction got two runs back in the sixth and seventh innings when Sam Hilliard tripled and scored, and Collin Ferguson hit an RBI double.
But the Raptors weren't finished offensively, adding four more runs in the seventh and two in the eighth. Jake Henson, Tarsovich, and Castillo hit back-to-back-to-back RBI doubles - three of Ogden's six in the game. Castillo, who had been out for more than two weeks with a shoulder injury, doubled his RBI total for the season with his first two extra base hits of the year.
"We thanked him for playing last night. We needed him to play," Shoemaker said. "We knew it wasn't easy, and I think it might have relieved him a little bit and he got some confidence."
"I've been giving a great effort in the weeks that I've been out and I've had success now," Castillo said through an interpreter and teammate Ivan Vieitez. "[My shoulder] is getting better thanks to God and the trainers who are working to help me." (see Deivy Castillo's full postgame interview above)
Then in the eighth inning, Matt Jones and Henson hit back-to-back home runs. Henson and Jones, along with Willie Calhoun and Faustino Oguisten, had three hits for Ogden. It was the second-straight three hit night for Calhoun, who collected two doubles for the second-straight night as well. Along with a triple from Tuesday, Calhoun is 6-for-8 with five extra base hits in the past two games.
"Right now, Willie is really focused on hitting," Shoemaker said. "He's a great hitter, he's a special hitter, and he's not wasting any at-bats now -- really a great series for him in the leadoff spot."
The Rockies tacked on four runs in the ninth inning for the third consecutive night capped off by a three-run home run from Jonathan Piron.
"Fortunately for us, two of the four games the runs didn't matter," Shoemaker said. "Sometimes it happens, you're just trying to get the ball over the plate and the other team is just swinging. Last night, it was defensive miscues. Osuna threw the ball well. We just had a miscue at short and then he had a little mental miscue when he didn't throw the ball home."
MJ Villegas (1-0) earned the victory, throwing three scoreless innings in relief while allowing just two hits and striking out three. Javier Medina (0-1) took the loss for Grand Junction.
The Raptors travel to Idaho Falls tomorrow to face the Chukars at Melaleuca Field at 7:15pm MT. Michael Boyle (1-0, 0.54) will start for Ogden against Daniel Concepcion (0-0, 2.38) for Idaho Falls.
Pioneer League Stories from July 30, 2015
- Ball Leads Voyagers Past Helena - Great Falls Voyagers
- Voyagers Game Notes: July 30 vs. Helena - Great Falls Voyagers
- Park Added to Pioneer League All-Star Team - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Raptors Flex Bats in 14-8 Win - Ogden Raptors
- Chukars Bats Break out for 11-7 Win - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Rockies Routed in Series Finale - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Wild Pitches Spoil Great Falls Comeback - Great Falls Voyagers
- Osprey Win 10-4 to Split Series - Helena Brewers
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