By: Ryan Paris
JOLIET, IL – Antonio Valdez can’t remember the last time he delivered the walk-off hit.
He can’t remember the last time he ran away from a swarm of teammates trying to tear the jersey off his back, or the last time they showered him with the remaining ice and water in the Gatorade cooler.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever really had one,” he said.
When you hit a walk-off, the crowd sounds louder, the sun shines brighter, and the postgame meal tastes better.
Only a lucky few get to experience that high. On a cool August evening in Joliet, Valdez joined the club.
But for a good chunk of the game, it didn’t look like he’d get the chance. The Slammers’ (35-36) struggles on the basepaths cost them multiple runs, giving the Jackals (22-47) a chance to end Joliet’s five game winning streak.
Kendall Ewell got doubled off on a flyout to left field in the third. Braylin Marine was cut down trying to snag home on a fielder’s choice in the fourth. Joliet lost the lead in the sixth when Luis Acevdeo skirted home on a wild pitch.
The Jackal bullpen shut down each and every comeback bid, preserving a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth.
And then they brought in a lefty. The Slammers kill lefties.
Ewell started the inning by working a leadoff walk. He moved up to second on a Liam McArthur groundout. Ian Battipaglia (who hits .489 against lefties!) slapped a single into the outfield. Bryant Flete narrowly beat out a double play to save the game, scoring Ewell in the process. Jose Contreras (who hits .350 against lefties) added a base knock of his own. And up stepped Antonio Valdez.
He quickly fell down 0-2 in the count. After laying off a pitch down and away, he got the one he was looking for.
Off the bat it looked like a sinking line drive into center field. It looked like it would be the game tying single. That’s when Jackals center fielder Bryson Parks left his feet.
It was an attempt to make the game-winning grab. The inherent risk in doing so is that if you don’t make the play, you give up extra bases.
Parks misjudged it. The ball jumped right over his outstretched glove, Contreras rounded third as the winning run, and the celebrations began. The Slammer mob met Valdez at second and danced their way into center field.
“That was unbelievable. On a Saturday night in front of the crowd, it was awesome,” he said.
After getting doused by a remarkably accurate Gatorade shower, Valdez echoed Gunnar Kines’ message from last night’s win. “We’re fighting. We’re trying to make something happen. We want to play meaningful games at the end of the season.”
When the Slammers play like this, you start to believe that those meaningful games might be just around the corner.
The Slammers will look to make it a full week of winning and stretch the streak to seven tomorrow in the series finale against the Jackals. First pitch is at 1:05 pm.
For information on season tickets, premium suites or group outings, please visit the Slammers’ official website at www.jolietslammers.com.
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The Joliet Slammers play in downtown Joliet, Illinois, and are members of the professional, independent Frontier League. The Frontier League is the largest MLB Partner League with 16 teams spanning from the Mississippi River to the East Coast. Visit the Slammers online atwww.jolietslammers.com or call the ticket office at 815-722-2287 for more information! Don’t forget to “Like” the Slammers on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/jolietslammers, follow them on Instagram at @jolietslammersofficial or follow them on Twitter at @jolietslammers!
This game recap was written by Ryan Paris.
