Osprey Preview: Game #74
Who: Great Falls Voyagers (32–41, 17–18) @ Missoula Osprey (37–36, 18–17)
Where: Ogen Park at Allegiance Field — Missoula, 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 Osprey and Voyagers resume a four-game series on Thursday that shifts to Great Falls after tonight’s game in Missoula. The Osprey have won 6 of 7 games against the Voyagers at home in 2017, whereas the final two games will be held in Great Falls, where the Osprey have split 6 games with the Voyagers. From July 5 to the current date, the Osprey have won 7 of the last 8 meetings between the two teams.
LAST NIGHT
The Osprey raced to an early lead, scoring six times in the first inning and knocking Great Falls starter Parker Rigler out of the game after recording just one out. With shaky defense behind him, Rigler was tagged for a pair of hits and two walks, but was victimized by two errors and a collection of mental mistakes.
While the Voyagers rallied mythotically to pull the game within one run at 8–7, the Osprey had enough staying power to record individiual runs in every frame from the fourth inning through the end of the game. Of his three head-to-head meetings with Great Falls, Osprey starter Brady Muller submitted his least impressive to date. Despite pitching only five innings in which he surrendered five runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk, Muller earned his league-leading seventh win of the season.
- Keshawn Lynch reached base 5 times (2 doubles, 3 walks) and picked up an RBI
- Dominic Miroglio and Jose Caballero each had 2 runs batted in.
TONIGHT
Missoula plays host to regular-season Pioneer League baseball for the final time this season on Thursday night. The Osprey hand the ball to right-hander Kai- Wei Lin to start on Thursday, as they re-shuffle their pitching rotation to align their best matchups for the upcoming playoffs.
Lin, who was born in Taiwan, has not started for Missoula since August 11, pitching 3.0 innings spread across two appearances in the meantime. As has been his downfall all year, Lin leads the Osprey pitching staff with 14 home runs allowed, having surrendered at least one home in 9 of his 10 starts. In head-to-head action with Great Falls, Lin has pitched 13.0 innings spread across three appearances (two starts), surrendering 9 earned runs.
Countering Lin will be right-hander Brandon Agar, who had dominated the Osprey twice before taking a loss in his last start on September 2 at Centen Stadium. Overall, Agar has a 2–1 record and an ERA of 4.58 spread across 17.2 innings and three starts.
NOTES & NUMBERS
- With Tracey Hadley’s ninth-inning homer off Yeison Santana last night, the Osprey became the first team in Pioneer League history to surrender 100+ home runs in a single season.
- The O’s will be honoring their two Postseason All-Stars Abraham Almonte and Joey Rose on Thursday despite their absence.
- Catcher Andy Yerzy was named the Diamondbacks Minor League Player of the Month for August after hitting .349 with 6 HR and 12 XBH.
LINEUP
- Gabriel Maciel — CF
- Ernie De La Trinidad — RF
- Eduardo Diaz — LF
- Andy Yerzy — C
- William Gorman — DH
- Terence Connelly — 1B
- Joel Novas — 3B
- Jose Caballero0–2B
- Brandon Leyton — SS
- P — Kai-Wei Lin
