Osprey Preview: Game #60

Mick Tidrow
Aug 24, 2017 · 4 min read
(Patrick Record) Osprey starting pitcher Cole Stapler has yet to allow a walk in the season’s second half.

Who: Missoula Osprey (28–31 | 9–12) at Helena Brewers (21–38 | 6–15)

Where: Kindrick Legion Field — Helena, MT

When: 7:05 P.M. (MT) first pitch

How To Listen: ESPN 102.9 FM | MiLB First Pitch App| MiLB.com

THE MATCHUP

The O’s have enjoyed themselves in head-to-head action against Helena this season, posting a record of 7–4. Of those 11 games, the Osprey and Brewers have played 8 times in Missoula, where the Osprey are 6–2 against Helena. On the road, however, the O’s have gone just 1–2 against the Brewers. All-time, Helena owns a 140–129 advantage over Missoula.

LAST NIGHT

A run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth inning coupled with a strong pitching performance lifted the Missoula Osprey (28–31 | 9–12) over the Helena Brewers (21–38 | 6–15) by a final score of 4–3 on Wednesday night at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field. The win is Missoula’s fourth consecutively, establishing a new season-long winning streak.

Starting pitcher Edgar Martinez opened the ballgame with a trio of consecutive scoreless frames, matching Helena’s starter, Alec Bettinger. With the game scoreless entering the fourth inning, Martinez was tagged for a leadoff homer by Helena catcher K.J. Harrison to offer the Brewers a 1–0 lead.

After four fruitless innings in which they stranded a total of four men on base, the Osprey finally broke through in the fifth. First baseman Terence Connelly opened the frame with a double and then moved to third base on a groundout. A walk by Gabriel Maciel with one out put runners on the corners for outfielder Ernie De La Trinidad, who then lofted a run-scoring double to plate Connelly and tie the game. Immediately following a pitching change for the Brewers, center fielder Eduardo Diaz ripped a two-run double into the left field corner, completing Missoula’s fifth-inning outburst and offering the Osprey a 3–1 lead.

With support at his back, Martinez cruised through a final scoreless inning in the sixth before exiting. In his third start for Missoula, Martinez was relegated to a no-decision despite allowing just one run on six hits in six innings of work, striking out three without a walk.

In the eighth, reliever Casey Kulina was charged with a pair of earned runs when Helena outfielder Jose Gomez reached base on a dropped third strike and Franly Mallen subsequently walloped a game-tying two-run homer to left field. During the next half inning, Keshawn Lynch walked to lead off and then advanced to second two batters later when Brandon Leyton beat out an infield single. With runners on first and second and just one out, Connelly pulled a ground ball through the right side of the infield for a base hit, scoring Lynch from second and lifting Missoula to a 4–3 lead.

In the ninth, Abraham Almonte worked around a pair of singles to face the minimum en route to earning his tenth save in as many chances. In the victory, catcher Andy Yerzy slapped a single in his first at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 22 games. Yerzy now owns the longest hitting streak in the Pioneer League this season, surpassing Joey Rose.

TONIGHT

The Osprey meet the Helena Brewers for the first of three games at Kindrick Legion Field after sweeping a pair from the Brewers in Missoula the last two nights. While the Osprey have dominated the Brewers at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field (6–2), their success has been more muted in the state’s capital (1–2). Right-handers Cole Stapler and Dylan File will square off in a matchup of college arms likely limited in their inning totals after laborious spring seasons. Both arms have been astoundingly consistent during their transitions from the bullpen to the rotation.

Stapler is in his first professional season after being drafted in the 22nd round from Nicolls State University in Louisiana… Began the season as a reliever, pitching 9 times out of the bullpen before making his starting debut against Grand Junction at home on August 14.

  • STARTER — 2G, 0–1, 3.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6H, 2 R (2ER), 7:0 K:BB
  • RELIEVER — 9G, 1–1, SV, 2.65 ERA, 17.0 IP, 16H, 8R (5ER), 24:4 K:BB

Note: The righty has not allowed a walk since July 15 at Idaho Falls, a stretch spanning 6 appearances totaling 16.0 innings (20 strikeouts during same period).

Stapler pitched at Kindrick Legion Field on July 9, working two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts. The outing was Stapler’s first multi-inning effort of the season and set in motion the process of transitioning him into a starting role. The O’s went on to win on July 9 in a runaway 9–2 decision, marking their only win at Kindrick Legion Field to this point in 2017.

The O’s will use a lineup as follows when they take the field at 7:05 pm:

  • 1) Gabriel Maciel — LF
  • 2) Ernie De La Trinidad — DH
  • 3) Eduardo Diaz — CF
  • 4) Andy Yerzy — C
  • 5) Juan Araujo — RF
  • 6) Francis Martinez — 1B
  • 7) Brandon Leyton — SS
  • 8) Jose Caballero — 2B
  • 9) Joel Novas — 3B
)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade