Expos Sweep vs. Cloverdale to stay Perfect on the Young Season

It was a very eventful day at Nanaimo Park as the Vancouver Minor Expos took on a baseball club who have won the last three Bantam AAA provincial titles, the Cloverdale Spurs. At the end of a long day, the Expos swept the doubleheader to stay a perfect 6-0 in league play. Here's a recap of today's action:

Game 1 - Cloverdale 3 EXPOS 4

The Expos were playing their first game in 14 days and were itching to get back into game action, and they wasted no time at the plate jumping out to a 2-0 lead early in this one, courtesy of the first three batters - a leadoff double by Woo, single by Yamamoto, RBI single by Hutchings (and later RBI groundout by Suarez). Howse, usually a reliever was called upon to make a spot start in game one due to absences and injuries on the Expos front; pitching with a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the 2nd inning, Howse on a 2 out 3-2 count and the bases loaded sat down McArdle to strand the bases loaded. The Spurs were in disbelief as they were certain that Howse committed a balk on the crucial 3-2 2 out bases loaded pitch (that resulted in a K); however none of the umpires deemed it a balk and the Cloverdale assistant coach was tossed from across the diamond. This would be a sign that this game was going to be nothing but an emotional roller coaster. In the top of the 3rd, the Spurs fought back from a 3-0 deficit to pull within 1.

In the 5th Hutchings was brought in to relieve Howse with 2 outs to keep the tying run close at first and matchup against a couple left-handed middle of the order bats. A critical mental mistake by the Expos defense with 2 outs in the 5th cost them an out and the Spurs made the 'Bos pay with back-to-back-to-back singles to not only tie the game but to load the bases still with 2 outs; however, Hutchings was able to get Bleha to pop out to end the threat. The Expos all game stranded runners in scoring position hitting an abysmal 3/17 (.176) in the clutch situations, combine that with baserunning and defensive mental mistakes it seemed like this game was just destined to go Cloverdale's way.

We jump all the way to the bottom of the 8th (Expos getting their first taste of extra-inning baseball), the Expos have the bases loaded with 1 out and the winning run just 80 feet away, Cloverdale's veteran pitcher Folick gets a huge strikeout for out #2. Now with 2 outs and Horino at the plate, Horino popped one sky high by third base, many were already walking back to their respective dugouts assuming it'd be caught but the ball dropped! But the umpires were quick to rule that Antiporda had physically contacted the fielder therefore Horino is out on the runner interference, the Expos were shocked and extra innings would continue.

After Horino shut down the Spurs bats in the top of the 9th, the bottom of the 9th saw Baybay with 1 out get walked, after a flyout to make it 2 outs and seeming like the Expos would strand another runner, Baybay decided to be a catalyst, the kid stole 2nd then on the very next pitch after that stole 3rd, Reston who had been so solid behind the dish all day was caught off guard by the steal of 3rd with 2 outs that he overthrew 3rd base which allowed Baybay to advance 80 feet and score the winning run. It was a crazy one folks.

Game 2 - EXPOS 10 Cloverdale 3

This being Cloverdale's 4th game in two days and fresh off a trip to the interior yesterday, it was evident that Bruce Faulkner's squad were running on fumes in the nightcap of the doubleheader. Either way for both teams the back end of the doubleheader definitely didn't have the same energy game 1 had. In his first innings of the 2016 season, Domingo got the start and was spotted with a 1-0 lead before he even threw a pitch. It was evident that he was nervous as he loaded the bases with 1 out but was able to battle through the adversity and escape the inning only allowing a single run and head into the 2nd inning in a tie ballgame. That was big because in the 2nd inning the Expos bats finally came alive as 6 hits in the inning plated 5 runs and with that Domingo settled down and let the Cloverdale hitters put the ball in play, the kid although he wasn't able to pitch the complete game due to pitch count went a strong 6 2/3 with 3 R and 8 Ks, not bad for your first outing of the season. The Expos pitchers had trouble with Cloverdale's leadoff hitter all day, Oliver Lim went a combined 5/6 and was on base 7 out of his 8 plate appearances, and we tip our cap to him.

Offensively, Yamamoto was a standout for the Expos in today's doubleheader as he was a perfect at SS playing a full 14 innings at the position and coverting all his plays; in addition, #31 was 3/6 today, 4 runs scored and a perfect 2/2 with runners in scoring position.

The Expos are off Monday to nurse up some injuries and sore arms but practice Tuesday in anticipation for Wednesday's marquee matchup against Alex Klenman's pre-ranked top seeded Richmond Chuckers. You won't want to miss it, 6pm @ Blundell Field.