Long Outing by Corcoran Not Enough with Quiet Offens
June 15, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release
Frisco, Texas - The Sod Poodles struggled to get any offense going, as they managed just three hits in a 6-1 loss to the Frisco RoughRiders. Billy Corcoran had another quality start in Amarillo's sixth consecutive loss.
Billy Corcoran was able to battle through a tough fourth inning to give the Soddies a seven-inning start while striking out four. He gave up five runs, but none of them were earned. Ivan Melendez homered for his second consecutive game and also drew a walk. Kristian Robinson reached base twice, including a double over the head of the centerfielder.
Jancarlos Cintron was in his usual leadoff spot and popped out to start the game. Tawa drew a two-out walk, but that was all the Soddies would get off of Frisco's starting pitcher, Dane Acker. Billy Corcoran began his outing with a strikeout and then induced two groundouts.
For the second night in a row, Ivan Melendez hit a no-doubt home run to left center field. His one-out shot opened the scoring. Kristian Robinson would walk later in the inning, but he was the only other Sod Poodle to reach. Corcoran grooved threw the second inning by striking out a batter on his way to retiring the first six batters of the game.
Matt Beaty was able to work a walk with one out, but nothing came of it in the top half of the third. A one-out single to Alex De Goti was the first baserunner that Corcoran allowed. De Goti tried to steal second, but Caleb Roberts gunned him down from behind the plate. Through three innings, Corcoran had faced the minimum.
A.J. Vukovich started the fourth with a hard line out to fairly deep center. After Melendez was retired, Logan Warmoth walked to get on base with two outs. Kristian Robinson ended the inning on a flyout to left. The leadoff man reached on an error by Cintron at short, and things compiled on the Sod Poodles from there. A single and a walk loaded the bases. Corcoran then walked a run in to tie the game at one. It looked like he would minimize the damage, as the Sod Poodles turned a 6-4-3 double play to trade a run for two outs, but a two-out single drove in the third run. Things got worse from there as Abimelec Ortiz hit a two-run home run over the lazy river beyond the right field wall to make the score 5-1.
The Soddies looked to answer back and Jesus Valdez succeeded in getting on base via a walk to start the inning. He was promptly erased when Cntron hit into a double play. Beaty flew out to end the inning. Corcoran settled back in after his rough fourth inning. He got three straight flyouts to retire the side.
Roberts smoked a line drive up the middle with one out, but he was also erased when Vukovich grounded into an inning-ending double play. In an almost identical bottom half of the inning, a one-out hit was foiled by another double play to end the sixth inning.
Acker's day was done after six and he handed the ball off to Andy Rodriguez. He gave up a scorched double by Kristian Robinson that burned the centerfielder over his head. That came with two outs and Valdez was unable to cash in. Corcoran, with a low pitch count, completed his day by retiring the side in order and also punching out the last batter.
The top of the Soddies lineup was due up with hopes that they could chip into the RoughRiders lead, but they went down 1-2-3. Jake Rice came in for the only inning of relief and gave up a single to the leadoff man, Geisel Cepeda. Cepeda moved up to second on a slow ground ball to Cintron whose only play was at first. He then stole third and scored when Roberts' throw missed his target and ended up in left field. That proved to be the final run of the game, making the score 6-1. Rice was able to get the next two guys including picking up a strikeout.
The Soddies had three outs to work with and a five-run deficit. Roberts was called out on a bang-bang play at first base and Vukovich followed suit. Melendez worked a walk to extend the game, but it was only for one more batter as Warmoth struck out swinging on a payoff pitch.
The Soddies lost 6-1, marking their sixth straight defeat. They will look to avoid the sweep in Sunday's series finale against the Frisco RoughRiders at 6:05 P.M.
NOTES:
MORE MELENDEZ: Ivan Melendez made it back-to-back games with a home run after hitting a solo shot in the top of the second inning on Saturday night. It was the third time this season that Melendez has left the yard in consecutive games, and the first from a Sod Poodle since he did it against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on May 24-26th. It's the eighth time this year that an Amarillo player has hit a homer in back-to-back games. Melendez is now tied for the lead in consecutive games with a home run, tying Deyvison De Los Santos who also did it three times during his time with Amarillo. Melendez is now up to 11 home runs on the year, one off the active lead currently held by Tim Tawa. It was the 23rd home run of Melendez's Amarillo tenure, placing him in solo sixth all-time.
Y'ALL GOT ANYMORE OF THOSE HITS: The Sod Poodles were held to just three hits in the game. It was the 16th time this year that Amarillo had been held to five or fewer hits in a game. They are split evenly between home and road games. Amarillo falls to 5-24 when being outhit by their opponent this year. Amarillo is 21-12 in games in which they have outhit the opposition.
BILLY'D: Making his second appearance against the Frisco RoughRiders since his promotion to Double-A, Billy Corcoran worked seven innings while allowing five runs on five hits. In two appearances against the Riders, Corcoran is 0-2 and carries a 10.88 ERA while allowing 11 earned runs in 9.1 IP. Corcoran is 2-0 in his other four starts with a 1.08 ERA, allowing just three earned runs over 25.0 IP.
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