MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw Miller Express will need a three-game winning streak and plenty of help if they’re to make a last-second move in the standings during the long weekend.
Thanks to a 5-4 loss to Saskatoon and an 8-3 win over Weyburn in their most recent games Thursday and Friday, the Express are now 26-27 on the campaign and remain three games back of the Berries for third place in the Western Canadian Baseball League’s East Division.
With three games remaining in the regular season, that means Moose Jaw will need wins over Weyburn (Saturday) and Swift Current (Sunday) at home before wrapping things up in what could be a crucial game against the Berries on Monday afternoon.
Saskatoon has a tougher schedule, with back-to-back games in Medicine Hat against the second-place Mavericks this weekend before hosting the Express.
The tiebreaker could be up in the air, too -- Saskatoon holds a 4-3 season lead heading into the final meeting of the two teams on Monday, meaning a Moose Jaw win would tie the season series 4-4.
However things play out, the fourth place team in the East will face the Regina Red Sox in the first round of the best-of-three playoffs on Wednesday night, and the third place team will be in Medicine Hat to kick off the postseason.
Saskatoon 5, Moose Jaw 4
The Miller Express carried a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning but couldn’t prevent a Berries comeback, with Saskatoon picking up a pair in the sixth to tie the game and then getting the winning run in the eighth.
Grant Sommers was the hero for the Berries, hitting a lead-off solo home run off Express reliever Jacob Quiles to give Saskatoon their first lead of the game. It was a tough turn of events for Quiles, who gave up that single run while scattering four hits over the final 2 ⅔ innings.
Adam Christopher got the start for Moose Jaw and had a solid outing of his own with a quality start, giving up two runs on six hits and striking out five over six innings of work. Ethan Merk took over in the seventh but was replaced by Quiles after allowing two runs on three hits and getting a single out.
Jackson Downing started for the Berries and allowed three runs on two hits over three innings, but four relievers would mostly shut down the Express -- Cory Wouters, winning pitcher Adam Beamin, Reese Brons and Tyler Davis held Moose Jaw to a single run on six hits the rest of the way.
At the plate, Austin Gurney got back on the power train for the Express, hitting a three-run home run in the first inning for his 10th round-tripper of the campaign. Thomas Soto was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs, while Robert Estrada was also 2-for-3 and scored a run.
Sommers capped his night with a 3-for-4 showing that included a pair of runs and two RBI.
Moose Jaw 8, Weyburn 3
A five-run fourth inning proved to be the difference 24 hours later against the Beavers as the Express kept their chase for third place alive.
Elijah Bear got the big inning started with a solo home run before Bobby Pokorney added a two-run double and Gurney a run-scoring double to give Moose Jaw a 6-1 lead at the time.
Owen Robbins added a solo home run in the first and Joe Osborn hit a two-run shot in the seventh as the Express did most of their damage with the long ball.
Westin Walls continued his solid season since arriving in Moose Jaw with another quality start, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits while striking out seven over six innings of work.
The Express bullpen got the job done from there, as Julian Gonzalez, Nathan Yunick, Jafari Williams and Jacob Castaneda held Weyburn to a single run over the final three innings.
Jared Eifler got the start for the Beavers and allowed six runs on seven hits before being replaced in the fifth; Tanner Coddington gave up a pair of runs on three hits over the next three innings and River Smith tossed the eighth.
The Express are back on the field against Weyburn on Saturday night, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.
