Game 60 Recap: “Missed It By that Much” (Copy)
Ballers miss sweep but take series after losing to Boise 6-7
By Roberto Santiago with additional reporting by Joe Horton
WEST OAKLAND— If you really got that headline, congratulations! You’re what my kids would call a “Super Boomer.” Get Smart, featuring befuddled secret agent Maxwell Smart, went off the air in 1970. Condolences if you’re the person who remembers the 2008 Get Smart movie. However, Steve Carell thanks you for buying that ticket.
What does any of this have to do with baseball? It’s the phrase that came readily to mind as the Ballers missed a chance at another stunning comeback by just a couple of inches. Recent Baller signee Tristan Moore hit a ball that banged off the wall in right field for a double with the club down a run facing two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The hit kept the Ballers alive in another back-and-forth contest, but pinch hitter Nick Leehey struck out, denying Oakland a shot at a tie and potentially another knockout round win.
The Ballers had won two recent contests after being tied at the end of the ninth, including Saturday when they gave up the lead and then thrillingly salvaged a tie in a wild final frame. This one looked like a direct sequel to Saturday’s game with the Ballers jumping out to a 4-1 lead after four innings.
Starter Hunter Day cruised through four innings before giving up a home run in the fifth and two more in the sixth. On his outing, Day said, “The approach was to get ahead with the fastball. We knew that attacking guys, trying to keep the ball down was important, and I think I did a good job of that until the later innings.”
Day left a tie game in the hands of Oakland’s bullpen who gave up two runs int the top of the eighth. Oakland got one back in the bottom of the inning courtesy of an Esai Santos homer. “He left a slider up,” said Santos, “and it worked out.”
Another new Baller, Julio Rosario, got two quick outs in the top of the ninth before issuing a walk to Ethan Underwood who promptly stole second. Rosario hung tough against Boise 1B Ryan Recio in a battle that saw Recio foul off several good offerings. In the end, Recio was able to pull a 2-2 changeup on the inside corner for an RBI double that would prove to be the winning run. Home run king Jeter Ybarra hit his second of the day and got a run back with a blast in the bottom of the inning setting up Moore’s near heroics.
The loss puts Oakland at 4-8 for the second half, four games back of second and a playoff spot. Asked if the team has a different feel than in the first half with a series of strong wins in the past week, Santos opined, “It’s going to feel different with different people coming in. Winning helps set a different vibe. I think we’re on a good trajectory.”
Bench coach James Harris added, “We’ve made some changes and guys are starting to gel. The series in Long Beach and taking two of three was huge. [Including the Boise series] that’s two series wins in a row. If we can continue to keep stacking series, then some good things can happen.”
Hunter Day noticed a difference in the clubhouse recently compared to the first week of the second half: “The first week didn’t turn out how we wanted it to. We made a really good adjustment. Starting pitching is really starting to come around. We’re gelling better in the clubhouse and things are trending in the right direction for sure.”
Regarding the new additions to the team, Harris emphasized the goal of the coaching staff is for the guys to be themselves while continuing to learn the game at the professional level. As for the galvanizing effect of playing close games and needing to come back, Santos remarked, “Everyone feels the tension, but it’s good to get this exposure to tight games when the playoffs come around, hopefully we’re used to these tight games.”
Odds and Ends
The game’s Halloween in July theme brought out a number of Mayor Mikes and Ice Cold Kennys of all ages.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt: the B’s rolled out the welcome mat for beloved former Baller Michael O’Hara, and how does he thank them? By hitting a homer on Sunday. For shame.
In lieu of retreading the same homer ground, Jeter Ybarra continued to provide insight on his favorite sandwiches. He hit two home runs, so two sandwiches were required: “The Madison Bumgarner from Ike’s, my second favorite from Ike’s after the Barry Bonds.” His other second favorite sammy? “The All-American Club from Subway, but I have my own variation. I don’t put cheese on it. I put lettuce, salt & pepper and chipotle.”
More Ybarra: Dispatches asked about what he thinks about when he goes to sleep at night during a season where he’s hit 25 home runs: “You're trying to battle the thought of trying to not hit a home run because you’re hitting them so often. Just try to stay up the middle. But how my swing’s built, I get underneath a lot of balls and that just plays great at this park.”
On the flip-side, Hunter Day provided a peek into how the Ballers approach game planning, especially with those hitter-friendly confines at 20th and Campbell. Do they game plan for each lineup, or try to play to the strengths of their individual pitchers? “It’s all about my strengths. I throw a sinker so it’s little easier to keep the ball down. But home at Raimondi you need to keep the ball down, get ground balls, get weak contact.”
And then this from Casey ⬇, because it’s great:
Photos by Darrell Lavin Photography.
Video recap by Ben Verhoek.
Roberto Santiago is a third generation Berkeley boy currently raising the fourth generation. Roberto’s writing has appeared in Latina, Parents, and various online outlets. A lifelong baseball fan, Roberto worked briefly with the Boston Red Sox and once hit an RBI single off Spaceman Lee on a 2-2 changeup. It was his only at bat ever in a real baseball game. Find him on Instagram.
