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San Rafael Pacifics 5 Sonoma Stompers 3
This game was played on 9/1/2019 at Arnold Field in Sonomahttps://www.facebook.com/SanRafaelPacifics/posts/2344641012280235?__tn__=K-RSAN RAFAEL � SONOMA, DECIDING GAME OF 2019 CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
9/1/19
By Carter Cromwell
Clearly, the San Rafael Pacifics have discovered a winning formula � finish second in the regular season, seven games behind Sonoma, then march through the playoffs and defeat the Stompers in the finals to capture the Pacific Association championship.
Theyve now done it twice in a row.
Sunday night in Sonoma, the Pacifics completed another post-season run by edging the Stompers 5-3 in the last game of a best-of-three finals series and win their fifth league title since 2012. The victory featured some timely hitting, a solid start on short rest by Ridge Ackerman, a stellar middle-relief job by Brock Knoten and a nine-out save by Jailen Peguero � the only remaining pitcher from the opening-day roster.
"What a win, said Manager Oscar Suarez, for whom the victory represented a one-day-late birthday present. "Im really happy for the guys, who really came together as a team over the last part of the season."Suarez, who watched a ninth-inning rally fall just short in Saturdays second game of the series, felt confident from the beginning Sunday, even though the Pacifics were playing on the Stompers home grounds.
"What clinched it for me was when Raul (Navarro) got the team together beforehand and gave them a pep talk," Suarez said. "He said that they should play this game like it was the only one of the year � give it all you have ... run out every ground ball and every popup. When the team leader says that, it makes a difference. Its not just the manager saying the same thing over and over. Thats when I felt were going to win."
Third baseman Zane Gelphman, whose second inning solo home run gave the Pacifics a temporary 1-0 lead, added, "Raul just told us to leave it all out there on the field � do all the little things you have to do to win a title."
This title may have seemed a bit improbable midway through the season when San Rafael was above .500 but not standing out from the crowd. But then, after what could have been a dispiriting 13-2 loss at Sonoma on August 14, the Pacifics won eight of their last night regular-season games and three of four in the playoffs.
"The pitching down the stretch is what made the difference," Suarez said. "Our hitters have always been able to step up, and were strong defensively up the middle with guys like (shortstop) Navarro and (second baseman) Yeiler Peguero. But it took us a while to find the right mix on the pitching staff and get our guys to throw strikes more consistently."
The Pacifics season earned-run average was 5.27, but that improved to 3.60 in the last nine regular-season games and 4.25 in four playoff games.
As for a turning point � or Aha moment � of the season, Suarez thinks of mid-August when San Rafael acquired three players from rival Salina � Gelphman, Ackerman and centerfielder Chuck Rocker.
"Gelphman solidified the third-base spot; Ackerman pitched well down the stretch, and Rocker gave us speed and defense," he said. "From that point, I thought we had a shot at winning it all."But victory Sunday was not assured until Jailen Peguero (Yeilers dad, by the way) induced pinch-hitter Danny Molinaro to ground out.
The Pacifics began the game shakily, nearly giving Sonoma a free run in the first inning. Pedro Barrios popped up to the right side of the infield, kept running and made it to second base when Yeiler Peguero dropped the ball. Peguero then threw wildly to second base, and Barrios came all the way around. However, the throw went out of play, so Barrios had to return to third base and was stranded.
Gelphman started the scoring by rocketing a first-pitch fastball from Patrick Barnett over the leftfield stands. The Stompers then tied the score in their half of the second when Rayson Romero � whose three-run homer had been the difference in previous days game � singled on a soft liner to drive in Rob DeAngelis.
The Pacifics regained the lead in the third inning when Yeiler Peguero tripled to the 435-foot marker in right-centerfield and came home on Axel Johnsons sacrifice fly. However, Sonoma quickly responded in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead when Chris Kwitzer hit a long home run off Ackerman to right center that scored Brent Gillespie ahead of him.
San Rafael tied the score in the top of the fifth when Yeiler Peguero got a one-out single, rightfielder Corey Dempster wrangled a two-out walk, and designated hitter Mike Annone took an 0-2 pitch to the opposite field to drive in Peguero from second base.
"He (Sonomas Lenny Gwizdala) gave me the same pitch � a curve - three times in a row," Annone said. "I missed the first two, but he got the third one a bit higher, and I was able to muscle it into leftfield."
The Pacifics then broke through in their half of the seventh to take a 5-3 advantage that provide to be decisive.
Dempster lined a one-out double to the leftfield corner, and Annone was walked intentionally. Gelphman followed with a ground ball that Kwitzer at third bobbled to load the bases. Escobars line single to left scored Dempster. Jimmy Lunardelli hit a sacrifice fly to right field, and Annone barely beat a strong throw from rightfielder Miles Williams to score.
Meanwhile, Knoten and Jailen Peguero held Sonoma scoreless for the last six innings. Knoten, who pitched a key scoreless eighth inning in Fridays first-game win, shut down Sonoma in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings Sunday, walking just two and allowing only one hit. Peguero, who led the league in saves during the regular season and saved all three of the Pacifics playoff victories, allowed no hits and no walks.
Knoten, who had had no professional experience until San Rafael acquired him from a traveling college team exactly a month before, had a 3.37 ERA in six appearances prior to his two key playoff performances.
"He helped get us here," Suarez said. "In both games, he got us to the point that we could bring in Peguero. And, of course, Peguero is a guy thats helped carry us all season."
Knoten added, "I was a closer my last two years in college, so I just used the same mentality as a setup guy. We all felt confident from the start tonight.
"We were here . . . we might as well win it."
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