Photos courtesy of the Humboldt Crabs – Action from Friday night’s game.

The Humboldt Crabs opened their final series of the 2023 season with a 6-1 win over the Sacramento Yankees at the Arcata Ball Park on Friday night and guaranteed themselves a single-digit loss campaign.

Heading into a Saturday night showdown, the Crabs (38-7) have two games remaining this summer and are just two wins from a 40-win record.

“We definitely have that in our mindset, let’s get to 40,” manager Robin Guiver said. “Regardless, it’s been a good summer.”

It certainly has been, even by the lofty Crabs standards.

The 2023 team will be remembered for some outstanding pitching, both from the starters and the bullpen, as well as the contributions of a sizable class of six local players, five off whom were part of that outstanding pitching staff and all of whom had a big impact.

The Crabs managed just five hits in Friday’s win, but broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and never looked back.

Billy Ham and Wyatt Reginatto each had a double in the win, while Jackson Giacone was 1-for-4 and scored one of his team’s runs.

A pair of local pitchers also were influential in the victory.

Former St. Bernard’s Crusader Garrison Finck threw six innings for the win and “kept us in a tight game,” according to Guiver.

The Cal State East Bay pitcher allowed just one earned run on four hits and a walk and struck out five.

Recent Eureka graduate Myles Standish made his second appearance of the week as he eases his way back from a long injury layoff and threw one scoreless inning in relief.

Standish gave up one hit and struck out two.

The outstanding Brady Chavez threw the final two innings to close out the win and continued his impressive season.

Chavez has yet to allow a run in 27 innings this summer and has been a reliable go-to guy late in games.

He has given up just 11 hits and four walks and has struck out 44.

The Crabs and Yankees will continue their weekend series on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. before closing out the season on Sunday, with first pitch set for 12:30 p.m.

After the season finale, Guiver will announce the end-of-season award winners to the crowd, including MVP, offensive and defensive players of the year, starting pitcher of the year, relief pitcher of the year and the winner of the prestigious coaches award.