Ballers Win 12th in a Row, Again
Oakland Improves to 57-16
By Nevada Cullen
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Yes, you read that headline correctly. The Ballers are on their second 12-game win streak of the season after Tuesday's 7-5 victory over the Rocky Mountain Vibes.
Oakland collected 19 hits over the course of the evening, most of them singles. By the time that Tyler Lozano strode to the plate in the fifth, the Ballers trailed 4-2 despite collecting 11 hits (all singles).
With two men aboard, Lozano finally delivered Oakland's first extra-base hit of the ballgame. He lined a two-run double past first base and into right field to tie the contest at four.
Lozano ended the game with four hits, tying his career high. The Stockton native singled twice before doubling in his next two at bats.
When Esai Santos came to the plate with a runner at third and two outs in the top of the seventh, he was the only Oakland starter without a hit on the night. But Santos clutched up, roping a go-ahead, RBI single into right and giving the Ballers a lead they would not relinquish.
In the ninth, Darryl Buggs II swiped second and went to third on an error, tying the Ballers single-season franchise record with his 29th stolen base. Tremayne Cobb Jr. socked a two-strike, two-out pitch up the middle to hand Oakland an insurance run and a 7-5 advantage.
Rocky Mountain greeted Connor Sullivan in the ninth with a pair of singles. However, Sullivan got the next three Vibes to fly out and picked up his 15th save, tops in the Pioneer League.
Zach St. Pierre played the role of long reliever with Luke Short opening in his return from injury. St. Pierre showed out, limiting the Vibes to one unearned run over 5.1 innings to earn his seventh win of the season and franchise-best 14th of his Oakland career.
Four Ballers recorded three or more hits on the night: Cobb, Lozano, Buggs and Cam Bufford. Remarkably, Bufford has collected exactly three hits in three consecutive contests.
First pitch for game two against the Vibes is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PDT Wednesday. As always, you can listen to the action on 860 AM The Answer and on the Oakland Ballers YouTube channel.
