Game 90: Brilliant Dallas pitches Boise to 5-1 victory

Boise, ID - In a night dominated by pitching, it was the Boise Hawks (25-17) who found a way to put runs on the board, winning 5-1 over the Grand Junction Rockies (23-19) on Friday night at Memorial Stadium.

Matt Dallas set the tone early, by striking out the side in the top of the first and Alejandro Rivero gave Boise the lead with a two-run home run over the left field fence just three batters into the bottom of the first.

Dallas was a man on a mission throughout the night, striking out eight batters through three innings.

Boise would add two more runs to their lead in the fourth, using walks from Alejandro Rivero and Roby Enríquez to put men at first and second, before Hidekel Gonzalez drove home Rivero with an RBI double and put Enríquez at third, who would end up scoring on the very next pitch when a slider in the dirt skipped to the backstop.

Both starters would pitch six full innings, with Dallas out dueling Brett Matthews who started the game for the Rockies.

The Hawks starter left in the seventh, giving up just three hits and walking five.

He ended his night striking out 12 Rockies, the most strikeouts he’s had in any of his outings this season.

Rivero would deliver again, this time providing insurance in the bottom of the eighth after Grand Junction scored a run in the 7th.

A ball crushed to left gave him his second homer of the game and 19th of the season, moving into a tie with Wladimir Galindo for the team lead.

Boise’s magic number is now four, with three games left between them and Grand Junction in this series.

Needing to win two out of the three remaining games to clinch at Memorial Stadium, the Boise Hawks will give the ball to Jayce Vancena on Saturday night trying to get the first of two.

First pitch for game four of the six game series is scheduled for 7:15 in Boise.