Rally falls short as Mudcats lose 7-5 to visiting Astros

ZEBULON, N.C. - Weston Wilson had a two-run double in the seventh and Jake Gatewood went 2-for-4 with a run, but the Mudcats were unable to overcome an early seven run deficit while falling 7-5 to the visiting Astros at Five County Stadium on Saturday night.

The Mudcats (56-55, 20-23) fell behind 7-0 after the fourth in Saturday's game, but managed to put together a strong comeback effort with five runs between the sixth and seventh innings while giving the crowd of 4,230 plenty to cheer for at Five County Stadium. The comeback was not enough though as the Mudcats fell to 1-2 in the four game set and dropped to 8.5 games back of first in the second half standings behind the first place Astros with the loss.
Starter Ryan Hartman earned the win for the Astros (65-47, 28-14) after working through five and 1/3 innings with three runs (two earned) allowed on three walks and four hits. Kodi Medeiros started for the Mudcats and took the loss after allowing a season high seven runs over three and 2/3 innings.
Medeiros (4-9, 5.07) started the game with three straight strikeouts in the first and struck out nine of only 10 batters faced over the first three innings. He had also held the Astros without a hit over the first three, but that fortune changed drastically when the Astros rallied for seven runs and seven hits in the fourth. 
The Buies Creek rally began with both Stephen Wrenn and Yordan Alvarez reaching on back-to-back singles to center before eventually scoring on a two-run triple to deep right-center by Jake Rogers. Randy César, Ricardo Ayarza, Myles Straw and Wrenn later chipped in with RBI hits in the same frame as the Astros put together a seven run and nine hit frame.
Medeiros faced nine batters in the fourth before leaving the game with two men on base. Parker Berberet followed out of the Carolina bullpen and went on to work through four and 1/3 innings and did not give a run. Berberet ended up scattering four hits and struck out three in his steady performance out of the pen.
The Mudcats, with Berberet holding the Astros scoreless, ended up getting back into the game after getting three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh while cutting the Buies Creek lead down to 7-5 late in the game. 
The rally started in the sixth when Hartman (2-3, 3.48) hit Wilson with pitch before giving up a hit to Cooper Hummel and walking Luis Aviles Jr. to load the bases. 
Reliever Carlos Sierra followed out of the Buies Creek bullpen and went on to see two runs come across on a bases loaded error from stortstop Anibal Sierra on a ball hit by Carolina's Caleb Whalen. Sierra had a throwing error to first on the play and the Mudcats managed to bring across two runs while getting within five at 7-2. A wild pitch later in the same frame from Sierra then allowed Aviles to score and the Mudcats trailed 7-3 after six.
Gatewood and Isan Díaz both reached on a single and walk respectively in the seventh before scoring moments later on a two-run double from Wilson in the seventh. Wilson's double cut the lead down to just 7-5, but the Mudcats ended up stranding two in the seventh and one in the eighth while falling short in their comeback bid. 
Sierra worked through two and 2/3 innings with two runs allowed on three hits, but held the Buies Creek lead through the eighth. Sean Stutzman later came on for the ninth and retired the side in order while closing down his third save of the season.
Wuilder Rodriguez worked the ninth for the Mudcats and retired the side order while working through a scoreless frame.
The Mudcats went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base in the loss. They left three men on in the first, two in the sixth and two more in the seventh on Saturday night.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats and Astros will play the final game of their current four game series on Sunday afternoon beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium. Sunday's game is the final game of the series and final meeting between the two teams this season. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. It will also stream via live video at MiLB.tv. 
Tickets to Saturday's game will be redeemable for a comparable ticket to Sunday's series finale against the visiting Astros. Sunday's game is Carolina's second Dirty Dogs Spa Bark in the Park event of the season at Five County Stadium. Dogs will be admitted for $5, with the proceeds benefiting the SPCA of Wake County.
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