Idaho Falls jumps Ogden early

OGDEN — The Ogden Raptors can't really blame their loss on Friday the 13th.

The Chukars' calendar showed the same date, so something else must have tipped the scales of luck in favor of Idaho Falls in downing Ogden 8-5 Friday.

Maybe there was a black cat slinking around the Raptors' locker room at Lindquist Field.

Whatever it was, the Raptors found themselves in a big hole before they got an out, then lost the reliever who was shutting down the top hitting team in the Pioneer League.

Ogden starter Javier Garcia (1-1) faced seven batters—giving up six hits and six runs (five earned) — and was pulled without retiring a single Idaho Falls hitter.

The Raptors behind Garcia didn't help him either, with a few less than stellar defensive plays, though only Blake DeWitt was charged errors.

Reliever Wesley Wright sat down the first 10 Chukars he faced, striking out five, before Felipe Del Rosario struck back for Idaho Falls. Del Rosario ended Wright's outstanding long relief performance, sending him out of the game by lining a grounder off his leg.

Ogden manager Travis Barbary said Wright has been throwing well of late, so it was tough to see him injured.

"Right now we're not in a spot where we can have guys go down," he said.

Chukars' thrower Patrick Green (2-1) pitched six solid innings for the win. Green gave up five hits and three runs, striking out four. Jacob Mullis had almost identical numbers in three innings to earn the save: five hits, two runs, four strikeouts.

The Raptors had a decent night at the plate with 10 hits, but couldn't string enough of a rally together.

"When we got back to 6-3, we felt we had a chance," Barbary said, but Idaho Falls added two more keep them at bay.

DeWitt, the hero of Thursday's game with a two-out, two-run game-winning double in the ninth, handled the bat a little better than his glove Friday.

DeWitt had two errors, but doubled twice and went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Cory Dunlap was 2-for-4 as well and drove in a run. Four other Raptors had an RBI apiece.

Justin Ruggiano and Hector Arias each hit a solo homer for Ogden. Arias' shot in the ninth was his first of the year.