NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks outfielder Yusei Uzawa swings at a pitch during an at bat in a 12-7 loss Friday at Athletic Park to the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
Medicine Hat News
The Medicine Hat Mavericks came out on the wrong side bounces and bloops Friday night.
The Mavs allowed seven runs with two outs to fall 12-7 to the Moose Jaw Miller Express at Athletic Park, finishing a three-game stretch against the East division rival. Moose Jaw won 11-2 on Wednesday and the Mavs won 12-1 on Thursday, both games in Moose Jaw.
Head coach Jonathon Thornhill says they learned more about themselves in the mini-series.
“What we need to do to prevent them to have the success that they had and really any any team you play,” Thornhill said. “When you put up a number, you want to make sure you get a zero. We have failed to do that in three of the last four meetings against them and that’s been the difference in the game. So they capitalized, not a lot of hard contact, they get a lot of weak contact, but the (hits) fall and kudos to them for just battling ball and it falls. But at the same time, pitchers have to execute a little bit better.”
A pair of scoreless innings started the game before the Millers got on the board with a pair of back-to-back two-run innings.
A pair of RBI singles in the top of the third put the Millers on the board first. An RBI double from first baseman Aaron Vulcano brought the Mavs, who donned their alternate identity Gas City Baby Spreys Friday, within one.
Moose Jaw made it a 4-1 game with a two-run home run off the bat of Andy Rivas in the fourth.
The Mavstied the game in the fifth, starting with an infield RBI single from Adam Vulcano, scoring a run with the bases loaded. Catcher Jamel Chabot stepped up to the plate with two outs after a pair of groundouts saw Moose Jaw on the edge of escaping the inning with the bases loaded. Chabot rocked a two-run single to tie the game at 4-4.
Both teams scored in the sixth, Moose Jaw on an RBI single to left field to make it a 5-4 game. The Millers tried for a second run but outfielder Micah Dvorak threw out a runner at home to keep it at the lone run.
The Mavs notched a run in the bottom of the frame with centre fielder Jeremy Freeman Jr. scoring on a dropped third strike.
Starter Danny Retzlaff worked six innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on eights hits, striking out five. Diego Centella took over in the seventh, allowing three runs on three hits, recording two outs in the frame, one being a punch out.
The Millers first run in the frame came on an RBI double. The runner that scored got on base on a close call at first, the second close call of the game that first base umpire Barrett Fleck neglected to discuss with the other umpires when asked by Mavs’ coaches.
“It’s tough, Diego probably gets two outs there and  the guy hits a double and the next guy up hits a home run anyways, but at the same time it’s a momentum thing, it’s confidence thing and it’s a mindset aspect for everybody on the field, including the pitcher,” Thornhill said. “So it definitely  triggers you a little bit. But we just have to lock back in and go back to work. We all see it, we’ll talk to him, we’ve had that conversation and Diego is still a guy we’d run out there no questions asked.”
The Millers made it an 8-5 lead with a two-run home run off the bat of William Edwards. Luke Barrientos took over to record the final out of the seventh, working the eighth inning as well. He surrendered four runs on four hits and a walk.
Medicine Hat drew within one in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run single off the bat of Freeman Jr.
Moose Jaw scored on an error at first base by the Mavs in the eighth, first baseman Aaron Vulcano missed wide with a throw over to Barrientos on a pushed bunt. They plated three more runs with Edwards’ second home run of the game for the 12-7 score.
Tempers rose in the bottom of the eighth, with home plate umpire Ron Shewchuk working his way into the game. He delayed a strike three call on infielder Blake Dale, leaving the stadium wondering if the call was a walk or a strikeout before he stepped back and made his call. Mavs’ assistant coach Ryan Reed voiced his displeasure and was met with obscenities from the umpire before he was ejected.
“Seeing that firework at the end there, the boys love him for it, we love him for it and I love him for it, he had every right to go to war there for the guys,” Thornhill said. “It was well earned, well deserved and  there’s nothing there that I disagree with in regards to how Ryan handled that situation and I have his back in the end. So I appreciate everything he’s done up to this point.”
Jensen Cockrell worked the ninth inning for the Mavs, striking out a pair.
Tensions flared in the ninth as Moose Jaw second baseman Ben Waliczek taunted the Mavs’ dugout after making a diving play. The two teams will meet Wednesday and Thursday for the final time this regular season, the series on the summer is tied 4-4.
Both teams had 15 hits in the game, the Mavs stranded 13 runners to the Millers three. The Mavs (26-16) are off until Monday when they host the Swift Current Broncos. They will send five players, pitchers Luis Diaz and Xander Roberts, infielders Tyler Vanneste and Carter Roth and outfielder Jeremy Freeman JR. to the all-star game Saturday at Okotoks’ Seaman Stadium.
