Despite More Roster Shuffling, Legends Sit Just 4.5 Games out of Wild Card
With the All-Star Break beginning Tuesday, the 2025 Legends season has been a roller coaster. Whether it’s overcoming injuries or building on winning streaks, this team has seen it all. Mustering up two more valuable wins against the Crawdads and Merchants this week, increased the teams’ chances of sneaking into a playoff spot.
Vs Walnut Creed Crawdads
In their third meeting of the season, Diego Menjivar took the ball for the third time this summer. Ironically, his previous outing was a save opportunity against the Crawdads going 1.1 innings and earning the save. This appearance, was more memorable as he went five innings allowing just one earned run while striking out four.
The offense found its rhythm in the last of the second where Will Anderson and Austin Rabago each singled, sparking a rally. A two-out soft line drive by Blake Cowans allowed Anderson to score. An overthrow from the Crawdad left fielder put two runners in scoring position, where Charlie Deggeler cleared the table with another two-out knock.
A quick 4-0 lead was cut in half in the top of the fourth. However, the Legends offense responded with two of their own. In his second at-bat of the evening, Rabago turned on an 0-1 pitch. He quickly went into a light jog out of the box, as he watched the ball disappear into the East Bay skyline. Duce Filter followed the solo bomb with a single himself. The two-out hits continued to plague the Crawdads, after Aaron Louis hit a laser, bouncing up against the left center field wall. Filter jogged in for an RBI while Louis attempted to stretch a double into a triple. Unfortunately, Louis would limp into third out after injuring his hamstring.
The pitching took over the second half of this game with the Legends trying to hold a 6-2 lead. The Legends bullpen has been unpredictable all year, making a four run lead feel unsafe. Francisco Leija was first out of the bullpen pitching a smooth sixth and seventh inning, but ran got into trouble entering the eighth.
Having thrown roughly 10 warm pitches in the bullpen, recent acquisition Will Pires came in with the bases loaded and one out. A walk and a single advanced the tying and go-ahead runs into scoring position. Pires has always been know for his love for competition, a main reason why Sanzeri added him to the team mid-season. Sanzeri has worked with Pires since his days pitching for Serra High School, just down the road.
With the Crawdads threatening, Pires went deep into his years of training striking out the next two hitters. He continued his dominance in the ninth, striking out two more Crawdads and earning the save.
“I had to find my release point against the first couple hitters,” Pires said when breaking down his performance. “Once I found it, I just tried to throw every pitch and not worry about what the umpire or other guys were doing.”
Menjivar earned his second win of the season while Pires was granted his first save as a Legend in their 6-5 win over the Crawdads.
Vs Alemeda Merchants
The second and final game of the homestead this week, was an odd one. Both teams combined for 14 runs on 25 hits and seven errors. Like any other California Collegiate League game, this one had plenty of elite approaches at the plate and strong pitching performances. However, within the first four innings the Merchants had committed four little league level errors. It was clear the Legends had caught their opponent on a bad night. In each of their previous six matchups, the Merchants had performed air tight defense. One of many reasons they stand one game back of the CCL North Division Standings.
Tyler Lachance was the starter and had shown flashes of his potential in his three innings of work this season, but not to the standard he envisioned. With something to prove against a top opponent in the CCL North Division, Lachance set the tone. An early 10-0 lead in the second inning definitely dimmed any pregame jitters, but Lachance’s stuff that day would have been immaculate with any lead. His night ended with three scoreless innings and one strikeout.
An early two run first innings followed by an eight run second sucked the life out of the Merchants. Quincy Via shined in the leadoff spot, reaching base in two of his four plate appearances in addition to recording his 28th stolen base of the year. Austin Rabago continued to steal the spotlight, collecting two hits and three RBI’s stretching his hit streak to seven games. (Now eight after July 11th game vs loss to Merchants).
“My preparation has felt a lot better recently” Rabago said amidst his seven game hitting streak. “Whether I’m playing or not, you gotta be the same guy everyday, put in the same work every day.” During his hot stretch, the uncommitted infielder has accumulated a .409 AVG with 12 RBI, 6 R, 4 XBH and 2 HRs. Starting the year in and out of the starting lineup, Rabago has cemented himself as an everyday player.
Charlie Deggeller was another hot bat in the nine spot Wednesday night. The lefty reached base in all four plate appearances including three hits and two stolen bases. He currently leads all qualified Legends hitters with a whopping .371 AVG while locking down center field.
The Legends cruised by the Merchants with a 10-4 win, as Matthew Anderson earned his second win of the year.
Upcoming Games
7/13 @ Walnut Creek Crawdads 8pm
7/14 vs Walnut Creek Crawdads 5pm
7/15-17 CCL All Star Break
7/18 @ Santa Barbara Foresters 4:30pm
7/18 @ Santa Barbara Foresters 4:30pm
