Expos Back on the Horse with a 3-1 Weekend; Sunday's Wild and Intense DH in Nanaimo Caps Off a Successful and Emotional Weekend

We've got two recaps for you, the weekend recap (for those who don't want to read everything game by game that happened this weekend) and the per game recap (which lets you know all about what happened this weekend including a wild, wild Sunday in Nanaimo).

WEEKEND RECAP

Vancouver Minor came in to Saturday having lost 5 straight and were determined to right the ship against the hard-throwing White Rock squad at South Surrey Athletic Park. After a disappointing loss in game 1, the Expos put the hurt on their opposition in game 2 pounding out 15 hits (8 extra base hits) emphasized by 2 triples and a home run by Hutchings en route to Vancouver's first mercy victory. Sunday saw the boys in bright baby blue uniforms take their talents to Nanaimo for their first island trip of the year. Game 1 saw a true pitching duel, Hutchings outdueled his counterpart and was spectacular (6.33 IP, 0 ER and 12Ks), offensively a tactical play by Vancouver in the 6th that plated the tying and go-ahead run proved to be the difference as the Expos were victorious over the Pirates score of 3-2. Game 2 had more emotion than any game this year, the ups, the downs, the creative and tactical offensive plays, the poor coaching decisions, the 4 hit performance by Suarez, the shutdown relief by Fukuda and Howse, the calls the non-calls, it was too much for many to take in on a beautiful Mother's Day afternoon at Robins Park; in the end a walk-off RBI infield single by Horino with International Rules in affect was all she wrote as the Expos (and their mothers) were happy campers after a long and strenous weekend. 

PER GAME RECAP

Game 1 - EXPOS 5 WhiteRock 7

The Expos, losers of 5 straight coming into this contest were looking to get off the schneid as they faced off against the hard-throwing White Rock squad. Broatch (White Rock's Manager/Head Coach) and his White Rock ball club before Saturday were tied with Yam's Expos in the standings so both teams knew coming in that a sweep was ideal, but a split was the minimum. Playing the game without their manager due to suspension and A. Inomata performing managerial duties in place of Yam, the visiting ball club jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to smart and aggressive baserunning by the ever so talented and hard-working Matthew Suarez. Ellis got the start in this one and looked dominant in his first couple innings versus the Triton batters; however, in the 3rd innings Ellis left the game with an undisclosed injury and Horino came in for him. Horino picked up where Ellis had left off closing out the 3rd inning leaving it at a 1-0 score; the top of the 4th saw Baybay hit a RBI single with 2 outs to expand the lead to 2 runs. The next two innings (4th and 5th) were rough ones for Vancouver as errors, poor reads on balls to the outfield had White Rock not only take the lead but a 3 run lead at that. Howse came in and did a good job at keeping the deficit no more than 4 heading into top of the 7th, Vancouver's last chance at a comeback. A clutch 2 out RBI single by Hutchings plated 2 runs to cut the deficit to 2, the Expos kept pressing and had the tying run at 1st but Armitage struck out Howse to end to threat and the game. Vancouver now had dropped 6 straight games bringing them down to .500 (winning percentage).

Game 2 - WhiteRock 2 EXPOS 12

Vancouver players and coaches were not pleased with the outcome the previous game as all were in consensus that the game wasn't won by the Tritons but rather lost by the Expos. The pissed off ball club from Vancouver were having none of it in the second game and were all business. Led by the their captain, Hutchings, the Expos pounded out 15 hits (8 extra base hits; 5 doubles, 2 triples and a home run) en route to a 12-2 mercy victory in 6 innings. Suarez, Baybay, Yamamoto all had multi hits in this contest, Antiporda had a much needed 3 hit day and captain Hutchings went 3-4, 2 runs scored, 3 RBIs 2 triples and a 2 strike line drive home run to center, capping off a 4-7 day and just a double shy of the Saturday cycle.

Game 1 - EXPOS 3 Nanaimo 2

Sunday saw Vancouver Minor take their talents to the island for their first ferry trip of the season. The Nanimo Pirates were told to be a scrappy, fiesty team and no doubt Nanaimo lived up to the hype. Game 1 had a true ace-off where Hutchings of Vancouver matched up against Kolopenuk of Nanaimo. Both starters were locked in, Hutchings had a no-hitter through 4 innings and Kolopenuk a no-no through 5 innings. However, the Expos would strike first in the 2nd inning, Domingo worked a 7 pitch walk, stole 2nd, was moved over to 3B by a Baybay groundout and scored on a wild pitch. The score would stay 1-0 until the 5th inning where Nanaimo put up some strong at-bats against Hutchings, with the tying run on 3rd and 2 strikes on the batter, Domingo was called for catcher's interference and the batter was awarded first base. This error proved to be costly as the cleanup hitter took advantage of a hanging slider and drove it deep to CF and off the glove of Betonio. Nanaimo would plate 2 runs to take the lead on the error. It's now the 6th inning, score 2-1 in favour of the hometown Pirates and Expos still looking for their first hit of the ballgame; Antiporda with 1 out knocks Vancouver's first base hit into left field, took 2nd on a wild pitch and stole 3rd off the lefty catcher all in a span of 3 pitches. Suarez worked a walk and now the Expos were threatening with 1 out and runners on the corners. Next batter, Inomata laid down a perfectly executed safety squeeze to score Antiporda from 3rd, after the pitcher threw out Inomata at 1st, Suarez and his heads up baserunning took 3rd base with no one covering, the ball was then thrown over to 3rd with no one covering (the 3rd baseman injured himself on the play) went out of play and Suarez plated the go-ahead run. The Expos had now tied and scored the go-ahead run all off a bunt going into the bottom half of the 6th inning. With Nanaimo threatening now in the 6th, with the tying run 80 feet away and go ahead just 160 feet away from home, Hutchings as he's done all year clutched up and got his revenge on the cleanup hitter, striking him out and ending the threat. The bottom of the 7th saw Hutchings stike out the first 2 batters of the inning bringing his strikeout total to 12 in the game and max pitch count had him hand the ball over to Horino. Horino walked the first batter he faced and for some "odd" reason the batter who Horino walked decided to immediately take off for 2nd base, he was easily tagged out in the rundown. For both squads, it was a wierd and unfortunate way to end a ballgame but a win is a win.

Game 2 - Nanaimo 8 EXPOS 9 (11 innings)

No one could have imagined the second game to have more emotion and entropy than the first game but whoever came to watch on Mother's Day were in for a treat. Game 2 wasn't nothing short of spectacular and nothing close to a pitcher's duel (30 hits between both teams by the end of the game). Vancouver took a quick 3-0 lead after 2 innings, and with Inomata dealing it looked like Vancouver was in line for another win at Robins Park; however, Nanaimo got to Inomata in the 3rd and 4th scoring 3 runs to be down 3-4 heading into the 5th. Yam opted to pull Inomata and go with Domingo and Nanaimo continued to put the ball in play, couple crucial defensive errors, a batter reaching safe on a dropped 3rd strike, and a pitcher-batter matchup that looked good on paper for the Expos but didn't work out gave Nanaimo a 7-4 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Hutchings hit a clutch 2 out double to plate Suarez from 2nd to cut the deficit to 2 runs. Fukuda had a strong relief appearance in the 6th, and reliever Howse turned a big double play (1-2-3) with the bases loaded in the 7th inning and 1 out to keep the deficit at 2 runs, setting things up for the bottom of the 7th inning. The Expos are still down 2 and threatening with runners at 1st and 2nd and 2 out (tying run at 1st base); a 2 out high-risk double steal on the lefty catcher worked out for the Expos as they now had the tying run at 2nd base with Baybay at the plate. Down to their last out, Baybay hit a routine groundball to SS but the shortstop's poor throw to first base allowed both runs to plate, tying it up and sending the game to extras.

Yamamoto lead off the 8th inning with a leadoff double, the next batter after a couple failed bunt attempts struck out, now with 1 out and Antiporda at the plate, Antiporda hit a groundball to SS but the youthful exuberance of Yam (3rd base coach) sent Yamamoto home in anticipation that the SS would throw to 1B but Yamamoto was easily thrown out at the plate as the throw went to home rather than first base. Yam had just thrown out the winning run at the plate.

Top of the 9th saw Howse hit the first batter of the inning and after a successful steal of 2nd, the cleanup hitter ended up burning the Expos once again this time a double that easily plated the go ahead run. Howse would escape the 1st and 3rd, 2 out jam and could only hope the Expos score a run in the bottom half of the inning. Suarez led the inning off with a double, another ill-advised decision by Yam to steal Suarez while moving Hutchings to the right-side of the plate didn't pay off as the lefty catcher threw a strike to 3rd to catch the tying run stealing third base. This didn't faze Hutchings as the captain smacked a double and advanced to 3rd on an error by the CF. Betoinio now up with 1 out, first pitch popped it sky high to the catcher in foul territory but the catcher was unable to hang on to the catch giving Betonio a second chance. Betonio then executed a safety squeeze, laying down a perfect bunt down the 3rd base side, Hutchings just beating a shoveled throw by the thrid baseman home. The game was once again tied! Betonio is now at 3rd base with 2 outs, the pitcher going from full windup, Betonio attempted to straight steal home, but was barely thrown out at the plate ending the inning.

The 10th inning began with International Rules in affect; after a shutdown 10th by Howse the bottom half of the inning saw another baserunning blunder by Vancouver, an ill-advised steal of 3rd by the winning run at 2nd base proved to be very costly as while the runner at 2nd was in motion Howse lined a ball to RF, promptly doubling up the runner at 2nd.

In the 11th inning, Howse again came up huge striking out the 2 batters he faced to end the threat, setting up the wild finish. With Baybay at 2nd base as the runner (given a second chance after his blunder an inning before) more than determined to score the winning run, Yamamoto had a quality at-bat as he moved the runners up 80 feet with a groundout to first. Now 2 outs and Horino at the plate, the kid fouled off a bunt attempt for strike 1, swung through a ball for strike 2; down to his last strike Horino got jammed on a high and inside fastball, the ball snuck under the glove of the pitcher and the SS throw to 1st was a tad late which allowed the winning run (Baybay) to score. The boys from East Vancouver mobbed Horino at 1st base and then 2 minutes after were all in vehicles rushing to make the 19:00 ferry home.

It was a crazy Sunday for all the players, coaches and spectators involved. The Expos will do it all again next weekend as Victoria Red visits Nanaimo Park Saturday and Vancouver heads off to the island on Sunday to face off against Pringle, Ramwell and their Cowichan Valley Mustangs.