Tri-City wins Stedler Divison 3-2 over Lowell

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It is never a good feeling to watch a team celebrate on your field. Such was the case on Thursday night for the Lowell Spinners as theTri-City Valley Cats came back from down 2-0 to beat the Spinners 3-2.

The Valley Cats (33-31), would score single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth to capture the game, and the division. They also got great pitching from their starter, Manny Ramirez (three shutout innings with seven strikeouts) and four relievers. The group would combine to punch out 15 Spinners hitters in the game. As Manager Corey Wimberly said afterward, “we expanded the strike zone”.

Lowell’s (34-37) only offense of the night came in the fourth inning against the first of the Valley Cats relief pitchers, Matt Ruppenthal. The inning began with Brandon Howlett reaching on a walk. He would be wild pitched to second, advanced to third on a groundout, and score the game’s first run on a base hit to center field by Nicholas Northcut. 1-0 Spinners.

Spinners drop a heart-breaker but our Right Key Mortgage Key Player of the Game is Alan Marrero!

Marrero was 0-for-1 with three key walks and an RBI

FULL RECAP: https://t.co/q7cilu8UH9 pic.twitter.com/LDIVdBEGiO

— Lowell Spinners (@LowellSpinners) August 31, 2018

The inning continued with Tyler Esplin singling to center field. Xavier LeGrant walks to load the bases. Valley Cats Manager Jason Bell made pitching change bringing in Nivaldo Rodriguez to face Alan Marrero. The move did not pay off as Rodriguez walked Marrero and forced in Northcut with Lowell’s second run of the frame and game. 2-0 Lowell.

Tri-City began their comeback in the sixth inning. Yoan Aybar, trying to make the switch from everyday player to pitcher, came on to face the Valley Cats. He walked the first man he saw, Carlos Machado. Then, he hit Enmanuel Valdez with runners at first and second. Aybar gave up an RBI single to Oscar Campos to cut the lead in half at 2-1.

They tied the game in the seventh facing Logan Browing. Luis Encarnacion, who replaced Andy Pindea who left the at-bat after fouling a ball off his leg, took Browing over the wall in right just inside the foul pole. It was his ninth home run of the season and the game was tied at two.

In the eighth, the Valley Cats finished the comeback. Machado walked, was wild pitched to second and move to third on a fly out to right. He scored the Valley Cats third run on a ground ball to shortstop Korby Batesole who had no play at the plate and threw out Campos at first. 3-2 Valley Cats.

Jacob Billingsley came on in the ninth to record his first save of the season and the celebration was on.

Wimberly said: “Tri-City was the better team and it is never easy to watch a team celebrate on your field”.

Rodriguez gets the win now and is now 4-1, Browning takes the loss and he is 1-1. The two teams will meet for the final time in 2018 on Friday night.