Leather & Lumber
June 3, 2015 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
Midland RockHounds Right Fielder Josh Whitaker
(Midland RockHounds, Credit: Frank Longobardo / Midland RockHounds)
Tuesday's opener of the series between the RockHounds and the Tulsa Drillers (and the first of a six-game road trip for the 'Hounds) came down to two plays - - - the end of the eighth and start of the ninth.
In the home half of the eighth, the Drillers tied the game against reliever Bobby Wahl on a single and three walks (one of them intentional) and still had the bases loaded with one man out. Pinch hitter Shawn Zarraga send a hard hit ball back up the middle, but RockHounds shortstop Chad Pinder made a diving stop, flipping from the dirt to second baseman Colin Walsh, who completed the inning-ending double-play with a strong throw to Matt Olson at first to keep the game tied at 5-5.
After Pinder's outstanding play maintained the tie, and Josh Whitaker's leadoff home run in the ninth broke it. Whitaker, who missed nine days (May 15-23) with a left hamstring strain, is probably not back to 100-percent, but don't tell that to the Drillers. Josh went 3-for-5, with a double, home run, two runs and two RBI, extending his hit streak to 10 games (20-42, .476).
Tulsa took leads of 1-0 and 3-1, with Peter Lavin and Jarek Cunningham hitting solo home runs in the first and fourth, respectively.
Whitaker and Matt Olson (2-for-3, two walks, double, RBI) hit back-to-back doubles to get the RockHounds on the board in the fourth, and Ryon Healy homered leading off the fifth to bring the 'Hounds to within 3-2. Healy's homer (his fourth of the season) made him the first of seven consecutive RockHounds to reach base. A Carson Blair double and a Matt Angle bunt set the table as the 'Hounds scored three more in the fifth for a 5-3 lead, with Walsh and Whitaker each singling in a run (the last run scored on a passed ball).
Lars Anderson's solo home run brought the Drillers to within 5-4 and his leadoff single in the eighth turned into the game-tying run.
The RockHounds
... are now 27-24 for the season ... have won 6-of-8 ... are 9-14 on the road and 18-10 at Security Bank Ballpark ... are 17-15 in South Division play and 10-9 versus the North Division ... are 4-0 versus the Tulsa Drillers ... trail Corpus Christi (34-16) by seven-and-a-half games in the TL South with 19 to play in the half.
Kibbles & Bits
- Josh Whitaker (3-for-5, two runs, double, HR, two RBI, strikeout) has hit in 10 straight games (see above) and has reached base in 17-of-19 games. In that stretch, he is hitting .377 (29-77).
- Matt Angle (1-for-3, walk, two K's) has hit in nine straight games dating back to May 7 (due to time missed with a left groin strain). In the nine-gamer, Matt is hitting .345 (10-29) with five runs, three doubles, two RBI, seven walks, seven strikeouts and four steals in five attempts.
- Colin Walsh (1-for-5, run, RBI) is 11-for-his-last-24 (.458) and has reached base in 26-of-27 games (.301 with a .433 OBP).
- Renato Nuñez (0-for-4, walk, two strikeouts) extended his on-base streak to 17 games (.215)
- Ryan Dull allowed a one-out single to Peter Lavin before shutting the door in the ninth for his fourth save in as many chances, lowering his ERA to 0.36 in 17 games. Ryan ranks among the league's top three relievers in average (.183), walks per nine innings (1.42), strikeouts per nine (12.08) and base runners per nine (7.82). In 25.1 innings, he has allowed 17 hits and five walks while striking out 34.
Images from this story
 Midland RockHounds Right Fielder Josh Whitaker (Frank Longobardo / Midland RockHounds) |
Texas League Stories from June 3, 2015
- Big Eighth Inning Helps Missions Even Series - San Antonio Missions
- Cardinals Take Third Straight Win with 7-2 Final against Frisco - Springfield Cardinals
- Hooks Walk Away from Naturals - Corpus Christi Hooks
- San Antonio's Offense Erupts in 10-6 Win over Arkansas - San Antonio Missions
- Riders Offense Struggles against Reyes, Cards - Frisco RoughRiders
- 9th Inning Comeback Falls Short in 3-2 Loss - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Beamer Weems Set to Join Frisco Tonight - Frisco RoughRiders
- Brains & Brawn - Midland RockHounds
- Drillers Suffer Extra-Inning Loss to Hounds - Tulsa Drillers
- Devenski, Gregor at Portland Whataburger - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Unspoken Headlines Faith & Family Night Concert on August 14 - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Blank Missions in Opener - San Antonio Missions
- Hancock Named TL Pitcher of the Week - San Antonio Missions
- Pitching Continues to Carry Travs Tuesday - Arkansas Travelers
- Leather & Lumber - Midland RockHounds
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