Round Rock Races Past Iowa 11-4
June 10, 2016 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
DES MOINES, Iowa - It's no secret that the Round Rock Express (32-27) have found more success on the road than at home so far in 2016. The E-Train reinforced that fact on Friday night with an 11-4 blowout victory over the Iowa Cubs (29-29) at Principal Park in Des Moines.
Express starter RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez (3-5, 5.02) pitched one of the best games of his professional career, shutting out the Cubs on just four hits - all singles - in six dominant innings on the mound. Gonzalez tallied five strikeouts as opposed to just one walk.
The reigning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week, I-Cubs RHP Matt Buchanan (5-4, 5.02), was roughed up in the defeat, surrendering seven Round Rock runs on 12 hits in just four innings of work. Buchanan's lone bright spot was five strikeouts as compared to no walks.
The Express jumped all over Buchanan in the first inning, plating five runs before most fans at Principal Park had even settled into their seats. CF Delino DeShields kicked off the contest with a single before advancing to second base on a passed ball by Iowa C Willson Contreras. Following a Hanser Alberto groundout, C Brett Nicholas singled to put runners on the corners for DH Joey Gallo.
The infielder delivered with a long fly ball to center field that dropped for a two-run double. In the very next at-bat, LF Justin Ruggiano demolished a baseball, smoking a two-run homer deep to center field. Before Buchanan knew what hit him, 3B Drew Robinson followed up with a towering home run that landed just feet from Ruggiano's. The back-to-back jacks gave the E-Train a commanding 5-0 lead. 1B Ike Davis singled to keep the hit train going, but 2B Doug Bernier grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.
In the fourth, RF James Jones collected a leadoff single but was promptly eliminated on a pickoff play at first base. DeShields then responded with a single before moving to third thanks to an Alberto double. Nicholas tacked on two more runs in the next plate appearance with a ground-rule double on a ball that the umpires determined was interfered with by a fan.
Following a one-out Davis walk in the fifth inning, Bernier recorded Round Rock's third home run of the evening, a line drive shot that sailed over the wall in center field, resetting the score at 9-0 in favor of the Express.
The E-Train continued to chug along in the seventh as Robinson and Davis singled before Bernier walked to load the bases. A one-out sacrifice fly from DeShields allowed Robinson to tag and score from third. In the next at-bat, Alberto popped a double into center field. Davis trotted home easily, however Bernier was gunned down at the plate by SS Munenori Kawasaki after a perfect relay throw from CF Juan Perez.
The Cubs did their only damage of the night in the eighth. With RHP Jimmy Reyes on the mound for his second inning of relief, 2B Kristopher Negron notched a leadoff single before moving to second on a Kawasaki groundout. Contreras then drove his second baseman home with a fly ball that dropped in left field for a double. Reyes recovered by striking out RF Mark Zagunis however 1B Dan Vogelbach worked a walk in the next plate appearance.
DH Matt Murton further cut into the deficit with a double that scored Contreras from second. An uncharacteristic throwing error by Robinson during the next play allowed two more runs to cross the plate. After 3B Jeimer Candelario grounded to third, Robinson launched an errant relay throw to first that skipped past the bag as Vogelbach and Murton sprinted home. Reyes then ended the inning by inducing a groundout from LF John Andreoli.
RHP Jose Leclerc emerged from the Express bullpen to pitch the ninth inning. The Triple-A rookie proceeded to strike out the side to slam the door on the dominant 11-4 Round Rock victory.
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