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Top performances, August 14-16
- Dominic Miroglio, Amarillo: three R, 4-for-4, two RBI, two HR
- Eric Mendez, Visalia: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
- Seth Beer, Reno: two R, 2-for-5, two RBI, two HR, BB
- Humberto Mejia, Reno: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO
Saturday August 14th, 2021
Reno Aces 8 El Paso Chihuahuas 3
Luke Weaver had a rehab start, went 2 2⁄3 innings, and allowed just a hit and a pair of walks, while striking out six. Josh Green relieved Weaver and went 2 1⁄3 inning with three runs (two earned) on five hits, while striking out a pair of batters. Jesus Liranzo pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just a hit while striking out one. Matt Gage struck out two in a scoreless inning of work. Ryan Buchter walked a batter and got one out in the ninth before the game was called.
The Aces got on board in the top of the first with four runs. Ildemaro Vargas walked, Andrew Young singled, and Seth Beer followed up with another single, scoring Vargas. Cooper Hummel ground into a force out, with Young scoring and Beer out at second, but a throwing error allowed Hummel to avoid the double play. Juniel Querecuto then homered to make the score 4-0. The Aces scored another run in the top of the third after Seth Beer singled with Andrew Young and Seth Beer walked to put runners on first and second. Ildemaro Vargas would knock in a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, and add one more in the top of the ninth thanks to a solo homer.
Corpus Christi Hooks 12 Amarillo Sod Poodles 6
Amarillo was never really in this one, and basically played catch up the whole game. The closest the score was 1-1 after Dominic Miroglio homered to tie the game up, and then 5-3 after Jancarlos Cintron hit a two run homer in the bottom of the seventh. The Hooks then pulled away, and it was a bad day to be keeping up with the Joneses. Relievers Ty and Joe Jones combined to give up seven earned runs over their 1.1 innings. Tommy Henry allowed five runs in six innings, on seven hits and two walks, with six strikeouts. Miroglio (pictured top) did have a great game with the bat though. He was 4-for-4 with his sixth and seventh HRs. Stone Garrett also went deep, for the fifteenth time.
Eugene Emeralds 11 Hillsboro Hops 6
The score was only 3-2 to Eugene as we entered the seventh, but the Hops bullpen had a bit of a meltdown. Justin Vernia actually delivered a quality start, allowing three runs over six innings, scattering eight hits and a walk with six strikeouts. But Kai-Wei Lin had a nightmare, being tagged for five earned runs while recording five outs, on six hits and two walks, including a pair of homers. Bubby Ay fared little better, giving up four runs in his 1.1. innings. The Hops notched a four-run eighth but it proved futile; it included a three-run homer (#9) for Andy Yerzy. Spencer Brickhouse doubled and walked, while Cam Coursey singled, walked and scored two runs.
Visalia Rawhide 11 Lake Elsinore Storm 10
The Rawhide looked to be cruising after jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the second, but ended up holding on to win by the odd run in twenty-one. Obviously, they have the offense to thank, who piled up 12 hits and 9 walks, though also struck out 15 times. Ronny Simon reached base five times, on two hits and a trio of walks, while Elian Mirando hit his ninth homer and singled, driving in three runs. Eric Mendez was the only pitcher to have a good night, giving up just an unearned run over 2.2 innings, on two hits and no walks with four K’s. Starter Junior Mieses was tagged for five runs in 3.2 innings. Emmanuel Acosts recorded a five-out save, but allowed two in the ninth, before he stranded the tying run on second.
Sunday August 15th, 2021
Reno Aces 10 El Paso Chihuahuas 5
Humberto Mejia had another excellent start, going six innings and allowing one run on four hits, while striking out ten batters. Mejia cruised through the first four innings, with the only runner reaching bases thanks to an error by Ildemaro Vargas in the third. Mejia didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, when he gave up a triple, and a sac fly that broke up the no hitter and shutout. Mejia allowed a single and a double after that, but escaped any further damage. Jordan Weems retired all three batters he faced. Ryan Weiss walked three batters and struck out three batters, but escaped any runs scoring. Stefan Crichton went just 1⁄3 of an inning allowing four runs on five hits and two walks. Brandyn Sittinger inherited the bases loaded with only one out, and got the final two outs without allowing any of the runners to score.
Jake McCarthy led the game off with a solo homerun, and an out later, Seth Beer hit a solo homer of his own to give the Aces a 2-0 lead. Beer added a second home run in the top of the third. Cooper Hummel walked and scored on a Christian Lopes double later in the inning. A second run would have scored had Henry Ramos not been caught stealing. However in the top of the fifth, Ramos would walk, Hummel would single, and Christian Lopes doubled again, this time with both runners scoring, Juniel Querecuto then tripled, scoring Lopes. Jose Herrera walked to put runners on the corner. Humberto Mejia ground out, scoring Querecuto and advancing Herrera to second. Jake McCarthy singled, scoring Herrera, and Ildemaro Vargas doubled, scoring McCarthy. A wild pitch would advance Vargas to third, but Seth Beer popped out to end the inning.
- Seth Beer 2-5 with two HRs, walk
- Jake McCarthy 2-6 with a HR
Corpus Christi Hooks 7 Amarillo Sod Poodles 8
Kenny Hernandez went 4 ⅓ innings and allowed six runs on nine hits and walk, with a strikeout. Hernandez was hit hard, with three homeruns allowed. Jeff Bain fared much better, going three scoreless innings with just a pair of hits allowed, while striking out six. Mack Lemieux allowed just a hit while striking out three batters, but that hit was a solo homer. Matt Brill allowed a hit and a walk, while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.
Down 5-0 going into the bottom of the second, Amarillo battled back to win this one, getting their first run on the board with a Geraldo Perdomo solo home run. After the Hooks put another run on the board In the top of the fourth to make it 6-2, Amarillo scored three runs in the bottom of the inning. Stone Garrett reached on catcher's interference, and scored on a Dominic Canzone double. Canzone scored on a Luis Alejandro Basabe double, and Basabe scored on a Dominic Miroglio single. In the bottom of the fifth the Sod Poodles added a pair of runs after Stone Garret singled and scored on a Buddy Kennedy home run. In the bottom of the eighth Geraldo Perdomo doubled, and scored on a Dominic Canzone homerun
Eugene Emeralds 4 Hillsboro Hops 3
Wesley Rodriguez allowed a go-ahead home-run to lead off the top of the eighth inning, and that proved the margin of difference here. Shumpei Yoshikawa got the start and delivered three shutout innings; indeed, hitless, with two walks and four strikeouts. Austin Pope added two more zeroes but had to be lifted in the sixth, as the Emeralds scored three times to overturn a 1-0 Hops edge. That had come about as Jorge Barrosa led off the bottom of the first with his third HR of the year. Hillsboro came back to tie things up at three, scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth, on an Eduardo Diaz double and a throwing error. But after falling behind, they were unable to come back again. Barrosa singled in addition to his home-run.
Visalia Rawhide 7 Lake Elsinore Storm 15
Kyle Backhus went 2 1⁄3 innings, and allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk, while striking out one. Jose Alcantara relieved Backhus with two on and one out in the third inning, and allowed both runners to score. Alcantara went 1 2⁄3 innings, with two runs (one earned) allowed on four hits. John Carver went 2⁄3 of an inning, and allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits, three walks, and three wild pitches. Jose Santamaria relieved Carver with two on an no one out, and allowed one of the inherited runners to score. Santamaria went an inning and allowed one run on a wild pitch, three hits, and a walk, while striking out one. Alex Valdez went 2⁄3 of an inning and allowed four runs on four hits, while striking out one, though he didn’t allow either of the two runners he inherited to score. Bryan Castillo went 1 2⁄3 innings, with a run allowed on three hits, a walk, and three wild pitches.
The Rawhide at one point lead 7-4, after scoring fours runs in the top of the second, and three runs in the top of fourth. Unfortunately the Rawhide couldn’t score anymore runs, while the storm scored eleven runs from that point on.
- Ryan Bliss 2-5 with a stolen base
- Adrian Del Castillo 2-5 with a double
- Deyvison De Los Santos 2-4 with a pair of doubles, hit by pitch
Monday August 16th, 2021
Reno Aces 11, El Paso Chihuahuas 12
Not often a team has an eight-run inning and loses. But this IS the PCL, where such a frame is just “a good start.” Reno sent eleven to the plate in the seventh, the first seven reaching. Ildemaro Vargas singled and homered, there were two bases loaded walks and Seth Beer still hit into a double-play. Unfortunately: a) Reno trailed by five going in, and b) J.B. Bukauskas gave up two bases loaded walks and a two-run single in the bottom, as El Paso retook the lead. Riley Smith got the start and lasted four innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk with two Ks. Then Luis Castillo retired just two of eight batters he faced, allowing the Chihuahuas to jump out to an 8-3 lead, before the lengthy seventh.
Obviously, a better day for the offense than the pitchers, Reno getting 12 hits and 8 walks in total. Jamie Ritchie led the hit parade with three of them, including a pair of doubles, and Andrew Young also reached base three times, on a hit and two walks. In addition to Vargas’s fourth homer, Henry Ramos hit bomb #11.