Mudcats Leave Kannapolis With Series Tying 5-2 Victory

Carolina 5 @ Kannapolis 2
August 28, 2022 | Venue : Atrium Health Ballpark | First pitch : 1:00 PM | Att : 2,070 | T : 2:29

CAR: 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 5 7 1
KAN: 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 9 1

WP: Cameron Wagoner (1 - 0) LP: Jose Jimenez (0 - 1) SV: Yerlin Rodriguez (1)

KANNAPOLIS – Jesus Chirinos went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the fifth, Alex Hall hit a two-run home run in the sixth and reliever Cameron Wagoner struck out seven over three scoreless innings as the Carolina Mudcats took Sunday’s series finale 5-2 versus the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark. The Mudcats (30-24, 64-56) finished with a series split as both teams took three games in the six-game set. Carolina also closed out what was the final meeting between the two teams while winning the season series 13-11.

The game was scoreless through the third before Jadher Areinamo helped Carolina break through with a RBI single off Kannapolis (27-27, 53-67) reliever Jose Jimenez. That lone fourth inning run was the first of three allowed in the game for Jimenez (0-1) as he also gave up Chirinos’ two-run double in the fifth. That double lifted the Mudcats to a 3-0 lead and was the second hit of the game for Chirinos as he went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

The Carolina lead went quickly from 3-0 in the fifth to 5-0 in the sixth after Hall connected on a two-run home run off newly inserted reliever Tyson Messer. The home run was Hall’s first with the Mudcats this season and his second overall including his time spent with High-A Wisconsin to start the season.

Max Lazar started for Carolina as part of a MiLB rehab assignment and worked through two scoreless innings with three strikeouts, a walk and one hit allowed. He was followed by Wagoner who went on to record seven strikeouts while holding the Cannon Ballers scoreless from the third through the sixth. Wagoner (1-0), Milwaukee's 11th round pick in this year's draft, ended up scattering four hits while working three scoreless frames in his Carolina, and Single-A debut.

Reliever Arielbi Gonzalez and Yerlin Rodriguez also made their Single-A debuts in Sunday’s game with Gonzalez taking over in the sixth and Rodriguez (S, 1) working the ninth. Gonzalez immediately worked a scoreless sixth before giving up a couple of Kannapolis runs on a Jordan Sprinkle home run in the seventh. He returned to work through a scoreless eighth and ended up allowing two runs and four hits over three innings in his first appearance with the Mudcats. Rodriguez, meanwhile, worked the ninth where he struck out two, walked one, and stranded a runner on while closing out the 5-2 victory.

Branlyn Jaraba went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. His two-hit day extended his hitting streak to seven consecutive games.

The Cannon Ballers used six pitchers in Sunday’s finale with starter Jonathan Cannon working the first two, Eric Adler pitching the second, Jimenez allowing three runs across the fourth and fifth, Messer going two despite giving up Hall’s home run in the sixth, Jake Palisch working the eighth and Liam Jenkins pitching the ninth. Only Jimenez and Messer allowed runs in Sunday’s season and series finale.

The victory, combined with a Fredericksburg Nationals loss to the Down East Wood Ducks, lifted the Mudcats to 3.5 games back of the first place FredNats in the Carolina League North second half standings.

Only 12 games remain this season with six left at home beginning Tuesday, August 30 when the Mudcats host the Columbia Fireflies for the first time at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats will finish the season on the road in Myrtle Beach against the Pelicans beginning on September 6.

HOME RUNS:
Carolina: Hall (1, 6th inning off Messer, 1 on, 2 out).

Kannapolis: Sprinkle (1, 7th inning off Gonzalez, A, 1 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 0 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Hall, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jaraba, 3B (Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B,
Areinamo, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 RBI
Sprinkle, SS (Kannapolis): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Thornquist, C (Kannapolis): 2-for-3, 1 R

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Lazar (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Wagoner (W, 1-0) (Carolina): 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
Rodriguez (S, 1) (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Cannon (Kannapolis): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Adler (Kannapolis): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Palisch (Kannapolis): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Jenkins (Kannapolis): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 1, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Pitcher Change: Jose Jimenez replaces Eric Adler. Jesus Chirinos strikes out swinging. Eduarqui Fernandez walks. Hedbert Perez grounds out to Tim Elko, Eduarqui Fernandez to 2nd. Jadher Areinamo singles to right field, Eduarqui Fernandez scores. Branlyn Jaraba grounds out, Jordan Sprinkle to Tim Elko.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 3, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Alex Hall struck out looking. Robert Moore lines out to Tim Elko. Luis Castillo walks. Jace Avina walks, Luis Castillo to 2nd. Jesus Chirinos doubles to right field, Luis Castillo scores; Jace Avina scores. Eduarqui Fernandez strikes out swinging.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 6th (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Pitcher Change: Tyson Messer replaces Jose Jimenez. Hedbert Perez lines out to Logan Glass. Jadher Areinamo strikes out swinging. Branlyn Jaraba hit by pitch. Branlyn Jaraba steals 2nd base. throwing error by Nick Thornquist. Alex Hall hits a home run to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch, Branlyn Jaraba scores. Robert Moore struck out looking.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 0 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 7th (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 2) -- Logan Glass flies out to Jace Avina. Nick Thornquist singles to right field. Jordan Sprinkle hits a home run to left field on a 0-1 pitch, Nick Thornquist scores. Samil Polanco grounds out, Jadher Areinamo to Jesus Chirinos. Troy Claunch grounds out, Arielbi Gonzalez to Jadher Areinamo to Jesus Chirinos.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)