WALLA WALLA — The Wenatchee AppleSox controlled Friday night’s opening game of the West Coast League East Division Series for six pitches.
Leadoff man Payden Cawley Lamb tripled on the fifth pitch he saw from Walla Walla Sweets’ starter Ryan Richardson in the top of the first inning, and new No. 2 hitter Ryan Barnes drove him in with a double to left-center on the first pitch of his at-bat.
The rest of the game belonged to Walla Walla, as the Sox were beaten in every aspect in a crushing 9-4 Game 1 loss, forcing Wenatchee into a win-or-go home situation Saturday night in its home yard.
“I said before the game that if we played the game well we’d have a good chance to win,” Wenatchee manager Ed Knaggs told KPQ-AM after the game. “We didn’t play well and they kicked our butts. We have a lot of work to do, and we have to go out and play well for one game.”
After the loss, a game that saw the AppleSox make five errors, Knaggs named Owen Jones as Wenatchee’s starter for Saturday night’s must-win Game 2.
Jones was installed as the team’s closer a week ago to shore up a scuffling bullpen, but Knaggs is now forced to use his best pitcher to extend the season to Sunday and help the Sox avoid missing the WCL Championship Series for the second time in the league’s seven-year existence.
“We couldn’t have our best guy not pitch in the series,” Knaggs said.
The AppleSox’ hoped that Phillips, who momentarily reversed the team’s late regular-season slide with a dominating start against Kelowna on Aug. 4, but left-hander just wasn’t himself on Friday.
“For whatever reason, he wasn’t real sharp,” Knaggs said of Phillips, who allowed five runs (two earned) in four innings.
“He didn’t locate his fastball very well and his changeup was up and over the plate.”
Initially, Phillips was hardly to blame for the four-run third inning that sent the game spinning out of Wenatchee’s control.
Walla Walla led off the frame with three softly hit singles, and loaded the bases on a questionable call.
Denver Chavez laid a bunt down the first base line that the umpire claimed was touched by Wenatchee first baseman Brock Gates in fair territory.
Knaggs argued that Gates didn’t touch the ball, which rolled foul.
“Obviously, that wasn’t a nine-run call, but it was a bad call,” Knaggs said.
After Andrew Mendenhall singled to drive in Walla Walla’s first run, the Sox traded another run for a double play.
With two outs, Walla Walla’s Elliot Stewart that the normally sure-handed Pat Valaika simply booted, and instead of the inning being over, a third run scored.
The Sweets would score once more off Phillips before he could finally escape, but the Sox were a different team after that inning.
“Give credit to them,” Knaggs said of Walla Walla. “They did a good job and got some big hits after that bad stuff happened.
The Sweets tacked on another run in the fourth, and took a 4-1 advantage while starter Ryan Richardson got into a groove.
Richardson, who went 7 2/3 innings and allowed just one hit for a six-inning stretch.
The Sweets blew the game open with three more runs in the sixth, again capitalizing on a defensive meltdown by Wenatchee.
Walla Walla got two singles to begin the rally, and scored a run when Wenatchee reliever Aaron Brooks was slow off the mound covering Scott Gottschling’s bunt, throwing the ball into center field.
The wheels officially fell off on Kalani Brackenridge’s single into center field, which the Sox misplayed into a two-run hit.
“Errors are a part of the game and they happen, but we have to shore that up and be better tomorrow,” said Sox right fielder Ryan Barnes, who hit in the No. 2 spot in the batting order for the first time this summer after Breland Almadova’s early departure.
Wenatchee finally got back on the scoreboard with three runs off Richardson in the top of the eighth, but the comeback window had long been long shut.
“It’s a tough atmosphere to play in, and I’m looking forward to going back home to our place,” Knaggs said. “Hopefully coming home and having Owen Jones on the mound is a good combination toward forcing a deciding Game 3.”
If it’s not, the record-breaking season turned in by this AppleSox club will come to an abrupt conclusion.
Note: The Bend Elks defeated the Corvallis Knights 3-1 in Game 1 of the WCL West Division Series, making the league’s respective division winners each face elimination Saturday.
Brian Adamowsky: 664-7157
adamowsky@wenatcheeworld.com
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