Familiar Face for Rome Ices Asheville's Bats

ROME- No opposing player has pitched against the Asheville Tourists more over the last four seasons than Rome Braves’ right-hander Alan Rangel. Thursday night in Rome, Rangel made his 15th start against the Tourists and led his Braves to a 2-1 win. Rangel delivered a seven-inning, nine-strikeout performance, and gave up only three hits.

The Tourists received solid pitching from their duo of Jose Bravo and Brayan de Paula. The two pitchers combined to throw eight innings and strike out ten. Unfortunately, Asheville’s offense had no answer for the Hermosillo, Mexico native. Interestingly, Rangel had never beaten the Tourists at State Mutual Stadium entering the 2021 season but this year Rangel has two wins in two starts against his most familiar foe while pitching in his home ballpark.

The Braves took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning; however, the Tourists quickly responded with a run in the top of the second. Luke Berryhill led off the inning with a double to left field and scored on JC Correa’s RBI single to centerfield. Correa added two more singles in the contest and finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. The rest of Asheville’s offense was a combined 1-for-27.

Shay Whitcomb had his 16-game hit streak snapped one game shy of tying the league’s top mark this year. Rome’s Andrew Moritz now has the longest active hitting streak in the league at 14 by serving a single into right field in the fifth inning. Moritz eventually scored the game-winning run after stealing second base and crossing the plate on Shean Michel’s two-out RBI single.

Strikeouts continue to plague the Tourists offense away from home with another 14 coming tonight. Asheville on the road is hitting .218 as a team and they have struck out in just under 37% of their at-bats. Their away record sits at 9-24 but have an opportunity to even up their current series at two games apiece with game four scheduled for Friday night at 7:00pm ET.