Chukars continue winning ways behind four two-out runs, dominant bullpen
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IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Chukars, clinging to fading playoff hopes, won their fourth straight over the Glacier Range Riders Friday night at Melaleuca Field.
Behind timely hitting and four strong innings from the bullpen, the Chukars (12-16 second half, 32-44 overall) topped Glacier (7-21, 36-40), 7-6.
All news was not good for the Chukars Friday, however, as roughly two hours before first pitch, the team completed a trade sending All-Star infielder Brett Barrera to the Oakland Ballers.
RELATED | BREAKING: Chukars trade offensive star to Oakland
With everyone moving up a spot absent the team’s offensive leader, centerfielder Chase Hanson found himself in a clutch situation, with two on and two out in the first inning. Hanson cashed in, lining a two-run double to center for the game’s first runs.
Asked if he or his teammate feel any added pressure, knowing Barrera is no longer available, Hanson said that his team is happy to embrace the next-man-up mentality.
“It’s baseball, one guy is not going to change the whole thing,” he said. “Everyone’s gotta step up whenever their name’s called. It obviously hurts — Brett is a clubhouse guy, we all love him, we hate to see him go. … But we’re just going to keep rolling on the high.”
By high, Hanson is referring to the four-game winning streak the Chukars have built against the Range Riders — who clinched a playoff spot by finishing second in the PBL in the first half with a 29-19 record.
Hitting coach Luke Navigato said that the offense’s ability to work tough at-bats and set up the man behind him has made him proud through the streak.
“They’re committing as a team, grinding at-bats — we’re just trying to be the most dynamic offense we can,” Navigato said.
Glacier answered the Chukars’ two-run first with a two-spot of their own in the top of the second, behind a solo homer from Ty Penner and a two-out RBI double from Gabe Howell. They tacked three more runs on Idaho Falls starter Austyn Coleman in the third.
Coleman finished 5 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out three and walking three. He left the mound with the score tied, 5-5, after his offense gave hime three more, aided by a trio of Range Rider errors, in the fourth.
The Chukars then pulled back ahead in the bottom of the fifth when Hanson picked up his second clutch hit of the night, driving a two-out RBI double to left. And after the Glacier pulled even in the top of the sixth, leadoff man Anthony Mata drove in what would prove to be the winning run, with a two-out RBI single in the bottom half.
Four of Idaho Falls’ runs came with two outs.
“It’s a competitive game out here,” Hanson said. “We don’t come out here to lose, we’re fighting to the end and doing everything we can.”
The Chukar bullpen, which was tasked with recording the final 12 outs, allowed just one sixth-inning run — and slammed the door with three-straight zeroes to end the game.
None of those outs were bigger than the one righty Tyler Dyball was asked to get.
Dyball replaced lefty Garrett Crowley with two on and two outs in the eighth and Glacier three-hole hitter Christian Kirtley batting, and struck the only man he faced out swinging.
Unlike many relievers, who would express emotion after recording such a meaningful out — against the other team’s best hitter, no less — Dyball calming walked off the mound and back into the dugout.
He told EastIdahoNews.com that he has never been about “the theatrics.”
“I’ve never been a big, explosive, jump-off-the-mound-and-yell kind of guy, and I didn’t know if I was going to go out for the next inning, so I didn’t want a fat adrenaline dump,” he said.
Rob Hughes replaced Tyball in the ninth, retiring the Ranger Riders in order to convert his first save of the season.
With just 20 games remaining in the regular season, and 6-1/2 games out of a potential playoff spot — with eight teams between them and the final playoff position — the Chukars are expecting to be in nothing but close games, needing their bullpen to pitch the way it did Friday. Dyball believes that the relief corps is up to the challenge.
“We have so many talented guys down there — we all trust each other,” he said. “It’s becoming more like a big-league bullpen, where guys have a one-inning role, and I think we’re thriving off that.”
As for the offense, Navigato said the runs will come, as long as the players focus on one at-bat and one game at a time.
“We’re getting on a little winning streak here, so we’re just going to try to ride that and at the end of the year, check those standings and see where we’re at,” he said.
The Chukars will finish their 12-game homestand with two more against Glacier on Saturday and Sunday. Then, they will head out for a two-week, 12-game road trip, including a stop in Oakland, where the Ballers and Barrera will welcome them.
Idaho Falls will host its final six regular season games of the 2024 season from Sept. 3 to Sept. 8, when the Grand Junction Jackalopes will come to town.