Turay drives in deciding run in Brewers' 5-4 win over Raptors by Curt Synness, Helena Independent Record If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Fortunately for Helena Brewers closer Connor Whalen, he succeeded on his first retry of recording the game’s final out Monday at Kindrick Legion Field. With the Brewers leading the Ogden Raptors 5-2 heading into the top of the ninth, Whalen was inserted into the game in relief of Damien Magnifico. The Raptors managed to load the bases, but with two outs, Whalen worked a 1-and-2 count on Eric Smith — one strike away from the win. But Smith proceeded to lace a two-run single to right field, closing the gap to 5-4, with the tying run on third. Next up was Ogden’s Devin Shines, who Whalen was able to get ahead in the count 1-2, again one strike from victory. Only this time he closed the deal, fanning Shines on a called third strike to end the game. But the key to the win, according to manager Jeff Isom, took place the inning before on Michael Turay’s run-scoring single. “When we were ahead 4-2, we kept talkin’ in the dugout that we needed another run,” related Isom. “So then in the eighth Mike Turay got that clutch RBI single, and sure enough it turned out to be the difference.” Turay’s game-winner scored Raul Mondesi Jr. from third, after the right fielder had gotten aboard after a groundball and a two-base throwing error. Ogden took an early 2-0 lead in the opening inning, with the Brewers coming back to tie it up in the fourth. Then in the fifth, Helena third baseman Andres Martinez broke the deadlock with a monster solo home run that cleared the 45-foot netting in left field. “That was a well-struck ball,” Isom grinned. “Andres has some power; if he can put the ball in play, it has a chance to go out.” The hosts ended up scoring another marker in the fifth stanza for a two-run advantage, before Turay’s decider — and his second hit of the game — in the eighth. Smith paced the Raptors offense, with two hits and two RBIs. Helena used four pitchers; starter Ryan Gibbard, Michael White, Magnifico and Whalen. White earned his second win and Whalen picked up his sixth save, tying him with Grand Junction’s Scott Oberg for the Pioneer League lead. Gibbard went four innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out three. Jake Hermsen took the loss for Ogden. Several plays that didn’t show up in the box score for the Brewers were a pair of web gems by second baseman Chris McFarland and a long running catch in the left-center gap by centerfielder Michael Reed. The teams meet again today at Kindrick Legion at 7:05 PM (8:05 Central).