Offense Strikes Early in Gore's Debut

Frisco, Texas - The Sod Poodles won their third straight against the Frisco RoughRiders behind 5.1 solid innings from lefty MacKenzie Gore, as Amarillo shutout Frisco 9-0 on Saturday night at Dr. Pepper Ballpark.

The Sod Poodles improved to a second half record of 12-11 and 46-45 overall. It is the first time Amarillo has been above .500 since June 3.
Gore, who was making his Double-A debut, struck out four and allowed just two hits en route to his first Texas League win. Gore is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com.
The Sod Poodles got off to a very quick start against Frisco starter Collin Wiles. Luis Torrens belted a three-run homer in the first to set the tone as Amarillo took a 3-0 advantage.
The score stayed that way until the fourth, when the Sod Poodles scored four runs on four hits. The inning included sac flies from Kyle Overstreet and Buddy Reed, with RBI hits from Taylor Kohlwey and Ivan Castillo. The Sod Poodles led 7-0. All the runs came against Wiles.
After Gore completed his start, righty Michel Baez entered in the sixth and would ultimately toss 1.2 scoreless frames. Right-hander Dauris Valdez secured the victory with two scoreless innings of relief.
The Soddies got two more runs as outfielder Preston Beck pitched the ninth inning for Frisco. Edward Olivares started the frame with a solo home run, his 13th blast of the season.
The Sod Poodles go for a series sweep of Frisco on Sunday evening. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.