GAME RECAP: Keller Anchors Solid Pitching Performance in 5-1 Rawhide
July 25, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release
VISALIA, CA - Visalia (58-42, 12-18), with a combination of good pitching and timely hitting, defeated the Stockton Ports (40-60, 13-17) 5-1 to earn a series split at Rawhide Ballpark on Sunday night.
RHP Brad Keller (8-6, 4.18) logged five solid innings, dancing out of a bases loaded jam in the second and striking out six while only allowing four hits and one run (earned) and he issued two walks to earn the win. The bullpen followed with four shutout innings as the combination of LHP Gabriel Moya, RHP Bud Jeter and LHP Yuhei Nakaushiro (SV:1) were too much to handle for Stockton.
Visalia jumped out to a lead first for the first time in the series in the second inning after each team traded one, two, three first frames. Against RHP Kyle Friedrichs (3-3, 4.09), C Michael Perez, DH Stryker Trahan and 2B Robelys Reyes all picked up two out hits, with the RBI double going to Reyes and 1-0 lead going to Visalia.
The only blemish on the night for Keller happened in the top of the fifth inning. CF James Harris, after a couple of singles in the inning, picked up his 10th hit of the series. It was an RBI single that scored DH Seth Brown from second and tied the game 1-1.
Visalia reclaimed the lead for good in the fifth inning against Friedrichs and it was SS Galli Cribbs who started the rally with a single. CF Zach Nehrir followed with a single of his own and then 1B Cody Regis knocked in Cribbs with an RBI single. 3B Henry Castillo lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield to push it to a 3-1 lead.
Moya came out of the Rawhide bullpen for the sixth and seventh and was absolutely filthy, retiring all six men he faced with five strikeouts.
RHP Koby Guana returned the favor, retiring all six Rawhide he faced and then in the eighth Jeter entered the ballgame. He recorded two strikeouts and gave up double and a walk before Nakaushiro entered and struck out 1B Sandber Pimentel to end the threat and preserve the 3-1 lead. Of the nine men Visalia retired from the sixth inning through the eighth, eight of them were turned away by way of the strikeout.
Visalia added some insurance in the eighth against RHP Carlos Navas. Regis began the rally by reaching on a two base error charged to Pimentel on a pop up in the infield. RF Victor Reyes slapped an RBI triple and came home on Perez's RBI single to make it 5-1.
Nakaushiro remained in the game and closed the 5-1 win for his first save of the season, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing one hit and a walk.
Modesto comes to town tomorrow night for the first of three to wrap up the seven game homestand. On the mound for Visalia will be RHP Justin Donatella (2-1, 2.00). Modesto is sending RHP Ryan Castellani (4-7, 4.05) to the hill in game one. Tomorrow is Make-A-A-Difference Monday presented by Fresno Pacific University - Visalia Campus and if you donate a toiletry item you'll receive a free Pasture ticket. It's also "Bark in the Park" night.
California League Stories from July 25, 2016
- Lake Elsinore 4, Lancaster 3 - Lancaster JetHawks
- Rawhide Earn Series Split, Beat Ports 5-1 - Stockton Ports
- Keller Anchors Solid Pitching Performance in 5-1 - Visalia Rawhide
- GAME RECAP: Keller Anchors Solid Pitching Performance in 5-1 Rawhide - Visalia Rawhide
- Blaze Squeeze Life out of Nuts in Beating - Bakersfield Blaze
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