Gamblers Attract Risks?

[RonCo]

Perhaps it’s only random fate or maybe it’s something deeper, but with the season only seven weeks in we’re wondering if something is in the air in Atlantic City. Joshua Biddle’s team has already been part of two of the rarer plays in baseball, most notably, turning a triple play against Louisville and scoring via the suicide squeeze against Nashville—being the only team in the league to accomplish either of these two events.

The triple play occurred on April 20th. Louisville’s José Vázquez doubled off Rogerio Vázquez, and—with no one out—Atlantic City manager Troy Coffman defied some baseball statheads and ordered up the intentional walk Pedro Debesa. The next hitter took a strike, then lined a ball into left field that Alfredo Salazar caught, then with the runners going tossed to Keith Dean at second, who in turn tossed it to Adrian Salazar at first to complete the triple play.

“Just like I f drew it up,” Coffman joked after the game.

TOP OF THE 6TH
Louisville Sluggers batting - Pitching for Atlantic City Gamblers : RHP Rogerio Vázquez
Batting: LHB José Vázquez 0-0: Ball
1-0: Ball
2-0: DOUBLE (Groundball, 3L)
Batting: LHB Pedro Debesa 0-0: Intentional Walk
Batting: RHB Joey O'Brien 0-0: Called Strike
0-1: Lines into TRIPLE play, 7-4-3 (Line Drive, 7)

The squeeze happened in the top of the 9th inning at Nashville, with tehs core tied 5-5. Glenn Gorman arrived at the plate with one out and runners at first and third. He dropped a perfect bunt to the left side of the plate, scoring the runner and leaving everyone safe.

The play put the Gamblers up a run, and rattled the Goats, opening up the floodgates for four more runs before the inning ended.

TOP OF THE 9TH
Atlantic City Gamblers batting - Pitching for Nashville Goats : RHP Steve Russell

Pitching: RHP José Luna

Batting: RHB Alfredo Salazar
0-0: Swinging Strike
0-1: Called Strike
0-2: Ball
1-2: Strikes out swinging
Batting: LHB Adrián Salazar
0-0: Called Strike
0-1: Ball
1-1: SINGLE (Groundball, 34D)
Batting: RHB Gustavo Aguilera
0-0: Foul Ball, location: 2F
0-1: Ball
1-1: SINGLE (Groundball, 34D)
Adrián Salazar to second
Runner from 2nd tries for 3rd, SAFE, throw by RF made to third
Pinch Hitting: SHB Glenn Gorman
0-0: Called Strike
0-1: Squeeze Bunt to 2L - play home, runner scores, batter safe!
Adrián Salazar scores
Gustavo Aguilera to second

GAMBLERS ALSO PART OF STEALING HOME CROWD?

And Atlantic City also part of another group—teams that have been involved plays in which someone attempted to steal home. There have been seven such attempts this season, three of them successful. Atlantic City was in the field for one of those successful attempts (Nashville, returned the favor for the squeeze).

“It’s interesting that one team would be the nexus of this kind of thing,” said ESPN analyst Gayle Combs. “It’s almost like they’ve got some kind of cosmic radiation coming from them that attracts weird things.”