McDonald, Davis go deep as JetHawks down Mavs again
Aug. 7, 2015
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — A visibly frustrated Chase McDonald had to bite his tongue Friday night after striking out during his first at-bat on a pitch he felt was a ball and that left two JetHawks on base.
During his next time at the plate during the third inning, the first baseman took his disappointment out on a baseball he sent all the way onto Avenue I beyond The Hangar’s left-field wall, the first homer of the night during the JetHawks’ 8-5 win over High Desert.
“It felt pretty good, getting things back on track, “ said McDonald, who two nights before had suffered a first-inning ejection after disagreeing on a strikeout. “Our team is back on track right now.”
This coming just two nights after the JetHawks, who have won consecutive games for the first time since July 26-27, seemed to have hit rock bottom.
But with McDonald driving his 20th homer of the year, J.D. Davis joining him with No. 20 himself, and Akeem Bostick and Albert Minnis combining to pitch solid, clutch baseball, the JetHawks (19-22, 56-55) all of a sudden have momentum after winning the first two games of a four-game set against High Desert (21-17, 58-50).
“This is a game that goes like the ocean, it goes back and forth,” JetHawks manager Omar Lopez said.
After losing two of three games to lowly Bakersfield earlier this week, the JetHawks were 1-6 over their past seven games. Following back-to-back wins over the Cal League South-leading Mavericks, the JetHawks are 3-1 over their last four and within 3.5 games of the standings' leader.
Davis’ two-run homer in the fourth inning was his fourth consecutive game with a dinger and gave the JetHawks, who prior to the game inducted infield coach Ramon Vasquez along with Houston ace Dallas Keuchel and former Oriole Doug DeCinces into the Hall of Fame, a 6-2 lead.
“J.D. right now he’s doing what we call clutch hitting when we need it,” Lopez said. “And he’s been very big the last four games.”
Bostick mostly cruised through seven innings. That included a five-pitch 1-2-3 fifth. With his pitch count at 86 and the JetHawks up 7-3, the right-hander came out for the eighth, vying to top Edison Frias for the longest start in a game by a JetHawk this season.
Bostick needed one out to tie Frias, but the first two Mavs singled and Royce Bolinger doubled in a run off the center-field wall to bring High Desert within 7-4 and chase Bostick in favor of left-hander Albert Minnis.
“I felt really good, a lot better than last time,” said Bostick, whose last outing at High Desert last Sunday saw him exit after 1.2 innings after giving up 9 runs (6 earned). “I executed my pitches for the most part and that’s what got me through it.”
With men at second and third, Minnis gave up a run-scoring single to Ronald Guzman before retiring the next three Mavericks in order. Minnis also recorded the final three outs in the ninth for the save.
“Bostick threw absolutely amazing all the way into the eighth inning, so as a bullpen you want to pick him up,” Minnis said.
Bostick (3-4) went seven innings, giving up five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out seven. Minnis pitched the final two frames and gave up two hits and no runs.
After the Mavs went up 1-0 in the top of the first on a sac fly by Bolinger, the JetHawks struck back in the bottom part of the frame with a two-run bloop single to right field by Ronnie Mitchell. The JetHawks wouldn’t trail again.
James Ramsay, who upped his hitting streak to 14 games, had an RBI single in the second inning before McDonald went deep in the third. Mott Hyde, who went 3-for-4, added an RBI single in the fifth.
By then, Mavs starter Richelson Pena had departed. The righty gave up six runs on 11 hits and a walk in four innings.
In need of some insurance in the bottom of the eighth, Alex Bregman joined the home run party by line-driving his first shot as a JetHawk beyond center field to give Lancaster an 8-5 lead.
The recently called-up shortstop is now only 19 homers behind McDonald and Davis, who are in a healthy competition for the top spot for home runs.
“(McDonald) said, ‘You can’t let me have the lead for one day?’” a smiling Davis said. “But no, he’s doing really good.”
With Davis also doing quite well himself, it only spells bad news for the Mavericks.
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — A visibly frustrated Chase McDonald had to bite his tongue Friday night after striking out during his first at-bat on a pitch he felt was a ball and that left two JetHawks on base.
During his next time at the plate during the third inning, the first baseman took his disappointment out on a baseball he sent all the way onto Avenue I beyond The Hangar’s left-field wall, the first homer of the night during the JetHawks’ 8-5 win over High Desert.
“It felt pretty good, getting things back on track, “ said McDonald, who two nights before had suffered a first-inning ejection after disagreeing on a strikeout. “Our team is back on track right now.”
This coming just two nights after the JetHawks, who have won consecutive games for the first time since July 26-27, seemed to have hit rock bottom.
But with McDonald driving his 20th homer of the year, J.D. Davis joining him with No. 20 himself, and Akeem Bostick and Albert Minnis combining to pitch solid, clutch baseball, the JetHawks (19-22, 56-55) all of a sudden have momentum after winning the first two games of a four-game set against High Desert (21-17, 58-50).
“This is a game that goes like the ocean, it goes back and forth,” JetHawks manager Omar Lopez said.
After losing two of three games to lowly Bakersfield earlier this week, the JetHawks were 1-6 over their past seven games. Following back-to-back wins over the Cal League South-leading Mavericks, the JetHawks are 3-1 over their last four and within 3.5 games of the standings' leader.
Davis’ two-run homer in the fourth inning was his fourth consecutive game with a dinger and gave the JetHawks, who prior to the game inducted infield coach Ramon Vasquez along with Houston ace Dallas Keuchel and former Oriole Doug DeCinces into the Hall of Fame, a 6-2 lead.
“J.D. right now he’s doing what we call clutch hitting when we need it,” Lopez said. “And he’s been very big the last four games.”
Bostick mostly cruised through seven innings. That included a five-pitch 1-2-3 fifth. With his pitch count at 86 and the JetHawks up 7-3, the right-hander came out for the eighth, vying to top Edison Frias for the longest start in a game by a JetHawk this season.
Bostick needed one out to tie Frias, but the first two Mavs singled and Royce Bolinger doubled in a run off the center-field wall to bring High Desert within 7-4 and chase Bostick in favor of left-hander Albert Minnis.
“I felt really good, a lot better than last time,” said Bostick, whose last outing at High Desert last Sunday saw him exit after 1.2 innings after giving up 9 runs (6 earned). “I executed my pitches for the most part and that’s what got me through it.”
With men at second and third, Minnis gave up a run-scoring single to Ronald Guzman before retiring the next three Mavericks in order. Minnis also recorded the final three outs in the ninth for the save.
“Bostick threw absolutely amazing all the way into the eighth inning, so as a bullpen you want to pick him up,” Minnis said.
Bostick (3-4) went seven innings, giving up five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out seven. Minnis pitched the final two frames and gave up two hits and no runs.
After the Mavs went up 1-0 in the top of the first on a sac fly by Bolinger, the JetHawks struck back in the bottom part of the frame with a two-run bloop single to right field by Ronnie Mitchell. The JetHawks wouldn’t trail again.
James Ramsay, who upped his hitting streak to 14 games, had an RBI single in the second inning before McDonald went deep in the third. Mott Hyde, who went 3-for-4, added an RBI single in the fifth.
By then, Mavs starter Richelson Pena had departed. The righty gave up six runs on 11 hits and a walk in four innings.
In need of some insurance in the bottom of the eighth, Alex Bregman joined the home run party by line-driving his first shot as a JetHawk beyond center field to give Lancaster an 8-5 lead.
The recently called-up shortstop is now only 19 homers behind McDonald and Davis, who are in a healthy competition for the top spot for home runs.
“(McDonald) said, ‘You can’t let me have the lead for one day?’” a smiling Davis said. “But no, he’s doing really good.”
With Davis also doing quite well himself, it only spells bad news for the Mavericks.