Astros Split Two Games with Royals
July 8, 2016 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Greeneville Astros News Release
Greeneville, TN - The Greeneville Astros (6-9) and Burlington Royals (9-6) split their two games at Pioneer Park on Thursday night. The Astros took the first match-up in dramatic walk-off fashion with a 7-6 win, which completed Wednesday's suspended game. Then, the Royals bounced back to take the second game, 13-3.
The suspended game picked up in the top of the second with no score, but the Royals quickly changed that with a three-run inning. Jonathan McCray got them started with a RBI single before they added two more scores on a RBI ground out and an Astros error.
The Astros got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the second inning. After Bryan De La Cruz hit a leadoff triple, a Connor MacDonald ground out brought him home.
In the third, the Royals came back to add another two runs on a Kort Peterson RBI single and a Nicky Lopez sacrifice fly. Then, a few innings later in the sixth, it was Astros catcher Raymond Henderson who led off the inning with a solo homer on a line drive to left field to cut Burlington's lead to 5-2.
The home run for Henderson was his second in the last two games and just part of a big night at the plate for the Astros' 22nd round draft selection in 2016.
After a Chris DiVito RBI single extended the Royals lead to 6-2 in the top of the eighth, the Astros rally began.
Miguelangel Sierra led off the bottom of the eighth with a triple before Jonathan Arauz knocked him in with a RBI single. Then, the next three batters were walked to bring in another score. A sacrifice fly by MacDonald brought the Astros within one, and the tying run came when Chaz Pal reached on a fielding error allowing Frankeny Fernandez to score from third.
After the Astros held the Royals in the top of the ninth, they had set themselves up to complete the rally and deliver a walk-off win for the home crowd. Marcos Almonte led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on bunt single by Sierra. The next batter, Arauz, was walked to load the bases. Then, Henderson stepped up and hit a deep ball to right field to deliver a walk-off sacrifice fly before being mobbed by his teammates in celebration.
Henderson finished the night going one-for-two, scored two runs, walked twice, and had two RBI. Meanwhile, Sierra led the team in hits with a three-for-four game as the leadoff man.
Astros reliever Josue Uribe got the win in his team debut. The 21-year-old pitched one scoreless inning in the ninth allowing one hit and striking out one.
The two teams took a temporary break and then went back at it again in a seven-inning affair.
The Royals quickly took an early lead with five runs in the first inning. Boo Vasquez had a RBI single to get the first run on the board before Tyler Straub and Jose Sanchez hit back-to-back doubles plating four more.
The Astros' offensive production came largely from the long ball in the second game as Sierra hit a leadoff homer in the first inning for his team-high fifth of the year. The only other score for Greeneville came in the ninth when Justin Garcia hit a two-run shot that cleared the wall in right field.
Garcia became the thirteenth different player on Greeneville's roster to hit a home run this season, two more than all of 2015. With three home runs between the two games on Thursday, the Astros now have a league-leading 21 on the year.
All the home runs would not be enough for the Astros as the Royals added two runs in the third and six more in the sixth to put the game away.
Straub led the way for the Royals with five RBI on a two-for-three night while Nicky Lopez added three RBI after going two-for-four.
Burlington starter Geoffrey Bramblett (2-0) picked up the win after going five innings and surrendering one hit and one run while striking out three.
The Astros will host the Royals in the rubber match to claim the series on Friday night at Pioneer Park. Astros right-hander Carlos Sanabria will get the start with first pitch set for 7:00pm. Friday Night Fireworks will immediately follow the conclusion of the game.
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 July 8, 2016
- Astros Split Two Games with Royals - Greeneville Astros
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