By Sasha Steinberg
Dylan Bein (1-0) got his first win of the season as the Santa Barbara Foresters (28-7, 23-5) beat the Los Angeles Brewers (18-6, 14-6) at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium on Sunday afternoon 5-2. Bein recorded five strikeouts and gave up zero walks and one run in five full innings of work.
The Foresters spoiled Steven Kane’s first start for the Brewers roughing him up early and eventually cruising to their 28th overall win of the season and 23rd in league play.
The ‘Sters got on the board first when Tyler Krieger lined a single to left field with two outs in the bottom of the first scoring Jaylin Davis from second base putting the Foresters up 1-0.
The Forester bats began to really get on a role in the bottom half of the second starting with a single to right from A.J. Balta. A.J. Kennedy then moved Balta to third on a smash up the middle. Troy Cruz knocked Balta home with a hard sacrifice bunt down the first base line.
The next batter Colt Atwood reached base thanks to an error on the first basemen Nick Maguire allowing A.J. Kennedy to score. After Atwood stole second, the Foresters continued their hot hitting when Ford Stainback crushed a ball to left center field scoring Atwood extending the Foresters’ lead to 4-0.
In the top of the fourth, Brewers’ Nick McGuire blasted a ball to deep right field on the first pitch he saw for a home run cutting the lead to 4-1.
The earned run marked only the second given up by Bein this season through 13.67 innings. Blake Goins came into relieve Bein in the sixth who was able to lower his season ERA to 1.32.
In relief, Blake Goins, John Williamson, Cody Van Aken, and Matt Withrow combined to pitch four full innings for the ‘Sters striking out three batters and giving up zero earned runs.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Brewers’ Dylan Moore hit a hard ground ball to shortstop Stainback who made a nice play in the field, though underthrew the ball to first base allowing Moore to reach base safely. The error was Stainback’s second of the day. Moore went on to score an unearned run following a fly ball single by Louis Payetta narrowing the Foresters’ lead to 4-2.
The ‘Sters got an insurance run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth off a ball belted by Balta to right center field scoring Tyler Krieger from first, increasing their lead to 5-2.
With the win, the Foresters take two out of three from the hard-hitting Brewers after losing the first game of the series 4-1. Dylan Bein is the EP Player of the Game for his superb pitching which led to the victory. The ‘Sters are now four games up on the division rival San Luis Blues.
After a day off on Monday, the Foresters resume play against the Conejo Oaks where they look for revenge after losing to them in the Rawlings California Cup. The game is set to start on Tuesday at 5:00pm in Thousand Oaks.
