Rodriguez Roughed Up as Lynchburg Takes Finale

Trying to win their first road series in over a month, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers again came up short on Monday evening, dropping their series finale with Lynchburg, 5-2. Nivaldo Rodriguez was served his second consecutive loss while allowing all five runs, most of them coming on a three-run home run by Nolan Jones in the fifth inning. While Fayetteville failed to make a late push offensively, Jonathan Arauz was able to contribute with a solo home run, tying a franchise record as he extended his hit streak to 11 games.

Wasting no time, Juan Hillman was perfect out of the gate for Lynchburg. The left-hander retired the first nine batters he faced on only 37 pitches as Fayetteville fell behind early. Entering the fourth inning already down a pair of runs, the Woodpeckers were able to break up the early stretch from Hillman. (W, 3-4) An infield single from Jacob Meyers was the first runner for Fayetteville, and after Meyers was replaced at first on a fielder's choice, Marty Costes continued to roll offensively in only his second game with Fayetteville. The right fielder doubled to left-center field to cut the lead in half for the time being.
While Hillman dazzled early on, Nivaldo Rodriguez was unable to match the performance. Rodriguez walked a pair of batters in the first inning before allowing a double to Oscar Gonzalez. The league-leader in RBI brought home both runners as Lynchburg struck first for the first time in the series. After Fayetteville cracked through for a run in the fourth inning, Rodriguez (L, 0-2) hit a snag in the fifth. Allowing a leadoff double and a single, the right-hander had very little room for error. With runners at the corners and two outs, Nolan Jones popped a long fly ball over the right field wall for a three-run home run. The long ball is the second home run that Rodriguez has allowed since being promoted to Fayetteville earlier this month.
Now trailing by four runs, Fayetteville got one final shot on Hillman, when Jonathan Arauz launched his fourth home run of the year to left field to lead off the fifth inning. For Jonathan, it ties a young franchise record, as the infielder has collected a base hit in 11-consecutive games. As Fayetteville tried to find an opportunity to rally following Arauz's home run, none came as the Woodpeckers only managed one baserunner after the sixth inning.
With the loss, Fayetteville falls to a season-worst 11 ½ games out of first place. As Fayetteville (22-28) and Lynchburg (25-24) split the four-game series, Fayetteville has failed to win a road series since they took three-of-four in Myrtle Beach on April 14th. Following the Memorial Day contest, Fayetteville will spend an off day at home, preparing for a seven-game homestand against Wilmington and Winston-Salem. First pitch for the first match with Wilmington will be at 7:00PM on Wednesday.
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].