GUERRA – After two straight days of rain outs, the Junior National Team got back on the field to complete its Dominican Summer League Camp schedule. Unfortunately the results were not what they had hoped for as the JNT dropped their two final games, first a 9-7 defeat at the hands of the New York Mets, then a 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In game one, the JNT came out strong with a three-run first inning on the strength of a pair of RBI doubles from Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) and Philip Diedrick (Ajax, ON). Diedrick would later score on a Mets error and the Canadians took an early 3-0 lead.
Evan Grills (Whitby, ON) started on the mound for the JNT and he was solid in his three innings of work. He only allowed one run, an RBI single in the third, on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts, leaving the game with a 3-1 lead.
The Mets however would tie it up in the fourth inning on a two-run double off of Jonathan Paquet (Ancienne Lorette, QC) after an error and a walk put two runners on with two outs.
The Mets would capitalize on another JNT error in the fifth inning, allowing one run to score and putting a runner in scoring position where an RBI single would drive him in and the Mets took a 5-3 lead.
Of Paquet’s four runs allowed, only one was earned. He gave up five hits and two walks in three innings of relief, striking out four.
The JNT cut the lead to one in the seventh inning when Brandon Dailey (Brantford, ON) hit a leadoff double and would come around to score on the RBI single from Alex Calbick (Burnaby, BC).
But the Mets responded in the bottom half of the seventh thanks to two more errors and an RBI single to score three runs in the inning and boost their lead to four.
The JNT however did not lay down as they would once again cut the lead to one in the eighth. After the Canadians loaded the bases on a pair of hit by pitches and a walk, Cedric Vallières (Roxton Pond, QC) drew a walk to force in the first run. Then Jimmy Ralph (Raymond, AB) and Dailey each drove in a run with singles and the Mets lead is now 8-7.
But the Mets would add the insurance run in the ninth on an RBI single to make it 9-7.
In this game, both Dailey and Deglan were 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Diedrick, Vallières, Ralph and Calbick also drove in runs for the JNT.
In game two, the JNT once again jumped out in front early. An RBI double from Dailey in the bottom of the first drove in one run and he would later score on an error for the second run and the Canadians took a 2-0 lead.
The Dodgers cut that lead to one in the top of the second with a triple, followed by an RBI single to score their first run of the game and make it 2-1.
That would last until the fifth when the Dodgers would score two runs to take a 3-2 lead thanks to a leadoff double, a fielder’s choice that drove in a run and an RBI single against reliever Jordan Romano (Markham, ON).
The sixth inning would see the Dodgers increase their lead on a pair of errors that allowed two runs to score and a sacrifice fly which drove in a third for a 6-2 advantage.
Romano would be charged for five runs in his two innings of work, albeit only two were earned. He allowed only two hits and struck out three during his outing.
The JNT cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth when Keenan Chanin (Surrey, BC) drew a leadoff walk and would come in to score on a double play to make it 6-3.
In the seventh inning, the Canadians would cut into that lead again. After walking the bases loaded with one out, Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, ON) drove in Vallières from third on a fielder’s choice to make it 6-4. The inning would end however when Pompey was caught trying to steal second.
Of note, Emerson Savage (Bartibog Bridge, NB) allowed one run on two hits and two walks in two innings on the mound for his start. He struck out one during his outing. Tom Robson (Ladner, BC) threw two perfect innings in relief of Savage, striking out one. Jesen Dygestile-Therrien (Montreal, QC) worked two scoreless inning of relief, allowing only a walk and striking out three. Brian Smith (Pickering, ON) worked one inning of scoreless baseball, giving up a walk with one strikeout.
Brandon Dailey was combined 3-for-7 in the two games with two double, two runs and two RBI. Alex Calbick was a combined 3-for-5 with an RBI.
The Junior National Team returns home on Friday, May 28 and will reunite for the Final Camp and Pre-World Exhibition Schedule from July 4-22 which will go through Toronto, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Minnesota before making their way to Thunder Bay for the World Junior Baseball Championship on July 23-August 1.
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