Raptor's Bullpen Posts 7 Scoreless in 6-5 W

Despite a hot start with the bats, plating 2 runs in the top half of the first, the Raptors found themselves trailing the opposition throughout 7 of the 9 innings in Thursday evening's game. Following a Reese Alexiades 2-run dinger in the top half of the first inning, the Hawks immediately retaliated with 4 runs of their own in the bottom half. The Hawks would tack on another in the next frame, putting the Raptors in an early 5-2 hole. The Raptors starter, Jake Mulholland was only able to work through 2 full innings, so the bullpen had extra weight on their shoulders to keep it competitive for the offense. 

As the game progressed toward the middle innings, the Raptors continued to chip away, scoring 2 in the third courtesy of a Juan Teixeira RBI single and a Reese Alexiades sac-fly, making it just a 1-run game. Meanwhile, from the start of the 3rd inning all the way to the very last out in the 9th, the Raptors bullpen did not allow a single run; They were nothing short of lights out, as Ottesen, McCabe, Shill, and Scoggins combined for 7.0 innings of work, giving up just 3 walks on 6 hits and 0 ER. You could not ask for better production from your bullpen as they provided this Raptors team with the competitive edge they needed to chip away and strip a late lead from this Hawks ballclub. Finally, courtesy of Landen Barns clutch hitting in the 8th, with 2-runners on and 2 out, the Raptors were able to strike for 2 runs and take a 1-run lead. 

When the Raptor's bullpen is on their A-game, they are one of the hardest pens to hit against in the league. They proved that on Thursday night, after going 7.0 full innings pitched without giving up a run; Keeping their lineup calm and competitive throughout the entirety of the game, despite trailing right from the start, and giving them the fighting chance to come back and steal the win.