Game 91 Recap, Sept. 1: Bollar Tree Blues
Ballers see three run 8th inning lead evaporate in late loss to Freebirds 10-7 to start final 2026 series
by Joe Horton, with additional reporting from Nick Clementi
MARYSVILLE—Earlier in the year, there was much consternation from Oakland faithful about playing a seven inning game on a July family Sunday at Raimondi. If only the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds had been running a 7.5 inning special last night in Marysville.
The Oakland Ballers (21-22 second half, 43-48 overall) took a 7-4 lead in the top of the eighth with the kind of late-inning rally that has defined the best games of their season: Tristan Moore drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a Noah Blythe single and was brought home on a Joey Winters single. Jeter Ybarra, who was not in the starting lineup, came in cold off the bench in place of Nick Leehey and promptly singled home Blythe. Then Esai Santos doubled home Leehey, who had come back in to pinch run for Ybarra.
Then the B’s had a bottom of the eighth that has defined their biggest struggles of the season: 10 Freebirds came to the plate in the inning, amassing six runs on four hits, two walks, a passed ball, a wild pitch, stolen bases, and an infield error. A 7-4 lead became a 10-7 deficit that would stand as the final score.
Before those late inning theatrics, it was a back-and-forth affair, with two ties and two lead changes through the sixth. Starter Christian Diaz gave the team a solid opening, going 4.0 and giving up three runs on five hits while walking five and striking out two. The B’s then got great long relief out of new Baller James Pazdera, who went 3.0, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks and two Ks.
Said Pazdera of his three innings, “I was a starter my whole career so I have always been built up for going several innings. My slider and fastball were working off of each other last night and helped to get weak contact.”
And what of joining the team later in the season and contributing right away? “Coming into this team so late in the year was very nerve-wracking, but after those first few days I quickly became comfortable with the guys and started to be myself which ultimately helped me pitch more confidently.”
Oakland was economical in their hitting all night, with their seven runs coming on eight hits, none bigger than Blythe’s three-run homer in the fourth that just beat the left-center outfield wall in front of the Dollar Bollar Tree across the street.
In that spirit, Dispatches asked Blythe what he would spend $1 on if it was his amusement money for the day. He replied optimistically, “If I had $1 to spend on amusement for a whole day I would spend it on a Disneyland ticket. I love going to Disneyland, I think the vibe there is like no other!” (He would still be $103 short for a regular ticket on the cheapest day, but it’s a start.)
New Baller Joey Winters also had himself a game, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. The 6’7’’ 1B is slashing a terrific .371/.476/.600 since joining the team on August 21 from Ottawa University Arizona. Wrote Winters of his night, “I felt comfortable in the box tonight and saw pitches well and just want to stick with my approach and stay consistent with that.”
And the same question for Winters: what’s his key to having success right away when joining a team later in a season? “This is a very welcoming clubhouse especially the people who work for the Ballers and the fans.”
Oakland must win out against Yuba-Sutter (17-26, 32-59) to secure a .500 record this season. Wednesday’s game starts at 6:35pm.
Odds & Ends
The RedPocket Mobiles lost their 38th consecutive game on Tuesday, a professional baseball record, tying the Muskogee Mets in 1923. Interestingly, the Mets were not the worst team in their league that season, finishing seventh of eight in the Southwestern League, and claims that the constant roster churn and dismantling of the Opening Day roster caused—intentionally or not—the losing streak are debated.
Counting his homers hit with the B’s before being traded, Justin Trimble now has sole possession of the league’s HR lead. Trimble’s Idaho Falls teammate Sam Canton is also tied with Ybarra at 33 for the season.
Dispatches man on the scene Nick Clementi’s overall record this season watching in-person is 2-7, which he offered humbly and with much grace; he may be asked to stay away in the future.
Nick reports that there was utter and in some cases unprintable fury from the dugout, players, and coaches at a home run call on a Zeb Roos blast in the fourth that Aaron Miles successfully got the umpiring crew to huddle and change to a foul ball.
Photos from Nick Clementi in Marysville.
Joe Horton is the editor of Dispatches from Raimondi.
