RockHounds Take Down Travs, Win Third Straight
Published on July 24, 2019 under Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
When they met last week in North Little Rock, the RockHounds and Arkansas Travelers played three games and scored a total of 12 runs.
Three pitches into Wednesday night's series opener at Security Bank Ballpark, the Travelers led, 2-0, on the first of Evan White's two home runs. 'Hounds starter Grant Holmes bounced back to retire 13 of the next 15 batters he faced, and his team backed him with a five-run second inning, highlighted by Chase Calabuig's three-run triple, giving the RockHounds a lead they did not relinquish.
Dan Gamache led off the third with a double and scored on Nate Mondou's RBI single) to cap the RockHounds scoring and the game's only other run came on White's second home run, a solo drive over the high wall in left field in the eighth.
Calabuig, Mondou and Mickey McDonald each had three hits and Gamache added a two-hit game for the 'Hounds.
Holmes (5-2, 3.13) went five innings for the win, backed by the bullpen of Cody Stull, John Gorman, and Zack Erwin, who earned his sixth save in as many chances.
The win, in the opener of a three-game series (and seven-game homestand), was the RockHounds' third in-a-row.
Notables
The RockHounds scored as many runs (6) and had one more hit (12) in Wednesday's game then they did in the three-game series at North Little Rock (and still managed to win 2-of-3 there).
The RockHounds scored their six runs in the first three innings and all at the expense of Arkansas starter Ricardo Sanchez . The 'Hounds have, as the saying goes, had Sanchez's "number." In three starts, the Mariners prospect has pitched 12.0 innings, allowing 17 runs on 26 hits (a 12.75 earned run average). Against the rest of the Texas League, Sanchez has a 2.92 ERA.
Nate Mondou has hit in four straight games and, while that's not a long streak, it's a good one. The 'Hounds' second baseman is 8-for-11 in the four-gamer and is hitting .313 in his last 18 games.
James Kaprielian will make his RockHounds (and Double-A) debut Thursday night. Originally selected by the New York Yankees with the 16th overall pick in the 2015 draft after an outstanding career at UCLA, he was acquired by the A's in the July 2017 trade that sent Sonny Gray to New York. He will tandem with fellow prospect Daulton Jefferies (James is rated Oakland's # 6 prospect and Daulton # 14 by MLB.com). Arkansas will counter with Justin Dunn , the Seattle Mariners' # 2 prospect, making this one of the premier pitching matchups in all of Double-A Thursday.
Next Game
Thursday, July 25 vs. Arkansas Travelers
Security Bank Ballpark 7:00 p.m. (Gates open 6:00)
Thirsty Thursday
- Second of a three-game series and of a seven-game homestand
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 6:47 p.m.
Probable Starters
ARK: Justin Dunn (RH, 5-3, 3.46)
RH: James Kaprielian (RH, 1st appearance), tandem with
Daulton Jefferies (RH, 0-1, 3.86)
Texas League Stories from July 24, 2019
- Sod Poodles Drop Road Trip Opener - Amarillo Sod Poodles
- White Homers Twice But Travs Fall - Arkansas Travelers
- RockHounds Take Down Travs, Win Third Straight - Midland RockHounds
- Bahr Bears Down in 2-1 Win over Drillers - Frisco RoughRiders
- Naughty & Nice Christmas in July Updates - Springfield Cardinals
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