PL Ogden Raptors

Raptors Overcome Sloppy Start for 11th-Straight Win

Published on July 20, 2019 under Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release


Carrying a 10-game winning streak back home after winning all eight games on the road, the Ogden Raptors got off to a rough start Friday night against the Rocky Mountain Vibes, the most recent team to beat Ogden.

The game was close and even tied for a stretch, but by the late innings the bats woke up and the pitching settled down as the Raptors pulled away for a 9-5 win.

The victory was the 11th in a row and gave the Raptors their 26th win against just six losses in 2019. The 26 wins ties the first half of 2018 for the best mark in a single half.

Jeronimo Castro, coming off the Pioneer League's Pitcher of the Week award for his two starts the previous week, wasn't as sharp and allowed two doubles and a single for two Vibes runs in the first. It was the first time Ogden trailed an opponent at any point in a game since July 11, when Idaho Falls homered twice in the second inning for a 2-1 lead.

Ogden's offense, facing rehabbing Double-A pitcher Wuilder Rodriguez of Rocky Mountain, immediately got those runs back and more. Sam McWilliams drew a full-count walk, as did Andy Pages. A Ryan Ward single loaded the bases and McWilliams scored on a passed ball before Brandon Lewis doubled into the left-field corner to drive in two. Three batters later, Jeremy Arocho's ground ball in the hole knocked in Lewis to give Ogden a 4-2 advantage.

In the second, the Vibes bounced right back with two runs on three hits and an error. McWilliams got the lead right back in the home half by leading off with his ninth home run of the season.

Castro settled down for a perfect third, but his error allowed a batter on base to open the fourth. That runner scored on a single to left plus an error to knot it up again, 5-5.

The Raptors went down 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth, but Jon Littell tripled to right-center. Arocho pulled a single through the drawn-in infield to score Littell and make it 6-5. Andrew Shaps then doubled to left-center and Arocho motored all the way around from first to score another run.

Ogden's bullpen picked up for Castro in the fifth and cooled off the Vibes' bats. Melvin Jimenez allowed one baserunner in two innings and Jeff Belge matched him.

In the eighth, the Raptors rallied and picked up two insurance runs. Sauryn Lao reached on an error and moved to third on a Littell single. Arocho brought in Lao with a squeeze - the third run batted in of the night for Arocho - and with two out Ramon Rodriguez singled to left to score Littell and wrap up the scoring.

Corey Merrill entered for the top of the ninth and struck out two while walking one to close the game.

Rocky Mountain and Ogden play game two of their three-game set Saturday night at 7:00.

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Pioneer League Stories from July 20, 2019


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