Amarillo Leaves Tulsa With Series Win After 9-3 Sunday Win

Tulsa, Okla. (August 13, 2023) – The Sod Poodles put together a 16-hit performance to outpace the Tulsa Drillers 9-1 on Sunday afternoon behind Jamison Hill's six scoreless innings on the bump. With the win, Amarillo claimed a series win after taking each of the last two games over the weekend and claimed a game-and-a-half lead over Frisco in the Texas League South.

Neither team was able to crack the scoreboard after the first two innings in the finale. Amarillo took the lead in the top of the third behind a RBI single off the bat of Kevin Vicuña. The Sod Poodles leadoff man on Sunday was able to score Nick Dalesandro after he reached on a fielder's choice and put himself into scoring position by swiping second. J.J. D'Orazio added to the lead in the top of the fourth as he recorded his first hit of the series, a double that scored Deyvison De Los Santos who reached after being plunked earlier in the inning. The third straight inning with a run for Amarillo took place in the fifth with Tim Tawa hitting a RBI single to score Dalesandro who crossed the plate for the second time in the game.

The lead ballooned to six after a three-run top of the sixth. Jesus Valdez made his first appearance as a position player in a Sod Poodles uniform and swatted his first home run in his new threads - a two-run shot. The Tawa/Dalesandro combo came through again later in the inning. Dalesandro bunted his way aboard before a single put him into scoring position. A balk advanced both a base and Dalesandro was able to score again as Tawa hit a sacrifice fly.

Hill ended his outing after the bottom of the sixth where he allowed just three hits on the day and struck out four. The third hit allowed by the right-hander and a walk were each left stranded in the inning.

Valdez added his third RBI of the day after Amarillo loaded the bases on three straight one-out singles. A productive groundout gave Amarillo a 7-0 lead. Tulsa pushed their first run across in the bottom of the seventh following three-straight two-out walks - the fourth of the inning issued by Raffi Vizcaino. He got out of the inning by leaving the bases stranded with his second strikeout during his one inning of work.

A scoreless eighth inning from both clubs was followed by each team scoring a pair of runs in the ninth. De Los Santos hit his 11th home run of the season after Seth Beer singled to begin the top of the ninth. Following Kyle Backhus' scoreless eighth where he surrendered a lone single, Michel Otanzez headed to the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back singles were followed by consecutive strikeouts. The third single of the inning brought home the final two runs of the game. Emailin Montilla was brought on after a hit batter and the lefty needed just three pitches to get the final out of the game.

Amarillo will now return to HODGETOWN for the start of a six-game series against the Arkansas Travelers starting on Tuesday, August 15th. The Travs won the North in the first half, and currently have the best overall record in the Texas League at 61-46 despite a 16-22 second half. The Seattle Mariners Double-A affiliate will come to Amarillo 1-9 over their last 10 games.

NOTES:

THREE FOR ME, AND THREE FOR YOU, AND YOU: A trio of Sod Poodles finished the Sunday contest with three hits: Kevin Vicuña, Jesus Valdez, and J.J. D'Orazio. Valdez got his first start as a position player for Amarillo after making his Sod Poodles debut in one inning in relief on the mound last Sunday against Corpus Christi. He ended the game 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. D'Orazio entered Sunday's game 0-for-12 with a RBI and three strikeouts during the series and broke that mini-slump with a 3-for-5 day at the plate that included his 22nd double of the season between High-A Hillsboro and Amarillo. Vicuña continued his hot stretch at the plate with his third multi-hit game over his last six after not having a multi-hit game since Sept. 18, 2022 before his four-hit day on August 5th against Corpus Christi.

ADIOS, DE LOS: Deyvison De Los Santos, the D-backs' no. 6-rated prospect hit his 11th home run of the season, and his fourth over his last 24 games since coming back from the All-Star break. Recently tabbed as the D-backs' MiLB Player of the Month for July, De Los Santos is hitting .309 (30-for-97) over his last 24 games with six doubles, a triple, and 15 RBI to go along with his four home runs.

KING OF THE HILL: Jamison Hill turned in his third quality start of the year and first since July 21st against Wichita when he turned in seven scoreless innings. On Sunday, he nearly matched that performance against the Wind Surge by allowing just three hits without a run allowed over six innings against the Drillers. It was a bounce-back performance after his start on Tuesday to begin the series. In his first start this week, Hill tied his season & career-high in hits allowed (8), ER (7), and home runs (2).