SAL Hudson Valley Renegades

Renegades Game Notes

September 8, 2024 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release


Hudson Valley Renegades (72-58, 39-26) vs. Asheville Tourists (51-78, 23-42)

RHP Josh Grosz (3-2, 2.91 ERA) vs LHP Colby Langford (0-4, 11.48 ERA)

| Game 131 | Home Game 66 | Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024 | Heritage Financial Park | Wappingers Falls, N.Y. | First Pitch 2:05 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 & www.renegadesonair.com

TV: MiLB.tv & Bally Live App

CLINCHED!: With a Renegades win and an Aberdeen loss on Wednesday night, Hudson Valley sealed the Second Half North Division Second Half title in 2024. By virtue of winning the division in the second half, the Renegades are headed to the South Atlantic League playoffs for the second straight year and will face first half champions Greensboro in the SAL North Division Series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 10 in a best-of-three series. The Renegades are the only SAL team to make the playoffs in both 2023 and 2024.

RECORD SETTERS: The Renegades' win over Asheville on Friday was the team's 72nd win of the year, setting a new franchise record for most wins in a year. The 2021 and 2022 Renegades each won 71 games.

COLD-BLOODED: Hudson Valley walked it off for the 11th time this season on Thursday in a 5-4 victory. After trailing 4-0 in the eighth inning, the Renegades scored two in the eighth, two in the ninth, and one in the 10th to complete the comeback. They have now won eight games in 2024 when they've trailed in the seventh inning or later.

HOME BODIES: Friday's win for the Renegades was their 11th consecutive victory at home. After a loss on Saturday, Hudson Valley enters play on Sunday with a 46-19 (.708) record at Heritage Financial Park this season, the best home record of any team in Minor League Baseball this season. Since 2005, the 'Gades home record ranks 15th among all MiLB teams, with the 2011 San Antonio Missions (AA, SD) having set the standard with a 55-15 (.786) mark to set the standard.

'GADES ARE HOT: Despite a loss on Saturday, the Renegades are 27-10 (.730) in their last 37 games. Hudson Valley has won 20 of its last 24 games at Heritage Financial Park, including a six-game sweep of Jersey Shore and seven-game sweep of Wilmington. The Renegades have a 28-7 record at home in the second half.

THROWING PUNCHES: The Renegades set a franchise record with 21 strikeouts on Saturday night. Starter Baron Stuart set his career-high with 12 punch outs in 4.2 innings, before the bullpen combined for nine strikeouts in 4.1 frames.

PITCHING IN: Entering play on Saturday, the Renegades pitching staff sports a 3.27 ERA, not only the lowest in the South Atlantic League, but the best among all High-A teams. Hudson Valley is seventh among all full-season Minor League teams in ERA. With a shutout on Friday night, the Renegades have thrown a team-record 19 shutouts this season, which also leads MiLB. The 19 shutout victories are the most by a MiLB team since 2019, and is tied for 12th-most in the minors since 2005. Since the All-Star Break, the staff has a 2.40 ERA, ahead the Midland RockHounds (AA, OAK) for the best in MiLB, who have a 2.43 ERA since the break.

THE NEW GUYS: Over the last month, new additions to the Renegades have provided a major spark offensively. Jackson Castillo has been stellar in his month with the Renegades. In his first at-bat on Thursday, Castillo provided a walk-off single in the 10th inning to complete a four-run comeback. Castillo was 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI on Sunday. He is hitting .309 in High-A and has 19 RBIs in 20 games with the Renegades. In his first 14 High-A games, Brendan Jones has been on base 23 times. Jones hit a grand slam last Thursday night, driving in five runs. He has two long balls, 12 walks and 10 stolen bases already in High-A. Coby Morales has 15 hits in his first 14 games with the Renegades and has eight RBIs and nine runs scored.

THIS GUY IS GROSZ: After being called up two weeks ago from Single-A Tampa, Josh Grosz has been stellar for Hudson Valley. On Tuesday, Grosz tossed seven innings, becoming just the third Renegades starter to complete seven frames. Grosz retired the last 14 batters he faced, and now has four quality starts in his last five Hudson Valley appearances. Since June 28th between Tampa and Hudson Valley, Grosz has been charged with just eight earned runs in 59 innings, good for a 1.22 ERA during that stretch.

YOUTH RULES: George Lombard has come alive at the plate over the past week. During a current 12-game on-base streak, the 19-year-old is 18-for-49 (.367) at the plate, with eight doubles and a .987 OPS. Lombard was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles on Thursday. Of his 26 hits with the Renegades this season, 18 of them have come during this stretch, including all of his extra-base hits.

AN UNFAMILIAR FACE: In their final regular season series of the season, the Renegades return home to face the Asheville Tourists, the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, for the first time in franchise history. Since the reorganization of the South Atlantic League, the Tourists are the final member of the SAL that the Renegades have not yet faced.

THE 'PEN IS MIGHTIER: The Renegades bullpen collectively sports a 3.08 ERA (186 ER/543.1 IP) this season, the best mark in High-A and fourth-best in the minors. In the first four games of the series, the bullpen did not allow a run in 19.1 frames, and were charged with just four total hits.

BUYING WHAT HE'S SELLING: Trent Sellers continued his dominant form on Wednesday, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out a career-high eight batters. He has an absurd 0.38 ERA in his last 46.2 IP dating back to June 25, with 54 strikeouts and a .112 opposing average.

ROC IS CLUTCH: Roc Riggio has provided a boost offensively that the Gades have needed as the regular season winds down. In the last six games, Riggio is 8-for-27 (.296) with two home runs, four doubles, and 10 RBIs with a .412 OBP and a 1.079 OPS. His RBI single in the eighth inning on Tuesday tied the game at 3, before HV went on to win in the ninth.

ALL THEY DO IS WIN: Since the start of the 2012 season, the Hudson Valley Renegades have an incredible .572 winning percentage, the second-best in MiLB behind only Bowling Green (.574) among active teams (min. 800 games). The third-place team, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, sports a .551 winning percentage.

MARTIN MASHING: Garrett Martin has been massive during this stretch run for Hudson Valley. The Renegades outfielder has 23 hits in his last 22 games (since 8/13), batting .299/.415/.558 in that span with an .973 OPS. After a remarkable series at the plate vs Wilmington from August 20-25, Martin earned SAL Player of the Week. In seven games, Martin was 8-for-21 with three home runs, two doubles, nine RBIs, 10 runs scored, and eight walks. The Renegades outfielder reached base an astounding 17 times in the series. Martin was the first Renegades player to win a SAL Weekly Award this season.

STARTING OFF RIGHT: Starting pitching continues to be excellent for the Renegades. A Renegades starting pitcher has allowed more than two earned runs in a start only three times since July 28, a stretch of 37 games. In that span, Hudson Valley starters have a 2.51 ERA in 154.0 IP, the sixth-best mark In MiLB. Overall, Renegades starters have a 3.46 ERA in 2024, 15th-best in MiLB.

LIMITING HITS: Hudson Valley pitchers have allowed only 831 hits through 130 games. The Renegades have allowed the fewest hits in MiLB, 17 fewer than the Down East Wood Ducks (A, TEX) for the lowest mark. Renegades pitching is holding the opposition to a .206 batting average this season, the best in MiLB. Incredibly, the Lansing Lugnuts (OAK, A+) have allowed a staggering 1189 hits through 130 games, most among all non-AAA teams.

DOUBLES MACHINES: With 251 doubles in 2024, Hudson Valley has the most doubles in High-A this season, 13 more than the Everett AquaSox (A+, SEA).

THE RUNNIN' RENEGADES ARE BACK: After stealing only 13 bases in 27 games in June, the Renegades have been on a stolen base frenzy, going 89-for-104 on stolen base attempts as a team in their last 55 games. Hudson Valley has stolen 18 bases in five games against. Asheville.

HEATING UP: Antonio Gomez has been excellent at the plate since July 30. In 27 games, Gomez is slashing .297/.375/.538 with 15 extra-base hits and a .913 OPS. He has boosted his average from .169 to .233 in the last 27 games.

'GADES THROW ANOTHER NO-HITTER: After the Renegades had two no-hitters in the first 29 years of its history, the Renegades tossed a no-no on Thursday on August 22 in game two of a doubleheader, their second in five weeks. Trent Sellers, Mason Vinyard, and Thomas Balboni combined to allow just one batter to reach safely in seven innings, with no Blue Rocks getting on base after the second. Sellers was part of both no-hitters this season, one as a starter and one as a reliever. On July 19, Kyle Carr, Sellers, and Hueston Morrill completed the third no-hitter in franchise history. It was the first time since July 10, 2021 that the Renegades had thrown a no-no, and their first nine-inning no-hitter since August 10, 2000.

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT: With no errors in 19 of the last 35 games, Hudson Valley is now 38-12 in games this season where they do not commit an error. Hudson Valley had two errors on Saturday.

TURNSTILES: On Friday, the Renegades officially set a new single-season attendance record at Heritage Financial Park, and have welcomed 188,844 guests to the stadium thus far in the 2024 season. Hudson Valley eclipsed the previous record of 184,055 from the 2022 season.

Check out the Hudson Valley Renegades Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from September 8, 2024


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