Round Rock Walks It Off Against El Paso For 6-5 Win

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (23-20) kept the possibility of a series win alive against the El Paso Chihuahuas (19-25) in Saturday night’s walk-off win by a final score of 6-5 at Dell Diamond.

Express RHP Yerry Rodriguez (1-0, 2.31) earned the win despite blowing a save opportunity in the ninth. He tossed 1.0 inning and allowed one earned run on two walks and one strikeout. El Paso reliever RHP Domingo Tapia (0-1, 8.44) goes home with a loss and a blown save after allowing three hits and a walk in 0.1 innings of work. He eventually loaded the bases before 1B Blaine Crim singled to give the E-Train the victory.

Along the Train Tracks:

• El Paso opened the scoring in the first inning as SS Matthew Batten got into scoring position early with a leadoff single and steal. He was eventually knocked in by a two-out infield single from DH Tim Lopes.
• The Express answered back in the home-half with SS Jonathan Ornelas and C Sam Huff who both reached with singles and rounded the bases on a DH Yoshi Tsutsugo three-run home run to give the E-Train a 3-1 lead.
• In the third frame, 3B Davis Wendzel plated the fourth run of the game for the Express after his deflected single sent home Tsutsugo.
• Two straight hits from the Chihuahuas had two runners on and nobody out in the fifth inning. 3B Jose Iglesias sacrifice fly pulled El Paso within two. 1B Alfonso Rivas followed with a two-out single that scored Iglesias to make it a 4-3 game.
• Two straight singles in the home-half of the eighth inning from 1B Blaine Crim and Tsutsugo had the Express threatening, but a double play ended a chance at some insurance runs.
• In the top of the ninth, El Paso had the bases loaded with one out and an error from Wendzel tied the game at 4-4. A bases loaded walk from RHP Yerry Rodriguez gave El Paso a 5-4 lead. A 6-4-3 double play ended the inning and sent the E-Train into the home-half of the ninth down one.
• Round Rock had the first two runners on and a sacrifice fly from RF Rafael Ortega put runners on the corners with one out. Ornelas reached on a fielder’s choice that loaded the bases for C Sam Huff who drew a walk to tie the game at five. Crim launched a single down the first base line to send the winning run home.

E-Train Excerpts:

• DH Yoshi Tsutsugo belted his first home run in 25 games. His last came on April 25 at Sugar Land. The homer was his first at Dell Diamond this year. His three RBIs also matched a season high. He last had three on May 5 at Reno and has posted 17 total on the season.
• RHP Grant Anderson tossed a three-up, three-down third inning. He had struck out six straight batters dating back to his relief appearance on May 17 vs EL Paso. With his 2.1 scoreless innings today, his scoreless streak extended to 6.0 innings but he was credited with the runs that crossed the plate in the fifth after he had exited the game. Over his last three outings, he’s struck out 15 of the last 26 batters he’s faced.
• With two singles tonight, 3B Davis Wendzel is riding a five-game hitting streak dating back to May 14. In this five-game span, he’s batting .333 (7-for-21) with two home runs, two doubles, and six RBI.

Next up: Round Rock and El Paso will prepare for the series finale, with first pitch at Dell Diamond slated for 1:05 p.m. Chihuahuas LHP Anderson Espinoza (2-2, 5.46) will start against LHP Cody Bradford (5-1, 0.91) who will make his first start back in Round Rock after being optioned by the Rangers.

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