Nemesis Met ... Nemesis Vanquished
August 9, 2015 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
In his first four starts against Corpus Christi, Jake Sanchez was 0-2, with an 11.72 earned run average, allowing 41 hits in 17.2 innings. Those numbers certainly qualify as a "nemesis." Saturday night at Whataburger Field, Sanchez earned a measure of revenge ... and became the Texas League's first 10-game winner in 2015 in the process ... with seven strong innings in a dramatic, 5-4, RockHounds win.
The RockHounds took a 2-0 lead in the first on a Colin Walsh single, a RBI double from Chad Pinder and Matt Olson's single up the right field line. The 2-0 lead held up until Colin Moran ... speaking of nemesis' ... sent a two-run home run out to left field, tying the game in the sixth.
Sanchez's quality start was helped by solid defense, including Jaycob Brugman's tremendous, running catch at the 407-foot mark just right of straightaway center field in the fourth on a drive by Jon Kemmer. The play came with a runner on and one out, almost certainly saving a run.
Moran (see "Stat of the Day," below) hit his second home run in as many at-bats, this one to the short porch (325 feet) in left and aided by a strong wind, on reliever Jonathan Joseph's first pitch.
The 'Hounds scored what would be the winning run on a two-out single from Walsh, expanding the lead to 5-3.
Brendan McCurry earned his first save at the Double-A level, allowing his first run in five appearances (on a two-out RBI double by Teoscar Hernandez) but ending the game by getting Moran (exactly the batter the Hooks would have wanted at the plate with the game-tying run in scoring position) on a tapper back to the mound. The win guarantees the RockHounds at least a split of the four-game series.
The RockHounds
... are 28-15 in the second half and 63-50 overall (matching a season high at 13 games over .500 Thursday) ... have won two of the first three games of the four-game series at Corpus Christi ... are 11-16 in the season series with the Hooks (5-7 at home and 6-9 at Whataburger Field) ... are 36-21 at Security Bank Ballpark and 27-29 on the road ... are 44-33 vs. the South Division and 19-17 vs. the North.
- Texas League South: The RockHounds' lead over Corpus Christi (24-19) is back to four games, with Frisco (20-22) staying 7.5 games back after a home shutout victory (5-0) over San Antonio (at 17-26, 11 games back).
Kibbles & Bits
STAT OF THE DAY: Corpus Christi's Colin Moran has hit seven home runs in 2015 ... five of them against the RockHounds. Four of his five round-trippers in the season series have come in a pair of back-to-back at-bats (July 20 and 21 and in the sixth and eighth innings Saturday night). The Hooks third baseman also has nearly 40 percent of his RBI (22-of-57) in the series.
- There cannot be many (if any) hotter hitters in Minor League Baseball over the last month than Chad Pinder. In his last 31 games, the RockHounds shortstop has hit streaks of 12 (current) and 18 games. We'll do the math for you - - - Chad has hit in 30 of his last 31 games, and the streaks are significant in quality as well as quantity. Pinder is hitting .365 (19-for-52) in the 12 gamer and is hitting .373 (50-for-134) over the 31 game-stretch. He is second in the Texas League with a .321 average (the top active hitter in the league) and leads the TL with 74 RBI.
- Jake Sanchez is the Texas League's first 10-game winner in 2015 and now ranks fifth in the league with 95 strikeouts.Â
- Matt Olson is hitting .414 in his last eight games (12-for-29) and is hitting .304 in his last 37 games (41-for-135).Â
- Colin Walsh went 3-for-5 with two runs and the game-winning RBI and is 9-for-14 in the Corpus Christi series. He has hit in 24 of his last 27 games, hitting .393 in that stretch. In a remarkable span of virtually two months, Colin has reached safely in 50 of 54 games, with a .353 average in that time. He continues to rank among the league's top five in hitters in 10 offensive categories.
- Ryon Healy extended his hit streak to nine games (17-for-36, .472) ... is hitting .410 (41-for-100) in his last 26 games ... and is ninth in the TL (.298).
Texas League Stories from August 9, 2015
- Washington Sends Cardinals to 8-7 Walk-Off Win in 10 Innings - Springfield Cardinals
- Cards Win 10, Sweep Travs, Take over First - Arkansas Travelers
- Offense Comes Alive as Farrell, Naturals Salvage Finale - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Alberth Martinez Powers Missions to 8-6 Win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Nemesis Met ... Nemesis Vanquished - Midland RockHounds
- Walk-Off in Extras Gives Tulsa 5th Straight Win - Tulsa Drillers
- Springfield Wins Series with 6-4 Comeback - Arkansas Travelers
- O'Neill Lifts Cards to 2-1 Walk-Off on Travs - Arkansas Travelers
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