The Fayetteville Woodpeckers attacked right-hander Wuilder Rodriguez over four strong innings to once again knock of the Carolina Mudcats on Tuesday evening. Shawn Dubin dismantled the Mudcats offense in the 10-1 win, allowing only four baserunners over seven scoreless innings in the winning effort. Chandler Taylor smashed his second home
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers attacked right-hander Wuilder Rodriguez over four strong innings to once again knock of the Carolina Mudcats on Tuesday evening. Shawn Dubin dismantled the Mudcats offense in the 10-1 win, allowing only four baserunners over seven scoreless innings in the winning effort. Chandler Taylor smashed his second home run in as many days, and seven different players collected at least one RBI.
Continuing from his five-inning hitless performance against the Down East Wood Ducks last week, Shawn Dubin opened his day without missing a beat. The right-hander retired the Mudcats lineup in order to open the night, only walking one batter after four innings. With Dubin's (W, 5-5) previous outing against Down East considered, the Fayetteville righty went nine consecutive innings without allowing a hit. The dominant outing was finally blemished by a leadoff single in the fifth inning, but Dubin would keep the Mudcats from ever reaching second base across the night. Coasting through seven innings behind a dominant offensive outing, Dubin became the first Woodpeckers pitcher to go at least seven innings in a start three times this season. In relief, Cesar Rosado allowed a solo home run to Leugim Castillo in an otherwise quiet eighth inning, and Humberto Castellanos pitched an empty ninth inning to finish off the winner.
Offensively, the Woodpeckers offense attacked Wuilder Rodriguez almost immediately. While a leadoff double was stranded in the first inning, David Hensley repeated with a double to open the second inning. Hensley eventually scored on a single by Scott Manea to get the offensive ball rolling for the Woodpeckers. Following a two-out walk in the third inning, Chandler Taylor drilled yet another pitch over the 25-foot wall in right-center field. His second home run in as many nights, and 12th overall on the season, the blast by Taylor made it 3-0. The struggles never ended for Rodriguez (L, 0-2) entering the fourth inning, as the right-hander was unable to record an out, allowing each of the first four batters to reach safely before having to be removed from the game. Reliever Peter Strzelecki allowed a pair of inherited runners to cross home before finally putting together a respectable performance. The Carolina reliever tossed three scoreless innings of his own, bridging the game into the seventh inning. Jeremy Pena got the Woodpeckers back on the board in the eighth inning when he drove in a run against Chad Whittmer, While Michael Papierski and Miguelangel Sierra both scratched Cody Beckman in the ninth inning to reach the double digit mark offensively.
David Hensley led the way for Fayetteville offensively, as one of the newest Woodpeckers went 3-for-5 at the plate, continuing a stretch in which the infielder has gone 14-for-32 over his last nine games with six doubles. Fayetteville also tied a franchise record with six doubles as a full unit in the contest.
With the victory, Fayetteville moves two games above .500, while holding on to their positioning atop the Carolina League South Division in the second half. As both Down East and Myrtle Beach won their contests on Tuesday, Fayetteville only sees their magic number for a potential playoff berth shrink to just three, and they will hope for a clinch as early as Thursday. Fayetteville will have an opportunity to help their own cause on Wednesday, as the Woodpeckers will try to win the four-game series with Carolina when Nivaldo Rodriguez takes the mound at 7:00PM at Five County Stadium.
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are the Advanced Single-A affiliate of the 2017 World Champion Houston Astros and play in their Inaugural Season at beautiful Segra Stadium in downtown Fayetteville. Segra Stadium, a $40 million state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, features space for over 5,200 fans, natural grass, a 25x70 LED video scoreboard, six luxury suites, four field boxes, the premium AEVEX Veterans Club level, Healy's Bar and outdoor party deck, a kid's zone, and more. With a rich history of baseball in the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, the Woodpeckers are thrilled to write a new chapter with their inaugural campaign on Hay Street. Fans are encouraged to visit FayettevilleWoodpeckers.com to purchase tickets, learn more about the team, and find out about upcoming events and promotions at the ballpark. Fans may also reach the Woodpeckers by visiting the BB&T Box Office in front of Segra Stadium, calling (910) 339-1989, or emailing [email protected].
