EL1 Trenton Thunder

El Trueno Fall Short against Las Pinatas

Published on June 8, 2019 under Eastern League (EL1)
Trenton Thunder News Release


El Trueno de Trenton missed multiple run-scoring opportunities Saturday night and fell just short in a 3-2 loss to Las Piñatas de Erie in front of a crowd of 7,998, the nineteenth-largest crowd in franchise history at ARM & HAMMER Park.

For the second straight night, El Trueno (33-24) were unproductive with runners on base, stranding nine runners and going 0-for-11 with men in scoring position. The loss was El Trueno's fifth in their last six games and kept the team a half-game behind first-place Hartford, who had lost to Binghamton earlier in the evening.

Hoy Jun Park led off the bottom of the first inning for El Trueno with a single and advanced to third on the following at-bat when Gosuke Katoh reached on a throwing error by Erie (28-28) shortstop Sergio Alcantara. Ben Ruta battled for a ten-pitch at-bat before bringing Park home on a groundout, and Katoh later scored from third on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Trueno lead.

Las Piñatas, however, whittled away against Trueno starter Garrett Whitlock. Cam Gibson delivered a second-inning RBI-single and scored the tying run in the fifth when Whitlock threw late and wildly past first base on a bunt single by Luke Burch.

Whitlock went on to turn in a quality start, limiting Erie to two runs (one earned) on four hits. It was the eighth time in ten starts this season that the right-hander allowed two or fewer earned runs.

Erie took the lead in the top of the seventh off Trueno reliever Brooks Kriske (0-1). The right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Alcantara, who stole second base and scored the go-ahead run when second baseman Katoh threw errantly past first base as Gibson legged out an infield single.

Three Piñatas relievers each tossed one scoreless inning in relief of number-two Detroit Tigers prospect Matt Manning (5-3), who struck out eight and allowed just two unearned runs in six innings.

El Trueno committed three errors in the game, matching a season-high for the team and contributing to two unearned runs.

Your Thunder continue their homestand on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against the SeaWolves. RHP Trevor Stephan (0-3, 6.35) will start for the Thunder, and RHP Kyle Funkhouser will go for Erie. Tickets are available by phone at 609-394-3300 or online at TrentonThunder.com.

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Eastern League Stories from June 8, 2019


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