Raptors Look to Rebound After 2 Straight Losses

Following up their clutch performance in game 3, the Raptors looked to fuel their momentum through games 4 and 5 of the series, but despite a stark effort on both sides of the ball, they came up short in back-to-back games. On Friday night, it was a pitcher's duel between the Hawks and Raptors, and the Raptors came up just 1-run short in the final inning of play. Despite a valiant comeback attempt in the top half of the 9th led by the batting order reeling in 11 hits, they could not take the lead because of the sheer amount of runners LOB and SOs (21 combined total) that the lineup had throughout the game. While the Raptors were just a few swings away from taking the win, their lack of situational hitting and inability to put the ball in play cost them the game in this one. 

In game 5 of the series, right out of the gate, the Raptors found themselves playing from behind after Chase Stratton got tagged for 4 runs in his first two innings of work. The lineup may have been mashing and the pitching nasty, with each totaling 14 on the hit/strikeout tally, however, the team cannot expect to keep winning games that they immediately fall behind in. While the 2023 Raptors lineup has been no stranger to flipping the scoreboard with 6-run frames and explosive production at the plate, you simply can’t consistently win the ballgames that you are trailing in; It is not a recipe for success. Regardless of the back-to-back losses, the Raptors displayed encouraging signs on both sides of the ball during these 2 games, with the pitching and lineup showing elite production at certain points. Nonetheless, it did not amount to success for the club because they were playing catch up with the Hawks in 15 out of the 18 innings played between these 2 games. You can’t have a winning record when you don’t have the lead. The Ogden Raptors look to split the series at 3 games a piece tomorrow afternoon in game 6 of this series on the road.