Dutch and A’s tie game one in Monday night’s doubleheader
AMSTERDAM, NY » As if 2020 couldn’t get any more strange, we have seen more ties in baseball games in the past week than we usually do during an entire season.
The Albany Dutch came back from a three run deficit in the top of the seventh inning in the first game of their double header against the Albany Athletics on Monday night, resulting in a 6-6 tie. The Athletics bounced back in the second game, taking the 3-0 win.
The first game was actually a back-and-forth battle all the way through, with each team scoring a run in the second. The Dutch took a 3-1 lead in the third. The A’s worked their way back and went ahead in a three-run fifth, in a comeback that included home runs from Tim Carroll, Anthony Raimo and Nick Pastore.
“There were some miscues early in the game that led to them getting out to an early lead,” said A’s manager Joe Altieri, whose team had to work past four errors in the first game.
“This is a demanding schedule, playing double headers three days a weeks. Guys have to really focus on being sharp, mentally and physically. We weren’t early in the first game and in the second we made a mistake and they almost got something out of it. We definitely have to clean up the physical and mental mistakes.”
Those mistakes led to the A’s ace and former Tri-City Valleycat (2006), Chris Salamida, throwing
many more pictures than necessary.
In the top of the seventh, the Dutch got through against Salamida, who had thrown the entire first game. Ryan McGee drilled a two run double to deep left center and was driven in by Johnny Decker, all with two outs, to tie the game.
“By the time we got back ahead, all those extra pitches had caught up to him and I probably should have brought in someone else to close it out. His velocity was down a little bit, but you trust guys that have been with you for awhile with telling you how they feel and you roll with it,” Altieri said.
The second game was a pitcher’s dual, but the A’s simply just pitched better. James Rubino, a rising senior at Marist, picked up the win in four innings of work. The game was closed out by 2015 Saint Rose graduate Bryan Carr, who picked up the save.
“We bounced back in the second game and James Rubino stretched had his best outing. He had a really good rhythm and tempo when he got out there. He wasn’t thinking too much. Sometimes he thinks too much as he switches between the windup and stretch and takes a long time to throw each pitch. He was throwing very, very well tonight,” Altieri said.
“Bryan Carr had his second outing of the year and was able to extend to about 45 pitches. He was sharp and really impressed me,”
Three of the four teams that play in the ICBL are descendants of the Perfect
Game Collegiate Baseball League, which cancelled its season. The Albany Athletics hail from the Albany Twilight League, whose season was also cancelled. They joined the ICBL with many current collegiate players, as well as some of their post-graduate players.
“It’s very important for us. When you’re on the field, age is just a number. They all work together, they all look out for each other. What you get when you have postgraduate players, is you have mentors,” Altieri said.
“These guys have mentored the younger players. They take them hitting. They take them to do bullpen sessions. They are constantly giving them tips and take the young guys under their wing immediately. When you have mature players, they know how to handle younger players and that’s one of the biggest parts in the formula to success for our program.”