Clubhouse Reactions Following Game 2 vs. Billings
Postgame Comments Following Missoula's 9-2 Win Wednesday
A Conversation With Manager Michael Schlact:
Q: This was a great bounce-back effort overall with a complete team performance. You knocked at the door in the 1st inning last night but left the bases loaded in a scoreless frame. But tonight you were able to push a pair across to set the tone. How important was that?
Schlact: " It was great to see them bounce back & show up ready to win today. Setting the tone is huge early & I was curious how they'd respond to last night."
Q: Dawson Day got right back to what made him successful during last season's run in the 2nd half after returning from injury. He attacked these hitters and was in control from the start. How does that effort set a tone for an entire pitching staff?
Schlact: "Dawson is an ace type pitcher because you want him on the mound in must win games. Along with that you also know that he will set the pace throughout the season with his steady leadership and presence on the mound. Having him out there really put the guys at ease."
Q: Tuesday night was a tough night for your offense collectively as a unit. But it was a different story this evening with 4 multi-hit games from players at different sports in the order. A lot of the highlight performers were also returners from last season. What did you see from this group that helped them have success?
Schlact: "The only thing that changed for me with the lineup was they were more poised & confident at the plate. The talent has always been there, but I think the opening day jitters sped them up a bit. They slowed the game down and got back to what they do well."
Q: Colby Wilkerson, and McGwire Holbrook both chipped in tonight recording their first professional hits, and RBIs in the win. Is it nice to see these new faces get involved as they find their footing in professional baseball?
Schlact: "It's huge to have rookies contribute. I was happy to see them get their feet wet and get that first one out of the way. Happy for them."
Q: Sometimes the late innings can get especially interesting in early season sequences. Not tonight. The bullpen shut things down for the most part after Day stepped off the mound in the 5th. How is this a boost of confidence?
Schlact: "Having the bullpen shut the door is huge for the team and those individuals. That's exactly what we were hoping for when we constructed the bullpen."
Q: You have Nick Parker getting the ball tomorrow as your team now looks to build some momentum after that nice performance. What will be keys for him to come out and have success in this ballpark like he did a season ago?
Schlact: "Nick has to just remember what makes him successful and not try to do too much. He's a talented pitcher and we're looking for him to just attack the zone and get that weak contact that makes him so good."
Safford's Stars of Game 2:
That's the type of performance that the PaddleHeads were hoping for. He controlled the zone, stayed ahead of hitters, and looked like the pitcher that was outstanding throughout the 2nd half of last season. I asked the question in our game preview on the topic of sending a message to the league with a solid performance. I'd say the message was sign, sealed, and delivered the way he worked through the evening.
I also loved how he was unfazed at times as well. The lone run he allowed came in the 5th when he made a location mistake on a fastball. This would result in a solo home run. But that did not trip him up one bit. He came right back, and immediately regained control with consecutive strikeouts. That's what great pitchers do. It is inevitable that you are going to get hit once in a while. The best thing you can do is brush that off, and continue with your outing.
It was a quiet night for the offense Tuesday as Billings would lead throughout the contest. But Rosario would make sure this game would get started off on the right foot immediately in the 1st inning. Was it a highlight swing? No. But he put the ball in play with a runner at 3rd base to get him in. A little luck would then bring in a 2nd on an error. But those types of at-bats can be huge to get an offense going. Just getting to the lead was a positive after never leading at any point on Opening Night.
Rosario seemingly used that momentum throughout the rest of the night tallying 3 hits and 4 RBIs. Rosario would also hit Missoula's first home run of the 2025 season to fan the flames for the offense in the middle innings.
You really could highlight a group of returners at the dish in this contest as Pena, Alec Sanchez, and Colin Gordon would all finish with 2-hits or more in the win. But after a 100 RBI season in 2024, Pena looks to once again be a top candidate to knock home runs for Missoula as he has done so in the PaddleHeads first 2 games of the regular season. The free-swinging first baseman has even shown a little patience drawing walks in both contests as well.
The power doesn't hurt either as the Kansas State product would go deep in the 7th inning. Doing so, it also continues a cultural trend I have seen in PaddleHeads Baseball. Billings had trimmed the lead just a bit on a solo home run not long after Pena's blast. That is something this team has done a very good job at over the years. The ability of the team to quickly rebut any sort of counter punch is always a great quality to a team. Seeing Pena continue that in the early stages of the season was a great sign. Now what does this team do for an encore? We will find out in Game 3 Thursday night.