AppleSox Face Bells in Pivotal Road Trip
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The Wenatchee AppleSox begin a important three-game series against the Bellingham Bells this evening at Joe Martin Field at 6:35 p.m.
The Yakima Valley Pippins clinched the first-half North Division playoff berth so now the Sox and the Bells are two-of-the-four teams left to battle it out for the second-half postseason spot. The AppleSox are 0-3 to begin the second half while the Bells are 2-4.
The AppleSox took two-of-three games against Bellingham when they visited Wenatchee June 11-13. The first game on June 11 remains the AppleSox’ best offensive performance this season. The Sox scored five runs in the first inning and five more in the eighth en route to a 13-8 victory. Adam Grob led the way that night by going 4-for-4 with 4 RBI. His effort remains the only time a Sox player has recorded four hits or 4 RBI in a game this summer.
After losing the first two games of that series against the AppleSox the Bells were 2-6, but are 11-11 since. They lost two-of-three against the Pippins this past weekend but both losses were one-run defeats. Each of the Bells last five losses have been decided by three-or-fewer runs, with three of those losses by one run. They jumpstarted this turnaround on June 13 against the AppleSox by picking up a 12-3 win in 6.5 innings due to rain. Bellingham scored seven runs in the third and four in the fourth that night.
The Bells are tied with the AppleSox for sixth in the West Coast League with a .230 batting average. The AppleSox hold a slight edge in on-base percentage (.359 to .345) and the Bells have the advantage in slugging percentage (.340 to .314). Although the AppleSox had their most productive offensive effort against Bellingham earlier this season, the Bells have the third-best ERA in the WCL (3.41) while the AppleSox have the worst (5.75). However, the AppleSox have had a starter toss at least five innings and strike out eight in three-of-the-last-five games.
The AppleSox have not announced a starter for tonight’s game yet. Joey Dixon will appear in his second game this summer for Bellingham. He allowed one run on five walks, no hits and three strikeouts against Corvallis on July 6.
Tonight’s game can be heard on Sunny FM at kcsyfm.com on your desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.
Wenatchee: 93.9 FM
East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM
Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM
Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM
Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM
Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM
Methow Valley: 106.3 FM
Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.
Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.
Listen to Head Coach Ian Sanderson’s postgame discussion with Joel Norman following Sunday’s game.
