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Rio Grande Valley Wins Fourth Straight

July 7, 2012 - North American League (NAmL)
Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings News Release


HARLINGEN- The Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings got outstanding efforts from one player who has established himself this season and another who is just starting to in their 3-2 victory against San Angelo Saturday night at Harlingen Field.

WhiteWings starting pitcher Celson Polanco continued his success by allowing just two runs in 7 1/3 innings while newcomer Romulo Ruiz drove in the winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The performance from Polanco was not surprising. He came into the game leading the United League with a 1.50 earned run average and has firmly established himself as the staff ace, even though the hard throwing 27-year-old righthander had never won more than three games in a professional season.

"I haven't changed anything. Just keep playing the way I always have," said Polanco, who felt so good that he stated he didn't even have his arm iced down after the game.

But while San Angelo hitters were whiffing six times and collecting only five hits off Polanco, the Colts (21-21) were enjoying a different kind of pitching performance from righthander Brian Henschel.

Henschel, a 35-year-old sinkerball pitcher with a pronounced windup who tries to get batters to hit ground balls, allowed 10 hits to the WhiteWings (24-18) in his seven innings of work and never set Rio Grande Valley down in order. But he did coerce the WhiteWings to hit into four inning-ending double plays and picked off a runner on second base to keep San Angelo in the game.

And when Polanco was touched for a walk and a hit in the eighth inning, WhiteWings manager Eddie Dennis decided to put in lefthander Wander Perez to have him protect his slim 2-1 advantage.

But lefthanded hitting Cory Patton ended a 3 for 24 slump with a single to right to tie the score.

One inning later it would be Ruiz's turn to shine. Ruiz, who was added to the WhiteWings' roster on Friday, collected his third single of the game to drive in Ruddy Yan with two outs in the ninth and give Rio Grande Valley their fourth straight victory.

Ruiz, a righthanded hitting first baseman, collected the winning hit off of lefthander Michael Hacker (1-1). He has now collected four hits in eight at bats for the WhiteWings and hit a home run in his first plate appearance with the team.

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