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TL Amarillo Sod Poodles

Vukovich and Cintron Combine for Seven Hits in Defeat

June 12, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release


Frisco, Texas - The Sod Poodles dropped their third game in a row on Wednesday night in Frisco, 11-2. Dylan Ray returned to the mound for Amarillo in the defeat.

A.J. Vukovich had a four-hit game on Wednesday night, and Jancarlos Cintron was just behind him with three. The Soddies staff struggled, allowing runs in six different innings.

For the fourth time in the past five games, Jancarlos Cintron led off the game with a hit, this time for a double. Matt Beaty struck out looking and was subsequently ejected from the game by the home plate umpire. Tim Tawa and Caleb Roberts both struck out as well to leave Cintron stranded. Jesus Valdez replaced Beaty and played third, moving Ivan Melendez over to first base for Dylan Ray's return to the mound. An error and a walk, followed by a groundout, put two runners in scoring position with just one out. Back-to-back groundouts allowed one run to score, but that was all.

The Soddies couldn't answer back as they went down in order. Max Acosta started the RoughRiders half of the second with a solo home run. File was able to retire the next three batters on a couple of ground balls and a lineout.

Logan Warmoth flew out before Kristian Robinson drew a walk. Cintron then hit a ground ball through the right side for the Sod Poodles second hit of the night, both off of his bat. Valdez grounded out but advanced both runners into scoring position. Tawa walked to load the bases, but Caleb Roberts couldn't cash in, popping out to third base. A double and a wild pitch put a Frisco runner at third with just one out. Ray was able to get Aaron Zavala to strike out, which turned out to be the last batter he faced. Taylor Rashi had the task of getting the final out but surrendered a bloop single to center field. Then Josh Hatcher, who had all four RBI's last night for Frisco, homered to left field to make it 5-0. A flyout to Robinson in right ended the inning.

A.J. Vukovich started the middle three innings with a line drive up the middle. A one-out single by Kevin Graham put two runners on. Warmoth flew out and Robinson struck out swinging, to extinguish the threat. Dillon Larsen replaced Rashi and gave up a leadoff single. A passed ball followed by a wild pitch moved the runner all the way up to third base before scoring on a one-out single. A sequence of a steal, a strikeout, a walk, and a groundout ended the frame.

Jancarlos Cintron improved to 3-3 on the night with a line-drive single. Valdez walked to put a Sod Poodle in scoring position yet again. Their struggles hitting with runners in scoring position continued before Vukovich broke that streak with a double to left, scoring Cintron. One was all Amarillo would get as Melendez flew out to center off of the new pitcher, Bryan Chi. With one out, Hatcher hurt the Soddies again with a double and a steal of third. A strikeout and a walk put runners on first and third with two outs. A fielder's choice allowed the Soddies to jog off the field without allowing a run for the first time in the game.

The bottom of the Sod Poodles order went down 1-2-3 in the sixth. Connor Grammes came in to pitch for Amarillo and walked the first batter. A passed ball and a strikeout put a runner on second with one out. A single scored the runner from second, and the batter advanced to second base on the throw to the plate. A strikeout and a fly ball seemed to have limited the damage to one, but Robinson dropped the ball to allow another run to score and the inning to continue. Back-to-back singles scored two more runs because the second single included a throwing error by Cintron, who tried to throw the batter out scrambling back to first. A strikeout ended the inning with Frisco leading 10-1.

Cintron was retired for the first time of the night to start the seventh inning. Valdez and Tawa had no luck either. Gerardo Gutierrez replaced Grammes on the mound and surrendered a leadoff double. That runner scored on a one-out single. A strikeout preceded a wild pitch, and a walk, putting runners at first and second with two outs. A groundout kept the damage to one.

Vukovich got things going in the eigth with his second double of the game. A Graham walk and Warmoth hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs. Unfortunately, Robinson grounded into a 5-4 forceout. Gutierrez worked a clean frame, giving up a single and striking a batter out.

Trailing 11-1 going into the ninth, the Sod Poodles were able to strike using two-out hitting. After the first two batters of the inning went down, singles by Tawa and Roberts kept the game going. Vukovich drove in the final run of the game with a single, his fourth hit of the game. Melendez just missed a home run, as he hit a foul ball just outside the foul pole before striking out to end the game.

After their 11-2 loss on Wednesday, the Sod Poodles will look to end their three-game skid in Frisco Thursday night at 7:05 P.M.

TWO BY FOUR: Playing in his 181st career game with Amarillo, A.J. Vukovich set his Double-A high with a four-hit game against the Frisco RoughRiders on Wednesday night. The D-backs' no. 15-rated prospect also drove in both Amarillo runs and finished the game 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles. It was just the third four-hit game of his professional career after being selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 4th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Vukovich's other four-hit games came with High-A Hillsboro during the 2022 season. His last came on August 12, 2022, against Everett. It was the sixth four-hit game by a Sod Poodle this year and the first since Ivan Melendez did it on May 14th, also against Frisco.

J-THREE CINTRON: Jancarlos Cintron finished Wednesday's game 3-for-5 with a double. It was his third three-hit game of the year with Amarillo and second in his last three games played. Cintron also had a three-hit night against the Tulsa Drillers on Saturday. Wednesday was the fourth multi-hit performance in 18 total games since being added to the Amarillo roster. In 148 career games with Amarillo since the 2021 season, Wednesday night was his 10th overall three-hit game.

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