Razo Strikes Again Out of Pen

Chris Razo is starting to be a good luck charm for the Helena Brewers. For the fourth time in five appearances this season, Razo has come out of the bullpen and the Brewers have rallied with the bats to win.

In Wednesday night's contest, Razo (above) entered the game with Helena trailing 3-2 in the fifth and just on script, the Brewers scored twice in the bottom of the frame to take the lead.

But when Idaho Falls tied the game off Razo in the sixth, it didn't take long for the luck-of-the-Razo to strike again.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Angel Ortega hit a line drive homer to give the Brewers a 5-4 lead. Helena would hold on and win 9-7 and Razo would earn his fourth win of the season.

Although Razo's 4-0 start meant he had to be in the right place at the right time, the righty had to pitch well to earn the victories as he did on Wednesday allowing one run on two hits in two innings.  

But he gave props to his teammates for the help.

"All of the credit has to go to the defense and the offense because most of the time I'm coming in and we are either losing or tied. The offense steps up has a big hit, Angel going deep that was pretty exciting and the defense made some great plays behind me," said Razo

Helena manager Tony Diggs attributed the hot start to timing.

"He's a guy that comes in in crucial situations," said Diggs. "So if he can come in and shut down their offense and we can put up runs especially in a ballgame like that where maybe we are down by a run or a tie ballgame, then you are going to be able to pick up those wins so hats off to him."

But Razo admitted it took a lot of luck to start the season 4-0 out of the bullpen.

"It's exciting," he said with a smile.

Razo wasn't the only star of the night. Just night after the top three hitters in Helena's lineup provided all of the offense, the Brewers spread out the offensive attack to score a season-high nine runs for the third straight game.

With Helena trailing 2-0 in the third, number nine hitter Nathan Orf got things started for the Brewers pulling a double down the line in left scoring Jesse Weiss with Helena's first run of the game.

Weiss would later drive in Helena's ninth run of the game when he walked with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Jalen Harris would also have a huge game from the six spot in the order. With Helena trailing 3-1 in the fourth, Harris ripped a 3-2 pitch into the left-center gap to score Dustin Houle and make it a one run game.

Harris would also come up big in the seventh with the bases loaded as he sliced a two-run single to right to give Helena an 8-4 lead.

He would end the game 2 for 4 with three RBI and it was a special performance for the first baseman as his parents had arrived from Toronto to see their son play for the first time this season.

"It was a good day. It was a good start in front of my parents," said Harris.

The Brewers also got a big hit from the third man in their order as Michael Ratterree gave Helena its first lead of the game in the fifth by pulling a two-out single into left scoring Orf to make it a 4-3 ballgame .

But when Razo gave the run up in the top of the sixth it didn't take long for Ortega to pick up his teammate and put Razo in line for another win.

Ortega hit a 1-2 pitch from Idaho Falls starter Ashton Goudeau that just cleared the fence in left for his first homer of the season. The Brewers would not trail again in the game and it was a big hit for Ortega the defensive wizard.

"We have all been telling him he is a great hitter, all you have to do is just stay back and he hit a nice line drive over the fence, that was a good swing. He wasn't trying to hit a home run he was just trying to get on base like everyone else here and the ball went over and good for him," said Harris.

It was a game in which every batter in the Helena lineup got a hit with the exception of last night's hero Taylor Brennan. Six Brewers had RBI on the night.

"Yesterday one through three drove in all of our runs, today everybody [drove in runs]. That's the team concept," said Diggs. "Some days guys are going to be able to swing the bats some days guys don't, hopefully your teammates pick you up, hopefully you get good pitching and, you get good defense and I think at the end of it if you can get those things you are going to have a pretty good team."

Idaho Falls did make it interesting late as Razo was be replaced by Barrett Astin who allowed three runs, including a two-run homer by Elier Hernandez in the ninth, to make it close. But Andy Hillis came in to get the final two outs of the game and save the fourth win for Razo.