(Trenton, NJ) – The Thunder bullpen has started to catch up to the usually exemplary work of the starting rotation and that was on display on Wednesday night at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. Joe Joe Rodriguez did his usual number with four strong innings, and four relievers combined on five innings of one-hit ball for a 2-0 win before a crowd of 3,727. With their second shutout of the season, the Thunder (13-10) have won seven of their last nine, improved to three games over for the first time, and have now won all five meetings in the regular season series against the Scrappers.
Rodriguez started the night in trouble with back-to-back singles to open the ballgame that put runners at the corners. He then fanned Bobby Sparling before inducing an inning-ending double play off the bat of Brian Kalmer that was beautifully turned around the horn by Jeff Manto, Mason Hammonds, and Dalton Davis at first base.
He got another double play in the second that was turned singlehandedly by Hammonds up the middle at second, and left after four innings in which he allowed four singles while striking out three. Scrappers starter Duncan Davitt (1-1) was equally as dangerous and didn’t permit his first hit until Davis led off the home fourth with a double. A groundball to the right side pushed him to third, and with two outs, Colby Backus bashed the first pitch back up the middle for a two-out single and a 1-0 lead.
Facing Sean Goodwin in the fifth, the Thunder tacked on a run after Caleb McNeely worked his second walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. On a 3-0 offering, number nine hitter Gus Sosa rolled a single into right field, making it 2-0 and more than safe for the Thunder pen.
Newcomer Braeden Fausnaught (1-0) was stellar in his debut with four strikeouts over two innings and Ronaldo Fernandez followed with three strikeouts during his lone frame in the seventh. In the eighth, lefty Malcolm Gilchrist kept the shutout intact, and Joan Gonzalez locked it down by striking out the side in the ninth for his second save.
The series finale wraps up the first month of the season on Thursday, June 30 at 7:00 PM. It's Philadelphia Appreciation Night and Kate Flannery (Meredith from The Office) will be at Trenton Thunder Ballpark to sign autographs and meet the fans! It is presented by Office Guys, the official office supplier of the Trenton Thunder, and there will also be a Postgame Fireworks show! To purchase tickets, call (609)-394-3300, Opt 4 or visit trentonthunder.com.
New Jersey's Baseball Team | Big League Futures. Major League Fun.
The Trenton Thunder have drawn over 10 million fans over 28 years and have won the three major awards that Minor League Baseball teams can win; the Johnson Trophy for the “Nation's Best Franchise”, the Larry MacPhail Trophy for Outstanding Club Promotion, and the Bob Frietas Award for Long-Term Success, given by Baseball America. The team has given back over $7.5 million worth of goods, services, and monetary donations through Trenton Thunder Charities, under the Grand Slam We Care Foundation umbrella. The Thunder can be found online at trentonthunder.com, facebook.com/trentonthunder, twitter.com/trentonthunder, and on youtube.com/AATrentonThunder.
