Too Little Too Late for Amarillo
August 3, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Sod Poodles couldn't score until late and the bullpen struggled in a 9-5 defeat Saturday night.
Spencer Giesting produced a solid start, going 5.2 innings allowing just three runs. Neyfy Castillo hit his second home run of the week, Kristian Robinson reached bases three times, and Jancarlos Cintron extended his hitting streak to eleven games in the loss.
Joey Mancini started against Amarillo and worked a 1-2-3 first inning. Spencer Giesting bounced back and returned the favor.
Mancini one upped his effort in the first by striking out the side in order. Giesting worked around a ground-rule double to put up another scorless frame for the Sod Poodles.
Mancini completed his perfect first time through the Amarillo lineup in the top of the third. In the home half, Giesting allowed two hits, including a two-run home run with two outs to top prospect, Brice Matthews.
Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, Amarillo got it's first baserunner via a walk from Caleb Roberts and Tim Tawa singled him over to third. With one out, Tawa stole his ninth bag of the year to get to second. Andy Weber struck out and Jancarlos Cintron just missed a two run single but his line drive ended up in the glove of the charging in centerfielder. The Hooks answered back by leading off with a pair of singles, but Giesting was able to get out of it unharmed, in part by picking up a strikeout.
Kristian Robinson smoked a one-out double down the left field line but was unable to score in the fifth. Giesting threw up another zero in the home half, just walking a single batter.
trailing 2-0 to start the sixth, Roberts drew a walk, but the rest of the Soddies were struck out. With two outs and a runner on first via a walk, John Matthews replaced Giesting. Matthews walked the first batter and then gave up a three-run home run to left field to make the deficit five.
The Sod Poodles had some fight left in them, as Cintron reached on an error and Graham was hit by a pitch. Robinson drove in the first run of the night with his second hit. Then Jean Walters singled up the middle to score Graham from second base. Wilderd Patino struck out but on the pitch, both Walters and Robinson stole a base, resulting in two runners in scoring position with one out. Neyfy Castillo hammered a pitch to deep left field but it had too much top spin and a leaping catch was made at the wall. It resulted in a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3 but just missed tying it up. Three was all they could get. Matthews walked Brice Matthews to start the bottom half and the opposing Matthews stole back-to-back bases. Then a hit by pitch and a stolen base put runners at second and third with nobody out. Matthews got a chopper to short that didn't allow the run to score from third. With one out, Will Mabrey came in to pitch and punched out the first batter, giving Amarillo a chance to escape without any damage. A walk loaded the bases and a blooped single to right field scored two runs to make it 7-3. A walk loaded the bases and another four walked the eighth run home. A wild pitch scored a run from third but the runner from second tried to score as well and was cut down at the plate. A hectic seventh inning ended with a 9-3 score.
After two strikeouts, Cintron doubled just out of the reach of a diving centerfielder to advance his hit streak to 11 games. A strikeout ended the frame. Mitchell Stumpo allowed an infield single but on the next pitch got a 5-4-3 double play. He struck out the next batter to end the eighth.
Robinson reached for the third time on a leadoff walk. He advanced to second and then third on a pair of groundouts. He would score on a balk to make it 9-4. Castillo, who had flirted with a home run in his last at-bat, sealed the deal on his next swing, clearing the left field wall to make it a 9-5 game, which would be the final score.
The Sod Poodles will look to clinch a series win in Corpus Christi Sunday night at 5:05 P.M.
Make it Eleven: Jancarlos Cintron was 0-3 when he came up in the eighth inning and two outs. With two strikes, Cintron smacked a line drive to centerfield. The centerfielder crashed in and laid out but the ball bounced in front of him and by him for a double. This extended his hitting streak to 11 games. It's the longest of the season for the Sod Poodles, three longer than an eight game streak from Jesus Valdez. Across the streak, he is 15-42 (.357) with a home run and three doubles.
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Texas League Stories from August 3, 2024
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