Mavericks fall in home opener

By None on June 5, 2018.

Medicine Hat News

Delayed four days by rain, Monday’s home opener for the Medicine Hat Mavericks didn’t have the same sort of energy as it might have last week.

A crowd of 642 saw the Mavs fall 9-6 to the Brooks Bombers, undone by a few untimely errors and an inability to string hits together at the right time.

Jared Libke still got the start as planned, but the third-year Maverick gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings in taking the loss. He was pulled as part of a four-run Bombers fourth inning extended by an error from hometown third baseman Nolan Rattai.

The teams traded runs early, Medicine Hat going up 4-1 on a two-out, two-run single from designated hitter David Vilches in the third inning. But Bombers starter Jonny Chavez worked out of several dangerous two-out scenarios in the middle frames, then Damian Rodriguez smacked a two-run home run to right field off Mavs reliever Junior Pimentel to extend the lead to 8-4.

Vilches again gave the fans something to be excited about with an energizing RBI triple in the seventh, but Rattai stranded the bases loaded with two out despite getting the barrel of the bat on a Cale Thornton offering. Thornton worked 2 2/3 innings to get the long save in relief of Chavez, who went 6 1/3.

It was just that kind of night for the hosts, who put up 11 hits but also four errors in dropping to 0-2. The Mavs left 14 runners on base, though many of their rallies didn’t begin until there were already two away.

Medicine Hat hosts Okotoks tonight, 7:05 p.m. at Athletic Park, then Lethbridge Wednesday before going to Brooks Thursday. They return home Friday to begin a two-game set against the Miller Express.

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