Mike Kaffee
Hurricanes Baseball Reporter
[email protected]
Miami’s one shining moment came in the first inning and it appeared that the Canes were on the right track only to see opportunity upon opportunity get away from us in failing to put the contest away in the final four innings. Alejandro Rosario struggled through four innings joined by the offense continuously failing to provide the key hit, 1-10, with runners in scoring position. That added to poor defensive play throughout equated to Miami dropping game two along with the series and falling to third in the Coastal Division.
One change to the lineup. Edgardo Villegas relacing Ian Farrow.
That one shining moment I mentioned in the opening was by Edgardo driving the ball to right 375′ after CJ Kayfus walked giving Miami an early 2-0 lead. The spark was lit and with a pair of strikeouts to end the inning (Zach,Blake), fizzled out. This was compounded by Alejandro Rosario slipping back to his formal self in giving up three straight hits to open Virginia’s half of the inning getting them quickly back into the game. Still leading by one only to see this go by the wayside on botching two consecutive DPs which should have kept the tying run to score and tied the game at two.
Their answer in the first to our early scoring seemed to take the wind out of our sails going scoreless the next two innings after getting the leadoff batter on, only having the Virginia pitching manage to retire the next three to come to the plate. While unable to take advantage, Virginia hitters continued to drive up the pitch count of Rosario. A lead-off double in the third, which on any given day would have been a routine play for Yoyo, set the wheels in motion to open the door for Virginia to take their first lead. Two batters later an RBI triple to right for the go-ahead run. Virginia would continue to pound away eventually loading the bases before grounding out 5-4 on a great play by Dorian on another bad execution by Yoyo. By the inning’s end, the pitch count is at 54, and it’s looking like Alejandro is pitching on borrowed time.
Miami, not to be denied, retakes the lead back in the 4th getting the leadoff runner to reach safely for the 4th time. Blake Cyr, after being hit to open the 4th makes it to 3rd on a Dominic Pitelli double. Dario Gomez SF to center and Miami ties the score at 3. With Dominic moving to 3rd on the SF, a 4-3 groundout by Dorian gives Miami a one-up lead.
The lead was extremely short-lived in Virginia weighing in on Rosario and Alejandro with nothing in his arsenal to stop them. A single, pair of walks, throw in a WP and in an instance the bases are loaded. Double to right scores two and Virginia once again retake the lead. At 93 pitches, Alejandro has ended with stats so much different from last weekend. Five runs on 8 hits, walking 5, and striking out only 3 compared to 12 last week.
Rafe Schlesinger in relief. Throws 4 straight balls to reload the bases. 4-6-3 DP halts further damage but again for that moment in time Virginia hold a 5-4 lead.
The 6th should have been the breakout for the Canes, but unable to strike when the iron was at its hottest. Three consecutive hits to open the inning (Zack single, Cyr double, Pitelli RBI single). Dario walks to load the bases. The nail that should have been driven with Ian Farrow PH for Dorian is anything but striking out on 4 pitches. A line drive back to third by Carlos, and a routine 4-3 ground out by CJ blew the perfect setup to take a commanding lead. Instead ties the score at five.
For the third time, Virginia had an answer coming in the bottom half of the 6th with a one-out RBI double ending the lead change for the final time.
It was not a well-played game offensively as well as defensively. As Gino stated after the game:“Defensively, we’re not making plays the way we need to make plays. And yet, it’s a one-run game and we have a chance to win the game with one swing of the bat. Unfortunately, we haven’t played too well these two games.”
Offensively, Miami had 10 hits but for the most part unable to put them together with runners in scoring position. For the second straight day we were 1-10 with RISP. 0-3 with bases loaded. Only one player in multiple numbers: Dominic Pitelli 3-4(double,RBI). Doubles: CJ Kayfus, Blake Cyr. One HR coming in the first: Edgardo Villegas (5th of the year).
Utilized 4 pitchers from the BP including Andrew. The question is who will start tomorrow to avoid the sweep? My choice would be Carlos Lequerica. Unless we can start swinging the bats which have for the most part been silent this weekend or tightening up our fielding, it won’t matter who is on the mound. This is not a team that plays well on the road being swept by Wake, losing two to Florida, and now possibly being swept by Virginia. If Miami expects to go anywhere this post-season they have to get rid of this albatross that seems to follow us away from the Light.
Start for Sunday: 1PM
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