What a night for O’Hearn?! He made us all put on our “Oh” faces (Office Space anyone?). Most people will point to the Grand Slam or one of the two 3 run home runs, but I think his most impressive hit was the single he hit in the bottom of the 8th inning.
Most seasoned veterans would’ve opted to hit another Grand Slam, or a 2 run home run with Valdez on base at the time. Not Ryan O’Hearn. That would’ve hurt the team. Ryan O’Hearn doesn’t waste his home runs.
Utility man Jorge Mateo was in the midst of spinning a gem of an inning minus the walk to Valdez, when O’Hearn stepped up and laced a single to prove to his team that this guy was hittable in the 8th inning of an 11-2 ball game. The team could breathe a sigh of relief. And now with Ryan O’Hearn showing the way, Billy Cook was now prepared to run, Nicky G and Tyler Callihan could swing the bat without fear for singles of their own. It was similar to when Rocky cut Drago in Moscow.
In future games, I hope this whole team avoids hitting four home runs, and opts for a small ball approach when facing position players on the mound. If you want to send equipment from a game to Coopertown, follow O’Hearn’s approach.
