Sibrian Comes Through in the Clutch in 7-4 Victory

Jose Sibrian drove in three and doubled twice while leading the way for the first-place Mudcats

August 31, 2023

DE: 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 4 6 1
CAR: 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 2 x 7 11 0

WP: Yorman Galindez (2 - 0) LP: Thomas Ireland (0 - 2)

Post-Game Interview: Manager Victor Estevez

ZEBULON, N.C. – Jose Sibrian had a go-ahead, three-run double with two outs in the sixth, Jesus Chirinos homered in the eighth and Jadher Areinamo recorded his league leading 39^th multi-hit game of the season as the first-place Carolina Mudcats defeated the Down East Wood Ducks 7-4 on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (33-23, 66-53) were down 3-1 going into the home half of the sixth before Sibrian flipped it around with his two-strike, two-out, three-run double to center. Both Areinamo and Jace Avina reached on a two-out single and two-out hit-by-pitch respectively before Sibrian's clutch hit. Carolina scored four times overall in the sixth and later added two more on Chirinos’ homer and an Avina RBI double in the eighth while running away with the series-tying 7-4 victory.

Down East (26-30, 63-54) reliever Thomas Ireland allowed all six of Carolina’s runs over the last half of the game and took the loss. Ireland (L, 0-2)(BS, 1) also suffered a blown save while losing a two-run lead in the sixth. Starter D.J. McCarty struck out seven and originally held the Mudcats to just one run on three hits over the first five innings before leaving the game.

Left-hander Brian Fitzpatrick started for Carolina and worked around back-to-back hits and a walk to start the game while holding the Wood Ducks to just one run in the first. Down East’s Echedry Vargas singled on the first pitch of the game and scored in the first, but left with an apparent injury in the middle of his second at bat in the third.

Fitzpatrick allowed a run and two hits in the first, but ended up pitching through the fourth with just the one run and three hits while stifling the Wood Ducks over the remainder of his start. He also struck out four and walked one.

Reliever Yorman Galindez took over in the fifth and went on to match Fitzpatrick with four solid innings to earn the victory. Galindez (W, 2-0) gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to JoJo Blackmon in the sixth, but ended up allowing just the two runs while pitching through eighth. Galindez also finished with six strikeouts, two hits and a walk.

Miguel Villarroel doubled and scored off reliever Chase Costello in the ninth, but Costello and the Mudcats held on for the victory.

The victory leveled Carolina’s current series with Down East at 1-1 and kept the first-place Mudcats 2.5 games ahead of Lynchburg and 3.0 games ahead of Fredericksburg in the Carolina League North second half standings.

HOME RUNS:
Down East: Blackmon (8, 6th inning off Galindez, 1 on, 2 out).
Carolina: Chirinos (6, 8th inning off Ireland, 0 on, 0 out).

STOLEN BASES:
Down East: Villarroel (15, 2nd base off Fitzpatrick/Sibrian).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Villarroel, 3B (Down East): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Vargas, E, SS (Down East): 1-for-2, 1 R
Blackmon, RF (Down East): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Sibrian, C (Carolina): 2-for-3, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Adams, 3B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R
Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Areinamo, 2B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
McCarty, D (Down East): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
Fitzpatrick (Carolina): 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Galindez (W, 2-0) (Carolina): 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

SCORING:
Wood Ducks 1st (Wood Ducks 1, Mudcats 0) -- Echedry Vargas singles to left-center field. Anthony Gutierrez singles to center field, Echedry Vargas to 3rd. Marcos Torres walks, Anthony Gutierrez to 2nd. Miguel Villarroel grounds into a force out, Jadher Areinamo to Daniel Guilarte, Echedry Vargas scores; Anthony Gutierrez to 3rd; Marcos Torres out at 2nd. Miguel Villarroel steals 2nd base. JoJo Blackmon strikes out swinging. Ian Moller struck out looking. (1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 4th (Wood Ducks 1, Mudcats 1) -- Juan Baez grounds out, Danyer Cueva to Marcos Torres. Luke Adams singles to right-center field. Jesus Chirinos singles to right field, Luke Adams to 3rd. Daniel Guilarte grounds out, Danyer Cueva to Marcos Torres, Luke Adams scores; Jesus Chirinos to 2nd. Jadher Areinamo strikes out swinging, Ian Moller to Marcos Torres. (1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Wood Ducks 6th (Wood Ducks 3, Mudcats 1) -- Anthony Gutierrez flies out to Dylan O'Rae. Marcos Torres flies out to Dylan O'Rae. Miguel Villarroel singles to shallow center field. JoJo Blackmon hits a home run to right field on a 3-2 pitch, Miguel Villarroel scores. Ian Moller struck out looking. (2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 6th (Mudcats 5, Wood Ducks 3) -- Pitcher Change: Thomas Ireland replaces D.J. McCarty. Juan Baez singles to shallow left field, Juan Baez advances to 3rd on throwing error by Miguel Villarroel. Luke Adams singles to shallow left field. Jesus Chirinos grounds into a force out, fielded by Devin Hurdle, Juan Baez scores; Luke Adams out at 2nd. Daniel Guilarte flies out to Anthony Gutierrez. Jadher Areinamo singles to left-center field, Jesus Chirinos to 2nd. Jace Avina hit by pitch, Jesus Chirinos to 3rd; Jadher Areinamo to 2nd. Jose Sibrian doubles to right-center field, Jesus Chirinos scores; Jadher Areinamo scores; Jace Avina scores. Luis Castillo grounds out to Marcos Torres. (4 Runs, 4 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 7, Wood Ducks 3) -- Jesus Chirinos hits a home run to right field on a 0-0 pitch. Daniel Guilarte singles to left-center field. Jadher Areinamo flies out to Anthony Gutierrez. Jace Avina doubles to left-center field, Daniel Guilarte scores; Jace Avina out at 3rd on the throw, Anthony Gutierrez to Devin Hurdle to Miguel Villarroel. Jose Sibrian doubles to right field. Reidy Mercado strikes out on foul tip. (2 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Wood Ducks 9th (Mudcats 7, Wood Ducks 4) -- Pitcher Change: Chase Costello replaces Yorman Galindez. Miguel Villarroel doubles to right field. JoJo Blackmon grounds out, Jadher Areinamo to Jesus Chirinos, Miguel Villarroel to 3rd. Ian Moller grounds out, Luke Adams to Jesus Chirinos, Miguel Villarroel scores. (1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)