TRUMAN BARTMAN ON JULY 14TH THEMAVERICKS.CA

It was a complete role-reversal in yesterday’s game between the Miller Express and the Mavericks.

After the first inning, it looked like it would be smooth sailing for Med Hat as they put up a six-spot. Over the next few innings, the Miller Express found an equalizer and tied the game at 8. 

It was a back-and-forth affair until the very end, when Nate Mensik threw a no-doubter over the center field fence off of Josh Landry, giving the Miller Express a run in the top of the 9th. 

The Millers would go on to build their lead up to 3, putting the Mavericks in a headlock to start the bottom of the 9th.

Keys for Medicine Hat

Well, the Mavericks 5-game-win streak finally came to a halt. It seemed like the Mavericks may have sat back and gotten overconfident. They have owned the Miller Express this season with a 5-2 heading into last night’s game, and they probably jumped the gun a bit. 

The Mavericks’s pitching didn’t have the best day either, with three of their five pitchers giving up three or more runs. Cesar Rodriguez and Adam Golby didn’t pitch over an inning either due to their struggles.

The Mavs bats looked healthy as they drove in 11 runs, continuing their hot streak. You can’t fault the offence for the loss, as they were challenged mightily by the Miller Express because of the number of runs they put together.

Things have changed now for the Mavericks, as they can still lose the season series against the Miller Express if they drop their final two games against them. This is a monstrous game for both teams, and the Mavericks will need to forget their last game mishaps before 2:00 comes around.

Keys for Moose Jaw

The Miller Express finally slayed the dragon with a 14-run, 19-hit offensive explosion that proved too big for the Mavs to keep up with. They were heading into deep waters after blowing another big lead on Friday against Med Hat, but found themselves on the right side of the comeback on Saturday.

Austin Gurney went 4 for 6, which means he has only fallen in 3 plate appearances during this Med Hat road trip. 

Moose Jaw’s pitching was suspect for most of the game until Westin Walls redeemed himself by pitching a scoreless 9th and grabbing the save. 

There may not be any pitchers left for the Miller Express to use today, but the biggest question that remains is: will we see Ace Matt Vasquez this weekend? You would think that if he is available now, that would be the time to use him if you’re the Miller Express.

Bottom Line

The Mavericks home stand officially comes to a close this afternoon, with plenty at stake in what should be the perfect ending to a wild weekend. 

Both of these teams have some animosity towards each other, and it should make for a tension-filled third game.