Beer, Melendez Homer In Sod Poodles 8-3 Loss

Amarillo, Texas (July 14, 2023) – Kicking off the first of a three-game weekend series against the Frisco RoughRiders, Amarillo fell 8-3 at HODGETOWN on Friday night.

Luke Albright picked up right where he left off in his previous start, sitting the RoughRiders down in order in the top of the first inning. The Sod Poodles also sent just three to the plate in the first trip to the plate, despite a Jordan Lawlar one-out double. The speedster eluded one pick-off attempt but was later caught trying to swipe third.

Frisco capitalized on leadoff doubles in each of the second and third innings to build an early 2-0 lead. The RoughRiders once again loaded the bases in the third after leaving two stranded in the second inning. They did plate the third run of the night but ended the inning after trying a delayed double steal of home after a perfectly executed play from Lawlar and J.J. D'Orazio behind the dish.

After a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third, a strike 'em out throw 'em out double play turned the Sod Poodles lineup back to the top of the order. A groundout one sent Albright right back to the mound for the Soddies. The right-hander worked around a leadoff walk after retiring the next three in order. He was aided by a sliding catch from Ivan Melendez in foul territory before taking care of it himself with a couple of strikeouts to end the threat.

Seth Beer plated the first Sod Poodles run of the game with a solo shot to right field. The lefty bat turned on the full count pitch in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 3-1 game.

For the fourth straight inning, Frisco got their leadoff man aboard as the Texas Rangers' top-ranked prospect Evan Carter singled off Albright to begin the fifth frame. After a one-out walk and 91 pitches, Albright's night came to a close as Mitchell Stumpo was brought on from the bullpen. The right-hander struck out the first man he faced but a wild pitch, a walk to load the bases, and an infield single pushed the RoughRiders' lead back to three runs.

The first Frisco reliever used was Aidan Anderson in relief of Ryan Garcia who left the game with just three hits surrendered including the solo home run by Beer. Fresh off being reinstated to the active roster, Deyvison De Los Santos tallied his second single of the night. A productive out pushed him into scoring position - just the second Amarillo hitter to reach second base through the first 4+ innings on Friday night. D'Orazio notched his first hit in his new threads and also gave him his first Double-A RBI with a double to score De Los Santos and make it a two-run deficit.

After getting two outs in the fifth, Stumpo gave way to Michel Otanez as the third pitcher utilized by Amarillo. Frisco tacked on a pair of runs, extending their lead back to 6-2, doing so on just one hit.

In his third Double-A at-bat, Melendez added to his organizational lead in home runs, swatting his first in Amarillo and 19th overall on the season. The D-backs' 7th-rated prospect cut the Frisco lead in half heading into the final two innings. Right-hander Gerald Ogando made quick work of the only three Frisco batters he faced in the top of the eighth, striking out a pair in the process. Amarillo was subject to a similar fate, going down in 1-2-3 fashion to send the game to the ninth inning with Amarillo chasing three runs.

Ogando was back to the rubber for the ninth. The righty added another two strikeouts in his second inning of work but also saw a pair of runs come across after a double and two-run home run made it 8-3 in favor of the RoughRiders. In the bottom of the ninth, Melendez added his second hit of the night, poking a single into right field, but game one would go in favor of the RoughRiders as Amarillo was unable to muster some late-inning magic.

The three-game weekend series continues on Saturday night with Luau Night at the ballpark. The Sod Poodles will don specialty-themed jerseys for the occasion. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off postgame in the Fairly Group Club level immediately after the final out. RHP Jamison Hill (3-4, 5.12 ERA) takes the mound for the Sod Poodles as they look to even the series at a game a piece.

NOTES:

THE BIG TEXAN: The Arizona Diamondbacks' no. 7-rated prospect and Texas native needed just three at-bats to log his first Double-A home run, sending a solo shot over the left-center field wall. Melendez added a second hit, a single in the bottom of the ninth to cap a 2-for-4 night at the plate in his Double-A debut. It marks the first time in his brief professional career that he has started at a new level with a multi-hit effort. His 19 home runs are now three clear of Dominic Canzone for the organizational lead in 2023.

FEAR THE BEER: Seth Beer put Amarillo on the board with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. It was his sixth long ball of the year and his fifth in his last 15 games dating back to June 24. Beer has now hit half of his season's home runs here at HODGETOWN and with 13 of his 27 RBI at home. Through 39 games, Beer is now hitting .279 (39-for-140) and is scorching hot at HODGETOWN, hitting .356 in 17 games after his 1-for-4 night on Friday.

HIP, HIP....J.J.: Catcher J.J. D'Orazio made his Amarillo debut with a 1-for-3 night that included his first Double-A two-bagger and RBI. D'Orazio now has 18 doubles so far in 68 games. The 18 doubles rank tied for fourth across the Diamondbacks organization this season. He is also hitting .308, good for the 13th-best among all qualified farm hands in the system. To go along with his 18 doubles, the righty bat has logged three doubles, and eight home runs and is now up to 38 RBI, also good for 13th in the D-backs minor leagues.

WHERE THERE IS A WILL: Also making his Double-A debut on Friday night was left-hander pitcher Will Mabrey. He worked a scoreless seventh inning, collecting his first Double-A strikeout as well. The lefty was a sixth-round pick out of the University of Tennessee during the 2022 MLB Draft. In his first professional season, Mabrey has earned a 3-1 record while carrying a 2.81 ERA in 28 relief appearances between Low-A Visalia, High-A Hillsboro, and now in Amarillo. He has racked up 45 strikeouts in just 41.2 IP, good for a 9.8 K/9 and boasts a 3+ K/BB rate so far, issuing just 13 free passes on the year.

DOS FOR DE LOS: In his first action back, Deyvison De Los Santos collected a pair of hits, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. The D-backs' no. 4 rated prospect roped his first single at 113 MPH off the bat for a single into center field.