The San Rafael Pacifics top the Martinez Sturgeon behind Jalill Marinez 10-7
May 29 2022 12:00AM
The San Rafael Pacifics won their h
The San Rafael Pacifics won their home opener Sunday night in a high scoring affair beating the Martinez Sturgeons 10-7. The Pacifics now move to 3-0 to start the 2022 season.
The bats for the Pacifics got going early. After finding themselves down by a run in the first inning, lead-off hitter Jahilil Marinez hit a ground rule double off Stuergons pitcher and former professional pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, Manny Corpas.
With an out on the board, shortstop Corey Davis Jr. knocked a single past the second baseman to score Marinez and tie the game. San Rafael tacked on three more runs in the first inning with a double by centerfielder Tyson Thompson scoring two runs and a single by catcher Jonathan Waite, which scored Thompson and gave the Pacifics a 4-1 lead.
The starting pitcher for the Pacifics, Kohoto Hasgawa early on found himself behind in the count, forcing him to throw strikes down the middle that Martinez was able to take advantage of. The Sturgeons responded with a four run inning in the second.
With the Pacifics down 5-4 in the bottom of the third, rightfielder John Bicos hit a solo shot to left field, knotting the score at five.
"He was throwing a lot of off-speed and I was expecting it,c said Bicos after the game, "the pitch came and I got to hit it out."
Pitchers for both Martinez and San Rafael started to settle in as the game approached the middle innings. While Martinez stuck with Corpas, the Pacifics turned to their bullpen in the top of the fifth with Eric Parnow and then reliever John Murray took over in the sixth. Although both pitchers were missing at times, their ability to fight back in the count kept the Sturgeons off-balance.
Murray ran into some trouble in the seventh inning. After walking a batter, Sturgeon first baseman Rafael Rameriez ripped a two run home run giving them a 7-5 lead.
The Pacifics did not let this get to them. In the top of the seventh, San Rafael took advantage of Corpas, who had already thrown 113 pitches up to this point. He did not have the same velocity or break on his pitches that he had earlier in the game.
The Pacifcs loaded the bases with one out. Manager and thirdbaseman Kyle Ulanday hit a bloop double down the right field line that cleared the bases and gave the Pacifics the lead, 8-7.
"I was trying to put the ball in play and do anything to help my team win," said Ulandy. "That pitch got in my hands and got me a little fisted, but it worked out."
With two outs, Davis Jr. drove in another run with an RBI single off Corpas glove and into center field, scoring Ulanday and giving the Pacifcs a 9-7 lead.
The Pacifics tallied on another run in the bottom of the eighth, giving their opening night crowd plenty to cheer for. In total, the San Rafael offense tallied a total of 17 hits.
The Pacifics were excited to have their crowd back in the stands for the first time for another season. And the crowd brought the energy needed for San Rafael to make their comeback.
"Coming back to San Rafael is always nice," said Marinez, "to see the community coming back and knowing that we are actually here again. Them showing up is a huge help for us playing because we enjoy having fans and were trying to give them a show."
The Pacifcs play their next game on Monday night against the newly added Pecos League Santa Rosa Scuba Divers at Alberts Park. They will look to continue their offensive productivity Monday, the same offense that kept their home crowd cheering.
Austin Mora stars as the Santa Rosa Scuba Divers defeat the Martinez Sturgeon 11-6
Joltin Joe DiMaggio Boat to be on display at Pecos League All Star Game in Martinez
May 25 2022 12:00AM
Baseball legend and American icon,
Baseball legend and American icon, Joseph Paul DiMaggio, was
born in Martinez, California on November 25, 1914. This hometown heros career with the New York
Yankees spanned 13 seasons, 13 All-Star games and 10 World Series. He was a three-time American
League MVP and in 1953 was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He still holds the
hitting streak record of 56 consecutive games in 1941.
The Joe DiMaggio Hometown Hero Project was launched on November 18, 2014 at a centennial celebration
of Joes birthday in Martinez. The project aims to preserve Joes legacy and heighten national
recognition of a hometown hero.
On October 1,1949 the City of New York and the Yankees celebrated "Joe DiMaggio Day" paying tribute
to one of the finest players ever to play the game of baseball. Among the gifts Joe DiMaggio
received that day was a 22-foot Chris Craft pleasure boat from New York Yankee fans, later named the
Joltin Joe.
The prestige surrounding the Joltin Joe was elevated when Joe took his new bride,
Marilyn Monroe, for a cruise on the San Francisco Bay in 1954 during their wedding reception.
DiMaggio had loaned the boat to numerous relatives in subsequent decades and the boat had fallen
into a state of disrepair by the time it was donated to Joes birthplace, the City of Martinez, in
1991. The boat had deteriorated further after spending many years on display at the Martinez marina
when, in 2010, the Sons of Italy, Diablo Valley Lodge #2167, took on the fundraising for a full
restoration project. The Carpenters Union 152 joined the project and offered free labor to support
the effort. Countless hours of work (one day each week for 5.5 years) by volunteers have restored
the Joltin Joe to museum-quality. It has since won several awards from Wooden Boat shows.
Manny Corpas will serve as the 2022 field manager for the Martinez Sturgeon
Feb 23 2022 12:00AM
The Martinez 2022 Field Manager wil
The Martinez 2022 Field Manager will be Manny Corpas. Manny pitched in the major leagues for 10 years and most known for being the Colorado Rockies Closer on their 2007 World Series Run.
He was selected Panama national baseball team at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, 2009 World Baseball Classic, 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualification, 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualification and 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier.
Manny is no stranger to the Pecos League as he has pitched for the Bakersfield Train Robbers in 2019 and 2021. He pitched complete games in the playoffs both seasons.
The Martinez Sturgeon open their 2022 May 26th at home against the San Rafael Pacifics.
