Aug 22, 2015 4 min read

The Wild Things like to say Consol Energy Park is the “House of Thrills.”

For the Gateway Grizzlies, it had been more like a house of horrors.

The Grizzlies had lost 10 consecutive games in Washington in a variety of ways, including a perfect game by a Wild Things pitcher.

Then a guy named Vince Molesky, a rookie pitcher from central Pennsylvania with an unimposing 6.35 ERA, walked on the mound Saturday night and exorcised some demons for Gateway.

Molesky took a shutout into the eighth inning and Gateway held off a ninth-inning rally to defeat the Wild Things, 3-2, snapping Washington’s four-game winning streak.

It was Gateway’s first victory in Washington since July 10, 2011, a span of 10 consecutive losses. It also ended the Wild Things’ 13-game winning streak overall against Gateway. The last Grizzlies win over the Wild Things was Aug. 16, 2012, in Sauget, Ill.

“When I played in this league (with Chillicothe), we won here in the playoffs in 2003 to go to the finals against Evansville,” Gateway manager Phil Warren said. “Other than that one, I can’t remember winning a game here. I knew it had been a long time since we won here, then our broadcaster told me how long it had been and what we were up against.”

Gateway scored single runs in each of the three middle innings and Molesky (4-6) allowed only three hits in 7 2/3 innings.

A right-hander from Montoursville, which is east of Williamsport, Molesky looked like a guy pitching for an ERA title instead of one leading the league with 21 home runs allowed. Molesky worked fast, threw 70 percent of his 102 pitches for strikes and struck out nine. He walked only two batters.

“I am so proud of him,” Warren said after giving Molesky the lineup card that was taped to a wall inside the Grizzlies’ dugout.

“That performance was good to see. He was down in the strike zone and not in the middle of the plate. He leads the league in home runs allowed for a reason. You can throw strikes, but you can’t be in the middle of the plate in this league. Tonight, he was ahead in the count and that helped him.”

Washington made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth when first baseman Jimmy Yezzo hit a long home run to right field off Gateway reliever JaVaun West, but Pete Perez entered the game and retired three consecutive batters for his second save.

Gateway took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Seth Heck led off with a double against Washington starter Jermey Holcombe (1-3) and scored when Ben Waldrip doubled. The two hits in the fourth equaled the number of hits the Grizzlies had in their previous 21 innings in Washington.

An error led to Gateway’s second run, and third baseman Grant Buckner hit his eighth home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth, to give the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead.

Washington was held to only two hits until threatening in the eighth. Maxx Garrett drew a walk and Matt Ford hit a two-out single. After Sam Mende reached on an error that loaded the bases, Molesky was replaced by West, who got out of the jam by retiring Scott Kalamar on a fly out.

“We had no offense for eight innings,” Washington manager Bob Bozzuto said. “You can’t win games very often with four hits, though Gateway did tonight. Our hits came too late.”

David Popkins drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth and Yezzo followed with a long homer to right field.

“I like the team we have now, but you can’t win them all,” Bozzuto said. “I thought we’d get to their starting pitcher but he kept us off balance with his slider. We had too many swings and misses.”

Pitcher Kyle Helisek, who was activated from the disabled list Friday and scheduled to start Saturday, felt discomfort in his arm and was scratched from the start. Bozzuto said Helisek is likely to be placed back on the DL. … Washington pitcher Scott Silverstein, who was signed Monday, was placed on the suspended list. Silverstein did not pitch in any of the four games Washington played since he signed and decided to leave the team Saturday morning.