WHITE SOCKS 12, angels 8
ANAHEIM, California.- Yermín Mercedes could not stand out for three years in the organization of the Washington Nationals.
Now, he says he wants to cry just to see that he has reached the big ones with the Chicago White Sox. After what he achieved this Friday in his first home match, the Dominican will surely be sobbing still.
Mercedes got its first five hits in the Major Leagues and produced four runs for the White Sox to beat the Los Angeles Angels 12-8 on Friday.
Cuban José Abreu joined the batting festival, with a grand slam for Chicago. Mercedes, a 28-year-old catcher who played the second match of his career, beat 5-5 in an extraordinary performance as a designated hitter.
He hit a two-run single in the fourth inning and a double that towed another pair in the ninth. Thus, Chicago achieved its first victory in the fledgling campaign. “I’m very excited now,” Mercedes said.
“I don’t even know what to say now or what it means, but I’m very happy.” After failing with Washington, Mercedes played independent ball in 2014, before making his way into the minors with Baltimore and Chicago, which selected him under the so-called Rule 5 of recruitment in 2017.
Mercedes had only one appearance on the plate, as an emergent, in the previous White Sox campaign. “I want to cry every time I see I’m in the big ones now,” he said.
“It’s been a long time. I have a great story, so it was a matter of time, but it’s been difficult for me. Now I look around and I have to repeat to myself, ‘It’s real, I’m here.'” Mercedes joined Cecil Travis of the Washington Senators as the only players since 1900 to have scored five hits in their first home game.
Travis succeeded in 1933. Fred Clarke had achieved this earlier, in 1894, with the Colonels of Louisville. “A lot of things happened, and the biggest one was that of the designated hitter,” stressed manager Tony La Russa, who took his first win in his second stint with the White Sox.
The Dominican Albert Pujols shook a home run of three runs, to reach 663 vuelacercas in his life. Shohei Ohtani also got a home run in the ninth inning and Mike Trout connected on a pair of saves for the Angelinos.
Cuban José Iglesias and Dexter Fowler brought their first hits with their new club, but the Angelino’s old problems with their rotation resurfaced.
The win was for Michael kopeck (1-0) and the save for Liam Hendriks. Andrew Heaney (0-1) charged with defeat.
For the White Sox, the Dominican Mercedes 5-5 with a score-four boosts.
For Angelino, the Dominican Pujols 3-1 with a score and 3 drives.
TAMPA 6, MIAMI 4
MIAMI.- Joey Wendle shook a three-run homer, to crown a four-point attack in the ninth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays prevailed this Friday 6-4 over the Miami Marlins.
In eseencuentro the Dominican reliever Diego Castell worked an entrance, allowing a hit and poncho one to credit his second rescue of the young season.
Wendle’s batting came with two outs in front of shutter Anthony Bass (0-1). The ball fell to the top floor of the right garden bleachers and cleared a 4-2 disadvantage.
Dominican Manuel Margot then fired a hat-trick and scored on a sacrifice fly from compatriot Francisco Mejia.
Margot also contributed a home run, while Austin Meadows did the same for the second game in a row.
For the Rays, Dominicans Margot 4-2 with two runs and one push, Mejia 2-1 with a tow.
For the Marlins, Dominicans Starling Mart 5-3, Magneuris Serra 1-0 with a score.
DODGERS 14, ROCKIES 6
DENVER.- Trevor Bauer did not tolerate a hit until the seventh inning of his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who ended up doubling this Friday 14-6 to the Colorado Rockies.
After flirting with the no-hit game, Bauer allowed a pair of two-run homers, but the Dodgers managed to preserve their lead.
At the meeting everything happened. Seven of Los Angeles’ 16 hits were extra bases, but none went home.
Also, a gray cat entered the field by surprise in the eighth inning. The feline walked through the central garden with Cody Bellinger for a moment, before park staff caught him and removed him.
Bauer (1-0) didn’t give a damn about his hare in his presentation to the Dodgers. The most recent Cy Young trophy winner in the National League shone for six innings, in which he confused the Rockies with the slider and the four-seam straight. In the seventh inning, he got into trouble.
Trevor Story ended the game without a hit by hitting a single and Charlie Blackmon ended the bleach with a two-run homer. Ryan McMahon followed with another two-lap quadrangular.
For the Dodgers, they did not beat Latin Americans.
For the Rockies, the Dominican Raimel Tàpia 5-1.
HOUSTON 9, OAKLAND 5
OAKLAND, Calif. – Alex Bregman fired a three-run homer, his second homer in two duels, and the Houston Stars defeated Oakland Athletics 9-5 on Friday
Cuban Yuli Gurriel also got a fly-by, while Michael Brantley added a double producer for Houston, who took a big lead again – one night after winning the opening game of the campaign 8-1, thanks to a great job from Zack Greinke, who threw six blank innings.
Peruvian left-back Jesús Luzardo (0-1) received 8 strikeouts and handed in a ticket in five innings. He received 8 hits, including two homers, and allowed five runs. The victory was for the Dominican Bryan Abreu (1-0).
For the Stars, there were no Dominicans
For the Athletics, the Dominican Ramon Laureano 3-1 with a score and a tow.