Millers Stifled In Swift Current

The hits were there for the Moose Jaw Miller Express on Saturday in Swift Current, but they went cold with runners in scoring position.

The Millers lost for the second time in three days to the Indians, falling 9-4 during a Western Major Baseball League matinee from Mitchell Field.  Moose Jaw left six runners standing in scoring position in the loss.

“We did get our hits, we got quite a few singles off of (Sean Callegari), but we just couldn’t capitalize and get them around,” said head coach Michael Hunt after his team’s record dropped to 12-8 on the year.

The biggest issue was finding a way to get extra bases out of hits.  Swift Current pitcher Sean Callegari lived in the bottom of the strike zone throughout his 7.1 innings of work and was effective in doing it.  He held Moose Jaw to just eight singles during his start.

“He’s a tough pitcher, he keeps the ball down, which means its tough to elevate for extra bases,” said Hunt.  

Moose Jaw struggled with runners in scoring position, stranding the bases loaded in the third and leaving two on in the sixth after scoring one in the frame.  

“It is not easy to take,” said Hunt on the team’s struggles with runners on.  “It’s something that we’ve discussed extensively with our team.”

Callegari had plenty of cushion to work with early in the game as the Indians offence had their way with Moose Jaw starting pitcher Rusty Edwards, who gave up six runs on eight hits in just three innings.  Edwards is now 0-3 on the year with a 15.75 ERA in three starts.  He's given up just four walks in 12 innings however.

It was the second straight start that Edwards has struggled in and Hunt says teams are just squaring him up right now.

“He’s throwing strikes, but trying to compete early (in at-bats) and not get behind 1-0 and 2-0 is something that we still have to work,” said Hunt.  “He’ll get better at it.”

A two-run home run by Eros Modena opened the scoring for Swift Current in the first inning.  They added four runs in the third thanks to four straight base hits.  Nine hitters would come to the plate in the inning to end Edwards’ night.

Josh Janzen was stellar in relief for Moose Jaw, pitching four scoreless innings before giving up three in the eighth, including a solo home run from Liam Goodall.  

Despite Janzen giving the Millers a chance to come back, the offence couldn’t capitalize, stranding two in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Austin Russell was the lone bright spot offensively, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored.  Danny Lokesak was 2-for-4 with two RBI, both coming on a two-out single in the eighth.

The loss was the second straight for Moose Jaw to their Central Division rivals in the matter of three days.  It’s allowed Swift Current to cut the gap to 1.5 games in the division.

“It gives us a little bit of a downward slide for those division games,” said Hunt.  “It wasn’t the result we were expecting.”

Moose Jaw now heads out on the road for four games, they start with a doubleheader on Canada Day in Lethbridge and then head to Okotoks for games on Wednesday and Thursday.

“It will allow us to put the finishing on a few things, we’ve gelled early as a team, but hotel and bus trips take on a little bit of a special meaning,” said Hunt on what they can gain from their first extended road trip.

He added that it will be a good test for the team, going against some tough competition from the West Division.

“It’s a good test for who we are,” he said.  “These are six games, including the Medicine Hat games when we get back, they’re six games against really tough teams, so we’re going to see exactly who we are after this trip.”