Winners of three games in a row and seven of the last 10, the Batavia Muckdogs (22-28) find themselves slowly creeping back into the playoff picture, sitting only four and a half games back of the wild card. On Thursday night they continued their crucial three-game series against the Lowell Spinners (27-25).
In the previous three games, Batavia jumped on its opponent by scoring in the first inning, thus putting pressure on the opposition to score runs. Thursday night would be almost the complete opposite.
Behind All-Star Stone Garrett’s bat, the Muckdogs were able to close a 6-0 Spinner lead to just 7-5 in the ninth inning, while getting the tying run up to bat.
Down 6-0 in the eighth, Travis Brewster led off the inning with single. Garrett then crushed the 1-0 pitch over the green Batavia Youth Football shed for his 10th home run of the year.
After the Spinners were able to get one run back in the top of the ninth, the Muckdogs refused to go away quietly.
Spinner relief pitcher, Taylor Nunez quickly got the first two batters out in the ninth. Alex Fernandez then singled, followed by a ground out to first by Anfernee Seymour that was botched by the first baseman; Brewster was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Garrett stepped to the plate and almost instantly was behind 0-2. After fouling off a couple pitches, he got the pitch he liked and drove a long fly ball over the center fielder’s head, clearing the bases and making it 7-5.
“It’s not a seven to five ballgame without Stone Garrett,” Batavia Manager Angel Espada said. “The kid has been having a great season and has been working hard at making adjustments.”
Although their comeback effort came up short, Batavia was not without chances earlier in the game. Altogether they left eight runners on base, included having the bases loaded in the third inning, and were unable to score any runs.
“That’s baseball, the team that takes advantage of their opportunities and you don’t have to do a whole lot,” Espada said. “You just have to get a base hit here and there and that’s what they did [Spinners].”
The Spinners were able to plate two runs off of Batavia starter Justin Jacome, one in the second and one in the third inning. Jacome only pitched three innings, giving up the two runs on three hits and striking out two.
Nestor Bautista relieved Jacome and was not his usual self -- the one who got him voted into the All-Star game.
“The kid [Bautista] has been so good all year and he just didn’t have it today,” Espada said. “You couldn’t get it done but he battled and competed, but hopefully he can put this one behind him.”
The Spinners got to Bautista in the sixth inning when Josh Ockimey and Tate Matheny, the son of the St. Louis Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny, both connected on two-out singles. John Nunez then doubled to score both runners and push their lead to 4-0.
Lowell was again able to plate two runs in the seventh inning off of Bautista after a Chad De La Guerra broken-bat bloop single and a Andrew Benintendi -- the Boston Red Sox first-round draft pick and seventh overall selection in this years draft out of Arkansas -- infield single put the first two batters of the inning on base.
Victor Acosta walked to load the bases with no outs. Tucker Tubbs then flew out to second but in an attempt to keep Guerra at third, Taylor Munden’s throw home was off the mark and all the runners moved up a base, scoring Guerra. Ockimey then hit a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 6-0.
Batavia was able to battle back in the eighth and ninth innings but they just ran out of outs.
“Hopefully that carries some momentum into tomorrow’s game,” Espada said.
Garrett finished the game 2-for-3 with two walks. He had the two-run home run and all five RBIs for the Muckdogs. Brewster contributed to the comeback effort by going 3-for-4 with three singles and two-runs scored.
Kyle Keller impressed on the mound going the last two innings in relief, striking out five batters and only allowing one run on two hits.
With the loss the Muckdogs now drop five and a half games out of the wild card spot and also are in danger of losing their first series since the July 21 set against Connecticut. Batavia will look to avoid that on Friday night as they wrap up the series against the Spinners at 7:05.
Like all Friday night games, there will be fireworks following the conclusion of the game.
