Santana lives out Pioneer love story

By the time Dennis Santana got the ball for a 7 p.m. MT start Wednesday, the Dodgers right-hander already had a big day on the mound.

Seven hours before Rookie-level Ogden's 6-2 loss to Great Falls, Santana got married on the hill in the first wedding of a Raptors player at Lindquist Field. The happy couple had been planning the ceremony for about two weeks and Santana was on the road with the team during most of that time.

"It was very stressful. Very, very stressful," admitted the new Mrs. Santana, Marisela. "But I was excited, too, very excited to see him."

The 19-year-old hurler played for Los Angeles' Dominican Summer League team as a shortstop in 2013 and converted to pitcher prior to last year's DSL campaign. He went 2-1 with a 1.05 ERA and four saves in 19 relief appearances and one start. The performance was good enough for the Dodgers to bring him to the States for the 2015 season.

Of all the dreams he brought with him, did he ever consider the possibility that he'd meet a woman, fall in love and get married in a midsummer ceremony?

"No," he said through Marisela, acting as an interpreter, "I never imagined that."

The pair met in April, when Santana was working out at the Dodgers' extended spring training facilities in Marisela's native Arizona. Since Santana was assigned to the Pioneer League in June, they've grown accustomed to life as a baseball couple, with the team traveling for up to seven days at a time.

"It's very hard for both of us," Marisela said.

"Very hard," her husband added, saying now that they're married, "it's going to be even harder."

On their wedding day, they also had to spend a little time away from one another for baseball.

"We got to see each other for six hours," Marisela said, "then he left to go play."

Santana allowed four runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and a walk while striking out five over four innings and fell to 0-3 in six starts this year. But he said focus wasn't an issue.

"I know how to make separations between work and my personal life," he said before admitting, "I was very excited."

Marisela, who's long been a baseball fan, was excited, too, and as nervous as she is for most of Santana's starts -- she listens to his road outings on the radio.

"Every time he pitches, I have my headphones on," she said.

While Santana took the loss for the Raptors, Scott De Jong -- who'd homered in three straight games -- went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Voyagers starter Tanner Banks (3-0) allowed three hits and struck out one over six scoreless innings to earn the win.

Jairo Pacheco, who served as Santana's best man, starts for Ogden on Thursday in Game 2 of the three-game series.