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Sod Poodles Run Away From Wind Surge

Six Sod Poodles Tally Multi-Hit Nights in Route of Wichita
July 24, 2024

Amarillo, Texas (July 23, 2024) – Amarillo put together one of their best all-around performances of the season in a 12-3 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. Six different Sod Poodles had multi-hit games in the offensive explosion. A.J. Vukovich and Tim Tawa both finished one leg short of the

Amarillo, Texas (July 23, 2024) – Amarillo put together one of their best all-around performances of the season in a 12-3 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge. Six different Sod Poodles had multi-hit games in the offensive explosion.

A.J. Vukovich and Tim Tawa both finished one leg short of the cycle. Tawa needed a triple and Vukovich a double. Kristian Robinson had a three-hit game while also driving in three. Jesus Valdez stayed hot, going 2-3 with a double and a home run. Spencer Giesting worked his way out of several jams to get through 5.1 innings and only gave up a pair of earned runs.

Spencer Giesting started his outing by giving up back-to-back singles before working around danger for a scoreless frame. The first two Soddies went down before A.J. Vukovich opened the scoring when he scored on a balk after striking his second triple of the year against Wind Surge starter, Jaylen Nowlin.

Just like the first, Giesting allowed the first two batters to reach. He collected his first strikeout before walking his second batter of the inning to load the bases. He started an unconventional 1-2-3 double play to once again escape damage. Jesus Valdez doubled with two outs but was thrown out at the plate when Kristian Robinson smoked a single to left.

Wichita got another runner into scoring position with a one-out double but didn't allow anything else. The Sod Poodles went down in order in the third.

After striking out his third batter of the game, Giesting allowed a solo shot to Ben Ross to tie the game at one. He got the next two batters to fly out and ground out. Tim Tawa struck a double down the left field line but was stranded at second.

The Wind Surge once again loaded the bases in the fifth on a couple walks and a hit, but once again Giesting battled out of it, giving up no runs. Jesus Valdez led off the Sod Poodles half of the inning with his third home run of the year over the left field wall. J.J. D'Orazio singled and Caleb Roberts walked to put two on with two out. Vukovich continued to mash with runners in scoring position, singling through the right side but yet again, the Amarillo inning ended with a runner being thrown out at the plate.

Giesting started the sixth and got an out before allowing a single which would end his game. Taylor Rashi came in and gave up a two run home run to Jorel Ortega to flip the score in favor of Wichita, 3-2. Rashi got the final two outs. The home half of the sixth would turn into the Soddies biggest inning of the season. They faced three different pitchers while scoring seven runs on five hits and a pair of walks. The inning was highlighted by a three-run opposite field jack by Vukovich. Tim Tawa reached base twice in the inning and Kristian Robinson smacked a clutch two-run single to get the lead back initially.

Leading 9-3 going into the seventh, Zach Barnes came in and needed just 11 pitches to retire the side in order. The Soddies got back to their scoring ways in the bottom half on a single by Robinson that drove in Andy Weber who had singled earlier in the inning.

Will Mabrey pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth and struck out a pair. Amarillo wasn't done having fun yet, however, as Roberts doubled before Tawa smashed his 16th home run of the season on top of the bar beyond left field.

With a 12-3 lead, Gerrardo Gutierrez was called to get the final three outs and he did just that, only relinquishing a walk.

After a dominant performance, Amarillo is back on their home diamond tomorrow against the Wichita Wind Surge at 7:05 P.M.

NOTES:

HITS INTO STREAKS: Jesus Valdez extended his hitting streak to seven games - including six straight games with an XBH after finishing the series opener against the Wichita Wind Surge 2-for-3 with a home run, double, RBI, and two runs scored. The six-straight games with an XBH match the longest by a player in the Texas League this season. Tulsa's Damon Keith also had six consecutive games with an XBH from June 23-30th. Only four other Sod Poodles have had a 6+ game streak with an extra-base hit since 2019. Valdez joins Caleb Roberts, who had a franchise-best eight straight games with extra bases from June 24 to July 3, 2023, Ryan Bliss (7), A.J. Vukovich (7), and Owen Miller (6). Entering July 9th when his streak started, Valdez had just four total extra-base hits in his first 40 games played this year. His seven-game hit streak overall is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the Texas League after Tuesday.

MULTIPLIED: Six Sod Poodles recorded multi-hit efforts in their 16-hit outburst over the Wind Surge on Tuesday led by A.J. Vukovich (3-for-5, HR, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R), Tim Tawa (3-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 R), and Kristian Robinson (3-for-4, 3 RBI, R). Vukovich added to his franchise lead in RBI and now sits at 157 for his career. Tawa added to his franchise lead in home runs with his 43rd career homer with Amarillo and first since July 10th on the road in San Antonio. Robinson's 3-RBI game was his fourth multi-RBI game of the year in 67 games played. Andy Weber (2-for-5, 2 R), and J.J. D'Orazio (2-for-4, RBI, R) were the others along with Jesus Valdez to have a two-hit game for Amarillo.

TOUCHDOWN, AMARILLO: The seven-run inning by Amarillo in the sixth inning on Tuesday night set a new high for runs in an inning in 2024, topping the six runs they had scored twice, the last coming on June 28th on the road in Tulsa.

SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR: A.J. Vukovich and Tim Tawa each fell a leg shy of hitting for the first cycle in Sod Poodles history. Vukovich needed a double in his last at-bat in the eighth inning while Tim Tawa came a triple shy after hitting a home run in his final at-bat of the game. The triple for Vukovich was his second of the year and first since game two of a doubleheader against Tulsa on June 7th.

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