Braves complete wild comeback win in extras
♦ After surrendering the lead in the ninth to force extras and allowing three more in the 10th, Rome rallies for four to cap thrilling victory
The average baseball fan might go to hundreds or thousands of games in his or her lifetime, but they may never see an ending as wild as the one in the Rome Braves 6-5 win over Asheville on Wednesday night in 10 innings.
Rome (43-34, 7-4 in second half) led the Tourists 2-0 going to the top of the ninth in front of the home crowd at Adventhealth Stadium when the game was delayed for 48 minutes due to lightning. After they resumed play, Asheville (31-44) quickly got down to what looked to be its final out, but three straight hits, including a two-rbi single by Cristian Gonzalez tied the game at 2-2.
In the bottom of the ninth the Braves appeared poised to walk it off after loading the bases with no outs, but Asheville reliever Danny Cody proceeded to get a ground ball to short which was thrown home for a fielder’s choice to get the lead runner, a strikeout and a fly-out to erase Rome’s prime chance to bring across the winning run.
The momentum carried over into the 10th as the Tourists cranked out three runs on two big hits, including an Rbi-single from Jose Alvarez and a two-run double by Quincy Hamilton, to take a 5-2 lead.
It looked like a win was going to be snatched away from the Braves, but they had the last laugh as they put together a huge rally of their own as Jacob Pearson scored on an error, Vaughn Grissom came across on a wild pitch, Drew Campbell knocked home Justyn-henry Malloy with a triple and Javier Valdes ended the game with an Rbi-single up the middle to bring home Campbell and start a massive celebration.
“That is an amazing game and an amazing ending right there,” said Rome manager Kanekoa Texeira. “Our kids just kept grinding out there even when it didn’t look like things were going to go our way in the ninth and 10th. It started with a great at-bat from (Vaughn) Grissom where he was able to make some contact for a single to start the inning, the boys felt the energy and we got some big hits to score those four runs.
“That’s the kind of team we have. We never feel like we’re out of a game. The guys just find ways to come up with clutch hits. It shows our guys’ toughness to battle in the 10th like we did especially after not being able to score with the bases loaded and no outs in the ninth.”
Wednesday’s game started with a good bottom half of the first inning for the Rome offense as they immediately gave starter Andrew Hoffman a 2-0 lead thanks to Rbi-singles in the frame from Malloy and Campbell.
After that there wasn’t much offense for either team as each team’s pitching shut down the opposing lineup, including Hoffman going six scoreless innings and allowing just two hits while striking out eight and walking two.
“(Hoffman) was overpowering once again tonight,” said Texeira. “He brings his ‘A’ game every time out. It’s fun seeing him out there on the mound. He’s in a really good spot right now with the way he’s pitching. It’s tough him not getting the win tonight after the way he pitched.”
RJ Freure and Ben Dum followed Hoffman as they each tossed a scoreless inning of relief apiece with neither allowing a hit. Freure struck out one, and Dum struck out two and walked one as they picked up their fifth and third holds of the season, respectively.
Dylan Spain had a tough ninth after originally coming on to warm up before the game was delayed and then coming back out on the mound as Asheville came up with their two-out rally to tie the game. Spain was given a blown save as he pitched one inning and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out one.
Lisandro Santos got the ball in the 10th for Rome and gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits while striking out one and walking one but earned the win to move to 2-4 on the season after his teammates picked him up with the wild game-winning rally in the bottom half of the inning.
Campbell led the Braves’ lineup with a 3-for-5 night, including a triple, to go with two RBIS. Valdes added two hits, including a double to go with his game-winning RBI, Malloy was 1-for-3 with an RBI, two runs scored and two walks drawn and Pearson also had two hits, two stolen bases and scored a run. Grissom contributed one hit, a stolen base and scored two runs, and Bryson Horne also had a double in the win.
Gonzalez was the lone Asheville player with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-3 with two RBIS. Hamilton added a double and two RBIS, Zach Daniels also had a double and scored a run and Alvarez contributed a hit, an RBI and a run scored.
Cody took the loss for the Tourists to fall to 2-3 on the season after pitching 1 1/3 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits while striking out two and walking two. Asheville starter Heitor Tokar lasted only two innings and gave up two runs on two hits while walking two, and Hunter Peck and Cesar Gomez followed in relief with three scoreless innings apiece.
The comeback win also marked a milestone for Texeira as it was his 100th as a manager. He said he didn’t really know until it was announced after the game, and it’s just an honor to get to do what he does with the team he leads on the field every day.
“Every day is just another game to me that we’re trying to win,” said Texeira. “100 is great, but I’m just trying to manage each day and trying to put us in the best position to win. If I keep doing that, maybe one day I will look back one day and have a lot of wins.”