Nellie Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and an RBI double to increase his league-leading RBI count to 36, while the Lynchburg Hillcats pitching staff only allowed five baserunners all night to take the series opener at Winston-Salem, 4-2.
Left-hander Luis Lugo of Lynchburg and right-hander Robinson Leyer both came out incredibly stingy to begin the game. The two pitchers combined to only face one more than the minimum through three innings. Leyer only needed 30 pitches to complete his first three frames, striking out three and not allowing a baserunner in that span.
After Leyer retired the first 11 Hillcats batters of the game, the highest-scoring offense in the league came to life in a hurry in the top of the fourth.Bradley Zimmer finally broke through with a double to right field. Nellie Rodriguez quickly followed with a deep fly ball well beyond the left-field fence, and just like that, Lynchburg led, 2-0.
Winston-Salem responded in the home half of the inning with two runs on two hits. Jake Peter singled, and Trey Michalczewski walked to open the stanza. With two outs, Keenyn Walker hit a bloop single to shallow right to drive in both runners and tie the game, 2-2.
Following the Walker bloop single, the Hillcats pitching staff did not allow a baserunner the rest of the evening, retiring the final 16 Dash batters of the game. Luis Lugo (3-2) finished the contest with six strikeouts in six innings while holding Winston-Salem to two runs on two hits to earn the victory.Justin Brantley tossed three perfect innings to register his first save of the season and the third of his career.
Lynchburg broke the 2-all score in the sixth when Zimmer walked, stole second base, and advanced to third on a base hit by Nellie Rodriguez. With runners on the corners and one out, Alex Monsalve knocked in Zimmer with an RBI groundout to short, and the Hillcats claimed a 3-2 advantage.
In the eighth, Clint Frazier walked and stole his third base of the year before Nellie Rodriguez smashed a double over the left fielder Michael Suiter’s head to make it 4-2 in favor of the Hillcats.
Lynchburg has hit a home run in five straight games, marking the second time the Hillcats have had such a streak this season…Last year, the Hilclats never hit a home run in more than three consecutive contests…Nellie Rodriguez leads the league with 36 RBIs, including 18 in his last 13 games…Rodriguez has at least one RBI in each of his last eight contests…Alex Monsalve had the game-winning RBI in his first game since May 9 after being activated from the Disabled List today…Right-handed pitcher Adam Plutko was promoted to Akron and made his Double-A debut tonightwith the RubberDucks…He allowed one unearned run on only two hits in three innings, but the game was suspended in the bottom of the third due to rain with the Trenton Thunder leading, 1-0…
Lynchburg looks to extend its winning streak to three in a row Thursday at 7 p.m. Mitch Brown (1-4, 6.25) starts for the ‘Cats. Fans can tune in to the action on ESPN Radio Virginia 93.3 FM and 1320 AM or on www.lynchburg-hillcats.com beginning at 6:40 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.
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