Chirinos Hits 2 HRs, Jimenez Totals 10 Ks in 7-4 Win

Kannapolis 4 @ Carolina 7

August 04, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 6:59 PM | Att : 884 | T : 2:13

KAN: 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 7 2

CAR: 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 x 7 8 2

WP: Edwin Jimenez (4 - 5) LP: Noah Owen (5 - 8) SV: Junior Montero (2)

ZEBULON – Jesus Chirinos hit two, two-run home runs over the first two innings, and pitchers Edwin Jimenez, Leoni De La Cruz and Junior Montero combined for 17 strikeouts as the Carolina Mudcats, playing as Pescados de Carolina, defeated the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 7-4 on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (15-17, 50-49) led from start to finish as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and 5-0 lead through two thanks to Chirinos connecting on two-run home runs in the first and second against Kannapolis (19-13, 45-54) starter Noah Owen. Both home runs were hit to center and were Chirinos’ seventh and eighth homers of the year.

Carolina led 5-0 after the first two frames, but the Cannon Ballers would bounce back with three runs in the third to cut the lead down to 5-3. Nick Thornquist drove in his club’s first run of the game while also collecting their first hit as he homered off Jimenez (4-5) in third. That home run was the first of four straight hits in the third against Jimenez and the first of two home runs. Andy Atwood also homered off Jimenez in the third as the Cannon Ballers cut the lead to 5-3.

Jimenez finished the third with a double play, and would settle in nicely the rest of the way while finishing with the victory after going through five complete with a career-high 10 strikeouts, one walk and three runs on five hits. Jimenez also began his outing with seven straight outs, including six consecutive strikeouts, before giving up the home run to Thornquist.

In all, Jimenez accounted for 10 of Carolina’s 17 punchouts in the game. Newly added lefty Leoni De La Cruz followed Jimenez and totaled three strikeouts over two scoreless innings across the sixth and seventh. Junior Montero then finished the game with five strikeouts over the final two innings.

The game remained locked at 5-3 from the third through the seventh before both teams scored in the eighth. A home run from Benyamin Bailey off Montero in the eighth closed Carolina’s lead to 5-4, but a two-run single from Garcia in that same eighth gave Carolina some cushion while putting them up 7-4. Luis Castillo and Chirinos both scored in the eighth on Garcia’s two-run hit. Chirinos originally reached safely in the eighth after hitting a double off the top half of the centerfield wall.

The victory lifted the Mudcats into a 2-1 lead in the series and was their second straight win in against the Cannon Ballers. The series will continue on Friday night with RHP Alexander Villacillo starting for the Mudcats.

HOME RUNS:

Kannapolis: Thornquist (3, 3rd inning off Jimenez, 0 on, 1 out); Atwood (5, 3rd inning off Jimenez, 1 on, 1 out); Bailey (4, 8th inning off Montero, 0 on, 1 out).

Carolina: Chirinos 2 (8, 1st inning off Owen, 1 on, 1 out, 2nd inning off Owen, 1 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 3-for-4, 3 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Castillo, LF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Garcia, E, SS (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Atwood, 2B (Kannapolis): 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Bailey, LF (Kannapolis): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Thornquist, C (Kannapolis): 1-for-1, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Jimenez (W, 4-5) (Carolina): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO

De La Cruz (H, 1) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Montero (S, 2) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO

Owen (L, 5-8) (Kannapolis): 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

Acevedo (Kannapolis): 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 3, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Oswal Leones reaches on throwing error by Noah Owen, Oswal Leones to 2nd. Luis Castillo flies out to Benyamin Bailey. Jesus Chirinos hits a home run to center field on a 3-2 pitch, Oswal Leones scores. Eduardo Garcia singles to deep shortstop. Eduarqui Fernandez singles to center field, Eduardo Garcia to 2nd. Alberis Ferrer walks, Eduardo Garcia to 3rd; Eduarqui Fernandez to 2nd. Zack Raabe grounds into a force out, Wilfred Veras to Wilber Sanchez, Eduardo Garcia scores; Eduarqui Fernandez to 3rd; Alberis Ferrer out at 2nd. Luis Silva grounds out, Wilber Sanchez to Wilfred Veras.

(3 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Jesus Garcia grounds out, Wes Kath to Wilfred Veras. Oswal Leones struck out looking. Luis Castillo singles to right field. Jesus Chirinos hits a home run to center field on a 0-0 pitch, Luis Castillo scores. Eduardo Garcia strikes out swinging.

(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 3rd (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 3) -- Misael Gonzalez strikes out swinging. Nick Thornquist hits a home run to left field on a 1-0 pitch. Wilber Sanchez singles through the hole at shortstop. Andy Atwood hits a home run to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch, Wilber Sanchez scores. Wes Kath singles to right-center field. Colby Smelley grounds into double play, Luis Silva to Zack Raabe to Jesus Chirinos, Wes Kath out at 2nd, Colby Smelley out at 1st.

(3 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 8th (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 4) -- Pitcher Change: Junior Montero replaces Leoni De La Cruz. Wilfred Veras strikes out swinging. Benyamin Bailey hits a home run to left field on a 1-1 pitch. Johnabiell Laureano strikes out on automatic strike. Misael Gonzalez reaches on catcher interference by Jesus Garcia, Misael Gonzalez to 1st;. Nick Thornquist walks, Misael Gonzalez to 2nd. Wilber Sanchez grounds into a force out, Luis Silva to Zack Raabe, Nick Thornquist out at 2nd.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 7, Cannon Ballers 4) -- Luis Castillo singles to left-center field. Jesus Chirinos doubles to center field, Luis Castillo to 3rd. Eduardo Garcia singles to right-center field, Luis Castillo scores; Jesus Chirinos scores. Eduarqui Fernandez grounds out, Wes Kath to Wilfred Veras, Eduardo Garcia to 2nd. Alberis Ferrer reaches on fielding error by Wes Kath. Zack Raabe grounds into double play, Wilber Sanchez to Wilfred Veras, Alberis Ferrer out at 2nd, Zack Raabe out at 1st.

(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)