Wright goes deep again in Titans' victory

Taylor Wright (North Vancouver, B.C.) clubbed his 17th home run of the season in the Ottawa Titans’ 15-5 win over the Gateway Grizzlies on Monday. Photo: Ottawa Titans (file photo)

August 16, 2026

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Sauget, Ill. - Needing a spark, the Ottawa Titans rallied with a pair of huge offensive innings to avoid the sweep with a 15-5 victory over the Gateway Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon.

Down 1-0 early after a first-inning solo homer from Victor Castillo - the Titans put up five runs on rookie left-hander Blake Peyton to take a 5-1 lead. Taking advantage of five walks, the Titans sent 10 to the plate - as a fielder's choice, a wild pitch, an error and a two-run single from Hunter Stokely put the visitors ahead.

Kevin Miranda kept the Titans in the game with 2 2/3 innings in his sixth start of the year. The Grizzlies connected for a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the third from Dale Thomas and Darryl Lee to cut into the deficit to 5-3.

Miranda was taken out of the game in the third, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out two. The three homers allowed by the former Blue Jays farmhand were the first of their kind since May 29 at Down East.

Holding onto a slim margin, the Titans erupted for an eight-run frame in the fifth to blow it open. Stokely ripped an opposite-field three-run homer, AJ Wright posted his first hit of the series with an RBI double and Myles Smith cashed in with his second grand slam of the season. Posting their fourth eight-run inning of the season, the Titans were up big at 10-3.

Michael Vilchez gave the Titans 2 1/3 innings of one-run ball to earn his second win of the trip. Ted Stuka fanned two in a clean inning of work. Liu Fuenmayor surrendered one run in two innings of relief while Heitor Tokar finished off the day with a scoreless ninth.

For good measure in the ninth, Taylor Wright (North Vancouver, B.C.) blasted a two-run homer for his team-leading 17th of the year to finish the scoring. The Canadian finished the road trip with four homers and now is five away from tying a single-season record.

Myles Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, grand slam and four RBIs. Hunter Stokely posted a three-hit game by going 3-for-5 with a homer and five driven in. AJ Wright brought home one as part of a three-hit game, posting his 500th career professional hit in the process. Caleb Burr had a multi-hit effort for the second consecutive day.

After an off day on Monday, the Titans head home for a six-game series with the opener against the Mississippi Mud Monsters on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. at Ottawa Stadium.