Patiño Collects Three Hits in Sod Poodles First Win

MIDLAND, Texas (April 10, 2024) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles used a five-run third inning en route to earning their first win of the 2024 season. Multi-hit efforts from four players and a dominant showing from the bullpen provided an all-around effort in the 7-4 win over the Midland RockHounds on Wednesday night.

It took all but two pitches for Wilderd Patiño to put Amarillo in front early. The outfielder collected his first Double-A homer and the 18th leadoff home run in Sod Poodles history.

As they did a night ago, the RockHounds answered with a run of their own to bring things all square after the first inning. Midland then got a solo home run off Jamison Hill in their second trip to the plate to take a one-run lead over the Sod Poodles - but would not see the lead again.

Five Amarillo hits in the top of the third inning put five runs across the plate. Consecutive one-out singles and a throwing error helped Amarillo knot things up at 2-2. With runners on the corners, Ivan Melendez scorched a double into the left field corner, easily scoring both runners. With Melendez still standing on second and two outs, A.J. Vukovich joined the hit party with a double of his own and then scored on a RBI single from Caleb Roberts to give Amarillo the 6-2 lead.

After a clean fourth inning, Hill found himself in a bit of a jam in the RockHounds half of the fifth. A pair of one-out hits, a single and a double, chased Hill from the game after 4.1 IP and 81 pitches. Left-hander Emailin Montilla relieved Hill and inherited the pair of runners. A sacrifice fly scored Midland's third run of the night before a passed ball brought them within two runs of Amarillo's lead. With the bases now cleared, a walk and single put more traffic on the bases for Montilla to navigate around. The southpaw buckled down with a punchout to end Midland's threat.

Patiño used his 60-grade speed for an infield single and his third hit of the night in the top of the seventh. A passed ball allowed him to easily move into scoring position and then score on Logan Warmoth's RBI single as Amarillo increased their cushion to 7-4.

The three-run advantage was all that the bullpen combination of Montilla, Will Mabrey, Mitchell Stumpo, Taylor Rashi, and Christian Montes De Oca would need to secure Amarillo's first win of the season. The quintet worked 4.2 IP with just two hits allowed and six strikeouts. Montes De Oca earned his first save of the year after finishing with nine during the 2023 season.

Amarillo's starting rotation turns back over to D-backs no. 4-rated prospect Yu-Min Lin (0-0, 3.00 ERA) when the Sod Poodles aim to take the series lead over the RockHounds on Thursday night. Lin will be countered by RHP Gunnar Hoglund (1-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch from Momentum Bank Ballpark is slated for 7:00 p.m.

NOTES:

STARTS AT THE TOP: Wilderd Patiño started the game off with his first Double-A home run. The center fielder notched the first leadoff home run for Amarillo this year and the first since Camden Duzenack started Game Two of the Texas League Championship with a home run at HODGETOWN on Sept. 26, 2023. Amarillo had 11 leadoff home runs a season ago, led by Ryan Bliss who tallied six of them. For Patiño, it is his first home run since August 20, 2023 when he was with High-A Hillsboro. For his career, Patiño now has 20 home runs in 316 career minor league games. He has hit in the leadoff spot all five games so far for Amarillo and is riding a five-game hit streak to start the season where he is hitting .455 (10-for-22) with a homer, a pair of doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored. He now has multi-hit efforts in three of the five games.

ON THE HILL: Sod Poodles starter Jamison Hill began his 2024 campaign by going 4.1 IP, matching the most by an Amarillo starter through the first five games of the season. The right-hander finished the 2023 season T-9th in strikeouts in the D-backs organization with 104 and fanned seven in his first start of 2024, matching his most in any of his 25 starts from last year. Hill allowed eight hits on Wednesday night to the RockHounds which also tied his career-high but saw just four runs come across against him as he left the game without a decision.

DOUBLE THE FUN: Sod Poodles prospects Deyvison De Los Santos (#14) and A.J. Vukovich (#15) each tallied their first doubles of the season on Wednesday night. De Los Santos has hit safely in all five games to start the 2024 season while Vukovich has picked up a hit in each of his last four games. The two hit 16 and 19 doubles respectively for Amarillo during the 2023 season.

GOT FIVE ON IT: Amarillo's five runs in the top of the third inning marked the highest-scoring half-inning by the Soddies through the first five games. Amarillo was only able to muster at most two runs in their opening weekend series against San Antonio. The five hits in the top of the third on Wednesday were also the most hits the Sod Poodles have strung together in an inning to date in 2024.

EL OSO: Christian Montes De Oca was the final arm used by the Amarillo bullpen that limited the RockHounds to just two hits over the final 4.2 IP on Wednesday night. Montes De Oca was T-2nd in the D-backs organization with nine saves during the 2023 season and has now converted on 22 of his 26 save opportunities for his career. His 22 saves since the start of the 2022 season led the organization and are six more than the next closest. Up to 10 saves since arriving in Amarillo, he ranks 4th all-time in Sod Poodles history, trailing Blake Rogers (26), David Bednar (14), and Kyle Backhus (13).