Oliver’s adjustment pays off with 2 HRs

Caballero pitches well as Lake Erie takes series from Bums

Two small adjustments led to a big win.

Connor Oliver’s adjustment resulted in a pair of home runs and three RBI, while Juan Caballero threw seven strong innings

as Lake Erie knocked off Traverse City, 7-1, in front of 1,706 at Sprenger Stadium on June 24.

The win clinches the series win for Lake Erie (16-22), which is its first since a June 9-11 series against Gateway.

“(Juan) and (pitching coach) Michael (Nannini) made a couple of adjustments frontsidewise … the difference from his last two starts to this start is night and day,” Lake Erie manager Cameron Roth said. “Hats off to Connor. That is an excellent adjustment … we were here in the cage at 12:30 in the morning figuring things out. That’s all him (Oliver). Two great adjustments within a 48-hour time span is what it takes to win ball games.”

The Crushers got some early offense, scoring three times in the first inning against Traverse City starter Kramer Champlin.

Jordan Dean singled home L.J. Kalawaia, who hit a groundrule double. Dean scored on Austin O’Brien’s single, while Brandon Murray scored on a throwing error by Beach Bums catcher Kendall Patrick.

The three runs allowed Caballero to relax and get into a groove early.

Using his fastball to set up his breaking pitches, Caballero allowed just two hits in his seven innings. He struck out six, while the defense was almost flawless behind him. The quality start al-

lowed Caballero to pick up his first win since the final game of the 2016 season.

‘My last outing wasn’t that good so, I was working in the bullpen,” Caballero said. “Commanding my fastball was the key.

“After my last outing, I wanted to pitch again. I felt I needed to do a good job. But I had it (June 24), so I want to keep it going.”

While Caballero was doing his job on the mound, Oliver gave him a little more breathing room in the fourth inning with a solo blast over the right-centerfield fence.

In the eighth inning, Oliver drilled his second home run of the game — a tworun shot — to put Lake Erie up, 6-0.

Though Oliver was struggling, he knew he had

to keep working with the results eventually coming. The home runs were a validation of his hard work.

“I had to make some adjustments with my load because I was diving too much to the ball,” Oliver said.

“It’s been a struggle for the past 60 at-bats, but I am glad. I have been hitting in the cage late every night, so it paid off.

“I just had to grind through it … if I’m in the

lineup; I’m going to play my (butt) off.”

Though the win was satisfying, Roth knows that with the looming All-Star break the Crushers need to start making a move.

“I think today we had the perfect mix,” Roth said. “You know that you are locked in when you are doing the little things.

“We have had (38) games and we know we have to get down to brass tacks. We know it’s time to go.”