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“We didn’t play nine innings,” manager Sal Colangelo said. “We didn’t play every pitch. We just came up short.”

On a quiet offensive night for the normally dangerous Big Train lineup, catcher Gaby Cruz (Bryant) had the team’s lone RBI, which came on a single in the third inning.

“Giving us the lead at the time was good,” Cruz said about his knock. “It was unfortunate that we gave up the lead later in the game and couldn’t just come all the way through, but it feels good to contribute.”

The Big Train had their best chance to even the score in the eighth inning. Down 3-1, they had runners on second and third with nobody out. Though one run crossed the plate on a passed ball, the Big Train were unable to bring the tying run home.

“It’s baseball,” Colangelo said about the team’s troubles with runners in scoring position. “I’m frustrated and I’m upset.”

Hoping to keep many arms as fresh as possible heading into the brief All-Star break, the Big Train sent eight hurlers to the mound. Their formidable effort yielded only three runs on nine hits, to go along with eight strikeouts.  

The Big Train look to head into the brief All-Star break on a positive note with a win on Sunday against the Gaithersburg Giants. Though Saturday’s loss was disappointing, it gives the Big Train players and coaches the chance to regroup and focus on having a strong last few weeks of the season.

“It’s been a long season,” Cruz said. “Taking care of our bodies is big, being able to come out here and play every day. We just have to take it as any other day and have a strong final quarter of the season.”

The first pitch at Criswell Automotive Field is at 7 pm.