Falcons Drop Series
- Updated: July 22, 2016
The Falcons were back in action for some Friday night baseball against the Yakima Valley Pippins. It was the rubber match of the three-game series, with the clubs splitting the first two meetings.
After an explosive offensive showing Thursday night, the Falcons’ bats went mostly quiet in game three of the series. They did manage 6 hits, but the visiting Pippins held the birds to just one run on their way to 4-1 victory, and 2-1 series win.
The loss drops the Falcons’ record to 8-7 for the second half of the season, but their recent hot streak has kept them in the playoff hunt, going 7-3 in their last 10 games.
Opposing pitching was a puzzle the Falcons couldn’t seem to solve. Pippins starter Zach Draper has been a force this season, and that trend continued against the Falcons. Draper, who leads the league in ERA, and is among league leaders in wins, runs allowed, and strikeouts, only allowed one run in the game, which scored as unearned as a result of errors and passed balls.
Despite the relatively flat offensive showing, the Falcons put up a solid fight. The game was tied or within a single run for most of the night until things fell apart for the home side in the final frame, and the 4-1 Pippins lead proved to be too much to overcome.
Jake Simmons got the nod on the mound for the Falcons, and he kept the visitors in check for most of the night. The game was tied going into the 8th inning, with credit going to Simmons for his solid outing.
Falcons manager Bryan Donohue didn’t let the loss get to his club. “The story of the game for me, was a passed ball.” He was referring to the play that allowed the Pippins winning run to come in. A tough pitch got away from the Falcons catcher, bouncing to the backstop and giving a runner at third base a chance to sprint home.
“When you get into these nail-biting games when neither offense is doing much, that tends to be the difference.” Donohue explained. “We didn’t play clean, and it allowed them to grab the momentum.”
The Falcons had a chance to re-take the lead in the 8th inning with the bases loaded, but they couldn’t cash in a run.
The club will get the weekend off, returning to action on Tuesday the 26th for a three-game home series against the Wenatchee Applesox.
Story courtesy of Matt Inglis – Falcons Media
Photo courtesy of Matt Inglis
Related Posts
Sponsors
