Renegades/Bennys Game Notes
June 20, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release
Hudson Valley Bennys (38-26) at Jersey Shore Locals (25-38)
LHP Ben Shields (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Reese Dutton (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
| Game 65 | Away Game 33 | Friday, June 20, 2025 | ShoreTown Ballpark | Lakewood, N.J. | First Pitch 7:05 p.m. |
Radio: The Beacon - WBPM 96.5 FM - Beacon, WGHQ 92.5 FM/920 AM Kingston, W232DQ 94.3 FM Peekskill, WBNR 1260 AM - Beacon, WLNA 1420 AM - Peekskill
Internet Radio: www.hvrenegades.com/broadcast & www.renegadesonair.com
TV: MiLB.tv & Bally Live App
Next Theme Game: Class of 2025 Grad Party
Day of Week Promotion: Baseball Bingo presented by People USA
NEW BEGINNINGS: After their first-half finale was canceled due to inclement weather, Hudson Valley begins the second half on Friday with Jersey Shore. Last season, Hudson Valley earned a playoff berth with a second-half title, going 40-26 over the final 66 contests in 2024. With 11 series under their belt in 2025, the Renegades have won five, split five, and lost one.
RECENT STRUGGLES: Following a 23-9 start to the season, the Renegades have gone 15-17 since. After losing just 19 total games at Heritage Financial Park in 2024, the Renegades are 19-13 at home so far this season. They have gone 8-10 at home since mid-May. Hudson Valley has not won a series since May 6-10 vs Wilmington, after winning four of the first five in 2025. Since then, they have split four series and lost one. The Renegades are now 38-26 (.594) in 2025.
BEST IN SHOW: The Renegades have the lowest team ERA (2.84) among full-season MiLB teams in 2025. Since the start of the 2021 season, the Renegades own a cumulative 3.55 ERA, the lowest in MiLB among MiLB teams who have played every season.
AIN'T IT GRAND?: With Dillon Lewis's grand slam in the second inning of Wednesday's game at Jersey Shore, the Renegades have hit four grand slams this year, tied for the most by the team in the Portal Era when game logs are available online (2005-Present). The Renegades also hit four grand slams in 2021, 2023 and 2024. Incredibly, the 'Gades had a four-year stretch from 2016-19 without hitting a single grand slam.
ENEMY TURNED FRIEND: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz continued his excellent season on Wednesday, allowing just one earned run across six innings. It was his fifth quality start of the season, the most of any Renegades starter this season. The right-hander has struck out 31 combined batters in his last four outings, as he leads in the SAL with 78 strikeouts this season. EHis 2.59 ERA ranks fourth in the SAL.
POWER SURGE: After just two total home runs in the last nine games, Hudson Valley hit three long balls in a 9-2 victory on Wednesday. All three home runs came in the first three innings, including a second-inning grand slam for Dillon Lewis.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: Hudson Valley struck for nine runs in their win Wednesday over the BlueClaws. It marked the 13th time this season that the Renegades scored 9+ runs, matching their 2024 season total in fewer than half of the games played. In their first 64 games, the Renegades also have 17 games of 10 or more hits and 11 games of 12 or more hits. They had 12 total games of 12+ hits all last season.
STARTING STRONG: Starting pitching has been instrumental in 2025. During the month of June, the Renegades starting staff leads MILB with a superb 1.08 ERA in 83 innings. Through 64 games, Hudson Valley starters have 377 punchouts in 333 innings, good for a 10.5 K/9 clip. Those 377 strikeouts are five more than any other team in MiLB including AAA teams. The staff has also issued just 123 walks during that stretch, a 3.4 BB/9.
WHAT'S IN A SCORE?: After not having played a game with a 1-0 final score since July 19, 2024, the Renegades have had three of their last five games end in that score. The 'Gades won back-to-back 1-0 games against Greenville on 6/13 and 6/14, and lost to Jersey Shore 1-0 on 6/17. Tuesday's game was the first 1-0 loss for the Renegades since falling to the Rome Braves (now Emperors) 1-0 on June 17, 2023 at Heritage Financial Park.
MIDDLE INNINGS: Between the fourth and seventh innings, Hudson Valley is outscoring opponents 146-77 this season. They are outscoring their opponents 43-15 in the seventh inning alone.
SCORING DROUGHT: On Tuesday, the Renegades lost in a 1-0 scoreline for the first time since June 17, 2023. It was the third time they have been shutout this season. The shutout loss is part of a recent offensive slump for the team, which averaged 5.5 runs per game in April and May, but only 3.6 runs per game in June.
DEATH VALLEY LEFTY: Griffin Herring now leads MiLB in ERA among qualified pitchers with a 1.14 mark in 2025. He continued his stellar start in High-A on Saturday, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings while striking out eight. The Yankees No. 25 prospect picked up his seventh quality start of the season, and his third in three starts with Hudson Valley. Herring has allowed just two runs across his first 18.2 innings in High-A, good for a 0.96 ERA. The 2024 sixth round pick out of LSU has a 0.93 WHIP and .173 BAA.
SHUTOUTS: The Renegades pitching staff tossed their second consecutive 1-0 shutout on Saturday. For the first time since at least 2004, Hudson Valley won back-to-back 1-0 contests. It is also the first time the Renegades have thrown consecutive shutouts since April 25 and 26 against Asheville.
WELCOME BACK: After a brief stint in Double-A Somerset in May, Coby Morales returned to the Renegades and has been one of their most consistent offensive pieces. On Wednesday, Morales hit his sixth High-A long ball of the season. He has now reached base safely in 38 of his last 41 High-A games. Since May 7, Morales is hitting .314 (37-for-116) with 19 RBIs and a .859 OPS over his last 29 contests. Morales has 13 multi-hit games this season, which is tied for the most on the Renegades. His 30 High-A RBIs rank third on the team.
SCORELESS STREAK: In his pro debut season, Renegades reliever Tony Rossi has been off to a nearly spotless start to 2025. Rossi has now made 19 appearances between Tampa and Hudson Valley this year, and is yet to be charged with a run in 22.1 innings. During that span, Rossi has struck out 29 and has only allowed seven hits.
UNDRAFTED STAR: Parks Harber is off to an incredible start with the Renegades after being called up from Tampa in late April. Harber has built a current nine-game hitting streak where's he's hitting .375 with seven RBIs. It is his second straight 8+ game hitting streak in High-A already this year. In 34 games with the Renegades, the infielder is hitting .326 with 11 doubles, 27 RBIs and an .884 OPS. Harber has 11 multi-hit games at the High-A level, and is slashing .305/.400/.493 in 77 professional games.
JERSEY BOYS: Hudson Valley begins a six-game series with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws at ShoreTown Ballpark. After playing Jersey Shore eight times in the first 26 games of the season at Heritage Financial Park, the Renegades haven't seen the BlueClaws since May 4. The two squads will face off 15 times in the final 68 games of the season, all in Lakewood. The Renegades have taken five of the first eight games against their division foe in 2025. Last year, ShoreTown Ballpark was a very difficult place for Hudson Valley, finishing 4-8 on the road against Jersey Shore.
RECORD BOOKS: On Thursday, Omar Martinez hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season. The long ball was his 21st as a member of the Renegades after 13 homers in 2024. Martinez is closing in on a major franchise milestone, as he ranks seventh on the all-time home run list. The Renegades catcher is just three home runs shy of the franchise record of 24 long balls held by Spencer Henson, who played 153 games for the Renegades in 2022 and 2023.
THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER: Hudson Valley's bullpen has been outstanding, recording a 2.69 ERA through 64 games, the second-best mark in High-A and the fourth-best in MiLB. The Renegades trail Pensacola (AA, MIA), West Michigan (A+, DET), and Erie (AA, DET), who leads the way with a 2.18 mark. Renegades relievers are holding opponents to a .193 opposing average, while striking out 267 batters in 227.1 innings.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 20, 2025
- Hot Rods Start Second Half Strong, Beat Spartanburgers, 12-5 - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Offensive Battle Goes Bowling Green's Way - Hub City Spartanburgers
- Drive Edge Grasshoppers, 3-2, on Late Hits & Stifling Pitching - Greenville Drive
- Drive Get Back in Win Column with 3-2 Late Rally - Greenville Drive
- Locals Make Debut, Fall 11-1 to the Bennys - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Blue Rocks Drop Second-Half Opener to Asheville 3-2 - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Tourists Earn Series Win on the Road - Asheville Tourists
- Renegades/Bennys Game Notes - Hudson Valley Renegades
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