HVR Game Notes - August 16, 2022
Published on August 16, 2022 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release
Hudson Valley Renegades (57-50, 23-18) vs. Brooklyn Cyclones (54-54, 24-18)
RHP Yoendrys Gómez (0-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. RHP Dominic Hamel (4-0, 1.80 ERA)
| Game 108 | Home Game 54 | Maimonides Park | Brooklyn, N.Y. | August 16, 2022 | First Pitch 7 p.m. |
BATTLE FOR FIRST IN BROOKLYN: The Renegades travel to Brooklyn for a crucial series with the Cyclones this week, completing a competitive, back-and-forth season series. The two teams have split the first 24 meetings this season (12-12). After the Aberdeen IronBirds won the South Atlantic League North Division first half, one postseason spot remains up for grabs in the second half. Brooklyn enters the series with a slim 0.5 game lead over Hudson Valley for first place, with Aberdeen (22-19) in the mix, trailing 1.5 games behind. If the IronBirds win the second half, the second playoff team will be determined by the team with the next-best overall record.
ABOUT SUNDAY: Grant Richardson blasted two solo home runs in the Renegades 6-5 loss to the Aberdeen IronBirds, ultimately splitting a six-game series. Tyler Hardman also launched a two-run homer, his team-leading 16th of the season, to help Hudson Valley build a 5-2 lead, but Aberdeen stormed back for four runs against Ryan Miller and Carlos Gomez in the top of the eighth to take the lead - with three runs charged to Miller. Blane Abeyta was stellar again on the mound for the Renegades, tossing six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits, striking out five and walking just one.
HIT STRIKES HARDMAN: With his 16th home run of the season on Sunday, INF Tyler Hardman jumped into second place on the Renegades single-season home run list. Hardman broke a tie with Anthony Volpe (2021) and Joey Gomes (2002), and only trails Josh Breaux (17, 2021) and Dan Grummitt (22, 1999). After having just six double-digit home run seasons in team history from 1994-2019, seven Renegades have hit 10-or-more long balls since 2021.
LEADOFF LONG BALLS: On Thursday night INF Trey Sweeney hit the second pitch of the bottom of the first for a home run off Aberdeen's Connor Gillispie. It was the third time this season that Sweeney has led off a game with a home run, having previously done so against Greenville (4/8 off Brian Van Belle) and Wilmington (7/24 off Michael Cuevas). Sweeney has 13 home runs on the season in his first full year as a pro.
NARVY'S PARTY: Starting with his two-homer game on June 17, Renegades C Carlos Narvaez is batting a robust .253/.361/.528 with 4 doubles, 7 HR, 22 RBIs, 15 BB and 30 K in 30 games. Narvaez had a streak of two RBIs in three consecutive games snapped last Saturday, but was tied with OF Everson Pereira and C Tyler Hardman for the longest multi-RBI streak for a Hudson Valley batter this season.
ON THE DeMARCO: Renegades OF Pat DeMarco is 11-for-27 at the plate in his last nine games played, raising his season batting line from .208/.250/.252 to .231/.269/.293. The run includes his first home run of the year on Sunday, July 24 at Wilmington, a solo home run off Jose Ferrer.
THE MARTIAN EFFECT: In the first seven games of Jasson Domínguez's home tenure, the Renegades welcomed 39,850 fans through the gates at Dutchess Stadium. The Gades rank 5th out of 12 teams in the South Atlantic League in attendance, and are in the top half among all High-A franchises. Hudson Valley's average attendance is up 25.4% compared to 2021, compared to a 16.5% jump across the SAL.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: Scoring many runs gives a team a better chance to win a baseball game, and the 2022 Renegades are no exception. With Thursday's 11-7 triumph over Jersey Shore, Hudson Valley is now 27-2 (.931) this season when scoring 7-or-more runs. The Gades are 30-48 (.385) when scoring 7-or-fewer runs.
PINSTRIPED PITCHING PROWESS: Strength in pitching is a theme across the New York Yankees minor league system and the Renegades are no exception. The staff sports a 3.75 ERA on the season, the third-best mark in the South Atlantic League, behind only Wilmington (3.68) and Brooklyn (3.73). It also ranks as the eighth-best staff ERA in High-A, and t16th-best in the minor leagues. All four Yankees affiliated teams rank in the top 25 in the minors in ERA -- Somerset 3.50, t3rd; Tampa 3.84, 20th; Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3.91, 24th.
RECORD-SETTING THIEVES: With Carlos Narvaez's steal of third base in the seventh inning on July 6, the Renegades stole their collective 150th base of the season to set a new franchise record. It took only 77 games to break the record that was set by the 2021 Renegades in 120 games. The Gades enter play Tuesday with 196 stolen bases on the year, third-most in the minors behind Down East (A, TEX -- 252) and Lake Elsinore (A, SD -- 212).
IN GOOD HANDS: The Renegades have been among the best fielding teams in the South Atlantic League this season, having committed the third-fewest errors (86) of any team, trailing only Bowling Green (85) and Winston-Salem (84). The Gades sit tied for second with Brooklyn in fielding percentage (.977). Hudson Valley fielders committed just 20 errors in 1255 total chances since the start of July (34 total games), the best fielding percentage (.984 )in the league.
OL' PROSPECTORS: With the trade deadline in the rear-view mirror, the Yankees Top 30 prospects list has changed. Per MLB.com, the Renegades feature the Yankees No. 3 (Jasson Domínguez), No. 5 (Trey Sweeney), No. 6 (Yoendrys Gómez), No. 24 (Edgar Barclay) and No. 28 (Richard Fitts) prospects. Gómez is rated as the No. 1 pitching prospect in the organization, while the recently-promoted Fitts slid into the rankings after the deadline.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 16, 2022
- Molina Throws Another Gem But Hot Rods Fall to Drive - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Soroka Shines, Braves Walk It Off - Rome Emperors
- Renegades Score Seven Unanswered Runs in 7-4 Brooklyn Loss - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Tourists Split Double-Header with IronBirds - Asheville Tourists
- Renegades Win Over Cyclones - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Hernandez, Bullpen Lead Claws to 2-1 Tuesday Win over Wilmington - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Crawdads Blow out Dash 15-1 - Hickory Crawdads
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- HVR Game Notes - August 16, 2022 - Hudson Valley Renegades
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