Reese Kaplan -- A 51s Heartbreaker in El Paso

The 51s opened their game tonight with Kevin Kaczmarski getting a rare start but going down on strikes.  That was followed by a sharp single up the middle by Zach Borenstein but Pete Alonso hit the ball a mile high making it easy for it to be caught by the left fielder.  It’s the 4th or 5th uppercut that caused even the jaded writers in the press box to marvel how high he got it into the air.  Borenstein attempted to steal second with Bryce Brentz batting but was thrown out rather easily by the Chihuahuas’ Raffy Lopez.

Nabil Crismat has been having a rough go of it lately and the opening frame didn’t change that trend.  After retiring the first batter, he hit the next one and then surrendered a double to the deepest part of the ballpark resulting in the game’s first run.  Crismatt seems to have three speeds pitching – slow, slower and slowest.  He got cleanup hitter Ty France to swing and miss at a 68 mph strike three.  First baseman Brett Nicholas lined a 67 mph pitch up the middle to plate the second run.  Crismatt, so far this year, has an 8.50 ERA entering the game, a WHIP over 2.00 but is striking out 8.3 per 9 IP with that slow stuff.  He gave up another single to RF by Shane Peterson but the runner held at third base.  2-0 El Paso thus far.

The 51s got one run back in the 2nd when with two outs Ty Kelly drew a walk and then Luis Guillorme hit a Little League double…the ball went off the second baseman’s glove and the right fielder bent down to pick it up and it scooted underneath his reach.  By the time he recovered with a throw to second baseman and a relay to nab Guillorme trying to stretch it into three bases, Kelly had crossed the plate.  2-1 El Paso.  

Of course, Crismatt gave it right back, serving up a leadoff home run to weak hitting Javy Guerra.  He recovered to get the next three down in order.  El Paso leads 3-1.

The 3rd inning wasn’t much better.  After issuing a leadoff walk to Raffy Lopez, Crismatt balked him down to second.  After recording a couple of outs, he surrendered a single to Shane Peterson which resulted in his hook by manager Tony DeFrancesco.  He was relieved by lefty Kyle Regnault.  The highlight of the inning for the 51s was a full circle spin by centerfielder Kevin Kaczmarski while nabbing a deep drive off the bat of Ty France on the warning track.  Regnault got off to an inauspicious debut, uncorking a wild pitch to his first and only batter, but no further damage occurred and they left a runner on 2nd with the Chihuahuas taking a 4-1 lead.

After 9 straight up and down for the 51s, the lone positive note has been the pitching of Kyle Regnault.  After the slow stuff from Crismatt his 90+ delivery must look like Aroldis Chapman by comparison.  Thus far he’s struck out 3 of the 4 batters he’s faced.  They’re sending him out for the 5th inning as well.  He struck out 4 of the 7 batters he faced, gave up a single but otherwise was arguably the most effective pitcher of the entire series here in El Paso for the 51s.  

In the sixth the 51s showed a pulse.  After a couple of quick outs Kaczmarski lined a double to right center.  Borenstein followed with a run scoring single.  It looked for a moment that Alonso got all of one but it was caught against the centerfield wall.  Chihuahuas up 4-2.  

It's my first time seeing Gerson Bautista in person, though I’ve seen him on TV during his short interval with the Mets.  How he generates that much velocity with that physique is a mystery.  Of course, pitches that go straight at any velocity will be hit and the second batter doubled with the third one following with another double.  The fourth batter followed suit – three straight doubles off Bautista.  We thought walks were his Achilles heel.  His heat is consistently between 95 and 100.  El Paso up by a margin of 6-2.

The 51s really came to life in the 7th.  Bryce Brentz led off with a walk and that was followed by Patrick Kivelehan’s third homer of the series.  It was an odd one to dead center on which El Paso’s centerfielder Dusty Coleman drifted back and signaled he was going to catch the ball while standing well in on the grass and then turned around to watch it fly over the wall.  He wasn’t trying to deke the runner; he just misjudged it.  Catcher Colten Plaia doubled down the left field line and Matt den Dekker pinch hit for Bautista.  He, too, delivered a double and the margin was reduced to a single run, 6-5.  Unfortunately, that’s how the inning ended.

Jacob Rhame entered the game in a double switch to pitch the 7th to El Paso.   He breezed through the middle of the Chihuahuas lineup 1-2-3 and didn’t appear to even break a sweat.

Pete Alonso finally logged his first hit of the series, a well struck single to deep centerfield.  He represented tying run at 1st but Bryce Brentz would have none of that, depositing a Kazuhisa Makita pitch into the night sky giving Las Vegas a 7-6 lead.

Jacob Rhame had an even more impressive follow up in the 8th, striking out the side.  At this point he is in line to be the winning pitcher.

In the 9th manager Tony DeFrancesco turned to Chris Beck after Rhame retired 5 of 6 on strikeouts.  Personally, I would have gone with Peterson who was 1-2-3 effective earlier in the series.  Beck started off with a strikeout of Javy Guerra.  He got pinch hitter Carlos Asuaje on a warning track shot to left field.  With two outs and no one on it came down to Beck against rightfielder Forrest Allday. After going 3-2, Beck threw a 90 mph fastball that the diminutive lefty slammed into right field for a single to prolong the inning.  Beck then gave up a fat pitch to Luis Urias who lined it just below the home run line in right centerfield for a triple, tying the score.  That was followed up by a long ball to deep right centerfield and all they could do was watch as the victory was snatched out of their hands.  Final score, El Paso wins 8-7.

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After a crushing defeat like that, it was unlikely the coaches and players would be in a mood to talk, but I cornered pitcher Buddy Baumann currently on the DL with some tendinitis.  Earlier in the year I’d seen him in a Chihuahuas uniform facing the 51s.  Then he made it up to the Mets for a cup of coffee before being returned to Las Vegas.  

We chatted about the end of the game and I told him it must have been a tough decision for Tony DeFrancesco to yank Jacob Rhame when he’d struck out 5 of the 6 batters he’s faced.  Baumann said, “You know down here a large part of the game is making sure we all get some work in and Beck’s been tremendous for us.”  

I wasn’t going to dispute his opinion, but a quick check reveals that Beck is even worse in Vegas than he was in New York, entering today’s game with a 7.11 ERA.

After waiting awhile I saw Steve Kaplowitz, on-air radio personality for the local ESPN 600 sports talk station.  The last time the 51s were in town we'd sat together in the press box.  

We said our hellos and he introduced me to his companion, former major league pitcher Butch Henry who had been a manager of the independent league El Paso Diablos that folded when the Chihuahuas came into existence.  He was there to see his former teammate and current 51s manager Tony DeFrancesco who served as his catcher back in 1989 and they hadn’t seen one another in 29 years.

While waiting we reminisced a bit about his career with Houston, Colorado, Montreal, Boston and Seattle.  His best year was likely 1994 with the Expos when as both a starter and reliever he went a combined 8-3 with a 2.43 ERA.  He finished his career with a 33-33 record and a 3.83 ERA.  

Then Tony DeFrancesco came out of the clubhouse and gave Henry a big bear hug.  They chatted amicably about families, children and players they used to know.  Tony was about to invite us into the clubhouse but got told they had to clear out as it was getaway day, so that ended my time with the 51s.   

I did flag down Gerson Bautista to speak about his brief stays in New York (since talking about today’s debacle was not going to be a happy conversation).  He had great praise for both Dave Eiland and Mickey Callaway in terms of their pitching knowledge.   After he walked away, Henry said that if he can get his slider to work he’s going to be scary good and to give him time as he’s just 23 and still learning how to harness what he can deliver.

Here are some photos I took at the games, but bear in mind I was not at field level this time but high up in the press box:

Alonso prior to getting plunked

Infielder Christian Colon jawing after the beaning

Benches emptying

Gerson Bautista

Chris Beck 

P.J. Conlon

Tim Peterson

Zach Borenstein

Matt den Dekker

Carter Capps' odd delivery putting him closer to the plate

Chinese Heritage Day in El Paso