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Former Azusa Pacific catcher, now Oakland Athletics catcher Stephen Vogt’s first career MLB postseason hit wins Game Two of the ALDS.
Courtesy of APU Sports Information

The game is tied 0-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game Two of the American League Division Series between the Oakland Athletics and the Detroit Tigers. The bases are loaded with no outs for former Azusa Pacific catcher Stephen Vogt. Prior to this at-bat, Vogt is 0-3 with three strikeouts on the night. Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland calls on pitcher Rick Porcello to face Vogt.

The count is 1-1. With the pitch from Porcello, Vogt drives the ball into left field for a base hit. Yoenis Cespedes trots home for the winning run. Pandamonium breaks out in the Oakland Coliseum.

Saturday night’s game-winning at-bat for Vogt followed his seventh-inning at-bat in which he faced Justin Verlander and battled the pitching ace for 10 pitches until he struck out.

Vogt’s walk-off single was his first major-league postseason hit and also his first career game-winning hit in the big leagues. He is the first player in Azusa Pacific history to play in a Major League Baseball playoff game and has started all three games in the series thus far.

In today’s Game Three at Comerica Park in Detroit, Vogt went 1-for-2 with a triple in the fourth inning. A’s outfielder Coco Crisp followed with a sacrifice fly that brought Vogt home to make the score 3-0. In the fifth inning, Vogt walked. Derek Norris came in as a pinch hitter for Vogt in the eighth inning, ending his night early. The A’s came through victorious with a final score of 6-3 and now lead the series 2-1 against the Tigers.

The game Saturday night was exactly six months from the day Vogt was acquired by the A’s. He batted .252 in 47 games with them this season. Look for Vogt to continue contributing for the A’s as the Tigers face elimination in Game Four tomorrow at 2:07 p.m. If the A’s win, they will advance to the American League Championship Series to face the winner of the series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays.