BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Marcos Diplan allowed three runs in the third and Scott Grist gave up five runs over the sixth and seventh as the Mudcats lost game one of a four game series versus the Astros 8-1 at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek on Monday night.
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Marcos Diplan allowed three runs in the third and Scott Grist gave up five runs over the sixth and seventh as the Mudcats lost game one of a four game series versus the Astros 8-1 at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek on Monday night.
Jorge Alcala started and pitched the Astros (2-3, 39-36) to the victory after holding Carolina scoreless and to just two hits over five innings. Alcala (2-3, 3.38) also walked two and struck out four in the series opener. Reliever Hector Perez (S, 1) followed and worked through four innings with one run and two hits allowed. He also struck out five and walked three.
Diplan (4-4, 5.77) started for the Mudcats (3-2, 39-34) and worked through two scoreless frames before allowing three runs and four hits in the third. He also walked two, struck out five and allowed seven hits while suffering the loss.
Anibal Sierra had the first of the four hits off Diplan in the third. Sierra's hit was a solo home run that sparked the early rally for the Astros in the series opening victory. Jake Rogers later added a RBI double and Yordan Alvarez finished the rally with a sacrifice fly giving the Astros a 3-0 lead.
Sierra was 3-for-3 with two runs, a RBI and a home run in the game for Buies Creek. Rogers was 2-for-4 with a RBI and Alvarez was 0-for-2 with a RBI.
Diplan kept Buies Creek without another run after the third, but the Astros eventually broke the game open with a four run sixth against Grist. Grist allowed four earned runs (five total) on seven hits while recording four outs in the game.
Alex DeGoti, Taylor Jones and Sierra got the sixth inning rally going with consecutive singles to load the bases before Myles Straw forced in a run by reaching on a force attempt at second. The Mudcats did not record an out on Straw's potential force out hit into at second after a misplay by second baseman Jose Cuas.
The inning continued with the bags full and no-outs for Ryne Birk who then followed with a three-run triple to right. The triple landed just in front of a diving Trent Clark in right and cleared the bases while putting the Astros up 7-0 in the game.
Straw was 3-for-5 with two runs and a RBI for the Astros. Birk was 2-for-5 with four RBIs and Jones was 2-for-3 with two runs.
The Astros loaded the bases against Grist again in the seventh, but managed to score just one as reliever Brad Kuntz eventually got the Mudcats out of the inning. Kuntz took over for Grist in the seventh and allowed an inherited runner to score, but worked through and inning and 2/3 scoreless. Kuntz also walked one and struck out one in his appearance.
Carolina's only run of the game came in the seventh when Max McDowell drove in a run with a bases loaded single to deep short. McDowell was 2-for-3 with a walk and a RBI for the Mudcats.
UP NEXT: The series continues on Tuesday night with Jordan Yamamoto (1-1, 3.00) getting the start for the Mudcats. Tuesday's game at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
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