With the way the starting pitching was going in the Western Canadian Baseball League contest between the Moose Jaw Miller Express and Medicine Hat Mavericks on Friday night, it seemed inevitable that the game would turn into a battle of the bullpens.
And it would be a battle the Mavericks would win.
Medicine Hat scored three runs in the sixth inning and rode four innings of shutout pitching from their relievers to take a 6-3 victory in front of just over 500 fans at Ross Wells Park.
Moose Jaw fell to 13-8 with the loss, but remain 2 ½ games up on Medicine Hat and the Regina Red Sox for first place in the East Division.
Both Miller Express starter Brayan Villar and Mavericks starter Adam Golby had things going early on Friday and would end up with a couple of solid showings on the mound.
Villar would go five innings and allow three runs on four hits while striking out three, while Golby allowed two runs on six hits and struck out four.
The bullpens went to work from there, and the Mavericks were able to get something going right away off reliever Kaleb Waller. All told, they’d rack up three runs on four hits, with a two-run double off the bat of Andrew Savage doing most of the damage.
Gabe Soto took over for Moose Jaw from there and was lights out, holding Medicine Hat to a single hit over the final three innings.
On the other side of the diamond, the Mavericks were all but untouchable. Kyle Calzadiaz went three innings and scattered four hits before Matthew Krall finished things off with a 1-2-3 ninth.
It was all a far cry from how things had gone for Moose Jaw in their previous three outings, where they had put up 41 runs over a three-game win streak.
Dougie DelaCruz led the offence with a 3-for-5 night that included a run scored, while Julio Acosta was 2-for-4 and scored a run. Dawson Tweet was 2-for-2 with two walks, keeping his WCBL leading average at an even .500.
The two teams are right back at it on Saturday night in Medicine Hat, kicking off a three-game series between the two teams at Athletic Park. Next home action is Tuesday, June 27 when they host Fort McMurray. Game time is 7 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
