Late Rally Not Enough, Sod Poodles Fall 10-6 In Series Opener

Amarillo, Texas — A late comeback was not in the cards for the Sod Poodles as they dropped the opening game of their 12-game homestand by a score of 10-6 to the Corpus Christi Hooks on Tuesday night at HODGETOWN.

RHP Luis Frias and the Sod Poodles found themselves in another early deficit after falling behind 4-0 in the top of the first. Corpus used a trio of hits including a towering two-run home run to help build the early lead.

Outfielder Jake McCarthy helped cut into that deficit when he came around to score after being hit by a pitch in his first at-bat. A balk moved the No. 30 ranked prospect into scoring position before he extended his league lead in stolen bases by swiping third. Michael De La Cruz remained clutch at the dish, driving in his seventh run over his last two games.

Frias gave up his second home run in as many innings - this time to the leadoff batter - as Corpus regained their four run advantage. The Hooks added another run in the top of the fourth after stringing together back-to-back hits with two outs including a double off the wall in dead center.

The Sod Poodles brought themselves a little closer when McCarthy hit an RBI-triple to right-center that scored Alek Thomas who drew a walk. Dominic Fletcher's third home run of the season cut the deficit to three runs at 6-3.

Corpus extended their lead after another two-run home run in the top of the seventh off right-hander Matt Brill. The Illinois native made his Amarillo debut after being activated off the injured list earlier this afternoon and allowed two runs on three hits.

After Corpus issued three free passes to load the bases, Fletcher added to his night by clearing them with a double down the right field line and picking up a season-high four RBI to draw the Soddies within two runs.

Any real hope of some late inning magic for the home team left HODGETOWN after Corpus tacked on another two runs in the top of the ninth inning. The Hooks capitalized on three walks to put the game out of reach.

Amarillo managed to get a runner aboard in the bottom of the ninth but was quickly erased on the game-ending double play. Amarillo and Corpus will continue their six-game series with game two tomorrow night as the Sod Poodles will once again transform into the Pointy Boots de Amarillo for the second time in team history while the Hooks will become their Wednesday normal, the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

Notes:

Trouble With The Long Ball: After allowing just two home runs through his first 212.1 IP, Frias matched that number four batters apart tonight. Corpus Christi hit a two-run homer with one out in the first inning followed by back-to-back outs then a leadoff solo home run to start the second. His first home run given up tonight was the first since August 10, 2019.

That's So Fletch: D-backs' No. 15 ranked prospect Dominic Fletcher went 2-for-2 with another two walks and a season-high four RBI. The Arkansas Razorback hit his third home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth and had a 3-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to draw the Poodles within two runs. It was his sixth multi-hit game of the year and first multi-RBI performance.

On The Hook: Luis Frias got tagged for a season-high seven hits and six runs in 4.2 innings while adding a pair of walks and strikeouts. By taking the loss, it marked just the second time in 50 career games that Frias has lost back-to-back outings. The only other time he dropped two in a row came in games on July 29, 2018 & August 3rd. He took those losses despite allowing a combined two earned runs in 7.2 innings of work.

Sod Cycle: The team combined to hit for a team cycle in the loss. Fletcher hit the bases-clearing double in the bottom of the seventh and added the solo homer in the sixth. McCarthy added the triple when he hit the first of his season in the bottom of the fifth.

The Scranton Swiper: McCarthy added to his league lead, stealing his 15th base of the season. The Scranton, PA native not only leads the Double-A Central in stolen bases, but all of Double-A.

Those Boots Were Made For....: Amarillo pitchers combined to tie the most walks in a single-game this year. The team issued seven free passes, matching the mark they set all the way back in the fourth game of the year on May 7 at Tulsa.

Tomorrow's Preview: The Sod Poodles will once again transform into the Pointy Boots de Amarillo as part of MLB's COPA De La Diversion initiative while the Hooks will become their Wednesday usual Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits.