NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks starting pitcher Fawster Voytko executes a pickoff move at first base in the second inning of the MavsÕ Thursday night action at Athletic Park against the Regina Red Sox. Medicine Hat lost 6-5 in the 10th inning.
Medicine Hat News
The first loss at Athletic Park had to come eventually for the Medicine Hat Mavericks.
The Mavs entered play Thursday with 11 straight wins at the friendly confines, a stretch snapped with a 6-5, 10th inning loss Thursday to the Regina Red Sox. Medicine Hat came back in the game, held a small lead before the two teams traded runs to send the game to extra innings.
Head coach Jonathon Thornhill says they cost themselves at times in the loss.
“Unearned runs is the difference in the story there, a couple of errors, the one error in the first cost us a two run shot, and then an error later cost us another run,” Thornhill said. “So kudos to Regina for capitalizing but it’s one of those self inflicted wounds and when you’re facing a team that’s chasing you in the standings and that can stick in it with you, they’re going to make you pay when they can and they did that tonight.”
An error at first base in the opening frame left a Regina runner on base, setting up a two-run home run from their first baseman Jalen Seward, his first long ball of the season. The Red Sox made it a 3-0 lead in the third, leading off the frame with a single on a come-backer that smacked off the leg of starter Fawster Voytko and into the outfield.
The righty went down and was slow to get up, eventually staying in the game. The Red Sox strung together a pair of singles to score the run, with Seward recording his third RBI of the game, for the 3-0 lead.
Medicine Hat brought themselves within one in the bottom of the frame, with a bases loaded groundout from third baseman Carter Roth that appeared to score two runs but only netted one run as designated hitter Yusei Uzawa, already out on the double play, did not move himself from the play and Roth was deemed out on first as a result.
The Mavs scored the second run regardless, with an RBI single from right fielder Aaron Vulcano.
They grabbed a lead in the fourth with another two-run inning. With the bases loaded, centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr. hit a ground ball to the Regina pitcher and he overthrew his catcher on the play at home, allowing first baseman Evan Morrison to score and tie the game. They then grabbed a lead with an infield groundout from Uzawa.
Regina scored in back-to-back innings, scratching a run across in the sixth and seventh for a 5-4 lead. Voytko was lifted with one out in the sixth inning, allowing five runs (two earned) on 10 hits, striking out three. Luis Diaz worked the last 3.2 innings of the game, allowing one unearned run on a hit, striking out five.
Thornhill liked what he saw from both pitchers and his entire staff over the last three games, allowing 12 runs in 28 innings.
“Fawster’s been wanting to get that outing out of himself as he’s been here over the summer, so it’s nice and his pitch count was low, he kept it low, so for him to give us six innings like he did, potentially seventh if those errors don’t happen,” Thornhill said. “But he felt good, he’s probably feeling it a little bit now in the leg after getting hit in the knee there, but he dug deep for his team and gave us six strong.
“Then Luis came in and did a great job, Â as we’ve had from him all year. The pitchers, as of late have only given up 12 runs so that’s it’s not bad, you should win you some games. So the boys are fine, it’s nothing to press about and they’ll bounce back.”
Medicine Hat pushed for a lead in the eight, loading the bases with no outs, only getting the one run to tie the game. Catcher Nate King knocked in a run on a double play before a strikeout ended the frame. Thornhill says the moment got a little too big in that frame, something they’ll look to learn from.
“In those situations, you get to learn those things here at game 24 now and we’re learning that with still 28 games still to play, so that’s good stuff,” Thornhill said. “When we see it down the road, they get back to their roots of what makes them and allows them to be successful, and that’s where that maturity comes into play, and they do a pretty good job of bouncing back.”
Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the game to extras. Regina plated the automatic runner with the first batter on a loud single to centre field, grabbing the 6-5 lead.
In the bottom of the frame, Medicine Hat moved the auto runner to third on a sacrifice bunt but couldn’t get him across the plate, falling in the 10th.
Regina outhit the Mavs 11-10 in the game, both teams committed a pair of errors.
The Mavs (16-8) are back at Athletic Park on Friday to face the Red Sox, first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
