Melendez Leads Amarillo's Offensive Outburst

Amarillo, Texas (July 18, 2023) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles welcomed the visiting Wichita Wind Surge with a combined 17 runs and 26 hits in game one of the series. Prior to Tuesday night's series opener, the Wind Surge hadn't visited HODGETOWN since the 2021 season.

Wichita struck first, plating a run in the top of the first inning before Amarillo charged in front in the second inning. Ivan Melendez made it three-straight games to begin his Double-A campaign with a home run as he gave Amarillo a 2-1 lead with a blast into Bar 252 beyond the left field wall. The Wind Surge regained a brief lead, scoring three runs in the top of the third. The Minnesota Twins Double-A club notched three straight hits - a triple, RBI single, and a two-run home run - to take a 4-2 lead. Amarillo answered right back with a five-run bottom of the third.

J.J D'Orazio began the inning with his second double since his promotion from High-A Hillsboro. A single and stolen base by Jordan Lawlar put two runners into scoring position for Amarillo. With two outs, Seth Beer delivered a two-RBI single to knot things up a four a piece. Melendez drew a walk in his second at-bat ahead of Deyvison De Los Santos. The D-backs' fourth-rated prospect launched his eighth home run of the year which was logged at 486 ft to break the tie and put the Soddies back in front for good.

Wichita crept within one of the lead with two runs of their own coming across in the top of the fourth. Neyfy Castillo then extended the Sod Poodles' lead back to two runs with his ninth homer - his third straight game leaving the yard. Right-hander Michel Otanez worked around a one-out walk in the top of the fifth by striking out a pair of Surge hitters for a scoreless inning in his first inning of labor.

Melendez belted his second home run of the game - another two-run shot - to push Amarillo's advantage to four runs at 10-6. Wichita was able to string together a trio of hits and added a run with two outs to make it a three-run game at 10-7 after the top of the sixth inning.

Gerald Ogando spun a scoreless inning in the top of the seventh despite a couple of hits. The right-hander kept a runner stranded on third as he collected his lone strikeout to end the threat.

Left-hander Will Mabrey took over pitching duties for Amarillo in the top of the eighth after a couple of walks placed two aboard with nobody out off Ogando. With runners on the corners, Mabrey struck out the first two he faced before a ground out kept both Surge base runners stranded. Back out for the top of the ninth, a leadoff double off Mabrey meant the potential tying run was on deck for Wichita. Mabrey induced a couple of groundouts and a fly ball as he earned his first Double-A save in his first opportunity and helped Amarillo to secure the series opening win.

Winners of six of the last seven, Amarillo will look to continue a hot stretch in game two of the series tomorrow. RHP Chad Patrick (3-7, 5.67 ERA) takes the ball for Amarillo. A fellow Chad, RHP Chad Donato (1-5, 9.38 ERA) will start on the mound for Wichita. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at HODGETOWN.

NOTES:

EL REY: Ivan Melendez has made a smooth transition to Double-A and his home state of Texas. The D-backs' no. 7-rated prospect made it three-straight games to begin his Double-A career with a home run since his promotion post-All-Star break. Melendez added two home runs to his organizational-best 22 dingers in 2023. Tuesday marked the first multi-HR game of his brief 90-game professional career. It is the second stretch this year that the slugger has recorded four consecutive games with a home run. He first did it May 9-13 with High-A Hillsboro prior to his most recent four games between Amarillo and Hillsboro. Through his first three games in Amarillo threads, Melendez is hitting .455 (5-for-11) with four home runs, six RBI, and six runs scored.

ADIOS, DE LOS: Deyvison De Los Santos extended his current hit streak to six games with a towering three-run home run that was estimated at 486 ft by the in-park Trackman system. Over his last six games, the D-backs' no. 4-rated prospect is hitting .385 (10-for-26) with a double, home run, six RBI, and six runs scored. Over the span, De Los Santos had four-straight multi-hit efforts from June 29 - July 15. His home run on Tuesday was his eighth of the season and his 32 RBI. His six-game hitting streak is his longest in 2023 and his longest since a 14-game stretch from July 8-28 between Low-A Visalia and High-A Hillsboro last season.

TREYFY: Neyfy Castillo also extended his current HR streak to three games after a solo shot in the fourth inning on Tuesday night. This marks his first time recording a home run in three-straight games in his professional career. He previously had homered in consecutive games five times with Low-A Visalia in 2021. During that season, Castillo set a single-season career-high with 21 home runs in 103 games played. Castillo now joins Melendez as players with three-straight games leaving the yard for Amarillo. Caleb Roberts had a stretch of four-straight games earlier this season, becoming the first player in franchise history to accomplish that feat. In eight games to begin July, Castillo is currently hitting .310 (9-for-29) with four home runs, three doubles, nine RBI, and eight runs scored.

21 SAVAGE: Fresh off turning 21 yesterday, Jordan Lawlar added a multi-hit effort for the Sod Poodles. The no. 5-rated prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline now has 16 multi-hit efforts in 69 games played in 2023. Tuesday marked his 13th two-hit night this year and his third over his last 10 games played. Lawlar has at least one hit in 25 of his last 30 games played, hitting .304 (38-for-125) since June 3. The stretch includes eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 18 RBI, and 33 runs scored. Lawlar also swiped his 27th base of the year on Tuesday night which is the most among all active Sod Poodles players and just three off the club lead that Ryan Bliss set during his time in Amarillo.

TWO J'S, TWO BAGS: J.J. D'Orazio also made it three-straight games with a hit to begin his Double-A tenure after a double in the win. D'Orazio now ranks fourth in the D-backs' system with 19 doubles in 70 games between High-A Hillsboro and now Amarillo. He has a double in two of the three games for Amarillo and a new single-season career-high for two-baggers after hitting 18 with Visalia during the 2022 season.

WILL IT SAVE: Left-hander Will Mabrey collected his first Double-A save and his third in six opportunities in his first year of pro ball. He was selected by Arizona in the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Tennessee but missed all of his draft year after undergoing knee surgery. Mabrey has worked his way to Double-A after just 27 relief appearances with Low-A Visalia and High-A Hillsboro to begin the year. The southpaw has worked 3.0 IP to begin his Double-A career with just one hit allowed and three strikeouts in two appearances. On the year Mabrey carries a 9.8 K/9 rate with 47 punchouts in 43.2 IP.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN: With a five-run bottom of the third, Amarillo had their eighth five-run inning this year and second in as many games after also scoring five runs in the second inning of Sunday's series finale against Frisco. Tuesday night's crooked inning gives the Sod Poodles 20 innings scoring 5+ runs in 85 games in 2023.