Railey's RBI-Double Hands O's Victory
MISSOULA, MONT. - Matt Railey picked an ideal time to collect his first hit of the 2015 season, lacing a two-out RBI-double into the left-centerfield gap in the eighth inning to bring home pinch-runner Matt McPhearson and hand the Missoula Osprey (32-21) a 6-5 victory over the Grand Junction Rockies (24-30) from Ogren Park Allegiance Field on Sunday. With the victory, Missoula took six of the seven regular-season games against the Rockies.
Tied at five, Missoula mounted a two-out rally off of reliever Lorenz Ozuna in the bottom of the eighth. The right-hander struck out the first two hitters in the inning, but issued a walk to Tyler Humphreys to extend the frame. Missoula elected to pinch-run with McPhearson, as the speedster swiped his 16th base of the season to get into scoring position. Railey followed with the eventual game-winner on the ensuing play, as McPhearson easily scored from second base.
The Osprey got off to a great start in the victory, scoring five runs on four hits, including two homers, in the third. Mike Abreu, who finished 2-for-3 out of the ninth spot in the order, reached on a bunt single before Isan Diaz belted his seventh homer of the year over the wall in right field to get the O's on the board. A two-out single and a walk restarted the inning, setting the table for Jason Morozowski's fourth homer of the year, a three-run shot, to extend the lead to 5-0. Morozowski has now homered in three of his last four games.
While the O's stayed quiet into the eighth, Grand Junction got to work offensively in the middle innings, scoring once in the fourth, three in the fifth and once in the sixth to tie the game at 5-5. The big swing in the five-run string came in the fifth as Mylz Jones delivered his first career home run, a three-run homer, out to left-centerfield to make it a one-run game. With Scott Schultz on the mound in the sixth, Grand Junction drew all the way back even when Chris Rabago doubled with two out and came in one pitch later on a double from Cole Anderson.
Keegan Long ultimately earned the victory and improved to 2-0 on the year after tossing a 1-2-3 eighth inning with two strikeouts, while Dan Savas was credited with his 12th save by way of a scoreless ninth.
Ozuna, who allowed the winning run in the eighth, was charged with the loss and fell to 2-1 after surrendering a run on one hit with three strikeouts over 2.0 innings of work.
Missoula will continue the seven-game home stand tomorrow when it opens a four-game series with Orem at 7:05 pm MT.
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