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Rojas slugs BayBears to series-opening win over Smokies

Pena records first quality start, strikes out seven batters
May 30, 2018

KODAK, Tenn. (May 30, 2018) - Jose Rojas hit two home runs to help lift the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, to a 5-1 victory over the Tennessee Smokies in the series opener Wednesday night at Smokies Stadium.Rojas tied the game 1-1 with a solo

KODAK, Tenn. (May 30, 2018) - Jose Rojas hit two home runs to help lift the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, to a 5-1 victory over the Tennessee Smokies in the series opener Wednesday night at Smokies Stadium.
Rojas tied the game 1-1 with a solo home run off Craig Brooks (2-1) in the seventh. The next inning, he hit a two-run shot to right. It was the first multi-homer game of Rojas' career and the first for a BayBears (27-23) player since Jamie Westbrook on August 29, 2016 against Montgomery.
Both starting pitchers recorded quality starts, but neither factored in the decision. Luis Pena gave up just three hits and one run on a wild pitch in the sixth inning, while matching his season-high with seven strikeouts. Trevor Clifton tossed six scoreless frames, also allowed only three hits, and fanned five batters.
Conor Lillis-White (1-0) and Matt Custred combined to keep the Smokies (26-24) off the board for the final three frames. Mobile's offense rallied to plate five unanswered runs against a pair of Tennessee relievers, Brooks and Jake Stinnett .
The BayBears continue the five-game road series against Tennessee with a doubleheader Thursday beginning at 4:30 p.m. CDT. Live coverage can be seen on MiLB.tv (Tennessee feed, subscription required, promo code: BAYBEARS) and heard on the BayBears Broadcast Network, the TuneIn Radio App, and the MiLB First Pitch App, with the Countdown to First Pitch starting at 4:15 p.m. CDT.
The BayBears return home Friday, June 8, and host a total of 70 home dates through Labor Day, September 3. Single-game tickets and ticket packages are currently on sale. Group and hospitality offerings for the 2018 season can be reserved by calling (251) 479-BEAR (2327).
 
About the Mobile BayBears
The Mobile BayBears are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels and play their games at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The BayBears were founded in 1997 and have won four Southern League titles in 1998, 2004, 2011, and 2012. Additionally, the 1998 and 2011 championship squads were named Minor League Team of the Year by Baseball America. More than 160 former BayBears have reached the Major League level, including All-Stars Max Scherzer, Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Peavy, Carlos González, and Justin Upton. For more information on the Mobile BayBears and Hank Aaron Stadium, please visit MobileBayBears.com, call (251) 479-BEAR (2327), or contact Steve Goldberg via email at [email protected].
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