Wingnuts at Laredo
Published on September 3, 2016 under American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release
After falling in the opener of their final regular season series in Laredo last night, the Wingnuts will look to even their series with the Lemurs tonight at Uni-Trade Stadium. Full game notes attached. ___ Wichita Wingnuts (60-37) at Laredo Lemurs (55-41) RHP Jesse Pratt (6-2, 3.51) vs. RHP Ryan Beckman (8-7, 2.67) 7:05 p.m. - Uni-Trade Stadium (Laredo, Texas)
WIN STREAK SNAPPED
The Wichita Wingnuts saw their five-game winning streak come to an end Friday night as they fell 10-4 to the Laredo Lemurs at Uni-Trade Stadium. Laredo jumped out to a 4-0 lead early, plating one in the second, two in the third on a Denis Phipps two-run shot, and another in the fourth. The Wingnuts evened the score with four of their own in the sixth. Wichita loaded the bases with nobody out in the frame, and got their first run when T.J. Mittelstaedt drew a bases loaded walk. One out later, Nick Van Stratten followed with a bloop single that got one run in, and then a throwing error by Laredo's Burt Reynolds allowed two more runs to score on the play to tie it up. The Lemurs answered in the home half to regain the lead. Abel Nieves put the home team ahead again with an RBI single, and two more runs scored on a wild pitch and fielder's choice. After Wichita failed to convert on a bases loaded chance in the eighth, Laredo put the game away with three in the home half. Phipps added his third RBI of the night with a single, and two RBI groundouts put the Lemurs up by six, and gave them the set opener.
CHAVED NAMED TOP ROOKIE
Matt Chavez collected yet another accolade Saturday, as he was announced as the 2016 American Association Rookie of the Year. Chavez is hitting .355 for the year, just percentage points behind fellow Wingnut Harrison Kain in the race for the league batting title with three games remaining in the regular season. The 27-year old has blasted 15 home runs for the year, including three multi-homer games. The most recent two-homer game for Chavez came back on Wednesday against Joplin, as Wichita clinched the South Division with an 8-3 win over the Blasters. Chavez has also driven in 60 in his 65 games, and has brought in four runs or more four different times this year, including a season-high five in another two-homer game against the Texas AirHogs on August 28. The former San Francisco Don leads the American Association in slugging percentage at .618 and has the fifth-best on-base percentage at .414.
The honor is the third of the year for Chavez, who was named the Player of the Week for the week of July 18-24, and the Player of the Month for his work in the month of August.
American Association Stories from September 3, 2016
- Saints Win 1-0 to Claim Back-To-Back North Titles - St. Paul Saints
- Fiala Homers in 7-3 Victory over Kansas City - Sioux Falls Canaries
- Saints Win Pitching Showcase to Clinch North - Lincoln Saltdogs
- RailCats Shut out Blasters for Second Straight Game in 10-0 Win - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Wingnuts at Laredo - Wichita Wingnuts
- Wingnuts Chaved Named American Association's Top Rookie - Wichita Wingnuts
- Abercrombie Named Inaugural "Man of the Year" - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- RailCats Deal Blasters Defeat in Final Series Opener - Joplin Blasters
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