With the Ogden Raptors' strict pitch count limits, their starting pitchers haven't stayed around long enough to earn many wins in 2017. Tuesday night at Lindquist Field, Osiris Ramirez notched his second victory of the campaign, working around a first-inning home run for five innings of solid pitching as the
With the Ogden Raptors' strict pitch count limits, their starting pitchers haven't stayed around long enough to earn many wins in 2017.
Tuesday night at Lindquist Field, Osiris Ramirez notched his second victory of the campaign, working around a first-inning home run for five innings of solid pitching as the Raptors held off the Great Falls Voyagers, 5-3.
The home run, hit by Nolan Brown, was the first Ramirez allowed all season. He only gave up one more hit, a two-out single in the third, through the rest of his outing. Ramirez struck out five and walked three. The win was only the third credited to the starting pitcher in 10 victories in the second half, and the sixth in 33 wins this year.
The Raptors' offense routinely put men on and capitalized in various ways. Mitchell Hansen hit a one-out double in the second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. In the third, Eric Peterson drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a Kevin Lachance single and scored on Brayan Morales' hit to right to give Ogden the lead for good.
Donovan Casey took matters into his own hands in the fourth, launching his fifth home run of the season to left-center. The solo shot gave the Raptors a 3-1 lead. Ogden loaded the bases after his home run but could not score, and they filled the bags in the fifth with no one out but again failed to put runners across.
The hosts plated another run in the sixth, as Connor Heady walked and Peterson drove him in with a double to right-center.
The extra run was important for Ramirez's win, as Ogden allowed two runs in the eighth to bring Great Falls within one.
Garrett Hope, however, put the finishing touches on the win with a blast leading off the bottom of the eighth, and Miguel Ureña struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning for his fifth save.
The win was the sixth straight overall for Ogden, and the Raptors have now claimed 10 consecutive wins at Lindquist Field. They kept pace with Orem in a first place tie atop the second half standings in the Pioneer League South division, as the Owlz won at Helena the day after suffering a doubleheader sweep.
The Raptors host Great Falls Wednesday night at 7 in the third game of four. It's a Wiener Wednesday, with $1 hot dogs all night while they last.
