Former Major League Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti wrote, nearly 40 years ago, that "the game is designed to break your heart". Over the last two nights, the Tri-City ValleyCats, and their fans, have had their hearts broken.
After losing, 4-3, on Friday, the 'Cats were back at it against the defending Frontier League champion Quebec Capitales on Saturday night. The crowd was smaller than it was on Friday, and Adam Cohen was back in the PA/broadcast booth after Brian Cady filled in on Friday.
Speaking of being filled in, team president Rick Murphy explained the absence of a foam replica head of Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs. The head is "in production" and pending approval from the Mayor's office, hence the use of former Mayor Jerry Jennings this weekend, and, likely, Applyrs' direct predecessor, Kathy Sheehan, until the new head is ready. That solves that mystery.
And it seemed as though, over the first six innings, that the 'Cats had finally figured out how to beat Quebec, which came in having beaten Tri-City in three straight games, dating back to last season's playoffs. Starter Brayden Barreto went the first five innings, and, well, MLB fans can sympathize with this, left with a no-hitter. Reliever Nate Nabholz extended the potential no-no to six innings. Meanwhile, the ValleyCat offense came to life.
In the 5th, with Tri-City already up, 1-0, Dylan Broderick slammed a solo homer to right field that appeared to clear the shrubbery, to make it 2-0. David Glancy was hit by a pitch by Quebec starter Emile Boies, the 2nd time Glancy had been hit in the game, and fans were calling for Boies to be ejected. Didn't happen. Glancy was left stranded.
To the 7th. Nabholz got in trouble right away, as Torin Montgomery singled to end the no-hit bid. He would score on a single by Antonio Valdez. Nabholz committed an error trying to throw out Chavez Young, allowing two runs to score. Kyle Crowl cranked a 3 run homer to put Quebec up, 6-2, heading into the 7th inning stretch.
In the home 7th, with one out, Glancy took Quebec reliever Yukto Nakata deep, getting Tri-City back to within three at 6-3. Ben Smith was shaky in the final two innings, but slammed the door on the Capitales to give Tri-City a chance, again, to win it in the bottom of the 9th.
In that final frame, with one out, Broderick doubled. Glancy brought him home with a single to make it 6-4. Instead of calling on Cooper Morgan, who closed Friday's win, Quebec opted to use Conner Floyd, and at that point, it looked like this move would backfire on the Capitales. Amani Larry came on to pinch hit with 2 outs, and it looked like that it was an instant replay of Friday's finish, as Larry popped to 2nd. However, the ump ruled that Quebec catcher Yuta Hamada had interfered with Larry, and the bases were loaded. But, Brayden Jobert struck out to end the game.
Tri-City has lost four in a row overall, and four in a row to Quebec dating back to last September. They'll try to break both strings today at 5 pm.
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