Ballers Win Fifth Straight (Again)

By Nevada Cullen

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Noah Martinez walloped a go-ahead three-run bomb and Oakland pitching tied a season-high with 20 strikeouts in the Ballers' 9-4 triumph over the Idaho Falls Chukars on Wednesday. It extended Oakland's win streak to five games, the team's fourth such streak since July 31.

Reed Butz toed the bump for the Ballers and punched out a season-best nine hitters on the night. In the second and third innings, Butz struck out six consecutive Chukars, freezing four of them.

Meanwhile, Idaho Falls ace Owen Sharts kept escaping trouble. Despite loading the bases in the first, third and fourth against Sharts, the Ballers only managed to plate one run in each frame.

Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, the Chukars got a couple men on for Ryan McCarthy. The Idaho Falls catcher smashed a three-run shot to left center to propel the Chukars into the lead. McCarthy ended up reaching in all five of his plate appearances.

The Ballers punched back in the sixth. Payton Harden and Daunte Stuart each worked a walk to begin the inning, and Martinez lifted a three-run big fly to left to put Oakland back in front, 6-4. With three-run blasts in back-to-back games to start the series, Martinez has five home runs in his last seven contests.

Oakland would plate five in the sixth inning. Jaylen Smith lined an opposite-field, RBI single to finish the five-spot.

Former Chukar Brett Barrera extended Oakland's advantage to 9-4 in the seventh with a run-scoring single. He got on base in each of his five trips to the dish: Barrera singled twice, and his old team intentionally walked him in the other three plate appearances.

Barrera wasn't the only Baller on base five times, as Stuart drew four free passes and singled once. Also, Harden reached three times on two hits and a walk and scored three runs, meaning that the top of the order (Harden, Stuart and Martinez) got on base 12 times in 15 trips.

Conner Richardson, Christian Cosby and Carson Lambert accounted for 11 of Oakland's 20 strikeouts as a pitching staff. They kept Idaho Falls scoreless from the sixth inning on, with Lambert firing two hitless frames to close out the contest.

The Ballers' current five-game win streak matches their season best. They will try to string together six straight for the first time, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. PDT on Thursday. As always, you can listen on 860 AM The Answer.