PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express Edge Nashville 6-5

Published on August 25, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - Ryan Spilborghs slid under Humberto Quintero's tag attempt at the plate with one out in the eighth, giving the Round Rock Express a 6-5 victory over the Nashville Sounds in Saturday night's Pacific Coast League action at The Dell Diamond. The Express (64-71) have won five of their last six and clinched the series, winning three of the first four meetings. The Sounds (62-73) fell to 3-12 at The Dell Diamond since the beginning of last season.

Round Rock overcame deficits of 3-0 and 5-3, posting their 12th last-at-bat victory of the season. Spilborghs singled to open the eighth, moved to second on Brandon Snyder's sacrifice bunt and progressed to third on Koyie Hill's single. Julio Borbon followed with a sharp grounder to first. Nashville first baseman Sean Halton fired home, but his throw was high and Spilborghs slid under the tag with the game-winning run.

Joe Ortiz worked around a leadoff double for a scoreless ninth and his second save. Fabio Castillo (2-0) earned the win after pitching a scoreless eighth with one strikeout and one walk. Starter Martin Perez lasted seven innings and allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Jesus Sanchez (4-1) shouldered the loss for the Sounds. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh with an inning-ending fielder's choice, but he could not escape the eighth unscathed. Starter Claudio Vargas allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk with six strikeouts over six innings.

Perez and Vargas entered the game as two of the PCL's hottest starters since the All-Star break. Perez was 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA, while Vargas was 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA. However, both labored through a first inning that lasted 31 minutes.

Halton's one-out RBI single started the scoring, and Andy Gonzalez added a two-run single. It was the first time Perez allowed more than two runs in an inning with the Express since June 10 at Omaha - a span of 49.2 innings over six starts and one relief outing.

Round Rock answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Julio Borbon led off with a double and scored on a Leonys Martin single. Joey Butler later delivered a two-out RBI single. It was only the second time in 20 starts this season that Vargas allowed multiple first-inning runs.

The Express tied the game in the third on doubles from Martin and Matt Kata. However, Halton's two-run homer in the fifth put the Sounds back in the lead 5-3. Butler answered in the sixth, blasting a two-run homer to center. It was Butler's 18th homer of the season and 30th career homer with the Express; he became the seventh player in franchise history with at least 30 career homers.

Eight of nine Express starters hit safely. Martin and Kata had three hits each, while Butler and Hill both had two-hit nights. It was Kata's 114th career multiple-hit game with the Express, matching Mark Saccomanno's franchise record. Kata also played in his 405th career Express game, also tying Saccomanno's record.

Halton, Taylor Green and Eric Farris all had two-hit efforts for the Sounds.

Round Rock and Nashville conclude their five-game series Sunday with a 6:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond, the season's final home game for the Express. Left-hander Zach Jackson (7-12, 4.53 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express against Sounds right-hander Wily Peralta (7-10, 4.58 ERA).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 25, 2012


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