Mav pitchers jump in on batting practice before playoff-clinching win

By Ryan McCracken on July 14, 2018.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

Even the pitchers were going deep on Friday at Athletic Park.

Following Jaymon Cervantes’ complete game shutout victory over the Regina Red Sox on Wednesday, the Medicine Hat Mavericks opted to put their pitchers at the plate for batting practice before taking on the Fort McMurray Giants. While the arms stayed on the mound for the game to come, the upbeat approach undoubtedly made its way onto the diamond in the 8-5 playoff-clinching comeback victory.

“The pitchers have been working really hard all summer, so to be able to come out and hit BP, it’s something that’s fun for all of us. We don’t get to hit anymore so to be able to do something like that is pretty huge for this team,” said Cervantes, who was one of a few pitchers to go yard in batting practice. “To go back to the high school days of hitting and show the guys you can do what they do a little bit, it’s fun.”

Mavericks third baseman David Vilches added it’s always nice to see the pitchers taking some cuts, especially considering it always follows a shutout.

“We’ve got pitchers up because Jaymon Cervantes threw a shutout. Any time that happens we get the pitchers out there, and any time that happens it’s obviously good,” said Vilches, whose Mavericks were the first to punch their ticket to the playoffs with a 27-5 record. “It feels good. We haven’t really been worried about it at all. We’re just worried about the game in front of us, the next game. And we’re just going one game at a time until we get there.”

Despite falling into a 4-1 hole to Fort McMurray through Friday’s first inning, the Mavericks bounced back to steal away the lead with a four-run sixth before tacking on some insurance in the seventh.

Catcher Colton Wright was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI.

Jumpei Akanuma collected the victory, bouncing back to hold the Giants to five runs on six hits through seven innings. Tyler Shumpert took the save with three strikeouts and a walk over one inning of work.

“This team doesn’t like to lose. So when we get down in a ball game we have a lot of fight,” said Cervantes. “Whatever it takes to get a W, we come together and get it done.”

RyanDunn took the loss for Fort McMurray after allowing one run on two walks in the sixth. The Giants fell to 12-22.

The Mavericks return to Athletic Park for three more games against the Giants this weekend, at 3:05 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. Saturday, and 2:03 p.m. Sunday.

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