SAL Rome Emperors

R-Braves Hold off Hot Rods

July 6, 2021 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Rome Emperors News Release


Dominant pitching and well-timed hitting in the middle innings handed the Rome Braves (30-23) a series-opening victory over the Bowling Green Hot Rods (34-19) on Tuesday night. After solid pitching performances from Alan Rangel and Trey Riley, the R-Brave offense did enough to pull away in a 5-2 win.

Bowling Green raced out to a 1-0 advantage in the second inning. Rome got on the board thanks to Bryce Ball in the bottom of the fourth, as the first baseman launched a solo shot just past the outfield fence to tie it up. The Hot Rods responded with another run in the top of the fifth, but the Braves scored two the following half-inning to take their first lead. A Riley Delgado single drove in Shean Michel, and an RBI groundout from Michael Harris II allowed Cody Milligan to touch home plate. Rome added two insurance runs in the seventh. Delgado notched his second RBI hit of the day on a ground-ball single that scored Milligan, and a sacrifice fly by Kevin Josephina brought home Delgado from third base. Trey Riley and Kasey Kalich combined to toss a scoreless final three innings while Alan Rangel surrendered the two early runs.

Riley Delgado led the Rome offense on Tuesday night, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. The Middle Tennessee State product picked up his first multiple-RBI game since June 22 and has now recorded a hit in four straight games. The veteran infielder is hitting .242 on the season and has an OPS of .616.

It was an all-around great performance for the Rome Braves pitching staff. Starter Alan Rangel improved to 3-5 on the season with a six-inning outing on Tuesday. He surrendered two earned runs on four hits and struck out seven Hot Rods. Trey Riley tallied his first hold of 2021, tossing two scoreless innings and striking out two batters. Kasey Kalich earned save no. 5, striking out the side in the ninth after allowing a hit to the first batter he faced. Rome pitching now has a team ERA of 3.39, which currently ranks sixth in all of Minor League Baseball.

With the win, Rome gets one game closer to division-leading Bowling Green in the High-A East South. The R-Braves now trail this week's opponent by just four games in the division standings.

The Braves and Hot Rods are set to do battle once again at State Mutual Stadium on Wednesday evening. First pitch in Floyd County is set for 7 p.m. EDT. The game highlight is All-You-Can-Eat Wednesday. The All-You-Can-Eat ticket package, which starts at $36, allows for unlimited concession items including hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, and soda. A limit of two items are permitted each trip to the concession stand. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit RomeBraves.com/Promotions or call the ticket office at 706-378-5144.

Check out the Rome Emperors Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from July 6, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central