Late Threats but No Rallies in 8-5 Loss
By Tyler Petersen
OGDEN, Utah – The Vibes left nine men on base in the final three innings of tonight's game, unable to find a decisive hit in an 8-5 loss to the Raptors.
Jesus Valdez continued his strong series for Ogden with an RBI double in the first inning. Rocky Mountain responded in the next half inning with an RBI triple by Ethan Lopez (one of the five hits he had in the game) to tie the game at one apiece. With Lopez at third, Nick Michaels came up for his first Vibes at-bat.
Michaels, who started at first base tonight, signed before the game to the active roster (Jaasiel Ochoa was transferred to the Monclova Academy in a corresponding move). Michaels played all of last season and the start of 2022 with the Raptors before being cut by Ogden.
In an ironic twist, he faced one-time Vibe Jorge Gonzalez, whom Rocky Mountain traded to the Raptors in May. Michaels made good with his new team, shooting an RBI single to left-center for the lead.
Unfortunately, the lead was more ephemeral than Rocky Mountain would have liked. Ogden had runners all over the base paths the next few innings – tying the game in the second, taking the lead in the third, and then piling on three runs in the fourth for a 6-2 lead.
Vibes batters were hitting (the team had 13 hits in the game), but never for more than a solitary run in any inning after that. Cesar Lopez had an RBI single in the fifth and Mike Annone hit his first home run of the season in the sixth.
In the seventh, they had runners on second and third with one out but the Raptors got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.
In the eighth, they had the bases loaded with two outs but Gio Diaz popped out to end the inning.
In the ninth, in an 8-4 game, they had the bases loaded once again with two outs. Jackson Lancaster came on to save the game and faced the extinct Raptor Michaels. He walked him, giving Michaels his second RBI of the game, and putting the potential go-ahead run at the plate. Joe Encarnacion struck out looking to end the game. Lancaster now has saves in consecutive nights.
With the loss tonight, Ogden wins the series with four victories in five games. Tomorrow's game is the sixth and final game of the series and the 46th and final game of the first half. The Vibes will not make up the two games outstanding with Northern Colorado since neither team factors into playoff contention in the first half. The Vibes will lose one home game and one road game off their schedule.
