AUBURN - It was a familiar setting at Falcon Park on Tuesday night. A fantastic pitching performance, an under-performing offense, and a shutout baseball game - it all read the same as Monday night's contest, but with a happier ending for the Auburn Doubledays.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Auburn starting pitcher Joel Carreno unloads a pitch in the first inning of Tuesday's contest at Falcon Park.
Auburn starting pitcher Joel Carreno unloads a pitch in the first inning of Tuesday's contest at Falcon Park.
The Doubledays managed just five hits, but behind the arm of Joel Carreno and a couple outstanding defensive plays, they blanked Tri-City, 2-0. After dropping two to Pinckney division rival Batavia, it was a much-needed win.
“The pitching they had in Batavia last night, we had on our side tonight,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “You can't say enough about Joel. We've just been having a tough time finding ways to score runs.”
Auburn avoided a third-straight loss - and a .500 record - and earned Carreno his fourth win of the season on a heads-up play by Luis Rivera. Perched at third base with two outs in the sixth, Rivera scored with Leance Soto at the plate on a passed Danny Meszaros passed ball to Jason Castro. Castro, the Houston Astros' first-round pick this season, lost the ball and couldn't recover in time to catch Rivera, who crossed home plate safely for the fifth time this year.
Before the play, the Doubledays were in danger of wasting a lights out performance by Carreno. In his fifth start, the Dominican Republic native lasted six innings, walking two but fanning 11. He also allowed three of the ValleyCats' six hits, but pitched his way out of a jam in the second inning and never allowed a runner to reach third.
While the night was not one to showcase either team's offensive prowess, it was one for highlight reel defensive plays. The Doubledays turned two double plays, catcher Joel Collins threw out Jon Gaston at second base to end the sixth inning and in the seventh, reliever Dan O'Brien made a smart decision by throwing out Julian Henson at third on a Jeff Hulett bunt. But the most important defensive moments came in the eighth and left fielder Chris Hopkins was on the best end of both plays.
Against most other teams, TJ Steele's line drive to left field would have dropped for a single. Hopkins though, made a diving catch for the second out of the inning.
“To be honest, it was pure instinct when I dove and caught it,” Hopkins said.
The next one that came his way, just four pitches later courtesy of Castro, dropped in for a single, but what Hopkins did with the hit likely preserved Auburn's win.
With Danny Meier on second base before the single, Castro belted him around third, sending him into position to tie the game. Hopkins had other ideas, as he rifled the ball in Collins' direction behind home plate. While it wasn't a perfect throw, it was good enough for Collins to make the stretched-out tag in time.
“The ball was wet out here, so I knew I had to make a good throw home,” Hopkins said. “I knew (Collins) could make the play for sure.”
“You won't come to many baseball games and see back-to-back plays that were game saving like that,” Holmberg said. “(Hopkins) was going to be tested either way, with two outs. Collins made a really nice play coming up for the tag. There's never a tougher play than an out like that. Certainly Hopkins was defensively the star of the game.”
Then, as is often the case, the defensive standout turned around and stood out at the plate. A bases-loaded walk, his third of the game, might not have shined in many other games, but Hopkins' ability to be selective at the plate earned the Doubledays an insurance run on Mike McDade's well-hit double.
“I just had some patience at the plate tonight,” Hopkins said. “I was just trying to draw the walks.”
Bobby Bell picked up his third save of the season but facing three batters in the ninth, and Auburn jumped out of its slump. More importantly, with the win - coupled with losses by Jamestown and Batavia - the Doubledays moved back into a three-way tie for second place, just 4.5 games out of first.
Notes: The Doubledays stranded just five baserunners, but for the second straight night, most of them came in the first two innings.
Go inside the dugout
Kristin Kowaleski-Wolford gives her thoughts on this year's Doubledays squad on her blog at
aubburnpub.com/blogs
“The pitching they had in Batavia last night, we had on our side tonight,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “You can't say enough about Joel. We've just been having a tough time finding ways to score runs.”
Auburn avoided a third-straight loss - and a .500 record - and earned Carreno his fourth win of the season on a heads-up play by Luis Rivera. Perched at third base with two outs in the sixth, Rivera scored with Leance Soto at the plate on a passed Danny Meszaros passed ball to Jason Castro. Castro, the Houston Astros' first-round pick this season, lost the ball and couldn't recover in time to catch Rivera, who crossed home plate safely for the fifth time this year.
Before the play, the Doubledays were in danger of wasting a lights out performance by Carreno. In his fifth start, the Dominican Republic native lasted six innings, walking two but fanning 11. He also allowed three of the ValleyCats' six hits, but pitched his way out of a jam in the second inning and never allowed a runner to reach third.
While the night was not one to showcase either team's offensive prowess, it was one for highlight reel defensive plays. The Doubledays turned two double plays, catcher Joel Collins threw out Jon Gaston at second base to end the sixth inning and in the seventh, reliever Dan O'Brien made a smart decision by throwing out Julian Henson at third on a Jeff Hulett bunt. But the most important defensive moments came in the eighth and left fielder Chris Hopkins was on the best end of both plays.
Against most other teams, TJ Steele's line drive to left field would have dropped for a single. Hopkins though, made a diving catch for the second out of the inning.
“To be honest, it was pure instinct when I dove and caught it,” Hopkins said.
The next one that came his way, just four pitches later courtesy of Castro, dropped in for a single, but what Hopkins did with the hit likely preserved Auburn's win.
With Danny Meier on second base before the single, Castro belted him around third, sending him into position to tie the game. Hopkins had other ideas, as he rifled the ball in Collins' direction behind home plate. While it wasn't a perfect throw, it was good enough for Collins to make the stretched-out tag in time.
“The ball was wet out here, so I knew I had to make a good throw home,” Hopkins said. “I knew (Collins) could make the play for sure.”
“You won't come to many baseball games and see back-to-back plays that were game saving like that,” Holmberg said. “(Hopkins) was going to be tested either way, with two outs. Collins made a really nice play coming up for the tag. There's never a tougher play than an out like that. Certainly Hopkins was defensively the star of the game.”
Then, as is often the case, the defensive standout turned around and stood out at the plate. A bases-loaded walk, his third of the game, might not have shined in many other games, but Hopkins' ability to be selective at the plate earned the Doubledays an insurance run on Mike McDade's well-hit double.
“I just had some patience at the plate tonight,” Hopkins said. “I was just trying to draw the walks.”
Bobby Bell picked up his third save of the season but facing three batters in the ninth, and Auburn jumped out of its slump. More importantly, with the win - coupled with losses by Jamestown and Batavia - the Doubledays moved back into a three-way tie for second place, just 4.5 games out of first.
Notes: The Doubledays stranded just five baserunners, but for the second straight night, most of them came in the first two innings.
Go inside the dugout
Kristin Kowaleski-Wolford gives her thoughts on this year's Doubledays squad on her blog at
aubburnpub.com/blogs
