Ramirez, Homers Help E-Train Stop New Orleans 5-4
ROUND ROCK, Texas –Yangervis Solarte, Julio Borbon and Matt Kata all homered as the Round Rock Express edged the New Orleans Zephyrs 5-4 in Thursday night’s Pacific Coast League series finale at The Dell Diamond. The Express (13-15) claimed the series three games to one with the win, their first one-run game since April 20. The Zephyrs (15-12) have lost six of eight against Round Rock this season.
Express starter Neil Ramirez (3-2) stifled New Orleans bats for most of his seven innings of work. It was his longest career outing at the Triple-A level and matched his longest career outing at any level; it came on an economical 80 pitches with 56 strikes. Ramirez also went seven innings twice with Class-A Hickory in 2010. He faced one over the minimum (first-inning hit batter) before Luke Montz’s two-out solo homer in the fourth. New Orleans also got a run off Ramirez in the fifth when Cole Armstrong doubled with one out and Chris Aguila followed with an RBI single.
That was all the damage against Ramirez, who did not walk a batter and struck out three, including the final two batters of the seventh. Sean Green surrendered a pair of runs on three consecutive hits in the eighth, escaping further damage with an inning-ending double play. Tanner Scheppers worked a perfect ninth with one strikeout for his fifth save. It was Scheppers sixth consecutive scoreless outing, a 6.2-inning scoreless streak; he has retired 13 consecutive batters, eight of which were via strikeout.
Meanwhile, the Express used the long ball to support Ramirez. Solarte extended his hitting streak to 14 games immediately, blasting a two-out solo homer in the first inning. Julio Borbon belted a one-out, two-run homer in the third, and Matt Kata added a one-out solo shot in the fourth. Dusty Brown’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth proved to be the game-deciding run.
Solarte and Kata both enjoyed two-hit nights. Brad Nelson was 1-for-4, pushing his hitting streak to 10 games. No New Orleans player posted a multiple-hit game. Montz homered for the third straight game.
Round Rock continues an eight-game home stand Friday, opening a four-game series against the Memphis Redbirds. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT at The Dell Diamond. Right-hander Greg Reynolds (1-3, 4.45 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express, while right-hander Joe Kelly (1-1, 2.17 ERA) is slated to go for the Redbirds.