Goedert, Ayarza homer to power Astros past Royals
August 28, 2015 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Greeneville Astros News Release
Connor Goedert of the Greeneville Astros
(Greeneville Astros)
Burlington, NC - The Greeneville Astros took game two of their three game series with the Burlington Royals (29-35) by a score of 3-1. The victory puts the Astros' season record at 32-31 and keeps them in second place in the Appalachian League West division.
Diogenes Almengo started the game on the mound for the Astros and performed well once again. He received the win after pitching five innings and allowing just one run while striking out two Royals batters. The 20-year-old now holds a 2.31 ERA through his six appearances in an Astros uniform and has a record of 3-1.
Rodrigo Ayarza got things started with a bang for the Astros by smashing a solo home run to right field in the top of the third inning. The big fly, off Royals first-rounder Ashe Russell, was Ayarza's second home run of the season and gave the Astros an early 1-0 lead.
However, Burlington managed to tie the game up in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a fielder's choice groundball that scored Trey Stover from third following his leadoff double.
The Astros' power continued in the top of the fourth when Connor Goedert hit his sixth home run of the year, and third in his last six games, to break the tie and give the Astros a 2-1 lead. Goedert, who was named to the Appalachian League All-Star team earlier in the week, now leads all current Astros in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, batting average, slugging percentage, and total bases. He finished the night three-for-four at the plate.
Greeneville manufactured another run in the top of the sixth inning to give themselves a 3-1 advantage. Myles Straw led off the inning with a groundball base hit past the second baseman, and was moved over on a Daz Cameron sacrifice bunt. Kyle Tucker then knocked him in on a line drive single to right field for the Astros' third run. For Straw, it was his team-leading 43rd run scored of season.
The Astros witnessed the return of Erasmo Pinales to the mound when he relieved Almengo in the sixth inning. Pinales, who had not pitched since August 8th due to injury, threw one shutout inning, allowing only one hit and striking out one batter.
Hector Perez made his Greeneville Astros debut in the bottom of the seventh inning after joining the team one day prior. Perez, a 19-year-old right-hander from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, had posted an impressive 1.16 ERA with 16 strikeouts in the Gulf Coast League prior to being called up to Greeneville. He tossed two hitless innings and struck out two batters to maintain the Astros' lead.
Samil De Los Santos picked up his fourth save of the year, including one in each of his last three appearances, after tossing a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth to finish things off for the Astros. De Los Santos has not allowed a runner to reach base in his last three appearances while picking up a collective four strikeouts.
The Astros will look to win the series in Burlington on Saturday night as they continue to fight for a playoff berth. Game time will be at 7:00 PM. The Astros will return to Greeneville for the final series of the regular season on Sunday, August 30th as they take on the Princeton Rays.
Images from this story
 Rodrigo Ayarza of the Greeneville Astros |
 Connor Goedert of the Greeneville Astros |
Appalachian League Stories from August 28, 2015
- Goedert, Ayarza homer to power Astros past Royals - Greeneville Astros
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