Barrera Has Big Night in Loss to Sod Poodles
June 2, 2019 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
In case you're wondering, "Sod Poodle" is another term for a prairie dog, defined by Wikipedia as a "herbivorous burrowing rodent native to the grasslands of North America." Turns out the little guys can be really efficient with a baseball bat, too.
Amarillo scored a total of five runs in the fourth and fifth and did it on seven hits and two sacrifice fly balls. The Sod Poodles erased 2-0 deficit with a three-run fourth and added two more in the fifth, defeating the RockHounds, 6-4, Saturday night at Security Bank Ballpark.
The 2-through-5 hitters in the Amarillo order went a combined 9-for-18, scoring all six runs (and driving in three of them). Ivan Castillo (2-for-5, two doubles, run), Owen Miller (2-for-5, two runs), Luis Torrens (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI) and Kyle Overstreet (3-for-4, run, RBI) led a 15-hit attack as the Sod Poodles won for the first time in five tries at Rocky Town.
Trailing, 2-0, entering the fourth, Amarillo scored three runs on four consecutive singles (Miller, Torrens, Overstreet and Brad Zunica) and two sac flies (Chris Baker and Buddy Reed). They added two more in the fifth on consecutive hits from Miller (a two-out Single), Torrens (RBI double) and Overstreet (RBI single). Castillo doubled in the seventh, stole third and scored on Torrens' sac fly.
Mikey White's solo home run in the first gave the RockHounds an early lead and Brallan Perez' sac fly converted Kevin Merrell's second-inning triple into a 2-0 advantage.
The 'Hounds cut Amarillo's lead to two runs at 5-3 (fifth) and 6-4 (ninth) but could not close the gap any further.
Notable
Mother Nature was, again, a player Saturday night, washing out the Hooks and RoughRiders in the Metroplex. Frisco (29-25) leads Amarillo (27-26) by a game-and-a-half ... Corpus Christi (26-27) by two-and-a-half and the RockHounds (25-29) by four games.
Frisco and Corpus will try to play a double-header Sunday. If either (or both) of the games are rained out, they will not be made up, as the clubs do not meet again in the first half, so a rainout would add yet another "weather-related twist" to the South Division standings.
After his first at-bat Friday, Luis Barrera was 2-for-his-last-23. Since then he is 6-for-7 with three doubles, three runs and three RBI (plus a walk, on base in 7-of-8 trips). He went 4-for-4 Saturday night with a pair of two-baggers, scoring one run and driving in another.
Brallan Perez opened the season with the RockHounds but hit just .167 in 17 games. After a short stint with Oakland's two Single-A clubs he rejoined the club last week at Amarillo and has been a "different player" since his return. He went 1-for-2 Saturday with a single, walk and a sac fly and is 8-for-16 (.500) in five games back with the 'Hounds.
Jonah Heim went 0-for-1 but reached base three times (two walks and a hit by pitch) and has reached base safely in 11 straight games. Correcting his numbers in the 11-gamer (and wow, sorry for the mathematical vapor lock!), Jonah is 13-for-38 (.342), with four doubles, three HR, 12 RBI and a .468 OBP. He has also reached base in 22-of-24 games (.302) and in 36-of-40 (.303).
Dairon Blanco (0-for-5) saw his nine-game hit streak snapped but is still hitting .410 (16-for-39) in his last 10.
Mikey White (1-for-5, two runs, solo home run) has hits in seven straight games (9-29, .310) ... is hitting .313 (with 17 runs and 17 RBI) in his last 20 games ... and has reached base in 27-of-his-last-28 contests (.282).
Next Game
Sunday, June 2 vs. Amarillo Sod Poodles
Security Bank Ballpark 2:00 p.m. (Gates open 1:30)
Family Day
- Final of a three-game series and of a six-game homestand
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 1:47 p.m.
Probable Starters
AMA: Miguel Diaz (RH, 2-1, 4.79)
RH: Daulton Jefferies (RH, 0-1, 3.00)
Texas League Stories from June 2, 2019
- Pitching Excels in Pair of Narrow Losses - Frisco RoughRiders
- Riders Welcome 12,023 to Dr Pepper Ballpark Sunday - Frisco RoughRiders
- Cardinals Capture Finale, 6-1 over Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Topple Tulsa and Avoid Sweep - Arkansas Travelers
- Big Hit in Ninth, Radke's Dominance Propels Soddies to Series Win - Amarillo Sod Poodles
- Tulsa Drops Series Finale - Tulsa Drillers
- Cardinals Fall to Naturals in Front of Second Straight Sellout Crowd - Springfield Cardinals
- Barrera Has Big Night in Loss to Sod Poodles - Midland RockHounds
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