CalL1 Visalia Rawhide

Rudy Flores Has Career Night with Two Home Runs and Six RBIs in Win over Lancaster

Published on June 12, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release


VISALIA, CA - 1B Rudy Flores homered twice and drove in a season high six runs in support of RHP Ethan Elias's six innings of one-run ball as the Visalia Rawhide (41-21) earned a four-game sweep with a 15-1 smashing of the Lancaster JetHawks (32-30) at Recreation Ballpark on Sunday afternoon.

1B Rudy Flores homered twice, a solo home run in the fourth inning and he followed with a grand slam, his second of the season, in a seven-run inning, adding an RBI single in the first inning. He finished the day 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs.

Flores gave Visalia a 1-0 lead with that two out RBI single in the bottom of the first against Lancaster starter LHP Matt Bower (2-2, 8.51).

Flores made it a 2-0 lead for Visalia with the solo blast, his 13th of the season, in the fifth inning.

2B Henry Castillo doubled home SS Domingo Leyba and 3B Marty Herum, whom drove in a run of his own in the fifth inning with a single, to make it 5-0 Rawhide lead.

Bowers pitched five innings and allowed seven hits and five runs (all earned), he walked three, struck out four and threw two wild pitches, taking his second loss of the season.

For Elias (4-3, 4.98), who danced out of two men on jams in both the second and third, his only blemish came in the sixth when Ramon Laureano hit a ball to deep right-centerfield. It banged off the wall and deflected back towards centerfield where Armstrong picked it up and threw it in but Laureano slid in safely for an inside-the-park home run and it was a 5-1 game.

In the sixth against RHP Andrew Thome, Visalia scored three runs without the benefit of a single hit. Thome walked the first two hitters and then hit LF Joey Armstrong to load the bases. He then walked CF Chuck Taylor to make it a 6-1 lead and that was the end of his night.

RHP Ryan Deemes came in and Leyba hit an RBI fielder's choice for a 7-1 lead and then Herum hit a sacrifice fly to make it an 8-1 lead.

Elias pitched six innings and allowed five hits, one run (earned); he walked two and struck out three, earning his fourth win of the season.

In the eighth inning the Rawhide truly blew it open, scoring seven times and sending twelve men to the plate. After a single and a hit batsman Leyba drove in a run with a single for a 9-1 lead and after another hit batsman loaded the bases Flores struck again with a home run out to right field, his 14th of the season to make it 13-1. C Tyler Baker, three batters later picked up an RBI single and Armstrong notched his first California League RBI with a single to cap the scoring at 15-1.   

Eight of the nine members of the Rawhide starting lineup had at least one hit and all nine men reached base and eight of nine also scored at least one run. Leyba had a two-RBI game, as did Herum and Castillo and Flores drove in six.

The Rawhide have won eight straight, setting a new season long and now look to Bakersfield, where they head to tomorrow for a de-facto four game series. The magic number for Visalia is now just three and they could possibly clinch tomorrow night by winning both games against Bakersfield combined with a San Jose loss. RHP Nick Baker (3-0, 2.53) will go in the suspended game and LHP Cody Reed (0-1, 5.00) will make the start in game two for Visalia, which will be a seven inning contest.  Bakersfield will send LHP Tyler Pike (2-4, 4.62) in game one and a starter is yet to be determined for game two.

Check out the Visalia Rawhide Statistics

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California League Stories from June 12, 2016


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