
Renegades Game Notes
May 18, 2024 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release
Hudson Valley Renegades (19-15) vs Jersey Shore BlueClaws (20-17)
LHP Kyle Carr (0-2, 5.64 ERA) vs. LHP Braeden Fausnaught (4-0, 1.38 ERA)
| Game 35 | Home Game 17 | Saturday, May 18, 2024 | Heritage Financial Park | Wappingers Falls, N.Y. | First Pitch 5:05 p.m. |
Radio: 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
TV: MiLB.tv & Bally Live App
IT IS FINALLY OVER!: The Renegades have returned home after a difficult two-week road trip to Wilmington and Aberdeen. There were 12 games scheduled, but only ten games were played, after two consecutive postponements due to rain in Wilmington on May 4 and 5. After exploding offensively in the first two games against the Blue Rocks, much of the road trip was a struggle for Hudson Valley. They lost the last two games played against Wilmington, and then dropped the first five games of their series with the IronBirds. The seven game-losing streak was tied for the longest skid in the Yankees Era (2021-present). Hudson Valley did take the final game of the series 4-3 in a thrilling win to return home on a high note.
RECORD CROWD: On Wednesday, the Renegades welcomed a raucous sellout crowd of 5,619 on Education Day. It was the largest crowd in Renegades history, and the largest crowd in the history of Heritage Financial Park. It eclipsed the previous largest crowd of 5.601 on 7/3/2015 vs Brooklyn, and was the seventh time that the Renegades announced over 5,500 fans in attendance for a game.
PLAYING SPOILER: Hudson Valley has now taken the first four games of the series with Jersey Shore, and has won five in a row. The Renegades have scored six runs or more in all four games vs. Jersey Shore. As a team, the Renegades have a .839 OPS since April 30, which is the best mark in all of High-A. Friday's game featured a four-run sixth inning to put the Renegades ahead, featuring a two-run homer from Kiko Romero. Hudson Valley earned a 6-3 victory. On Thursday, Jared Serna and Jace Avina each hit long balls in Hudson Valley's 8-5 victory. Roc Riggio had two hits, a walk, and two runs scored. The Renegades scored early and often in an 9-3 win Wednesday. Rafael Flores and Josh Moylan both had multiple RBI hits, and drove in three runs. Hudson Valley had three multi-run innings. With an 8-5 victory on Tuesday night, Hudson Valley snapped Jersey Shore's 11-game win streak. The BlueClaws' 11 consecutive victories represented the longest streak in the minors in 2024.
THE RETURN: The Jersey Shore BlueClaws return to Heritage Financial Park for the first time in 2024 this week. Jersey Shore and Hudson Valley were very evenly matched last year, with both teams winning 12 of 24 regular season games against one another. Days after the two teams concluded the regular calendar with a six-game series, the Renegades and BlueClaws faced off in the South Atlantic League North Division Series, with the Renegades winning the best-of-three series with two consecutive wins at home. The two divisional foes will face off 24 times again this season.
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY: After two games were postponed at Wilmington on May 4th and 5th, the Renegades have had five road games postponed due to rain already this season. During the first road trip of the season vs. Rome, there were three games rescheduled, including one game was canceled after a prolonged rain storm in Georgia. Hudson Valley will now play eight games in six days vs. Wilmington from June 4-9. Last week, there was also rain sporadically during the Aberdeen series, but despite delays, all six games were completed as scheduled. The 'Gades have played only 34 games, three less games than Brooklyn, Jersey Shore, and Aberdeen.
AT LAST: The Renegades snapped a seven-game losing streak on Sunday, tallying 11 hits in a 4-3 victory over the IronBirds. Four players had multi-hit games for Hudson Valley, including Jared Serna, who was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Serna's RBI double in the top of the ninth broke a 3-3 tie, scoring Kyle Battle on what proved to be the winning run. The Renegades trailed 3-0 into the sixth, before scoring four runs in the final four frames.
FLORIDIAN EXCELLENCE: Baron Stuart had a sensational start on Wednesday afternoon for the Renegades. The right-hander didn't allow a baserunner through 3.2, and faced just one batter over the minimum through five. Setting his season-high for innings with six, Stuart allowed just three hits and two earned runs in his first quality start of the season.
HE WENT TO JARED: Jared Serna had a sensational road trip for Hudson Valley at the plate, and has continued his success upon returning home. In his last 15 games, Serna is batting .359 with four homers, 16 RBIs, 13 runs scored, and a 1.087 OPS. During May 1st's 13-10 victory at Wilmington, he hit three two-run homers. Serna is just the third Renegades player since 2005 to hit three home runs in a game. On Thursday night, Serna launched his first long ball at home this season, after hitting his first five long balls on the road. He is fifth in the South Atlantic League in RBIs with 24, and is tied for fourth in the SAL with 25 runs scored. Serna currently has a 16-game on-base streak.
NORTHEAST FIREPOWER: On Friday, Sebastian Keane had the best start of his career, and put together one of the best performances of any Renegades pitcher this season. The Northeastern product tossed a career-high seven innings, allowing just one run across three hits and striking out four. Keane retired the last fourteen batters he faced, not allowing a baserunner after the third inning. His outing was the longest of any Hudson Valley pitcher this season. In his last two home starts, Keane has allowed just two runs on seven hits in 13 innings, while striking out 14 batters.
THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER: The Renegades bullpen collectively sports a 2.95 ERA (50 ER/152.1 IP) this season, tied for the second-best mark in High-A . Renegades relievers have combined for 11.5 K/9 this season. Over his last two outings, Joel Valdez has allowed three hits and no runs through 3.1 innings out of the pen.
LIMITING HITS & RUNS: Hudson Valley pitchers have been on a roll, and have allowed only 212 hits through 34 games. The Renegades have allowed the fewest hits in MiLB, ten fewer than the Carolina Mudcats (MIL, A). Incredibly, Amarillo (AZ, AA) has allowed a staggering 357 hits through 37 games, most among all non-AAA teams. The team's 3.47 ERA is the sixth-best mark in High-A. Hudson Valley has recorded 9+ strikeouts in 14 of their last 20 games. Renegades pitching struck out 14 batters on Sunday, including a career-high eight punchouts for starter Ben Shields.
OVER A DECADE OF SUCCESS: With a 70-62 (.530) record in 2023, the Hudson Valley Renegades recorded their 11th consecutive season with an above .500 record (since 2012). During that span, the team has won two league championships (2012 and 2017), seven playoff appearances (12, 14, 16-19, 23), and five league championship series appearances (12, 16-18, 23). Including their 9-6 start to 2024, among teams in affiliated baseball with at least 800 games, the Renegades have the best winning percentage (.573) in MiLB.
FINISHING STRONG: Over his last 14 games of the 2023 regular season, Jesús Rodríguez went 19-for-53 (.358) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, 9 RBIs, and seven runs scored. Rodríguez has carried that success into the 2024 season by reaching base safely in twenty-seven of his first thirty-two games. Over his last eighteen games, Rodríguez is hitting .329 with 10 extra-base hits, 15 RBIs, a .600 slugging percentage, and a 1.007 OPS. On the season, the Renegades infielder is currently batting .312 with five home runs and 20 RBIs with a .887 OPS, and already has thirteen multi-hit games, the most on the team. On May 7th vs. Aberdeen, Rodríguez was 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs. His 39 hits are tied for the third-most in the South Atlantic League, despite the Renegades playing less games than their divisional foes, and his batting average ranks fourth. Rodríguez's 63 total bases are tied for the third-highest tally in the SAL.
MIDWEST REINFORCEMENTS: Jace Avina debuted with the Renegades on April 17 after being traded to New York for Jake Bauers in November from Milwaukee. The 20-year-old has quickly made a big impact for the Renegades. Avina had a 22-game on-base streak snapped on Friday. That streak is the second-longest in the South Atlantic League this season behind Kristian Campbell of Greenville. Avina is off to a 26-for-87 (.286) start with ten doubles, 12 walks and 15 runs scored and a .884 OPS in twenty-four games. His ten doubles are tied for third in the South Atlantic League. On Friday night vs. Jersey Shore, Avina was 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, and two runs scored.
OFFENSIVE ASSISTANCE: Rafael Flores has made an instant impact for the Renegades since being reinstated off the IL on May 10. In the last six games, Flores has ten hits with five doubles and eight RBIs. Flores went 3-for-4 with an RBI on Friday vs. Jersey Shore. On Wednesday, Flores was instrumental in a 9-3 victory, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk.
INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH: The Hudson Valley Renegades and the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Association have partnered to present Bhutan Night on August 20 at Heritage Financial Park. The team is currently fundraising to bring over several Bhutanese baseball players for baseball and cultural enrichment tour of the Hudson Valley and New York. More details on the night can be found at www.hvrenegades.com/bhutan.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 18, 2024
- Morgan Collects Three Hits in Hot Rods' 9-4 Loss - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Morrobel Mashes, Montalvo Shoves in Doubleheader Sweep - Hickory Crawdads
- Drive Dashed by Dash, 6-3 in Saturday Matchup - Greenville Drive
- Four Calling Wins in a Row for Wilmington - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Renegades Eclipsed Late by Jersey Shore - Hudson Valley Renegades
- BlueClaws Score Game's Final Eight in Comeback Win on Saturday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Saturday's Double-Header Suspended; Will Resume on Sunday - Asheville Tourists
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Renegades Game Notes - Hudson Valley Renegades
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.
Other Recent Hudson Valley Renegades Stories
- Renegades Shut out by Wilmington
- Renegades Game Notes
- Wilmington Edges Renegades in 10
- Renegades Game Notes
- Education Day Crowd Sees Renegades School Wilmington

