VISALIA, CA - Having only hit one career home run prior to 2017, Matt Jones secured his first career multi-homer game by clubbing two solo shots to help send the Rawhide to a 4-3 comeback win over Modesto. Jones hit his first home runs since July 4, when he blasted
VISALIA, CA - Having only hit one career home run prior to 2017, Matt Jones secured his first career multi-homer game by clubbing two solo shots to help send the Rawhide to a 4-3 comeback win over Modesto. Jones hit his first home runs since July 4, when he blasted a walk-off homer against Modesto (64-57/25-26), and threw out two runners trying to steal tonight in Visalia's first win since August 6.
Jones hit his first home run in the second inning after Nuts starter Spencer Hermann had retired the first two men on two pitches. Jones worked the count to three-and-one before hitting a towering fly ball to left that carried over the wall in left-center. His second shot came on the first pitch of the fifth inning and was a lined blast that left the park quickly and cleared the protective mesh in left field that extends 25 feet above the wall.
With Visalia (60-61/24-27) trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning, Mark Karaviotis, who had struck out three times in the game, added a game-tying solo shot to left off of Joey Strain (L, 3-3). Strain would go on to walk Austin Byler with one out and surrender a go-ahead double to Fernery Ozuna off the wall in left to give the Rawhide a 4-3 lead.
Yoan López had come in on the eighth in relief of Colin Poche and Lopez struck out a pair, including a swinging strikeout of Mariners top-ranked prospect Kyle Lewis. On the play, Gianfranco Wawoe was trying to steal second and he was caught stealing by Jones to end the inning and send the Rawhide to the bottom of the eighth with momentum. Lopez (W, 2-0) worked around a one-out double in the ninth that rang off the top of the wall in right center by striking out the final two men he faced to send the Rawhide to a win and end their six-game losing streak.
Both starters lasted five innings and carried no decisions. Hermann struck out six and allowed two runs on four hits with two walks. Cody Reed lasted into the sixth, but was lifted after back-to-back errors put runners on first and second with no outs. Poche, who came on to get out of the jam, allowed only one of the runners to score, putting an unearned run on Reed's line. He struck out four and walked three, allowing four hits over his outing.
Visalia is now one game back of Modesto and San Jose for first place in the Cal League North second half standings. The Rawhide play Modesto 10 more times this year, and their final 19 games are exclusively against Northern Division opponents.
Visalia will continue the series against Modesto tomorrow evening, with first pitch at 7 PM. The Rawhide will start RHP Sam Lewis (1-1, 3.38) against Modesto RHP Reggie McClain (10-8, 4.82). Tickets are still available on Rawhidebaseball.com.
