Sod Poodles Start Fast, Drop Game Two

Frisco, Texas – Amarillo came out of the gate swinging, jumping out to an early lead on Wednesday night. The Sod Poodles held their lead into the sixth inning where a late flurry propelled the RoughRiders to a game two win.

After trailing for the entirety of game one last night, the Sod Poodles jumped out to a quick lead on Frisco starter Zak Kent. Jorge Barrosa roped a single into right field on the first pitch of the night and was moved to third on a perfectly executed hit and run. The third hit of the night, a double off the bat of Eduardo Diaz plated the first runs of the game. Amarillo tacked on two more runs in the first for a four-run lead.

Bryce Jarvis, making his first career start in Frisco, picked up two strikeouts in the bottom of the first. The right-hander left a two-out double stranded in scoring position. The RoughRiders hit a leadoff home run to start the second inning. Jarvis and the Soddies defense proceeded to retire the next three in order, maintaining their three-run advantage. Jarvis ended a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third with a pair of strikeouts.

Following the five-hit top of the first, Amarillo was held to just one hit over their next three at-bats. Juan Centeno smacked his 12th home run of the season, extending the Sod Poodles' advantage to 5-1 when their at-bats came to an end in the 6th inning.

After the third, Jarvis allowed two hits over his next two innings pitched, picking up a trio of strikeouts. The second home run of the game allowed by Jarvis was followed by a single and fielding error that ultimately ended his night. Josh Green was brought on with one out in the bottom of the sixth and a runner in scoring position. Green surrendered a walk and base hit as Frisco cut the Sod Poodles' lead to just two runs after the bottom of the inning.

The Sod Poodles were retired in order in the top of the 7th inning, sending Green back to the mound. Back-to-back singles sent MLB rehabber Brad Miller to the plate. Making his second rehab appearance, Miller was 0-for-7 going into his at-bat against Green. His first hit was a big one, a three-run home run that put the Riders in front for the first time in the game. A RBI double extended their lead and brought left-hander Mack Lemieux out of the bullpen with nobody out. A second Frisco home run in the inning made it a 9-5 game.

A one-out Eduardo Diaz walk was left stranded in the top of the 8th inning. The third pitcher out of the Amarillo bullpen was Andrew Saalfrank, his third Double-A appearance. The Riders kept at it, hitting another ball out of the yard. Their fifth home run of the game made it a 12-5 game. Saalfrank picked up his first strikeout of the game, bouncing back nicely from the three-run home run. The righty picked up another strikeout to end the 8th.

Nick Dalesandro singled with one out in the ninth before a game-ending double play concluded game two from Riders field.

Game three is scheduled for 7:05 PM on Thursday night with RHP Slade Cecconi (5-3, 4.41 ERA) taking on RHP Tim Brennan (3-3, 3.77 ERA). The Sod Poodles will look to grab their first game against the Riders this series.

Notes:

Jorge Just Keeps Hitting: With a single in the top of the first inning, OF, and the newest addition to the D-backs' Top 30 prospect rankings, Jorge Barrosa extended his current hit streak to 12 games. Over this span, Barrosa is hitting .511 ( 24-for-47) with five doubles and a home run. His OPS of .603 along with his batting average are both second in the Minors since his streak started. He only trails Corpus' Justin Dirden in both categories since July 16. Barrosa finished the game 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Bryce Was Nice: Arizona Diamondbacks No. 7 rated prospect, Bryce Jarvis made his first start in the metroplex on Wednesday night. The right-hander finished the game going 5.1 IP with 3 runs allowed on 6 hits and 7 strikeouts. Jarvis has at least seven strikeouts in each of his last three starts including a season-high 10 his last outing on July 27 vs. Corpus Christi. Over his last three games, Jarvis has allowed eight runs on 12 hits with 2 strikeouts.

Will Ferrell Has Nothing On Roby: OF Roby Enriquez tallied a hit in his 17th consecutive game in the top of the 3rd inning. It was the first Sod Poodles hit since the top of the first inning and the only hit over a three-inning stretch. Enriquez is now hitting 28-for-68 (.412) since July 6 when his streak started. His 17-game hit streak is the longest active streak in Double-A and second-longest in the minors behind Salt Lake's Jose Rojas (19).

Centy Goes Yard: Juan Centeno notched home run No. 13 on the year (12 with Amarillo) with a solo shot with two-outs in the top of the 6th. The homer was his sixth since the calendar turned to July. His six home runs since July 1, would have set a career-high for home runs in a season. His previous career-high for home runs in a career was four when he was with Triple-A Pawtucket in 2019. The veteran catcher is hitting .305 with 13 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, and 45 RBI across 63 minor league games this season.