Lefties fall in extra innings
PORT ANGELES — A leadoff walk, an error and a couple of extra-inning singles chased Port Angeles reliever John Vaara from the contest as the Lefties fell 6-3 against the West Coast League competitor Kelowna Falcons at Civic Field on Tuesday night.
Port Angeles reached extra innings thanks to back-to-back doubles by Taylor Kirk and Tommy Markey to knot the game up at 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth.
Kelowna had gained the late advantage in their half of the eighth when Falcons first baseman Jimmy Dionne connected on a two-run home run.
Vaara came on to open the 10th inning, allowing a leadoff walk and having the next batter reach via error. Eventually, with runners at the corners and one out, Uriah Walters poked a single into right field to go up 5-3.
New pitcher Francisco Lopez came on and catcher Will White’s attempt to throw out Walters at second base went awry but was backed up by shortstop Jett Nelson. Nelson promptly threw to home plate and White applied a solid tag for the inning’s second out.
Nelson has appeared in eight games for Port Angeles and is hitting .321 so far.
Unfortunately for the home team, Lopez balked to move Walters to third and a Devin Porch double brought home the final run.
Nelson singled his way aboard in the bottom of the 10th but was stranded by strikeouts by Kirk and Markey.
The Lefties (2-11) wrap their short homestand tonight at 6:35 p.m. and will visit Nanaimo for a three-game weekend set.
Facing one of the best pitchers in baseball, the Seattle Mariners followed up a Tuesday night breakout with a Wednesday afternoon dud, as the Mariners simply didn’t get the hits they needed at the moments they needed them most.
After tagging standout Boston lefty Garrett Crochet for four earned runs on five hits and five walks the last time they faced him at Fenway Park on April 24, the Mariners couldn’t pull off a repeat performance on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park.
They did manage six hits against the All-Star lefty, but Crochet allowed just one run and zero walks this time around, while striking out eight batters. The Mariners also left five runners on base while going 0-for- 5 with runners in scoring position in a 3-1 loss that sent the Red Sox out of town with a series victory.
It was a frustrating end to a roller-coaster series for the Mariners, who were shut out in a 2-0 loss on Monday before erupting for eight runs Tuesday night.
Crochet struck out the first two Mariners hitters of the game before Cal Raleigh, hitting in the DH spot on Tuesday, lined a double to left field.
Marcelo Mayer gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead with a leadoff solo homer in the second inning off Mariners starter Luis Castillo, but the Mariners tied it in the bottom half when Randy Arozarena led off with a double, took third on a Mitch Garver flyout, and scored on a wild pitch from Crochet to tie the game at 1-1.
Two innings later, Trevor Story put the Red Sox back in front, 3-1, with a two-run blast that came when Castillo walked Mayer after being ahead in the count, 1-2.
Castillo pitched well outside of those two mistakes, and exited the game after six innings, having allowed three hits over six innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. Unfortunately for the veteran right-hander, Mayer sent the first of those hits 379 feet into the right field seats, while Story hit the second 402 feet to left-center field.
Castillo has allowed three earned runs or fewer in five of his past six starts.
Garrett Whitlock pitched a perfect seventh after coming on in relief for Crochet, who has allowed more than two earned runs in just two of his 15 starts this season. Hard-throwing veteran lefty Aroldis Chapman pitched the eighth inning for Boston, and Greg Weissert pitched the ninth inning for his third save of the season.
For Boston, it was manager Alex Cora’s 560th career win, tying him for 3rd all-time in Red Sox franchise history with Pinky Higgins.
The Mariners bullpen retired all nine hitters it faced, as Carlos Vargas pitched a scoreless seventh inning, lefty Gabe Speier pitched a perfect eighth and Eduard Bazardo retired the Red Sox in order in the ninth.
The Mariners are off Thursday before beginning a three-game series with the Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field.
