Raptors Take Both Games of Twin Bill Over Vibes

Colo. Springs, COLORADO - After winning three games in a row coming into tonight, the Rocky Mountain Vibes dropped both games of Friday night's doubleheader to the dominant Ogden Raptors, losing game one 1-0 and game two 11-5.
GAME 1
After completing the first series sweep in Vibes history last night over the Orem Owlz-winning that series three games to none-the Rocky Mountain Vibes dropped game one of both the series and the doubleheader Friday evening to the Ogden Raptors, 1-0.
Despite scoring 10 runs against Orem last night, the Vibes were shutout in game one, marking the first time Rocky Mountain has been shutout since July 15, when the Great Falls Voyagers shut out the Vibes 12-0 in Colorado Springs.
The game was still tied at 0-0 going into the seventh and final inning, when Ogden finally broke up the shutout with a sole run. Brandon Lewis led off with a double, moving up to third on a sacrifice bunt. The Raptors' small ball continued as a sacrifice fly brought Lewis home for the sole run of the contest, giving Ogden a 1-0 victory in game one.
GAME 2
The scoring began much sooner in game two of the twin bill, as Ogden scored twice in the top of the very first inning. Andy Pages kicked things off with his 11^th double of the season, scoring on a Lewis double for the first run of the game and second of the night. Marco Hernandez then reached on the Vibes' first error of the night, which also allowed Lewis to score to give Ogden an early 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Vibes took their first lead of the day. Luís Avila and Carlos Rodriguez led off with back-to-back singles, and in the very next at-bat Cam Devanney's first double of the season brought both home to tie the game. Bryan Torres then hit a single to put runners on the corners, and a few pitches later the Vibes pulled off a double steal with Torres safe at second and Devanney safe at home to give Rocky Mountain a 3-2 advantage.
In the next half inning, in the top of the fourth, Jon Littell led off for the Raptors with a double, and a Brandon Wulff homer brought him home as Ogden retook the lead, 4-3.
The Raptors kept the offense rolling in the next frame, as Pages led off the top of the fifth with a single. In the next at-bat, Lewis belted his seventh longball of the year to extend the Raptors' lead to 6-3.
For the third inning in a row, Ogden scored again. Zac Ching and Wulff led off with walks, and two deep flyouts in succession allowed Ching to move up to third and then score to extend Ogden's lead to four runs.
In the top of the seventh inning the trend continued, as Ogden tacked on four more runs to go up 11-4.
The Vibes were able to score one in the bottom of the seventh, but it proved too little too late as Ogden completed the doubleheader sweep with the 11-5 final.
The Rocky Mountain Vibes continue their seven-game homestand tomorrow with the third of a four-game series against the Ogden Raptors, with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. The game will be available on MiLB.TV as well as the MiLB TuneIn app. For all information on the Vibes, follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @vibesbaseball and visit the team's website at www.vibesbaseball.com.
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Tomorrow's Preview: The Vibes continue their seven-game homestand with the third of a four-game series against the Ogden Raptors, with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. The Raptors are slated to start righty Kevin Malisheski (5-3, 3.45) against Vibes southpaw Nick Bennett (0-0, 2.00). The game will be available on MiLB.TV as well as the MiLB TuneIn app.
How Sweep It Is: With the 10-2 victory over Orem Wednesday night, the Vibes completed their first series sweep in team history, three games to none over the Owlz.
Colorado Day (August 1st): In honor of Colorado Day, here is a look back at Colorado Springs games on Colorado Day over the years. The Millionaires won their first game falling on Colorado Day on August 1st, 1901, defeating the Des Moines Prohibitionists, 4-2 at Washburn Field in Colorado Springs. Then Vice President Teddy Roosevelt was in Colorado Springs that day as part of the state's "quarto-centennial" celebration. Roosevelt, who was also in town for a Roughriders event, met up with city founder William Jackson Palmer in front of the Antlers Hotel for a statue dedication of Zebulon Pike. Roosevelt spoke in front of a crowd of about 10,000 that day. (About six weeks later, Roosevelt would become the 26th President of the United States, after President William McKinley was assassinated.) As for more recent eras, the Single-A Sky Sox (1950-1958) were 6-6 on Colorado Day (4-1 at home, 2-5 on the road). During the Triple-A era (1988-2018), the Sky Sox were 14-15 on Colorado Day (8-5 at home, 6-10 on the road). Last year the Sky Sox lost to the Reno Aces, 10-9 in Reno. The last time the Sky Sox were at home on Colorado Day: August 1st, 2016, beating
the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 9-4.
Colorado Springs Alums on the Block: While there were flashier trades in MLB involving big names like Zach Greinke or Trevor Bauer, there were a couple of MLB trades in the last few days involving former Sky Sox players. On Wednesday 7/31, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired pitchers Drew Pomeranz  and Ray Black from the San Francisco Giants for San Antonio Missions infielder Mauricio Dubón . Pomeranz pitched in 24 games with the Sky Sox (2012-2013), going 12-5, with a 3.60 ERA. Dubon played 85 games over the last two seasons with the Sky Sox (2017-2018), going .295 with 10 homers, and 51 RBI. On Wednesday 7/31, the San Francisco Giants acquired infielder Scooter Gennett  from the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later. Gennett only played in 17 games with the Sky Sox in 2015, batting .307 with two homers and 11 RBI. On Wednesday 7/31, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson  from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named to be named later and international bonus pool money. Dickerson played in 78 games with the Sky Sox (2013-2014), batting .372 with 11 homers and 51 RBI. On Tuesday 7/30, the Atlanta Braves acquired pitcher Chris Martin  from the Texas Rangers for LHP Kobly Allard. Martin pitched in 25 games in relief for the Sky Sox on 2014, going 1-3 with a 4.39 ERA in 26⅔ IP. On Monday 7/29, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired pitcher Jordan Lyles  from the Pittsburgh Pirates for RHP Cody Ponce. Lyles did make one rehab appearance with the Sky Sox on July 30^th, 2014, pitching 4⅔ IP in relief, picking up the win, allowing no runs and three hits, as the Sky Sox beat the Nashville Sounds, 6-0 at Security Service Field (now UCHealth Park). Ponce did not appear with the Sky Sox, pitching at Double-A Biloxi this season. On Sunday 7/28, the Tampa Bay Rays acquired infielder Eric Sogard  from the Toronto Blue Jays for two players to be named later. Sogard played in 51 games with the Sky Sox (2017-2018) with three homers and 28 RBI.
Jess of All Trades: In both games of Tuesday's doubleheader, Jess Williams played first base for the second and third times this season. Through Tuesday, Williams had played three games at first base, four games at second, six games at third, six games at left, 10 games in right field, three games as the Designated Hitter, and even two pitching appearances.
Kahle is Good for You: In the bottom of the third inning of Game Two of Tuesday night's doubleheader, Nick Kahle hit the first grand slam in Vibes history, sending the Vibes from a 3-0 deficit to a 4-3 lead in the process.
First Half Recap: The Rocky Mountain Vibes completed the first half of the 2019 season last Thursday night in Grand Junction, posting a 17-21 record through 38 games.
The Vibes finished June with a 6-9 record, going 2-7 at home and 4-2 on the road in the inaugural month of the 2019 season. The team batted .251 in those 15 games while collecting 86 runs on 132 hits with 32 doubles, eight triples, 11 home runs, 75 RBI, 48 walks, 142 strikeouts, 17 stolen bases (11 caught stealing), and a .323/.405/.727 line. On the pitching side, the Vibes staff posted a 5.89 ERA through 133 innings with four saves in six opportunities, allowing 108 runs (87 earned) on 126 hits, 23 of which were homers, giving up a league-leading 108 walks while striking out 152 batters.
Through July 25 (end of first half), the Vibes sat at an 11-12 record in July with a 6-8 road record and 5-5 at home. The team sat at a .243 batting average in 23 games, collecting 186 hits, 50 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs, and 84 RBI. The Vibes offense has also stolen 26 bags in 33 attempts, drawn 62 walks, and posted a .307/.372/.679 line. The pitching staff had seen vast improvements in July. The team sat at a 4.62 ERA in 200 1/3 innings, allowing 184 hits, 117 runs (103 earned), issuing 88 walks, 221 strikeouts, and team WHIP of 1.35.
Walk-Off Losses: During the last nine-game road trip, the Vibes fell twice in extra innings. The first loss came in Orem on 7/23 in an 8-7 loss. The Vibes regained the lead in the top of the ninth with two runs before allowing a run in the bottom half. They would be walked-off on a Johan Sala single to right, plating D'Shawn Knowles. The second loss came on Saturday night in a 10-9 heartbreaker. The Vibes allowed four runs in the ninth before Brenton Doyles' chopper up the 3rd base line plated the winning run.
Comparing Notes: Here is a running comparison of records of other first-year Colorado Springs teams from the past in order to see historically how new teams have struggled with adapting to the home altitude during their first season. After 45 games: 2019 Vibes 20-25, 1901 Millionaires (first season) 21-24, finishing 45-73-1; 1950 Sky Sox (first Single-A season) 17-28, finishing 72-82-2; 1988 Sky Sox (first Triple-A season) 21-24, finishing 62-77; 1993 Sky Sox (first Rockies season) 24-21, finishing 66-75; 2015 Sky Sox (first Brewers season) 17-28, finishing 62-81.
This Week's Preview: The Vibes are back in Colorado Springs for a seven-game homestand. The Vibes will finish the seven-game homestand with a four-game series against the Ogden Raptors set to wrap on August 4. Following that series, the team will have three days off for the All-Star Break before heading out on the road to Montana for a four-game series against the Billings Mustangs followed by a four-game series against the Great Falls Voyagers.
NEXT GAME: Saturday, August 3 @ 6:00 p.m. MT vs. Ogden Raptors @ UCHealth Park
RHP Kevin Malisheski (5-3, 3.45) vs. LHP Nick Bennett (0-0, 2.00) - Broadcast: MiLB TuneIn app
PROMOTION: Wonderful Wizarding World Night presented by Wolf Ranch Community Council featuring characters, fun games, and a MAGICAL fireworks show!
RMV TOP PERFORMERS (Game 1)
    Karsen Lindell (5.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO)
      Brock Begue (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO)
    Bryan Torres (1-for-4, 3B)
OGD TOP PERFORMERS (Game 1)
    Jeff Belge (W, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO)
      Brandon Lewis (2-for-3, 2B, R)
    Ramon Rodriguez (2-for-2, 2B)
RMV TOP PERFORMERS (Game 2)
    Cam Devanney (1-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB)
      Carlos Rodriguez (2-for-4, R)
    Luís Avila (2-for-3, R, RBI, SB)
OGD TOP PERFORMERS (Game 2)
    Brandon Lewis (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI)
      Brandon Wulff (1-for-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB)
   Zac Ching (1-for-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB)