All good things must come to an end, and for the Moose Jaw Miller Express, that time was Wednesday night.
The Express saw their nine-game Western Canadian Baseball League winning streak snapped with an 11-5 loss to the Okotoks Dawgs in Okotoks, marking the first loss for the local squad since June 27.
Moose Jaw continues to hold a comfortable lead over the East Division, though, with their edge remaining at 8 ½ games over the Regina Red Sox, and they still have nine wins in their last 10 games, the top mark in the league over that span.
Wednesday’s loss was a bit of an unusual one, with irregular performances, a couple of returns to the line-up and even a position player taking the mound late for Moose Jaw.
The Express got off to a great start, putting up four runs in the top of the fourth inning against the normally solid Bobby Vath. Thing is, the Dawgs were just as effective at the plate in the bottom of the inning, putting up five runs on six hits off the normally solid Matt Vasquez.
Okotoks tacked on another pair of runs in the second off reliever Kaleb Waller, who would settle down from there and hold the Dawgs scoreless over the next two innings, scattering six hits.
That set the stage for the return of Andrew Barger to the mound for the Express, as the Fresno City College sophomore tossed two innings and allowed a single hit while striking out a pair. Barger was one of the Express’ top starters last season, putting up a 5-4 record that included a handful of quality starts and a 4.37 earned run average over 55 ⅔ innings pitched.
Greyson Barrett also made his first appearance of the season for Moose Jaw, going 2-for4 with a double, run scored and run batted in.
The Dawgs carried a 7-5 lead into the seventh inning, where they put up a run on two hits off reliever Ethan Merk. Okotoks then struck for three runs on three hits off infielder Thomas Soto, who was unable to get an out. Myles Thomas finished things off, allowing a single hit in his fourth appearance of the season.
The Dawgs, meanwhile, had a busy bullpen -- after Vath left the game, eight relievers would hold Moose Jaw to a single run on four hits the rest of the way, striking out 12 and walking one in the process.
Barrett was the only Moose Jaw batter with more than a single hit, but WCBL All-Star Austin Gurney had a solo home run in the first inning and Luke Lachance sent a shot out of Seaman Stadium in the fourth.
The Miller Express continue their West Division road swing in Lethbridge on Thursday and Friday before the WCBL All-Star Game takes centre stage on Saturday. Next home action is Wednesday, July 19 when they host the Swift Current 57’s.
