Inning: 9th Deficit: 3 Type: pimpoff Method: Grand SlamHero: LF Ángel Trejo Goat: P Jesús Martínez
Game Log It's not that this was ended with a slam. There were fireworks before that tasty ending. The game entered the 9th tied at 2. It got there thanks to superb pitching from starters Ángel Medina for the Gamblers and Bret Harrell of Las Vegas who each gave up the two runs. At the top of the frame, Atlantic City catcher Ricardo Romo reached base on a single and was followed by a Jafar Seif al Din fly out. Then the critical play, pinch hitter Abid Kakakhel sent a routine grounder down the right field line. An easy out, but first baseman Tadataka Yoshikawa mishandled the ball on the bounce and his error left men on first and second with one out. As if to highlight how errors and walks are big no-no's in the last inning of a close game, Atlantic City LF Wilson Prieto sent a 2-2 fastball 395 feet beyond the right-center wall for a 3-run HR. Vegas would usher out the half but the damage was done. In the bottom half, with Atlantic City only needing to bleed out a 3-run lead, closer Jesús Martínez arrived from the bullpen. He induced a groundout from the first hitter he faced, but then, what do you know, he issued a walk to Las Vegas CF Roberto Hampton. Martínez got Vegas C Adam Rumbold to ground out weakly to second base, but weakly enough that a double play wasn't possible and now there was a runner on second with 2 outs. Two batters later, Hustlers 2B Randy Wright laced an RBI double into the leftfield gap scoring, you guessed it, Hampton (who had reached via walk, we remind you). Atlantic City now had a 2-run lead to protect and only one out away from doing so. Vegas SS Jorge Madrid had advanced to third on Wright's double and first base was open with the tying run at 2nd. Hustlers 1B Don Dulaney stepped into the batter's box looking to tie the game with a base hit. But he never got the chance as Martínez plunked him with a 2-1 count (essentially the same as a walk) and the bases were loaded. Still two outs, though, so the Gamblers had the upper hand and odds of winning on their side. Las Vegas LF Ángel Trejo came to the plate looking for the hit that would push across the tying run from 2nd. But on a 1-0 count Trejo got a hanging slider from Martínez and punished his mistake by launching a grand slam into the left field bleachers and the night was over. It should be noted that the winning run technically scored from 1st base and he was there due to a pitcher's error. Martínez got 2 outs, but then allowed a walk, a single, an RBI double, a hit batsman and, finally, the dagger on a mistake. Don't issue free passes in the 9th inning of a close game...it always ends up bad!