Sod Poodles Open Series in Defeat

AMARILLO, Texas (April 30, 2024) – Back at HODGETOWN for the start of a six-game series against the Midland RockHounds and playing as los Pointy Boots de Amarillo for the first time in 2024, Amarillo fell 14-4 on Tuesday night. Midland plated 11 runs in the middle frames, proving too tall of a task to overcome for Amarillo.

RHP Logan Clayton got the spot start for Amarillo, his first in Double-A, and just the second of his professional career. He worked 3.0 IP and allowed one unearned run on three hits while adding three strikeouts. The one run that did come across came in the top of the first as Midland jumped out to an early advantage.

Amarillo matched that run in the bottom of the third. Logan Warmoth drew a one-out walk and put himself into scoring position with his first stolen base of the season. A.J. Vukovich did the rest, driving home Warmoth with a RBI single.

Midland began to pull away in the next half-inning. The Oakland A's Double-A club scored the first four of 11 runs in innings 4-6.

With Amarillo trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Tim Tawa hit a solo home run off Midland starter J.T. Ginn. The home run was the 30th of Tawa's Sod Poodles career, placing him in a tie with Leandro Cedeño for the most ever in team history.

TIMMY TANKS

Number 3⃣0⃣ for his Sod Poodles career which places him in a tie for the most in franchise history!

👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/0kNrIMQuG1

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) May 1, 2024

Amarillo didn't cross the plate again until the bottom of the seventh. Kevin Graham greeted David Leal with a leadoff double before advancing to third on a balk. His fellow corner outfield mate, Kristian Robinson, scored him on a RBI single and would then advance to second on Midland's lone error of the night. Three outs followed as Robinson was left stranded in scoring position. Tawa collected his third and final hit of the night with a single to start the bottom of the ninth. Consecutive walks followed to load the bases for Amarillo. Warmoth scored the final run of the game with a RBI sac fly.

Following the rough middle third of the game that saw 11 runs come across on nine hits and five walks, Conor Grammes and Emailin Montilla combined to work the final three innings on the mound with two hits allowed and one earned run.

Amarillo and Midland will continue their series on Wednesday night at HODGETOWN. RHP Cole Percival will make his second start with Amarillo and will share the mound with Midland's Royber Salinas.

NOTES:

DIRTY THIRTY: Tim Tawa joined Leandro Cedeño atop Amarillo's all-time HR chart with his fourth-inning solo shot on Tuesday to give him 30 for his career. Tawa, who has played in 192 games for Amarillo since the end of the 2022 season is already Amarillo's all-time leader in games, hits (169), runs (113), walks (88), total bases (294), and XBH (62). All of which he added to after going 3-for-4 with a HR, double, walk, and two runs scored in the series opener on Tuesday night. He was the only Sod Poodle to record a multi-hit night to begin the series.

MOLDING WITH CLAY: Making just his second professional start, RHP Logan Clayton matched his career high with 3.0 IP. He allowed just three hits and an unearned run with three strikeouts without a decision. The right-hander who was selected by the D-backs in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Houston entered Tuesday's game with just 40 games under his professional belt and made Amarillo's Opening Night Roster with just 34 games played between High-A Hillsboro and Low-A Visalia during the 2023 season. He has now gone 3.0 IP in consecutive appearances while allowing just two earned runs over his last 6.0 IP. Tuesday was his third appearance against the RockHounds and he suffered a career-high in runs allowed and hits when he faced the RockHounds on April 14th in Midland, giving up eight hits and five runs over 2.0 IP.

E FOUR: The Sod Poodles four errors on Tuesday night matched their season-high in a game. They also had four against San Antonio on April 6 here at HODGETOWN. Through 22 games played, Amarillo has committed 23 errors, tied for the second-most in Double-A.