Their season long over and the league's attention focused on the tight playoff races that gripped the country, Boise seemingly had nothing to play for in the final four games of the season.
So they promptly went out and won them all, a tour de force that will serve as a model of excellence in the changing of the guard this offseason.
In the first game of the streak, the third of three in a Vancouver Mounties series that had already been lost, Luis Espinoza pitched an absolute gem, a 4-hit shoutout in what will likely be his last game for the club. Espinoza has a $1 million team buyout option on his roughly $15 million contract for 2036, and team sources say it is "highly likely" that option will be executed.
Pedro Nava was the hero in the series against the eventual playoff-bound Seattle Storm, smashing two balls out of the park on the day, including a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Nava, only 24 years old, will likely be with the team for the foreseeable future.
Game two saw another walk-off, this time from Jesus Enriquez, who struggled mightily on the season to the tune of a -1.2 WAR, but came through in the clutch with a run-scoring single. Maxence Mace, the league leader in losses this season, secured the series sweep with a superb showing, allowing only one run in 8 innings.
While many of the players on the team in this inaugural season may not be back, either due to an expiring contract, a buyout or retirement, they were all a part of this high-note finish that will set the bar for the future.
"We really want to build off of that late-season success," general manager Ryan Wangman said. "Our motto for the upcoming year is 'Undefeated lockerroom', because we really want to emphasize a culture shift here and move forward with a new identity."
