Game 80 Recap: Living on a Prayer
Oakland within 5.5 games of a playoff spot with 10-7 win at Modesto
By Roberto Santiago
After a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to the Roadsters on Tuesday night, Oakland got another strong performance from their starting pitcher in a 10-7 takedown of the vaunted Modesto Roadsters. The sly foxes from the Central Valley came into the game an astounding 28-3 in the second half of the season. Oakland entered the night 15-16 since the break, chasing a suddenly hot Missoula squad who has vaulted into second place in the secondhalf after a lackluster first. With their playoff hopes reaching tenuous status, the Ballers got a much needed victory on Wednesday night.
Oakland opened the scoring in the top of the first when Logan Johnstone and Jake Allgeyer hit back-to-back singles to start the game. Noah Blythe cleared the bases with a triple to right field for a 2-0 lead. The Ballers never trailed after that. Mitchell Sanford walked ahead of a double by Tristan Moore that scored Blythe. Esai Santos brought Sanford in with a fielder’s choice that gave the visiting B’s a 4-0 lead. Oakland got homers from Santos, TJ Rogers and Moore over the middle innings to add to their advantage. Jeter Ybarra and Connor Smith added RBIs in the eighth and ninth to give Oakland some insurance.
While the offense had a day putting up 10 runs, the story of the game was the pitching of Christian Diaz (3-1). Diaz followed Hunter Day, Reed Butz, and Ren Abe-Arias who all put up good starts over the last three games with a gem of his own. Diaz threw five innings of 2 hit, 1 run ball before departing with a 7-1 lead. Tyler Bates and Brock Mayer held the line before the back end of the bullpen made it interesting. Brady Chavez allowed 3 Modesto runs in the eighth and Butz, called upon on one day of rest due to a short pen with the injury to Langston Burkett, gave up 3 more runs in the ninth. Julio Rosario took the mound with one on and two out in the bottom of the ninth and got a fly out from Kingston Liniak for his first save of the season.
With the win, the Ballers inch closer to a playoff spot. The team needs to win 6 more than Missoula to make the postseason.
Finally: welcome to our first photo installment of JT Snow Points at Things He’s Mad At:
Odds and Ends:
Jeter Ybarra still leads the league with 31 home runs but is now in an 11 game homer-less drought. He remains tied for the Ballers’ single season record for long balls.
Dispatches founder Joe Horton and his wife Kate welcomed a beautiful new addition to their family on Wednesday. Welcome to the world baby Horton!
It’s the last day of summer break for me and I am not ready to go to work tomorrow. Props to all the parents navigating the first couple weeks of school. Also to all the teachers, administrators and classified staff dealing with these students from K-12 to higher ed as they come back from their summer breaks—Friday 8/21 is Teacher Appreciation Night at Raimondi.
Photos from Maya Lee and HiJacker Mike in Modesto.
Animations from Chris Drue.
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.
