Sod Poodles Win Third Straight Over Frisco Friday Night

Friday, August 27, 2021 vs. Frisco RoughRiders [TEX]

Frisco RoughRiders (56-43) |Amarillo Sod Poodles (46-53)

The Sod Poodles won their third straight game Friday night against the Frisco RoughRiders with a 9-5 victory at HODGETOWN. After Frisco tied things at 4-4 in the top of the eighth, Amarillo charged ahead for five runs in the bottom half to secure the final lead.

Ben DeLuzio highlighted the night with his pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-RBI double in the eighth while Dominic Canzone returned from the injured list with a three-RBI performance and Stone Garrett homered for a 17th time this season.

In the first inning, after Frisco's Diosbel Arias opened the scoring with a two-out solo home run, Soddies outfielder Garrett matched with a two-out solo home run of his own, a laser out of left field to mark his 17th of the year.

In the second, after a leadoff walk by Andy Yerzy, single by Ryder Jones and Luis Basabe base hit up the middle, infielder Jancarlos Cintron knocked a line drive up the middle to plate the Soddies second run and make it a 2-1 advantage.

After Soddies starter Kenny Hernandez stranded six Frisco runners in scoring position from the second through the fifth innings to hold the one-run lead, the southpaw surrendered a solo and game-tying home run to Sam Huff, making it a 2-2 contest.

Hernandez exited the tie game after six frames of work with nine hits allowed and five strikeouts, making way for reliever Justin Lewis, who tossed a scoreless seventh.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Geraldo Perdomo and Garrett kept the inning alive with two-out singles respectively. Canzone took advantage of the momentum and sailed a two-run triple to the right-center field gap to give the Soddies the late 4-2 lead.

Frisco battled right back in the top of the eighth sparked by a one-out double by Justin Foscue. Davis Wendzel added a single to put runners on the corners before a ball-four wild pitch by Lewis plated a run. After a passed ball to put Wendzel on third, lefty reliever Mack Lemieux took over on the mound. Josh Stowers tied it up with a sharp line-drive sacrifice fly to left field to make it a 4-4 game before the inning ended on a strikeout.

The Soddies kept their foot on the gas in the bottom half of the eighth. Yerzy led the half off with a single on a 99 MPH fastball delivered by Riders' Alex Speas and Jones walked to put two on with no outs. Pinch hitter DeLuzio came in for designated hitter Lyle Lin and snuck a double down the first-base line to break the tie and give Amarillo a late two-run lead. Basabe continued the train with a walk while Cintron loaded the bases after he was hit by a pitch. After a pitching change, Perdomo singled to right field to plate the third run and Canzone walked to bring in a fourth. With two outs, a wild pitch during Yerzy's at-bat plated Amarillo's fifth run to make it a 9-4 advantage.

In the ninth, Frisco was able to rally for a run off of Lemieux after two doubles, but a call to the bullpen for Matt Brill ended the threat as he would strike out Huff to complete the save and make it a 9-5 final.

Game five of the series continues tomorrow with Soddies righty Drey Jameson (2-0, 1.98) getting the start to face Frisco righty Zak Kent (0-1, 0.82). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM with gates opening at 6:00 PM.

Notes:

*Stone Bashing Time: *Soddies outfielder Stone Garrett smashed his team-leading 17th home run of the 2021 campaign Friday night against Frisco in the first inning - a 416-foot line drive out of left field.

In A Pinch: Outfielder Ben DeLuzio picked up a pinch-hit two-RBI double for Amarillo in the bottom of the eighth inning. Amarillo is now 2-for-7 in pinch-hit situations with three RBI, a walk, and four strikeouts this season. Jancarlos Cintron had the only other hit as a pinch hitter this season for the Sod Poodles entering tonight's game. DeLuzio extended his hit streak to six straight games since being assigned to Amarillo.

*We Got Five On It: *Amarillo's five-run eighth inning broke the tie and gave them the win on Friday night. It was the fourth time this season Amarillo has put together a five-run inning and the first since August 3rd in Frisco when they scored five runs in the sixth inning of a 7-5 loss.

*Ahead Late: *The Sod Poodles took the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on for the win. Through 99 games in 2021, Amarillo is 36-3 when holding the lead through eight innings. Dating back to the inaugural 2019 season, the Sod Poodles are 98-5 in that scenario.

*Welcome Back To...The Canzone: *Outfielder Dominic Canzone, who was reinstated from the injured list prior to Friday night's game (placed on 8/19), stayed hot for the squad after he added a triple in the bottom of the seventh to give the Soddies a late two-run lead in the seventh. It marked the first triple at the Double-A level. Since joining Amarillo, Canzone immediately impacted the squad, recording hits in his first five games played. Overall, he is batting .292 over 13 games with three doubles, one triple, two home runs, and 10 RBI.

*M\A*SHers: *Four Soddies currently rank among the D-backs minors Top-10 in homers. Eduardo Diaz currently leads the system with 18 while Buddy Kennedy, Andy Yerzy, and Stone Garrett are tied for second with 17 each.

*Brill Thrill: *Soddies closer Matt Brill notched his third save of the season with the game-ending strikeout to Frisco's red-hot slugger Sam Huff Friday night. In the month of August, Brill has converted 3-of-4 save opportunities.

Drey Day Coming: The D-backs No. 17-rated prospect Drey Jameson will make his fifth Double-A start on Saturday and second of the season against Frisco. Over four starts with Amarillo, Jameson is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA over 27.1 IP with 41 strikeouts, six walks allowed, and a .179 opposing average. His last start against Frisco, on August 5, marked his Double-A debut. He took a no-decision after six frames of two-run, four-hit ball with one walk allowed and 11 strikeouts. The Indiana native was selected by the D-backs in the 1st round (34th overall) in the 2019 MLB draft out of Ball State.

*Return of the Gold Sox: *The Gold Sox will make their return to Amarillo Saturday night at HODGETOWN for the first time in nearly four decades. Former players will join the special night, including members of the 1976 Gold Sox and Texas League Championship team. The Sod Poodles players will also pay homage to the era of Amarillo professional baseball by wearing replica Gold Sox uniforms on the field. The jerseys will be auctioned postgame and will benefit the Children's Miracle Network. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 6 p.m.