Rogues Show Fireworks, Walk-Off Magic as July Stretch Begins
Medford swept the West Coast Kings, opened strong against Healdsburg and enters a busy July homestand at 16-6 overall.
MEDFORD, Ore. — The Medford Rogues did not have a quiet week.
They walked off the West Coast Kings, then buried them a night later. They opened a weekend series against Healdsburg with another walk-off win, then ran into the Prune Packers’ pitching and late power over the final two games.
By the end of the five-game stretch, Medford had gone 3-2, moved to 16-6 overall and 5-4 in Pacific Empire League play, and showed both the punch and the inconsistency that can shape the middle of a summer baseball season.
Rogues delivers against the Healdsburg Prune Packers at Harry & David Field. The Rogues opened the weekend series with a walk-off win before Healdsburg took the final two games. Photo by Anthony Nunez
The loudest moment came June 24, when the Rogues erupted for a season-high 19 runs in a 19-2 win over the West Coast Kings at Harry & David Field. Medford scored in bunches, including nine runs in the sixth inning and six more in the seventh, turning the night into its biggest offensive performance of the season.
That win completed a two-game sweep of the Kings after the Rogues opened the week with an 8-7 walk-off victory on June 23. Daniel Behrmann lifted Medford in the opener with a walk-off sacrifice fly, while Larsen Koester helped fuel the comeback with a two-run ground-rule double.
Koester continued to be one of Medford’s most reliable run producers during the week. He also delivered the walk-off single Friday night against Healdsburg, giving the Rogues a 7-6 win in the series opener against the defending Pacific Empire League champions.
That Friday win had several layers. Jonathan Walsh opened the scoring with his first home run of the season, Quinton Olson added a run-scoring triple, and Koester finished it in the ninth after Diego Grabiel led off the inning with a single.
The weekend turned harder from there.
On Saturday, Medford was held to three hits in a 4-0 loss, wasting a strong eight-inning start from Herman Luna. The game stayed scoreless until the seventh inning, when Healdsburg finally broke through with late home-run power.
Luna’s outing still stood out. He worked deep into the game, allowed four runs, three earned, and gave Medford the kind of length that matters during a busy summer schedule. For the season, Luna is 4-1 with a 2.50 earned run average across 36 innings.
The Medford Rogues watch from the dugout during a home series against the Healdsburg Prune Packers. Medford entered July at 16-6 overall after a week that included two walk-off wins and a season-high 19 runs. Photo by Calea Finch
The Medford Rogues’ bats came alive during a busy home stretch at Harry & David Field, producing two walk-off wins and a season-high 19 runs during a sweep of the West Coast Kings. Photo by Calea Finch
Healdsburg claimed the series Sunday with a 10-4 win, using a five-run ninth inning to pull away after Medford had stayed within reach most of the afternoon. The Prune Packers finished with 12 hits and played errorless baseball, while the Rogues used seven pitchers in the loss.
Even with the weekend setback, Medford’s lineup remains one of the more dangerous groups in the league. Through 22 games, the Rogues are batting .294 as a team with a .414 on-base percentage, a .393 slugging percentage, 147 runs and eight home runs.
Diego Grabiel has been one of the most efficient bats in the order, entering July with a .406 batting average and .578 on-base percentage. Evan Saito has combined contact and speed, batting .385 with a .500 on-base percentage and 22 stolen bases. Koester has driven in 19 runs while adding six doubles, one triple and one home run.
Behrmann has also helped set the table and extend innings, batting .357 with a .474 on-base percentage, while Anthony Thomas Jr. has supplied extra-base power with three home runs and a .629 slugging percentage.
On the mound, Forrest Zelmer gave Medford a strong start in the 19-2 win over West Coast, working six innings and striking out six. Caleb Randolph earned the win in Friday’s walk-off against Healdsburg and is 2-0 on the season, while Luna remains the staff’s workhorse through the first half of the schedule.
The next stretch will keep the Rogues at home and give them a chance to build momentum again.
Medford is scheduled to host Lydo’s Labs on Wednesday and Thursday at 6:35 p.m., followed by a home series against the Marysville Giants from Friday through Sunday. The Rogues are then scheduled to host the Lincoln Potters July 7-9 and the Humboldt Crabs July 10-11 before a long road swing through the middle of the month.
After a week with walk-offs, blowouts, shutouts and late-inning heartbreak, Medford enters July with plenty to clean up — but still plenty of offense to make the next run possible.
Cover image: Jonathan Walsh sends a first-inning home run over the wall for the Medford Rogues during the series opener against the Healdsburg Prune Packers at Harry & David Field. The homer was Walsh’s first of the season and helped spark Medford’s 7-6 walk-off win. Photo by Anthony Nunez
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