Game 62 Recap: Jump Right Back in the Game
Ballers Bounce Back, Beat Birds by yuBa 9-4
by Joe Horton
MARYSVILLE, CA—After falling behind 16-2 in the first three innings on Tuesday, the Oakland Ballers wasted no time putting themselves in front of the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds 5-0 on Wednesday after a big second inning, a lead they would not relinquish on the way to a 9-4 complete game performance.
Pitcher Christian Diaz made his first start for the B’s after two previous relief appearances, tossing 5.0 with two runs, three walks, and three strikeouts. There was commendable consistency on the mound all evening, with fellow recent additions Julio Rosario and Tyler Bates working a combined three innings with almost identical lines: two hits, one run, no walks and two strikeouts apiece. Langston Burkett closed out the game, needing only 12 pitches and two K’s to finish off the Freebirds (4-10, 19-43) in the ninth.
The Ballers did their damage in the second, when it was small ball and moving the line that put a big crooked number on the board. Conner Smith jabbed a single up the middle to score two, TJ Rogers singled (one of three hits on the night), and Tremayne Cobb sent a double to the wall. Jake Allgeyer closed the scoring with another dart single.
Team talisman Cobb made his return to the starting lineup as DH after a 13-day absence from an injury suffered in Long Beach on a steal attempt. He hit that booming double and said he felt good all game. “Felt good to be out there, yeah, I will say that. I felt very good to be back on the field.” Reflecting on his popliteal injury in Long Beach, he said, “Just a little awkward slide. But it wasn't that serious of an injury, and I'm just happy to be back.”
Did he feel like it would take a few games to get back into the groove, or that he could contribute right away? “I feel like I can jump right back in the game. I mean, I've had enough reps in my career. You know, pitching is pitching. And I just felt like I was able to go out there and perform the best I could for my team today.”
Catcher Conner Smith was the big man at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI. He talked us through the homer in the seventh: “That's actually my former teammate [at CSU Monterey Bay], Drew Aguiar, on the mound. And I caught him every one of his starts this year, and I know his pitches a little bit, so that gave me an extra advantage. But he's a great guy. He's a competitor, and I knew that coming in. So I was just trying to look for my pitch, and that was a fastball.”
What about that question of being a competitor, especially against a former teammate? “For me, I know when I fail, I'm a lot harder on myself as a competitor,” Smith said. “But when I succeed, it makes that more rewarding. The last week has been a little bit of a rude introduction for me to pro ball with the bat. But I've been working hard on my swing, and I'm seeing results.”
Smith also reflected on the full use of the automated balls and strikes system in Yuba-Sutter: “Behind the plate, I don't have to frame the ball. And that's something I've never experienced before. That's a huge part of the game that's completely removed. So my job back there is just calling a good game and controlling the running game and making sure I'm blocking the pitches I need to block. But I think it's a really cool addition. I'm glad that they tried it out, and they're trying something new, which I can really appreciate.”
But does he think ABS should be more widely used in baseball? “You know, I don't think so. With every pitch on the board, sometimes it doesn't work here and there. I don't want everybody looking up at the board after every single pitch. I like the challenge system how it is. Maybe you could go up to three or four challenges, but I don't think you should completely wipe out framing. But maybe I'm a little biased. I'm a catcher.”
The teams play the rubber match tonight in Marysville before the Ballers return to Raimondi for a six-game series against the barnstorming RedPocket Mobiles, who are 13-49 on the season and have lost their last nine.
Odds & Ends
Co-founder Paul Freedman was in attendance and talked with broadcaster Gareth Kwok about the Pioneer League expansion into Irvine next season. To Dispatches, Freedman has also said that this growth does indicate that things are going well, financial-sustainability-wise, for both the league and for the Ballers (he said it’s another example of building a better baseball neighborhood). No word yet on what team will play in Irvine—one newly formed or moved from an existing franchise (or the barnstorming Mobiles).
There was a fan in a Oakland Blazers jersey cheering heartily and only for the Freebirds. Apparently the love of the Blazers alter-ego (and lifestyle?) supersedes mere sporting allegiances. Friday is the much-awaited debut of the Blazers at Raimondi.
It was Singles’ Night at Bryant Field, and dates with the Freebirds players were being auctioned off to fans.
With the Oakland win, the nearby Dollar Tree became, once again, the Bollar Tree. If you know, you know.
Video recap from Ben Verhoek.
Animation from Chris Drue.
With photos from Cat Christian.
Joe Horton is the editor of Dispatches from Raimondi.
