Vibes Take Series Finale Over Great Falls

Colorado Springs, COLORADO - The Vibes finished the eight-game homestand on a high note Wednesday afternoon, defeating the Voyagers 8-3. The Vibes offense provided eight runs on nine hits, including eight singles, highlighted by a strong afternoon from catcher Nick Kahle (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI) with his third home run of the season.
The Voyagers pushed across a run in the first on a two-out RBI single from Lency Delgado. Delgado plated Harvin Mendoza on the single after a triple off the right field wall from Mendoza one batter earlier.
Kahle delivered a solo shot to right center in the bottom of the second, the ball hitting off the top of the wall before bouncing over. The 387-foot homer marked Kahle's third home run of the season.
The Voyagers regained the lead in the third with a two-run homer to center by Bryan Connell. The two-run lead was quickly erased by a four-run inning from the Vibes offense in the bottom half of the inning. Four hits, including RBI-singles from Antonio Piñero and Edwin Sanó, mixed with a couple of Great Falls errors pushed the Vibes in front after three.
After three scoreless frames, the Vibes offense provided insurance with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. An RBI-single from Luís Avalo followed by a two-RBI single from Kahle help mount the Vibes' lead to five.
Vibes' reliever Jackson Sigman sealed the victory with a scoreless inning in the ninth, allowing one walk with a strikeout.
Vibes' starter Michele Vassalotti earned his third win of the season, posting 5 2/3 innings of work. Vassalotti allowed five hits, three runs (all earned), and two walks with five strikeouts. Reliever Brady Schanuel followed Vassalotti with a dominant 2 2/3 innings of work, allowing no hits, no runs, and two walks with four strikeouts.
The Vibes finished the homestand 4-4 with two wins each against Billings and Great Falls. Sanó led the way offensively, hitting .478 with two doubles, two triples, and an RBI. In the bullpen, relievers Karsen Lindell and Brady Schanuel each made two scoreless appearances along the way. Lindell posted 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing only two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts. Schanuel worked 5 1/3 innings on two hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts.
The Rocky Mountain Vibes are off tomorrow as they travel to Ogden for the opening of a nine-game road trip set to begin Friday. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. The game will be available on MiLB.TV as well as on 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.
Attached photos courtesy of: Paat Kelly
__NOTES__
Tomorrow's Preview: The Vibes are off Thursday for a travel day to Ogden for the start of a four-game set against the Ogden Raptors set to start Friday. Both starters have yet to announced with first pitch set for 7:00 pm. The game will be available on MiLB.TV as well as on the MiLB TuneIn app.
Homestand Recap: The Vibes finished the homestand 4-4 with two wins each against Billings and Great Falls. Sanó led the way offensively, hitting .478 with two doubles, two triples, and an RBI. In the bullpen, relievers Karsen Lindell and Brady Schanuel each made two scoreless appearances along the way. Lindell posted 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing only two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts. Schanuel worked 5 1/3 innings including 2 1/3 innings Wednesday afternoon on two hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts.
Full Luna: Tuesday night was a full moon, in perfect time for Carlos Luna to deliver a marvelous quality start for the Vibes against the Voyagers. Unfortunately for the Vibes, Great Falls' starter Jason Morgan also delivered a quality start against Rocky Mountain. Luna finished the night with 6.1 innings pitched, allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits while walking none and striking out four. Conversely, Morgan threw 6.0 innings, also allowing two runs (both earned) on four hits with a trio of walks and a pair of punchouts.
Ouch x2:  With Great Falls' Jakob Goldfarb getting two hit by pitches in the same inning Monday night, he becomes the first player to be hit twice in one frame in the past 32 years of Colorado Springs baseball. During the 31-year Triple-A history (1988-2018), the Colorado Springs Sky Sox never had a situation where a player had a two HBP situation in one inning. There were two opponents during the Triple-A Sky Sox era who had three hit by pitches in a game, Kevin Polcovich (Calgary) on August 20th, 1996, and Kevin Frandsen (Fresno) on April 28th, 2007. However, in both cases, the three hit by pitches in each game were each done in three separate innings. The last time a player had two HBP in an inning in an MLB game was Brandon Moss (Oakland) on April 25th, 2014 in the 9th inning against the Houston Astros, at Minute Maid Park.

Hit Hard: The two home run game by Great Falls' Cameron Simmons Monday night marks only the second time a player from a Chicago White Sox affiliate belted a two homer game against a Colorado Springs team. The Chicago White Sox affiliates in the Pacific Coast League during the Sky Sox Triple-A tenure was with the Vancouver Canadians from 1988-1992 and the Calgary Cannons in the 1998 season. The only other player from a Chicago White Sox affiliate to homer twice in a game against a Colorado Springs team was by Vancouver's Steve Springer on June 19th, 1989 at Sky Sox Stadium. Vancouver won that game, 3-2. Springer would play 78 games for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox the next season in 1990.

Game One Woes: With the loss to Great Falls Sunday afternoon following the loss to Billings in game one Wednesday night, the Vibes fall to 1-9 in first games of a series this season.

Familiar Face: Wuilder Rodriguez, who was assigned to the Vibes roster on a rehab assignment on 7/12, made his first appearance for the Vibes on Saturday night, making Rodriguez become the first Sky Sox alum to pitch/play for the Vibes. With his Vibes debut, Rodriguez took over as the oldest player to play for the Vibes (26 years, 5 months, 22 days). Steve Pastora is the next oldest player on the team at 24 years old (turning 25 on September 3rd).

First 26: Historically, almost all new Colorado Springs professional teams have struggled in their first few months of existence. In 1901, the first year professional minor league baseball was ever in Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Millionaires team was 12-14 after 26 games, finishing the season at 45-73. In 1950, the original Colorado Springs Sky Sox (first season for minor leagues back in Colorado Springs since 1916, in the Single-A Western League) team was 12-14 after 26 games, finishing that season at 72-82-2. In 1988, the next rendition of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (first Triple-A season, and first season for minor leagues back in Colorado Springs since 1958) team was 10-16 after 26 games, finishing that season at 62-77. In 1993, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (first Triple-A season as a Colorado Rockies affiliate) team was 11-15 after 26 games, finishing that season at 66-75. In 2015 the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (first Triple-A season as a Milwaukee Brewers affiliate) team was 9-17 after 26 games, finishing that season at 62-81. This year, 2019, the Rocky Mountain Vibes (first season as a Rookie level affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers) team was 10-16 after 26 games.

Double-Double-Double-Double-Double-Double: Prior to Friday night, the Vibes had never executed more than two double plays in any game this season. On Friday, the Vibes collected five twin killings through the first six innings. In the top of the eighth inning, they tacked on double play number six, tying the Pioneer League record of six double plays in a game, set back on 9/3/98 by none other than the Helena Brewers. The six double plays turned by the Vibes equals the club record of six double plays turned during the Colorado Springs Sky Sox era (1988-2018), done three times. Those three instances: April 23rd, 1993 vs. Tacoma Tigers (at Sky Sox Stadium, now UCHealth Park) (Turned in 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings) (Sky Sox won 11-0); June 4th, 1995 vs. Calgary Cannons (at Foothills Stadium in Calgary) (Turned in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings) (Sky Sox won 7-2); May 3rd, 2007 vs. Tacoma Rainiers (at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma) (Turned in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 9th innings) (Sky Sox won 12-1).

Bello Bombs: Micah Bello hit a team-leading fifth home run on Thursday night, followed by a team-leading sixth home run on Friday night. After hitting his first four homers in the first six games of the season-including a two-homer, five-RBI performance on June 16 in Orem against the Owlz-Bello went 17 games before adding on homers number five and six, which he did in back-to-back contests.

This Week's Preview: The Vibes start a nine-game road trip starting on Friday with a four-game series with the Ogden Raptors. After Ogden, the Vibes make the short trip to Orem for a three-game series beginning on the 22^nd. The final leg of the road trip begins on July 25^th with a three-game set against the Grand Junction Rockies.
NEXT GAME: Friday, July 19 @ 7:00 p.m. MT vs. Ogden Raptors @ Lindquist Field
TBD vs. TBD - Broadcast: MiLB TuneIn app
RMV TOP PERFORMERS
    Brady Schanuel (2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO)
    Nick Kahle (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI)
    Bryan Torres (2-for-4, R, SB)
GTF TOP PERFORMERS
   Harvin Mendoza (2-for-4, R, 2 3B)
   Pauly Milto (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO)
    Bryan Connell (1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, SO)