Valleycats lose in extras

Incaviglia ejected in 2nd during argument over rule enforcement

When it was over, Tri-city Valleycats third baseman Juan Silverio wasn’t unflappable. He broke his bat over his knee in anger after popping out to first to end Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to the New Jersey Jackals in 10 innings at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

Silverio was wearing a batting helmet with flaps covering both ears, rather than his usual one covering just his left ear, and facing the pitcher. That’s because home plate umpire Tom Swoboda made Silverio, who bats righty, change helmets to stay in compliance with a longstanding Frontier League rule.

“The umpires told me that they got an email from the league that I can’t use my helmet without one ear (flap),” Silverio said in Spanish through translator and teammate Leo Crawford. “I need to use both (or) it’s illegal. I was fine with it. If they say I can’t use it, I’m not going to use it. I’m just trying to do my job.”

While Silverio seemed to take it in stride, Tri-city manager Pete Incaviglia did not. He argued with Swoboda before the bottom of the second inning, got ejected and stayed on the field for several more minutes to speak with Swoboda and the other umpires.

Incaviglia declined to do interviews after the game.

“We’ve never heard about it all year,” said Valleycats bench coach Thomas Incaviglia, Pete’s nephew. “All of a sudden, you’ve got to have both ear flaps. It’s kind of ridiculous in a way. We didn’t know anything about it.”

Jesus Lujano and Denis Phipps have also worn one flap, which Thomas Incaviglia said is a comfort issue.

New Jersey won the game with two runs in the top of the 10th off Valleycats reliever

Adam Hofacket. Starting with a runner on second under extra-inning rules, the Jackals went ahead when George Bell Jr., son of the 1987 American League MVP, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Santiago Chirino’s sacrifice fly to left.

The Jackals added the critical insurance run when Dalton Combs blasted a solo homer to right off Hofacket for a 7-5 lead.

The Valleycats responded with a run in the bottom of the 10th on Juan Santana’s infield single to third, but then Silverio popped out against New Jersey pitcher Jose Ramirez for the final out.

Tri-city’s Pavin Parks, who tied Sunday’s win over Quebec with a two-run single in the seventh inning, came through again in the seventh inning on Tuesday night. He smacked a two-out, two-run single to center off New Jersey reliever Hansel Rodriguez to tie the score at 5-5.

The Valleycats took a 3-1 lead by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Left fielder Jake Goldfarb, making his Tri-city debut, hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie it at 1-1. Then Phipps reached base when New Jersey second baseman

Justin Wylie botched a slow grounder, allowing another run to score. Daniel Angulo followed with an RBI single to right for the 3-1 lead.

It didn’t last long. The Jackals retaliated with four runs in the top of the fifth.

Note: The Valleycats announced prior to the game that first baseman Brad Zunica is in COVID -19 protocols.

Photos by James Franco / Special to the Times Union Valleycats right-hander Eric Ezersky delivers a pitch against the New Jersey Jackals during a Frontier League game at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy on Tuesday night. Ezersky relieved in the fifth inning and allowed no hits but one run and one walk with no strikeouts over two innings pitched.

The umpire made ’Cats third baseman Juan Silverio switch his batting helmet that only had one ear guard for one that had two, which led to the ejection of manager Pete Incaviglia.