HVR Game Notes – September 8, 2022
September 8, 2022 – South Atlantic League (SAL) – Hudson Valley Renegades News Release
Hudson Valley Renegades (70-57, 36-25) vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks (63-64, 28-34)
LHP Edgar Barclay (6-4, 1.88 ERA) vs. RHP Rodney Theophile (1-6, 4.89 ERA)
| Game 128 | Road Game 63 | Frawley Stadium | Wilmington, Del. | Sept. 8, 2022 | First Pitch 6:35 p.m. |
ONE MORE SERIES FOR THE ROAD: The Renegades hit the road for the final series of the 2022 regular season this week against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. This is just the third series of the season between the two clubs, and the first time they’ve met since July 22-24. The Gades are 6-5 against the Blue Rocks this season.
GETTING HEATED IN THE SAL NORTH: After Wednesday’s action, the Brooklyn Cyclones maintained their 1.5-game lead over the Renegades in the South Atlantic League North. That is the furthest out of first place the Renegades have found themselves since being swept in an August 6 doubleheader at Jersey Shore. First place and second place in the SAL North have not been separated by two-or-more games since the start of play on July 22.
TRAGIC NUMBER: With four games left to play the Hudson Valley Renegades’ elimination number to clinch a playoff spot is three. Any combination of Renegades losses and Brooklyn Cyclones wins adding up to four eliminates Hudson Valley from the playoffs.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Renegades bounced back from two straight tough losses with a 3-1 win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Richard Fitts turned in another stellar outing with 6.2 innings of one-run ball, though the one run was unearned. The Gades rallied for three in the top of the seventh, led by three straight doubles by Ben Cowles, Kyle Battle and Eduardo Torrealba.
LEADING THE WAY: Through games completed on Wednesday, Renegades RHP Blas Castaño is tied for first among all qualified South Atlantic League pitchers in ERA with Rome’s Luis De Avila (3.49). He is one of only four pitchers in the league with a sub-4.00 ERA and enough innings to qualify for the title (0.8 IP per team game), joined by Hickory’s Mason Englert (3.57) and Greensboro’s Nick Garcia (3.66).
ONE MORE TO TIE: Entering play on Thursday, the Renegades need one more win to tie the franchise record for most wins in a single season. During the 120-game 2021 season, the Gades finished with a franchise-best 71 victories. That season was also the first for Hudson Valley as a full-season affiliate, as they had previously competed in a 76-game season.
UNPRECEDENTED STRIKEOUT NUMBERS: With 19 strikeouts on Friday night against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the Renegades set a new Portal Era (2005-Present) record for most strikeouts in a game. The team has recorded 18 strikeouts five times, most recently on June 19 at Greensboro. Only Rome (20 K vs Greensboro on April 29) has recorded more strikeouts in a game this year in the SAL.
SOONER BOOMER: With his 20th and 21st home runs of the season Wednesday, Tyler Hardman edged closer to the Renegades single-season home run record, and is now just three behind Dan Grummitt (22 in 1999). Hardman also sits third on the Renegades career home run list behind Grummitt and Everson Pereira (23). After having just six double-digit home run seasons in team history from 1994-2019, 11 Renegades have hit 10-or-more longballs since 2021, coinciding with the move to full-season baseball and the Yankees affiliation.
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: Scoring many runs gives a team a better chance to win a baseball game, and the 2022 Renegades are no exception. With Saturday’s 13-2 win over Jersey Shore, Hudson Valley is now 34-3 (.919) this season when scoring 7-or-more runs. The Gades are 36-53 (.404) when scoring 7-or-fewer runs.
DRIVING THEM IN AT A RECORD PACE: Renegades INF Tyler Hardman set the Renegades single-season RBI record on August 17 with a ninth-inning double off Brooklyn’s Keyshawn Askew. With his 59th RBI of the season, Hardman surpassed the mark set by Dan Grummitt in 1999. Hardman currently ranks second all-time on the Renegades RBI list, behind Jacson McGowan’s club record 82.
CLOSE GAME TROUBLES: Throughout the season, the Renegades have struggled in close games, going 15-18 (.455) in one-run games and 12-15 (.444) in two-run games. Overall, the Gades are 27-33 (.450) in such contests, a disappointing mark. On average, teams finish around .500 in such games. The struggles in one- and two-run games are part of the reason why the Renegades are six games worse than their expected win-loss record of 76-51 based on their run differential.
GAS STATION: Strength in pitching is a theme across the New York Yankees minor league system and the Renegades are no exception. The staff sports a 3.61 ERA on the season, best in the South Atlantic League. It also is the 2nd-best staff ERA in High-A, and 4th-best in the minor leagues. All four Yankees affiliated teams rank in the top 30 in the minors in ERA — Somerset 3.49, t1st; Tampa 3.96, t21st; Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3.99, t26th.
A DAY AT THE RACES: With Carlos Narvaez’s steal of third base in the seventh inning on July 6, the Renegades stole their collective 150th base of the season to set a new franchise record. It took only 77 games to break the record that was set by the 2021 Renegades in 120 games. The Gades enter play Thursday with 228 stolen bases on the year, fourth-most in the minors behind Down East (A, TEX — 302), Charleston (A, TB — 243), and Lake Elsinore (A, SD — 242). The Renegades’ 200th steal of the season was Spencer Henson swiping third at Brooklyn on August 18.
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