Raptors Rally Falls Short at Grand Junction 5-2
September 6, 2015 - Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release
OGDEN - After falling behind 5-0, Ogden (22-13, 41-32) rallied for two in the eighth inning, but could not capitalize with the bases loaded and lost 5-2 at Grand Junction (12-23, 32-41) on Saturday night.
The Pioneer-League home run leaders hit several deep balls, but none of them broke through the stiff 20 MPH wind at Suplizio Field. The Raptors only shutout this season came on a similar night with a wind blowing straight in at Grand Junction's ballpark.
Matt Jones, Edwin Rios, Michael Medina, and Jordan Paroubeck all had flyouts that likely would have been home runs on a windless night in Grand Junction.
All five of the Rockies runs came with two outs, beginning with back-to-back RBI doubles by Tyler Nevin and Chris Rabago in the second inning. They were the only two runs allowed by Jairo Pacheco (7-4), who had won in each of his previous three starts. He picked up the lost, going four innings.
Christian Talley (2-4) retired the first ten batters he faced and threw five scoreless innings to get the win. Medina led off the fifth inning with a triple, but was stranded when Talley struck out Faustino Oguisten, Jake Henson, and Deion Ulmer in succession.
Grand Junction added three more runs in the sixth inning, thanks to four consecutive base hits off of Ivan Vieitez - all with two outs.
Ulmer, Brendon Davis, and Jones led off the eighth inning with consecutive singles that loaded the bases with no outs. Kelvin Ramos, who had early recorded his fifth extra base hit in five games, hit a deep ball to center field that Bobby Stahel reached back and barely caught. The hit likely would have cleared the bases without the wind, but instead resulted in an RBI sacrifice fly that still put Ogden on the board. Paroubeck followed with an RBI single and has now had a run batted in for a string of seven-straight games. Rios flew out and Medina struck out, but reached base safely on a wild pitch strike three that escaped to the back stop.
The Rockies brought in Hunter Brothers to face pinch-hitter Scott De Jong with the bases loaded once again. An 0-2 pitch bounced in the dirt high off of Chris Rabago, but stayed in front of the catcher. Jones had started breaking for home and slipped trying to retreat back to third base and was subsequently picked off by Rabago to end the rally. Brothers (6) retired Ogden in order for a perfect ninth inning and his sixth save of the season.
With Idaho Falls' win over Orem, the Chukars now have a two-game advantage over Ogden, plus the tiebreaker, with three games left. The magic number for the Raptors elimination from postseason contention is down to one.
Adam Bray will start for Ogden on Sunday evening against Grand Junction's Mike Nikorak. First pitch will be at 6:30pm MT. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
Pioneer League Stories from September 6, 2015
- Chukars Win Second Half South Division Title - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Owlz See Five Run Vanish in Loss to Chukars - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Mustangs Shut out Brewers, 5-0 - Helena Brewers
- Raptors Rally Falls Short at Grand Junction 5-2 - Ogden Raptors
- Idaho Falls victorious - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Talley, Rabago Lead Win over Raptors - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Idaho Falls Defeats Owlz in Game 1 of 2 - Northern Colorado Owlz
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