Astros Sink Pirates, 4-1
Published on August 7, 2016 under Appalachian League (ApL)
Greeneville Astros News Release
Greeneville, TN - Following a late-inning loss in game two, the Greeneville Astros (24-19) set their sights on revenge, taking down the Bristol Pirates (17-25) thanks in part to their solid pitching. Greeneville pitchers Patrick Sandoval and Diogenes Almengo combined to shut down the Pirates offensively in a 4-1 Astros win to take the series two games to one.
Sandoval (2-2) earned the win due to his stellar performance. The 19-year-old threw five shutout innings, surrendering only three hits, striking out seven and not giving up any walks or runs. Three of those five innings saw Sandoval sitting down the Pirates in order.
Jonathan Arauz and Connor MacDonald led Greeneville offensively. Arauz, who went two-for-five, has now recorded a multi-hit night in five of his last six games. Meanwhile, MacDonald finished two-for-four for his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
Greeneville opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third inning as second baseman Arauz kept swinging a hot stick with a leadoff double, his third in as many games. A sacrifice bunt would move Arauz to third, ultimately scoring on a fielder's choice.
The score would remain 1-0 in favor of the Astros until the bottom of the sixth when Greeneville would tack on three additional runs. After a single and back-to-back hit-by-pitches loaded the bases, center fielder Frankeny Fernandez flied out to right field for a sacrifice fly. All of the runners would tag up to advance, but when Bristol right fielder Henrry Rosario tried to throw out Carlos Machado at second base his throw would carom off of Machado with the ball ending up in left field scoring another run and advancing Machado to third. The Astros right fielder would then score on a wild pitch extending Greeneville's lead to four.
Bristol's only run of the game would take place in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs and a man on first via the walk, a single to right field put runners at the corners. Bristol second baseman Raul Siri singled to Stijn van der Meer scoring a run, but the shortstop caught the other Bristol runner too far off second base as he would eventually get thrown out at third to end the inning.
Almengo threw a perfect three up, three down ninth inning for the Astros without a single ball leaving the infield. The reliever earned the save, his second on the year, in his four innings of work only giving up one run.
The Astros now embark on a three game road trip to Pulaski with Sunday night's game set for 5:00pm. The Astros will send Nathan Thompson (2-0) to the mound to defend their perfect 3-0 record against the Yankees this year.
The Astros are the Appalachian League affiliate of the Houston Astros. For more information, visit www.greenevilleastros.com or call (423) 638-0411.
Appalachian League Stories from August 7, 2016
- Offense Shines in Dominate Win over Pirates - Kingsport Axmen
- Arauz Homers But Yankees Slip Past Astros, 8-7 - Greeneville Astros
- Yankees Win Fifth in a Row - Pulaski River Turtles
- Astros Sink Pirates, 4-1 - Greeneville Astros
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