Tim Torres and Pat Osborn struck out in the 9th representing the winnings run as the Av’s lost Saturday’s first game of the Carolina League Championship 3-2.
Sunday, they rebounded coming from a 4-1 deficit to win 8-4. Tim Torres jacked a 3 run homer to tie it and the bullpen held the Keys scoreless while the Avs tacked on 4 more runs.
They return to Salem for today’s game 3.
David Qualben on his pick off move:
Quote
“I try to keep everything the same — my leg left, my drive to the plate — get them thinking that I’m going home and then, at the last second, I step towards first and get my momentum towards first,” Qualben said. “It looks like a balk but it’s not. It’s saved my butt several times.
“Guys will be on first base, I pick them off, then I give up a double. I’ll be like, ‘wow — that (first) guy should have scored.’ One time I picked off three guys in an inning (at Asheville). If I didn’t, there would have been bases loaded, no outs.”
Langban on watching David work:
Quote
“The one that we always laugh at is where the base runner’s following the ball into the hitting zone and it’s in the first baseman’s glove. … It’s not funny to say that about an opposing team, but it’s happened multiple times and it just looks kind of funny.”
Best newspaper line:
Quote
By the end of this season when Qualben was on the mound, some runners were closer to first base than they were to their own families.