Raptors Bats Shine Bright in Boise
After taking a 9-8 nailbiting loss in the first knockout round of the 2023 regular season, the Raptors were looking to bounce back by winning their first series since the season opener against the Jackalopes. While the team may have had a rough performance in game 1 taking a 9-3 loss, they quickly brushed off their self-inflicted wounds from that night and won the next 2 games on the road to win the short 3-game road series. The scoreboard might make it seem like game 1 was a one-sided affair, however, the Raptors lineup was alive and well all game, tallying 13 hits in total and 4 errors in the field. These errors came back to bite them in the 6th inning as Quinn Waterhouse gave up 5 runs which broke open the game, but not a single one of these runs was earned. If the Raptors want to stay competitive and keep pace with their opponents they will need to clean up their defense and limit the errors in the field. Raptors defenders rank amongst the top of the Pioneer League in errors committed and fielding percentage so this is not usually a contributing factor in losses.
They backed this claim up in game 2 of the series playing a flawless defensive game, on the heels of a brilliant Brock Gilliam start in which he went 6 and ⅓ innings giving up just 1 ER on 5 hits. Behind him, the bullpen was outstanding as they posted 2 and ⅔ innings giving up only one hit, no walks, and earning Dan Kubiuk his team-leading 2nd save on the year. Great performances on the bump, in the field, and at the plate led to the Raptors cruising to a 4-1 win. This was a much-needed performance from the Raptors as it gave them the momentum they needed to stay hot on the road and win the series against the Hawks.
They followed up their 4-1 win with an offensive onslaught to take the third and final game dominantly, winning 12-3, with 3 Raptors sluggers recording multi-RBI games. Making the most of a lengthy 101-pitch outing from Jake Mulholland, the lineup backed him up with 10 runs of support, while he marched his way to giving up just 3 ERs in 7 full innings. Mulholland did give up double-digit hits, with Boise getting 10 of their 11 hits off of him; However, he limited the damage and pitched around jams all game long, which was a large contributor to the Raptors keeping the big lead the lineup had built. When the Raptors get quality starts from their rotation, their odds of winning skyrocket, especially with the lights-out bullpen right in place to plug and play after a given start. With 2 straight wins, the Raptors are looking to keep the fire burning coming back home to Ogden to face the Idaho Falls Chukars for a quick 3-game series; It’s the battle of #22’s on the mound with Ed Baram and Dusty Baird going at it at 6:30 PM tonight.