Express Sink Rainiers 3-2
July 25, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (50-53) utilized homers from DH Christian Lopes and 3B Andy Ibanez to secure a 3-2 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers (51-52) on Wednesday night at Dell Diamond. With the win, the E-Train take the series and stretch their winning streak to four straight games.
Express reliever LHP Brady Feigl (5-0, 2.22) took home the win after pitching a scoreless seventh inning, while starter RHP Adrian Sampson held Tacoma to just two runs on eight hits over 6.0 frames, striking out five and walking one. Rainiers reliever RHP Ross Detwiler (2-4, 6.10) was penciled in for the loss after ending up on the receiving end of both Round Rock home runs.
Tacoma got on the board early, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. LF Ian Miller led off the game by reaching on an error before stealing second base and eventually coming home on RF John Andreoli's RBI single. In the third, Andreoli struck again by lacing a run-scoring double to left to put the visitors up 2-0.
The Express bats were held quiet until the bottom of the fifth, when Detwiler served up an 0-2 fastball to Lopes, who deposited the pitch onto the berm in left field for a solo shot. Lopes' round-tripper was his 10th of the season, marking his first time eclipsing double-digit homers in his professional career.
Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, Round Rock used another longball to take their first lead of the night 3-2. After SS Cliff Pennington climbed aboard on a single, Ibanez socked a two-run bomb off Detwiler that landed just in front of the Home Run Porch in left. The homer was the ninth of the year for Ibanez.
With the lead secured, the E-Train turned to relievers RHP Ricardo Rodriguez and RHP R.J. Alvarez for the last two frames. Following a shutout eighth by Rodriguez in which he struck out a pair, Alvarez retired the final side in order, earning his 20th save of 2018.
Round Rock will gun for a sweep of the three-game series with the Rainiers on Thursday night at Dell Diamond. Express RHP Tyler Wagner (1-4, 4.78) is scheduled to start against Tacoma RHP Rob Whalen (7-4, 4.50). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
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