Amarillo Held to Three Hits in 8-0 Loss Friday Night

AMARILLO, Texas (May 3, 2024) – The Sod Poodles and Midland RockHounds continued their series at HODGETOWN on Friday night. A pitcher's duel through the first four innings where neither team was able to crack the scoreboard ended in a lopsided 8-0 shutout loss for Amarillo.

After working a scoreless first two innings, Dylan File looked like he might head back to the mound with a lead to work with. Instead, Midland's Denzel Clarke robbed Logan Warmoth of extra bases with a diving play in center field to keep two Sod Poodles left stranded on base. File navigated a bases-loaded situation in the top of the third by pitching himself a tailor-made double play ball to leave all three runners on base and kept the game scoreless headed into the home half of the third. The Sod Poodles went down in order but not before A.J. Vukovich threatened the right-field wall with a long out hauled in by Junior Perez.

File made it four straight scoreless after working a three-up, three-down top of the fourth. Amarillo had another prime scoring opportunity when Deyvison De Los Santos singled to start the home half. After advancing to second on a productive ground out, De Los Santos advanced to third when a dropped third strike - and Wilderd Patiño's speed - kept the inning alive. A walk loaded the bases but a flyout left all three stranded as it remained a 0-0 game.

After surrendering a leadoff single, File was poised to leave the fifth without a run allowed following a fly-out and what looked like another double play ball. The bang-bang call instead went in Midland's favor to keep their bats at the plate. Consecutive two-out singles then pushed the game's first run across the plate.

File's night came to a close with Luke Albright taking over on the bump to begin the top of the sixth. The RockHounds extended their lead to 3-0 after hitting a pair of two-out solo home runs. Midland's Brady Basso worked a quality start, going 6.0 IP, limiting the Amarillo order to just three hits and no runs with seven strikeouts and two walks. The RockHounds extended their lead with another home run, this time a two-run shot in the seventh to make it 5-0.

Will Mabrey worked the eighth for Amarillo, allowing a pair of hits but struck out the side as he faced just five batters. Emailin Montilla got the ball in the ninth and saw three more runs come across for Midland on as many hits to pad Midland's lead.

Amarillo left at least one runner stranded in the 7-9th innings as they were unable to capitalize on three walks and a hit batter by the bullpen trio of Colin Peluse, Jack Weisenburger, and Austin Briggs.

Deadlocked at two games a piece to begin the series, the Sod Poodles and RockHounds will continue their series on Saturday night as Amarillo hosts Star Wars night at the ballpark. The team will don specialty jerseys with a post-game jersey auction after the final out of the game is recorded. RHP Jamison Hill (0-1, 9.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for Amarillo against RHP Gunnar Hoglund (2-1, 4.39 ERA). First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

NOTES:

THE DYLAN FILE(S): Making his third start of the year against the RockHounds, Dylan File turned in 5.0 IP allowing one earned on seven hits. The reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week has allowed two earned over his last 12.0 IP with five strikeouts and 10 hits surrendered. Against the RockHounds on the year, File has worked 12.0 IP with 18 hits and eight earned.

JUST PLAYER OF THE MONTH STUFF: Deyvison De Los Santos added another hit on the year, going 1-for-4 on Friday night. His lone knock for the game was still good enough to hold down the top spot for hits in all Double-A with his 38th of the season. He is tied for the third-most hits in 2024 across all Minor League Baseball. The D-backs no. 14-rated prospect still leads or is tied for the lead in the Texas League in SLG, OPS, H, RBI, HR, XBH, total bases, and runs scored. De Los Santos is hitting .375 (6-for-16) this week against the RockHounds with a pair of homers, three RBI, two runs, and four strikeouts.

TIMMY TWO BAGS: Tim Tawa added his fourth double of the season when he led off the night for Amarillo. It was the 32nd of his Amarillo career as he continues to jump up nearly every offensive category in franchise history. His 32 two-baggers are good for the third-most all-time trailing Eduardo Diaz (35) and Juan Centeno (33). Tawa already leads in hits (174), runs (115), walks (87), total bases (298), and XBH (63). He is tied for the most home runs with 30, and became the second-ever Sod Poodle to reach the 30-home run mark. He is also second in RBI, trailing A.J. Vukovich (122).

J^3: J.J. D'Orazio extended his current hit streak to three games with a 1-for-3 night on Friday. It matches his season-long through his first 20 games. He set his season high by putting together a 3-for-3 night on Thursday and is 5-for-8 through the first three games of the series against the RockHounds with a home run, RBI, three walks, and two runs scored.

WHERE THERE IS A WILL: LHP Will Mabrey made it four straight games without surrendering an earned run after working an inning on Friday night with three strikeouts and two hits allowed. Through nine relief appearances on the year for Amarillo, the former sixth-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks carries a 1.93 ERA and has allowed just seven hits and just two earned runs over 9.1 IP.

FREAKY FRIDAY: One night after blanking the RockHounds, Midland returned the favor to Amarillo with their 8-0 win on Friday night. It's just the sixth time in franchise history that Amarillo has been held off the scoreboard at HODGETOWN. Midland now owns three of them, including the last time Amarillo was shut out at home on August 31, 2023.

RISPY BUSINESS: Amarillo finished the game 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men stranded. Amarillo entered the game leading the Texas League, hitting .283 on the season with runners in scoring position but saw that number dip to .270 after Friday night.