The Traverse City Fighting Tigers swept their previous home series against the Michigan Jack Hammers, but face a much tougher Ephrata Diamond Dogs team.
Game 1
Starting pitchers: Andrew Triggs (Grade C-Z / EPH) / Jimmy Nelson (Grade B-XZ / T.C.)
Top of the 1st - Ephrata strikes first, with two-run double by Eddie Rosario.
Bottom of the 2nd & 3rd Innings, watched the Fighting Tigers claw back with RBI singles by Gerardo Parra (2nd Inn) & Marwin Gonzalez (3rd Inn).
Bottom of the 5th - Marwin Gonzalez' one-out RBI double gives Traverse City, a 3-2 lead.
Top of the 7th - Tigers' reliever Chris Rusin gives up, game-tying solo HR to Micheal A Taylor.
This game goes to extras, and is finally decided with Traverse City's second walk-off in as many days. This time the hero was Buster Posey, who was 0-for-5, before hitting a three-run homer off of Ephrata's Adam Warren to win the game.
Ephrata's bullpen was remarkable and did something pretty amazing, striking out 11 consecutive batters from the 8th through 11th innings. The Diamond Dogs would finish the day with 20 strikeouts.
Traverse City's Bryan Shaw collects his 2nd win in two days.
Game 2
Starting pitchers: Alex Cobb (Grade B-Z / EPH) / Rich Hill (Grade B-XY / T.C.)
A little bit of a see-saw match, Buster Posey hits his 2nd HR of the series (3rd of the season) with a game-tying 6th Inning HR... tying game at 2-2.
The Diamond Dogs would capitalize off reliever Josh Tomlin, scoring 3 runs during the top of the 8th, including Lane Adams' two-run HR. Adams finished the game, 3-for-4, including a double & run.
Alex Cobb earns the win, pitching 7 strong innings, allowing only 2 earned runs, while striking out 6 Tigers, and walking none.
Raisel Iglesias earns the save, as Ephrata ties the series, 1-1.
Game 3
Starting pitchers: Mike Leake (Grade C-Z / EPH) / Taijuan Walker (Grade B-Y / T.C.)
The Traverse City Fighting Tigers got it done with the long ball, as Jose Altuve (1st inning), Domingo Santana (2nd Inning) & Yoenis Cespedes (5th Inning) all hit home runs off Ephrata's Mike Leake.
The game would remain close, while Traverse City perfectly executing their pitching matchups, while using 7 pitchers actually in their 4-2 victory.
T.C. starter Taijuan Walker earned the win on 5 innings of work, allowing only one run, with 5 strikeouts... although he did allow 7 hits & 2 walks. Walker was taken out of the game during the top of the 6th after allowing the first two hitters to reach base.
Ken Giles collects his 3rd save of the month at home, striking out two.
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| Ephrata's Joey Votto's bat heated up as series continued. |
Game 4
Starting pitchers: Kyle Hendricks (Grade B-YZ / EPH) / Jeff Samardzija (Grade C-XZ / T.C.)
The Tigers would draw first blood during the bottom of the 1st, with an RBI single by Yoenis Cespedes... but that would be it for T.C's offense, this game belonged to Ephrata and was over by the 4th inning.
Ephrata's hitters teed off against Jeff Samardzija, scoring 7 runs on 8 hits & 4 walks; Samardzija worked 4 innings.
Down 7-1 through 4 innings, Traverse City called on Jonathan Gray (2 innings) and Austin Pruitt (3 innings) to eat some innings.
Ephrata's Lane Adams hit his 2nd HR of the series, while going 2-for-5, BB & steal. Joey Votto was unstoppable, hitting 2 HR with 4 RBI on 3 hits & drawing 2 walks (one intentional). J.T. Realmuto also had a big day, 3-for-6, with a solo HR.
Ephrata wins 10-1 & even the series at 2-2.
Game 5
Starting pitchers: Danny Duffy (Grade C-YZ / EPH) / Yu Darvish (Grade C-X / T.C.)
The Ephrata Diamond Dogs pick up where they left off in Game 4, starting with Josh Donaldson's two-run homer in the 1st inning.
Top of the 3rd - Only up 3-1, with two runners on, J.T. Realmuto breaks the game open with a three-run blast off Darvish, D-Dogs up 6-1.
Solo home runs by Buster Posey and Jose Altuve, put the Diamond Dogs into a save situation for Raisel Iglesias in the 9th, which he would lock down for a save. For Posey it was his 3rd HR of the series, while being his 4th HR at home during the season (Posey only had 12 HR during the 2017 MLB Season).
Donaldson had a big day, going 3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 doubles, 2 runs & a walk.
Ephrata wins the series, 3-2, while Traverse City falls to 7-3 at home this month.
Next series: Traverse City hosts the Grand Junction Grenadiers.
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