Osprey Preview: Game #45

Who: Missoula Osprey (20–24 | 1–5) at Grand Jnct. Rockies(22–23 | 4–3)
Where: Sam Suplizio Field — Grand Junction, CO
When: 6:40 P.M. (MT) first pitch
How To Listen: ESPN 102.9 FM | MiLB First Pitch App| MiLB.com
THE MATCHUP
The Osprey own an all-time advantage over the Grand Junction franchise dating back to its days as the Casper Rockies, posting an all-time mark of 66–58 against them. On the road, the Osprey have gone 28–29 against the same franchise. Last season, Missoula won just 2 of 7 games against the Rockies, including a split of four games in Grand Junction. Upon returning home to Missoula, the O’s lost three straight to the Rockies, meaning that the O’s enter play on Tuesday riding a four-game losing streak to Grand Junction.
LAST NIGHT
Representing the tying run, Gabriel Maciel was stranded at second base to end the ballgame on Monday night, as the Missoula Osprey (1–5 | 20–24) fell to the Grand Junction Rockies (4–3 | 22–23) by a final score of 8–7 at Suplizio Field.
Following a pair of innings in which Osprey starting pitcher Edgar Martinez worked around baserunners, the Rockies broke through for a pair of runs in the third, seizing a 2–0 advantage.
Two frames later, the Osprey busted out of their recent struggles at the plate, plating a trio of runs to take a 3–2 lead. Juan Araujo led off the fifth with a single, followed by a one-out single by Francis Martinez two batters later. The next hitter, Ernie De La Trinidad, tripled to the right field wall, scoring both runners and tying the game. Maciel then laced a double down the left field corner, scoring De La Trinidad and offering Missoula its first lead since Friday’s win over Orem.
In the subsequent half inning, Grand Junction tied the ballgame on a solo home run by designated hitter Pedro Gonzalez. The homer was the final blemish on Edgar Martinez’s resume, as the right-hander turned in a solid five-inning start in which he allowed just three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks, while striking out three. Despite exiting with a lead, Martinez was relegated to a no-decision.
Tied 3–3 entering the sixth, Missoula lurched back in front on a triple by Juan Araujo, followed by an RBI-single from Jose Caballero. Matters turned sour for the Osprey in the bottom of the sixth, however, as the Rockies rallied for five runs against relievers Rafael Pujols and Pierce Romero, using a bases-loaded walk and a grand slam by Jeff Moberg to sink the Osprey to an 8–4 deficit.
Over the final two innings, the Osprey nibbled at Grand Junction’s lead, first using a two-run homer by Andy Yerzy in the eighth to cut the score to 8–6. De La Trinidad laced his second triple of the night to lead off the ninth, scoring on an infield single by Maciel to pull the Osprey within one run. After moving up on a wild pitch with two outs, Maciel was stranded at second to end the ballgame.
In the defeat, Joey Rose doubled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, the longest active mark in the league. Only one streak has gone longer in the Pioneer League this season-Gabriel Maciel’s 18-game run that ended on Sunday.
TONIGHT
Losers of five out of their first six games of the second half, the first-half North Division Champion Osprey send right-hander James “Jimmy” Johnson to the mound looking for a boost. On the first five games of their road trip, the Osprey have received starting pitching despite posting a 1–4 record as a club.

Missoula has received at least 5.0 innings from its starter in six consecutive games, dating back before the All-Star Break. Johnson turned in his best outing of the season in his last start on Thursday at Orem. Johnson went 5.0 innings and allowed just one run.
Johnson will be countered by Rockies’ 2017 third-rounder Will Gaddis, a righty making his 6th appearance and 4th start. Gaddis has been consistent, posting a 4.50 ERA as both a starter and reliever. At home, the first year pro has a 3.00 ERA compared to a 6.00 mark on the road, each in 9.0 innings of work.
The Osprey have gone 7–12 against the South, while GJ has gone 14–5 vs. the North. The Rockies own the best interdivisional mark in the PL. With their 8-15 mark away from Ogren Park at Allegiance Field, the Osprey lead Helena by 0.5 game to avoid the worst road record in the league. Only the Brewers’ mark of 8-16 on the road is worse than that of Missoula’s. No team in the South Division has a sub-.500 record on the road.
NOTES
Missoula has managed only one win when trailing after 7 innings this season, logging a 1–22 record. Only Idaho Falls (1–23) and Helena (0–20) have been worse when trailing after 7 innings…After Jeff Moberg’s 6th-inning grand slam on Monday for Grand Junction, the Osprey have now been involved involved in 4 grand slams in 2017. Unfortunately for the Osprey, they are tied with Orem for the most grand slams surrendered as a staff (3)…No Osprey pitcher has turned in a quality start since Tyler Vail did so on July 14, a string of 19 games.

