Blues Pitching Staff Does it Again Besting the Arroyo Seco Saints, 5-2

By: Julianne Shivers/SLO Blues

San Luis Obispo, Calif. -  The Blues collected five runs on eight hits with two errors, while the Saints collected two runs on four hits with one error.

Four Blues collected hits on the night, with CJ Moran collecting two extra-base hits, going 3-3 at the plate. Tate Blasi also collected multiple hits, going 2-3 with a stolen base.

Moran had one of the best nights for a Blue offensively this season, collecting a single and two doubles while driving in two runs and scoring once. One of the doubles was almost stretched into a triple, but Moran was called out at third on a call that left Dean Treanor coming out of the dugout in protest.

The Blues' pitching staff also threw an excellent game once again. Treanor used four arms, Moose Cuellar, Hunter Koehler, Bryce Padilla, and Carson Boyer. The staff allowed only two runs to cross the plate, both off a late-inning rally in the ninth. The staff struck out eight Saints en route to victory while walking only four.

Cuellar was the starter for the Blues and player of the game. The Tulare, California, native went 5.1 innings, going 1-2-3 three times in a row from the first through third innings. Cuellar allowed only one hit while collecting three strikeouts and walking two. When asked how he approached the game, he kept it simple.

"My goal is to keep the run [count] down low," Cuellar said. "Keep it concentrated, focused, and get my breath; just slowing down myself."

The Blues face the Saints again in game two of the three-game series, with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch. Spencer Gallimore will be on the bump for the Blues as they look to take the series.

Play-by-play

1 | Moose Cuellar was the starter on the mound for the Blues. The Fresno State Lefty went 1-2-3 through the Saints lineup. Brayden Flores and Carson Panarisi led off, both striking out looking. Jacob Freer ended the inning by flying out to Cesar Chavez in center. Oscar Salazar was the starting pitcher for the Saints. Salazar had a similar inning to Cuellar going 1-2-3. Salazar faced Cesar Chavez at lead off who grounded out to third. Jack Gradel was the next Blue faced, he hit one back to Salazar and it bounced off his glove to the glove of the second baseman who was able to throw it to first for the 1-4-3 out. Brendan Comerford had a battle with Salazar fighting off 12 pitches but he ended up striking out to lose the battle and end the inning. 

2 | Another 1-2-3 inning for pitching on the night. Cuellar faced Zach Leite who struck out, Canon King who grounded out to second, and Sean Asperger who lined out to Joey Blank at second. The Blues scored two runs off three hits in the bottom of the second. Kyle Becker led off, popping up to third. Diego Murillo reached first on a single to right. CJ Moran drove in Murillo with a double hit into the left field corner. Tate Blasi came to the plate collecting an infield single towards short, sending Moran to third. Blasi stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Saints catcher. This throwing error also scored Moran from third. Joey Blank and Jake Hixenbaugh both grounded out to second to end the inning.

3 | Brandon Nguyen led off for the Saints facing Cuellar. Nguyen flew out to left for the first out of the inning. Cam Andrews grounded out to short and Dylan Immel grounded out to second to end the inning. Chavez led off for the Blues, collecting a single up the middle. Gradel was the next Blue to the plate hitting a single to left. Comerford loaded the bases taking a pitch to the hand. Becker was able to drive in Chavez and get on base by a fielder's choice for Salazar to throw to short and get the force out of Comerford at second. Murillo was the next Blue to reach, scoring Gradel and reaching on a fielder's choice to get Becker at second. Moran drove in Murillo with a hard hit ball to the right field wall, almost collecting his second extra base hit of the night but being called out at third to end the inning. 

4 | Cuellar came back in for the Blues in the fourth. Flores was the first Saint to reach base on the night, drawing a walk. Panarisi flew out to right, Freer grounded out to second, and Leite grounded out to short. Blasi led off for the Blues facing Salazar. Blasi hit a single into center, Blank popped up into shallow right to the second baseman, Hixenbaugh ended the inning grounding into an unassisted double play at first.

5 | Carson King led off the fifth facing Cuellar. King drew a walk on a hit by pitch to take first but was later picked off for the first out. King flew out to center, and Nguyen flew out to right for the last out. It was a similar inning for the Blues with Salazar facing three batters. Chavez flew out to right, Gradel struck out, and Comerford lined out to second. 

6 | Cam Andrews led off for the Saints in the sixth and popped up to third facing Cuellar. Cuellar gave up his first hit of the game to Immel who collected a single to left. Flores walked and this was enough for Treanor to make the call to the pen for righty Hunter Koehler. The batters Koehler faced were Panarisi and Freer and he put them down in order both striking and swinging. Salazar stayed in to finish his sixth inning of work on the night. He faced Comerford, Becker, Murillo , and Moran. Comerford flew out to right, Becker grounded out to short, Murillo collected an infield single that bounced off the pitcher's mound back to the first base line barely staying fair, and Moran struck out to end the inning.

7 | In the top of the seventh Koehler faced four Saints. Freer got on by a walk, King flew out to right, Asperger grounded out to first, and Nguyen grounded out to second to end the inning. Blank led off the seventh for the Blues facing a new arm in Zach Bender for the Saints. Blank grounded out to second. Hixenbaugh drew a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Chavez popped up down the first base line to the Saints second baseman. Gradel drew a walk but Hixenbaugh was gunned down at third on the attempted double steal for the last out. 

8 | Bryce Padilla entered the game for the Blues in the eighth. Andrews was the first batter faced and he reached on a throwing error by Comerford to first. Immel struck out and Flores drew a walk. Panarisi grounded out to Comerford at third but not before colliding with Andrews for a runner's interference for the second and third out of the inning. Bender stayed in for the Saints and faced four Blues batters. Comerford flew out to right, Becker grounded out to first, Murillo got on by a hit-by-pitch but during Moran's at bat he was caught stealing by Saints Catcher Andrews.

9 | Padilla came in to close the game for the Blues in the ninth. The first batter he faced was Freer who singled to left. Leite struck out and King reached on a fielder's choice 6-4 to get Freer at second. Asperger hit a single to left to have two runners on. Nguyen drove in two Saints with a double deep to the right center wall. Andrews came to the plate and reached on an error by Blank. With the tying run coming to the plate Treanor called for a new arm in Carson Boyer for the save. Boyer was able to get the last out, striking out Immel for the Blues to end the threat.