The hometown got a respite from the persistent rains of the last couple of weeks on Saturday when the sun shined on Joe Bruno Stadium, enabling the Tri-City Valleycats and Lowell Spinners to play a twi-night double-header, the first half making up for Friday's rainout.
In the opener, Nivaldo Rodriguez retired the first 11 Lowell batters he faced until Lane Milligan singled, then came home on a double by Ramifis Berroa. In all, Rodriguez went six innings, giving up just the run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks. The 'Cats chased Lowell starter Taylor Ahearn after three innings, scoring three runs in the second and one in the third to take an early 4-0 lead. Jeremy Pena put icing on the cake in the fourth, greeting Spinners reliever Victor Garcia with his first pro home run, a two run shot into the Valleycats' bullpen. Riley Cabral labored through the seventh, but Tri-City prevailed, 6-3.
In the nightcap, Tri-City's Mark Moclair was brilliant, but limited to three innings due to pitch count. It took the Spinners until the fifth inning this time, against reliever Carlos Hiraldo, before finally getting a hit. Michael Wielansky put the 'Cats on the board in the home fifth, but Hiraldo tired in the seventh as Lowell tied the game. The Spinners won it in the eighth (minor league double-headers are seven innings, not nine, each) with a run off Tim Hardy to gain a split of the double-header with a 2-1 verdict. Valleycats pitchers combined for fifteen strikeouts in the game.
Tri-City goes on the road today to play the Connecticut Tigers before returning to The Joe on Wednesday night.
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