Rojas hits for the cycle in BayBears rout of Braves

PEARL, Miss. (May 11, 2018) - Jose Rojas hit for the cycle and helped lead the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, to a 14-3 rout of the Mississippi Braves in the series finale Friday night at Trustmark Park.
Rojas hit a two-run triple in the third, an RBI double in the fifth, a leadoff single in the seventh, and a grand slam in the eighth. It was the first cycle for the BayBears since Zach Borenstein 's on May 16, 2015 against Birmingham. Rojas drove in a career-high seven runs and matched his career-high with four hits. He finished the series 10-for-20 at the plate with three home runs and 11 RBIs.
Taylor Ward and Matt Thaiss both had three-hit games with home runs. Ward's solo shot off Enderson Franco (1-3) in the first gave the BayBears (16-18) an early 1-0 lead, and Thaiss capped off the drubbing with a three-run homer in the ninth.
The offense provided plenty of run support for Jesus Castillo (4-2), who earned his second straight win. Castillo allowed a pair of third-inning runs on five hits with four strikeouts in a five-inning start. Mobile's pitching staff retired 16 straight Mississippi (15-20) batters from the end of the third inning until a leadoff double in the ninth.
The BayBears return home to Hank Aaron Stadium and begin a five-game series against the Birmingham Barons Saturday at 7:05 p.m. CDT. Right-handed pitcher Luis Pena (1-3, 5.88 ERA) is scheduled to make the start against righty Dane Dunning (2-0, 3.06 ERA) for the Barons. Live coverage can be seen on MiLB.tv (subscription required, promo code: BAYBEARS) and heard on the BayBears Broadcast Network, the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App, with the Countdown to First Pitch starting at 6:45 p.m.
The BayBears host a total of 70 home dates through Labor Day, September 3. Single-game tickets and ticket packages are currently on sale. Season tickets and group and hospitality offerings for the 2018 season can be reserved by calling (251) 479-BEAR (2327).
 
About the Mobile BayBears
The Mobile BayBears are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels and play their games at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The BayBears were founded in 1997 and have won four Southern League titles in 1998, 2004, 2011, and 2012. Additionally, the 1998 and 2011 championship squads were named Minor League Team of the Year by Baseball America. More than 160 former BayBears have reached the Major League level, including All-Stars Max Scherzer, Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Peavy, Carlos González, and Justin Upton. For more information on the Mobile BayBears and Hank Aaron Stadium, please visit MobileBayBears.com, call (251) 479-BEAR (2327), or contact Steve Goldberg via email at [email protected].
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