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Amarillo Homers Their Way to Friday Night Win

Five Home Runs Sets Single-Game High in 2024 for Amarillo
June 21, 2024

Amarillo, Texas (June 21, 2024) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles used a season-high five home runs to overpower the San Antonio Missions on Friday night. The Sod Poodles also got another quality start from Billy Corcoran as the team cruised to a 10-2 win and a 3-1 series lead. Corcoran

Amarillo, Texas (June 21, 2024) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles used a season-high five home runs to overpower the San Antonio Missions on Friday night. The Sod Poodles also got another quality start from Billy Corcoran as the team cruised to a 10-2 win and a 3-1 series lead.

Corcoran stranded a leadoff triple in the top of the first inning and worked a 1-2-3 inning in the second. After a double play ended the Sod Poodles first trip to the plate, they wasted little time putting their stamp on the game in the second. Matt Beaty led off the inning with a single to send Ivan Melendez to the dish. The D-backs' no. 8-rated prospect sent the first pitch he saw over the left-center field wall to give Amarillo the lead. Two batters later, Caleb Roberts extended the lead with a solo shot of his own. Jesus Valdez made it a three-homer inning for Amarillo as the lead grew to 4-0.

The Amarillo starter made it two straight innings retiring the side in order as he left the mound in the third. Amarillo had some hard contact but right at the Missions' defense as Corcoran headed back to the rubber for his fourth inning of work. The right-hander struck out two of the first three batters and allowed a one-out single in between. Robbie Tenerowicz cut the Sod Poodles' lead in half with his sixth home run of the season. A two-out single kept the inning alive before Corcoran got out of the inning by inducing a line drive to Beaty manning first base. Roberts' second hit of the game was a two-out triple in the bottom of the fourth but he was left stranded as the game stayed at a two-run Amarillo lead.

The fifth inning was another quick one for Corcoran who retired the side in order for the third time. Valdez made it a multi-hit game to begin the home half and Jancarlos Cintron made it two home runs in his last four at-bats dating back to the ninth inning on Thursday night. His second home run of the year pushed the Sod Poodles lead to 6-2. Corcoran spun just 12 pitches to get through the top of the sixth inning.

Roberts mashed his second round-tripper in three trips to the plate on Friday night. Valdez added another run with a RBI double as the hits continued against Robby Snelling.

Corcoran turned the ball over to the bullpen after another dominant outing on the mound over seven frames. Conor Grammes and Luke Albright combined to throw the last two innings, allowing just a hit while both added a strikeout.

J.J. D'Orazio and Kristian Robinson each doubled in the eighth to bring home the 10th and final run for Amarillo in the 10-2 win.

Claiming at least a series split, Amarillo will now set their sights on closing out the first half of the Texas League with their first series win at home this year. RHP Dylan File (2-6, 6.30 ERA) will take the ball for Amarillo on Saturday night. He'll be countered by San Antonio's RHP Victor Lizarraga (2-3, 3.52 ERA). First pitch from HODGETOWN is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

NOTES:

LONG GONE ROBERTS: In 166 career games with Amarillo, Friday night was just the fourth multi-HR game for Caleb Roberts. It was his first since 9/1/23 vs. MID. His two home runs for the game gave him 25 in his Amarillo career, good for T-5th all-time in Amarillo history along with Stone Garrett. The D-backs no. 26-rated prospect finished 3-for-4 and racked up 11 total bases with his two homers and a triple. His fourth-inning three-bagger just missed being his third home run of the game, but extended his all-time triples lead for Amarillo as he now has 13 in his career. It was the fourth multi-HR game this year by an Amarillo player with Ivan Melendez having the last, doing so on May 14th here at HODGETOWN against Frisco.

MELENDEZ MASH: Ivan Melendez started the home run party for the Sod Poodles with his second-inning two-run shot to put the Soddies on the board. It was his 12th of the season and third in his last seven games played. The D-backs no. 8-rated prospect is up to 24 home runs in 94 Double-A games with Amarillo, good for solo seventh all-time.

PITCHES INTO HITS: Jesus Valdez has turned in an excellent start to the series against the Missions. He has played in all four games so far and is now 7-for-15 (.467) with a home run, double, three RBI, two walks, and eight runs scored. Valdez entered the game with one XBH in his first 32 games and finished Friday night 3-for-4 with his first home run since May 21st @ NWA to go along with a double.

OFFICIALLY A STREAK: Jancarlos Cintron made it back-to-back games with a home run after hitting a two-run shot off Robby Snelling in the fifth inning. It was his first time in Double-A with a homer in consecutive games. Cintron went into Thursday's game without a home run in his previous 50 games and leaves Friday with two in his last six at-bats. In 558 career games in the minor leagues, Friday was just the second time he has homered in consecutive games. He last did it on August 10-14, 2019, with Visalia when he homered in three straight games and had a multi-HR game, the only one of those in his career so far.

QUALITY IS HIS MIDDLE NAME: Billy Corcoran continued his dominance on the mound, spinning his sixth straight quality start. He went 7.0 IP on Friday night while allowing just two earned - both coming via a two-run home run - on five hits with five strikeouts. Over his last six games, he owns a 1.15 ERA and has gone 3-1 with 30 strikeouts and eight walks.

HOME RUNS: Amarillo set their single-game high by hitting five home runs off Missions' pitching on Friday night. The previous high was three, which they had done three different time this year, the last coming on May 14th vs. Frisco. The three round-trippers in the second inning were also the most they have had in any inning so far this year. 10 of the 12 total runs scored between the two teams on Friday night came via the long ball. With two games left to play this series, the 17 total home runs hit through the first four games are already the most Amarillo and their opponent have combined to hit in a week. Besting the 15 Amarillo and Frisco hit on April 23-28 at Riders Field. Amarillo's 72 home runs on the season are 2nd in the Texas League and T-2nd in all of Double-A. The Tulsa Drillers currently hold the top spot with 74 home runs.

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