SAL Hudson Valley Renegades

HVR Game Notes - May 2, 2023

Published on May 2, 2023 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release


Hudson Valley Renegades (14-7) vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks (10-9)

RHP Chase Hampton (0-0, 4.61 ERA) vs. RHP Chance Huff (1-1, 5.40 ERA)

| Game 22 | Home Game 10 | Heritage Financial Park | Wappingers Falls, N.Y. | May 2, 2023 | First Pitch 6:05 p.m. |

FREINDS OF MR. CELERY: The Hudson Valley Renegades welcome in the Wilmington Blue Rocks for the first of 30 contests between the two teams this season. The Blue Rocks are the most-frequent opponent of the season for the Renegades. The clubs will play two series at Heritage Financial Park and three at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington.

LAST TIME OUT: Hudson Valley crushed seven home runs in the series finale on Sunday, winning 15-2. Ben Cowles and Alexander Vargas each hit two, while Aaron Palensky, Aldenis Sánchez and Luis Santos each tallied one as well. Drew Thorpe was dominant in 6.2 innings, earning his first professional win while striking out four and allowing just one run. Danny Watson closed the game out, striking out a career-high seven in the win. Eight of the nine starters recorded a hit, with five recording multi-hit games.

IT'S GONNA BE MAY: With a 14-7 (.667) record in April, the Renegades wrapped up their best calendar month since June 2021 (19-7, .730). The Hudson Valley offense led the way by clobbering 34 home runs in the month, the most in a month since hitting 35 in 27 games in June 2022. The 34 home runs are more than Hudson Valley hit during the 17 entire seasons during their run as a New York-Penn League team ('94, '95, '97, '00, '03, '04, '08-'17, and '19).

HIT THE ROAD JACK: With a win Sunday against the Greenville Drive, the Renegades secured back-to-back series win as a part of their 12-game road trip through the South. Last season, the 'Gades won back-to-back road series twice. They defeated the Aberdeen IronBirds and Greensboro Grasshoppers in June before completing a sweep of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws and a series victory over the Brooklyn Cyclones in August.

MAN ON FIRE: Over the past six games, Aaron Palensky is 14-for-25 and slashing .560/.633/1.360 with two doubles, six home runs, 13 RBIs, and four stolen bases. He is currently tied for first in HR (7), third in RBI (20), and tied for third in XBH (11), and fourth in TB (45).

FORE RIGHT: With a sixth-inning home run on Sunday in Greenville, Aaron Palensky has now homered in four straight games. He becomes just the fourth Renegade since 2005 to do so, joining Oswald Peraza (May 12-15), Jake Sanford (July 16-21, 2021) and Chad Bell (July 15-20, 2021).

HEATING UP: Alexander Vargas ranks as one of seven Renegades hitters who are hitting over .300 in their last five games. Over this stretch, Vargas is hitting .381/.458/.857 with a double, three home runs, six RBIs, and two stolen bases. Vargas also has committed just one error in 33 chances in the field this season.

RECORD SETTERS: During their 12-game road trip, the Renegades tied or broke five single-game franchise records. The marks for most team strikeouts (pitching) in a 9-inning game (19), and individual marks for walks (Ben Rice, 4),triples (Spencer Jones, 2), and RBIs (Aaron Palensky, 7) have all been matched. Dubiously, Juan Carela's 12 hits allowed at Greenville on Saturday are also a club record.

ALL ABOUT THE RUN DIFFERENTIAL: With a +56 run differential in 21 games, the Renegades are tied for the second best run differential among all minor league teams in Double-A or below (Triple-A began a week early in 2023). Lake Elsinore (SD, A) sport a +61 differential and are the lone team in front of the 'Gades. The Renegades have five games this season, where they have won by seven or more runs.

WALK THAT WAY: After working a walk in six straight games, Ben Rice was held without one in the Renegades double header on Friday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Rice worked four walks in each contest, tying a Renegades team record for most walks in a game, with eight others. Eight walks in a two-game span set a new club record. Rice owns an outstanding 26.5% walk rate this season, which is eighth among all minor leaguers with enough PA to qualify. His 18 walks also lead the team.

BENNY AND THE JETS: Ben Rice is off to stellar start at the plate this season. The Dartmouth grad currently ranks first in OBP (.559), tied for first in HBP (5), third in BB (18), fourth in OPS (1.082) and AVG (.341), and tied for ninth in R (15) in the South Atlantic League. His (.559) on-base percentage is second among all qualified players in MiLB this season, only trailing Phillip Evans (Reno, AAA).

GAS STATION: Through 21 games this season the Renegades pitching staff has registered 246 strikeouts, the most in the SAL, all High-A teams, and third-most among all non-Triple-A teams in the minor leagues. On Sunday vs Rome, the 'Gades struck out 19 batters, tying a franchise record. Hudson Valley previously struck out 19 batters against Jersey Shore last September.

MR. STEAL YOUR BASE: After going 12-for-12 on stolen base attempts in the first two games of the Greenville series, the Renegades are now 52-for-57 in stolen base attempts this season. They rank first in the South Atlantic League and in all of High-A in steals and 4th in all of MiLB. The Lynchburg Hillcats (CLE, A) lead the way with 64 through 21 games. Caleb Durbin leads the team with 14 steals so far, the most in the South Atlantic League.

CRAZY EIGHTS: Since 2005, a Renegades pitcher has allowed 8 ER in a game eight times. Amazingly two of those instances have been in two of the last three games in Greenville, when Tyrone Yulie and Juan Carela each allowed 8 ER.

Check out the Hudson Valley Renegades Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 2, 2023


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