Rosario atones for error, drives in game-winning run for 51s
With one swing of the bat, Amed Rosario went from goat to hero on Monday night at Cashman Field.
His walk-off double in the 11th inning lifted the 51s to a 7-6 win over Albuquerque.
But it was Rosario’s ninth inning error that put runners on first and second with no outs that almost proved costly.
The Isotopes tied the game, but Chasen Bradford was able to limit the of the damage to give the home team some hope.
Las Vegas manager Pedro Lopez could tell Rosario was upset.
“You saw the first two pitches of his next at-bat, he was really just trying to end it or kind of make up for that error,” Lopez said. “After that, he settled down and he went back to being him.”
Rosario wound up drawing a walk in that at-bat. Two innings later, he did end it, sending 51s fans home happy.
Rosario said he was sitting on something he could drive.
And though he drove in the game-winner, Rosario was quick to credit the pitchers, who kept the team in the game after Las Vegas had to tap into its bullpen early.
The bullpen came through for the 51s (13-12) after Wilfredo Boscan had to leave the game in the third inning. Lopez said Boscan’s left knee was bothering him.
“It’s probably a little tendinitis he’s got in there,” Lopez said. “He felt it every time he was landing so as a precaution we decided to take him out. Hopefully, he’ll make his next outing.”
At the time, the 51s had a one-run lead, but that quickly disappeared as the Isotopes scored three runs, two on a pair of errors by Gavin Cecchini and Josh Rodriguez.
Lopez said Cecchini lost site of the ball when the baserunner crossed in front of him and Rodriguez’s cleat got stuck in the dirt and he couldn’t move.
“Right there, (Kevin) McGowan got his ground balls and we just couldn’t make plays behind him, but stuff like that happens,” Lopez said. “We talk to the guys all the time and I was even telling Gavin it’s what happens after the error, what we do — it’s not so much about committing the error — it’s about making sure we bounce back and we got the right frame of mind.”
The 51s did bounce back, recovering with three runs in the next innings thanks to a solo shot from Desmond Jennings, his second of the year, and a two-run home run from Dominic Smith to regain the lead.
The Isotopes (11-13) scored one in the fifth on a Stephen Cardullo RBI single but the 51s again came back, striking in the bottom half of the frame with Travis Taijeron’s fourth homer of the year.
Albuquerque scored once more in the sixth to cut into the Las Vegas lead before tying it up in the ninth on Rafael Ynoa’s single to left.
Before that, the 51s had plenty of chances to avoid extra innings. For six straight innings, starting in the fourth and ending in the ninth, they had the leadoff man aboard.
But in most of those instances, they couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities.
They went 2-for-13 with men in scoring position and left nine on base.
In the end, it didn’t matter, thanks to Rosario’s heroics.
“I’m really happy for him and everybody else,” Lopez said. “It was a team effort and everybody did their part. Cecchini comes up with that big hit in the 11th so he gets on and gets Rosario a chance to end it.”
Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.
Up next
Who: Tacoma Rainiers at Las Vegas 51s
When: 7:05 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Cashman Field
Starters: Christian Bergman (4-0, 1.96 ERA) vs. Adam Wilk (2-2, 5.60 ERA)
Next five
Wednesday: Tacoma at Las Vegas, 10:35 a.m.
Thursday: Tacoma at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: Tacoma at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: Las Vegas at Albuquerque, 6:05 p.m.
Sunday: Las Vegas at Albuquerque, 12:35 p.m.
Update
The New York Mets called up 51s closer Paul Sewald on Monday and put Noah Syndergaard on the disabled list with a partially torn lat. Sewald was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and five saves with the 51s this season. He made two appearances for the Mets this season, giving up two runs in 1 1/3 innings pitched.
