May 25, 2022 4 min read

You’ve heard of a sudden death playoff in football, hockey and even golf.

But sudden-death baseball?

It’s the newest scenario the Frontier League is using to end extra-innings games and the gimmick made its Washington debut Wednesday night.

On this night, the late-night exit polling showed the Wild Things to be against sudden death.

Tri-City’s Juan Silverio scored from third base on a fielder’s choice in the top of the 11th inning to give the ValleyCats a unique 2-1 victory over Washington before 1,467 fans at Wild Things Park.

The loss snapped the Wild Things’ five-game winning streak.

Silverio’s run ended the game, so it was a walk-off win for the ValleyCats.

A walk-off win for the visiting team? That’s a first.

The sudden-death rule is this: When the game is tied after 10 innings, the 11th starts with the home team choosing to play offense or defense. The team on offense begins the inning with a runner on first base and no outs. If the runner scores, then the team on offense wins. If the team playing defense holds the opponent scoreless, then it wins the game.

“I love it,” Washington manager Tom Vaeth said of the rule. “You have three outs to win a ballgame and we didn’t get it done.”

Locked in a 1-1 tie after 10 innings, Vaeth chose for the Wild Things to play defense in the sudden-death inning. It looked like a good move when Tri-City’s Denis Phipps was thrown out trying to go from second base to third on Silverio’s comebacker to Washington pitcher Dan Kubiuk (0-1) for the inning’s first out.

But Carson McCusker, who was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts to that point, hit a broken-bat bloop double down the right-field line that moved Silverio to third base with one out. After Pavin Parks was intentionally walked to load the bases, Kenny Pierson replaced Kubiuk on the mound.

Tri-City center fielder Jesus Ligano then blooped a shot toward the hole at shortstop that Nick Ward fielded on one bounce. He threw to second base to force out Parks but Scotty Dubrule had no chance to complete an inning-ending double play as Silverio scored the game-winning run.

It was the seventh win for the Tri-City (7-3) and in four of those the ValleyCats scored the winning run in their final inning of batting.

“We’ve been the Cardiac Kids,” Tri-City manager Pete Incaviglia said. “That’s good for chemistry and the clubhouse.”

While the game had the new sudden-death finish, Vaeth was focused on what happened in the bottom of the 10th as the biggest play of the game.

Washington had Cole Brannen on third base and L.G. Castillo at first with one out. Facing former Altoona Curve pitcher Oddy Nunez (1-0), Dubrule bounced into a shortstop-to-second-to-first double play that ended the inning. It appeared that Dubrule might have beaten the relay throw to first base but he was called out by umpire Paul Hess.

“The game was won in the bottom of the 10th,” Vaeth said, “because the umpire blew the call. It’s a case of the young umpires in this league not being good enough. But that’s baseball. Sometimes the calls go your way and other times they go against you.”

There wasn’t much offense in the game. Washington scored its run in the top of the first inning. Ward drew a leadoff walk against Tri-City starter Olbis Parra, moved up on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single up the middle by Wagner Lagrange.

Tri-City tied the score in the third when Brantley Bell hit a one-out single, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Willy Garcia’s ringing double off the wall in center field.

Washington starter Sandro Cabrera gave up four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six. Relievers Micky Foytik, Christian James and Lukas Young combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

“I have no complaints about my pitching,” Vaeth said.

Tri-City used four relievers who threw 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball.

“Our back end is pretty good,” Incaviglia said. “We have three or four guys there who can really pitch. We could lose a couple of them, but we’re in the business of getting guys signed and moving on in the minor leagues.”

Extra bases

Brannen stole his league-leading eighth base. … Tri-City first baseman Brantley Bell is the son of former Pirates shortstop Jay Bell. … Tri-City reliever Adam Hofacket relieved Parra in the sixth inning. He faced five batters, striking out four.