Sod Poodles Early Runs Lead To Friday Night Win

Corpus Christi, Texas - The Amarillo Sod Poodles were paced by early runs as they held on to take down Corpus Christi 6-5 on Friday night at Whataburger Field.

Deyni Olivero got the start on the mound for the Sod Poodles and tossed five scoreless innings with four strikeouts as he scattered just three hits. The right-hander worked around a pair of two-out singles in each of the first two innings.

Leandro Cedeño muscled the Sod Poodles in front with his third home run of the series. With two on and two out, Cedeño blasted his league-leading 28th home run of the season for a 3-0 Amarillo lead. Olivero retired the hooks in order in the bottom of the third and the offense went back to work.

Tristin English drew a walk and rushed around the bases after a Juan Centeno RBI double with two outs. Olivero faced the minimum over his final three innings pitched en route to his second Double-A win.

A Hooks' pitching change didn't slow down the Sod Poodles offense in the 6th. Blaze Alexander led off the inning with his 13th long ball with Amarillo to increase the Amarillo lead to five runs.

Right-hander Jamison Hill got his first crack at Double-A ball, working around a walk in his first inning of action with the Sod Poodles.

Amarillo, however, drew some walks and made them count in the top of the 7th inning. Three straight walks loaded the bases for Alexander who notched his second RBI of the night with a single.

The Hooks cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the 7th. Five hits including two home runs and two doubles amounted to their first four runs of the night. Two more hits in the 8th off Hill brought an end to his night and brought on Kyle Backhus out of the Amarillo bullpen with nobody out in the inning. The southpaw inherited runners on the corners which allowed one to score as he induced a double play to the first batter he faced. He picked up his first strikeout of the night to ensure the Sod Poodles had at least a one-run lead heading to the 9th.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the ninth for the Amarillo bats, Backhus returned the favor. The lefty ended the game and earned his second Double-A save after striking out two to slam the door on the Hooks.

Amarillo now holds a 3-1 series advantage heading into the final two games of the current road trip. RHP Bryce Jarvis (3-4, 8.21 ERA) gets the ball tomorrow for the Soddies. The D-backs' No. 18 rated prospect will be countered by RHP Adrian Chaidez (4-3, 5.48 ERA) for the Hooks. First pitch from Corpus Christi is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

Notes:

Añother Day, Añother Cedeño Ñuke: Leandro Cedeño mashed his third home run of the series and 28th of the year to give Amarillo a lead. His 28 home runs are now the most in the Texas League in 2022, breaking a tie with Tulsa's Ryan Ward who hasn't homered since hitting one in three straight games earlier this month from 8/2-4. Cedeño's 3-RBI night also helped extend his Texas League RBI lead to five over Arkansas' Jake Scheiner. Cedeño's 28 home runs rank tied for 8th in the minors along with six others.

Back Again: Kyle Backhus continued his dominance to begin his Double-A career. The left-hander has yet to surrender a run in his first five appearances since being promoted from High-A Hillsboro on August 5. In 7.0 IP, Backhus has allowed just two hits and has struck out eight and he earned his second Double-A save.

*Dey's Night: *RHP Deyni Olivero earned his second win of the year after five scoreless innings on Friday night. He didn't have to wait nearly as long for another win as he did previously. Olivero earned his first Double-A win back on July 26 against Corpus Christi. That win in late July was his first professional win in 1,058 days dating back to September 2, 2019 after missing all of the 2021 season due to an injury in his first start. This win came just 31 days apart as he now has two wins against the Hooks in 2022.

Multiplied: OF Jorge Barrosa collected three hits for Amarillo, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. It was the 33rd multi-hit game for Barrosa with Amarillo this season and his seventh 3-hit night. Cedeno, Blaze Alexander, and Juan Centeno joined in, each collecting two hits for the Sod Poodles who had 10 hits on the night.

*Blonde Bomber Strikes Again: *SS Blaze Alexander hit his 13th home in an Amarillo jersey this season and his 14th overall as he led off the top of the 6th inning with a solo shot to right field. The D-backs' No. 15 rated prospect continues to show off his power, adding to what already was a career-high for home runs in a single season. Alexander launched 10 homers for High-A Hillsboro a season ago, giving him now 36 through his first four years as a pro. Alexander is hitting .296 in 70 games in Double-A and has 13 doubles, two triples, and 40 RBI to go along with his 13 long balls in his first Double-A season.

*On The Hill: *Right-hander Jamison Hill got his first action in Double-A, pitching 2.0 IP of relief of Olivero. In just his second-ever relief appearance, the 23-year-old tossed a hitless first inning after surrendering a walk. He then allowed seven hits over his next 10 batters faced which included five for extra bases.