TRENTON- What a difference a day, or a game, made for the Thunder. After losing five out of six, and four straight, at ARM & HAMMER Park, Trenton came into Friday's interesting series with the Hartford Yard Goats cold. But as it always is with teams chasing in the standings, one crucial contest can derail any momentum built up over a...
TRENTON- What a difference a day, or a game, made for the Thunder.
After losing five out of six, and four straight, at ARM & HAMMER Park, Trenton came into Friday's interesting series with the Hartford Yard Goats cold. But as it always is with teams chasing in the standings, one crucial contest can derail any momentum built up over a week.
Trenton took care of the Yard Goats 2-0 Friday evening, behind the stellar pithing of Ronald Herrera and J.R. Graham, to give the Thunder a seven game lead in the standings for the final playoff spot, with just 17 games to go for Trenton. If the Thunder go 8-9 over the last two-plus weeks, the Yard Goats would need to go 16-3 just to pull even.
With Hartford playing all of its remaining games on the road, even as the home team in some, as the Yard Goats are this weekend, it looks to be a monumental task. But more so than the next two weeks, the Thunder can really turn the screws over the next two days, especially after the huge win in the series opener.
Thunder on the road, at ARM & HAMMER Park
"It was definitely looking more like us out there (Friday)," Thunder manager Bobby Mitchell said. "Ronald was outstanding. He threw strikes, only one walk. I think that is one of his best outings, considering the circumstances, of the year."
"He had the no-hitter earlier in the year, which is tough to top," Mitchell said. "But he was throwing strikes with all his pitches."
"I think the first game was important, for us," Mitchell said. "Especially since we had lost four in a row. But we played the way we can play. Our defense, that play that Fowler made diving (in the bottom of the third to double off Wilson Soriano) was huge.
"They are most likely going to score there," Mitchell said. "Because that would have been first and third with no outs. It was a hit and run there. But that is how we have been all year. That is more us than we have been playing lately. Wade makes a great play at short. We did a lot of stuff that we haven't been doing the last week, and they rose to the occasion."
Not only does the 2-0 win give the Thunder a larger cushion again, it immediately lifted the spirits of the team, after a tough week.
"It takes away a lot of what we were doing before this," Mitchell said. "Especially when you are playing the team that is behind you."
"Kyle Haynes can throw," Mitchell said, of the Saturday starter. "He is pretty good. From what I saw from him, in Richmond, he was good. But I think it is huge to have (the pitching) we have. We have guys that can stop a bad streak. You don't go into prolonged slumps."
"A lot of guys in or rotation can do that," Mitchell said. "And that is also why you are able to go on winning streaks. It works the other way too."
Bryan Mitchell comes down to Thunder on rehab from Yankees
The Thunder, and Haynes, could not capitalize on their series-opening win Saturday, as they dropped a 3-1 decision to Hartford.
The Yard Goats scored two runs in the second, and a run in the third, all with two outs. Haynes got the first two outs in the second frame, before allowing four straight hits, capped by a Cesar Galvez two-run double. It was another RBI double in the following inning, as Ashley Grater knocked in Rosell Herrera.
It sets up a rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m., where Hartford can climb to within five games if it can get a second straight win, or Trenton can re-open a seven game cushion with just 15 games left with a victory.
Will Carter (0-3, 4.97 ERA) will be on the hill for the Thunder.
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean