It says a lot about what the Amarillo Sod Poodles have done during the second half of the Texas League South Division season that they were able to overcome some missed opportunities.
In the end, it worked out because they did all the other things right.
Needing only one win or a Frisco RoughRiders loss to clinch a second half title, the Sod Poodles got their second opportunity in their final homestand of the season Wednesday night against the Midland RockHounds. They made the most of it, appropriately throwing their first shutout of the season at Hodgetown in beating the RockHounds 4-0 to clinch the TL South second half title.
It was just part of a week where the Sod Poodles (37-28 in the second half) and RockHounds (25-40) will get plenty familiar with each other. Not only are there four more games left in the series (and the regular season), but they’ll open a best-of-three series against each other next Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at Hodgetown. Game two is scheduled for Midland next Wednesday, as the RockHounds won the TL South first half title.
The Sod Poodles looked as if they were going to clinch in Tuesday’s series opener, but let a three-run lead slip away and left several men on base late in suffering a 6-5 loss. In that regard, they carried that hangover into Wednesday, as they left 15 men on base and twice left the bases loaded.
Wednesday, the first three batters reached base against Midland starter Braden Nett to load the bases. Ben McLaughlin hit into a double play, but a run came home, as Manuel Pena scored to make it 1-0.
That would be all the Sod Poodles would need.
Right-hander Jose Cabrera had one of his best outings of the season, as he overcame a leadoff single by Clark Elliott to go six innings, giving up only three hits and a walk. Cabrera improved to 9-6 on the season, setting a franchise record for single season wins.
With two outs in the third, the Soddies went up 2-0 when outfielder Gavin Conticello hit an opposite field solo home run to left, which with the way Cabrera was pitching, seemed like a huge lead.
“Especially against a good team like this, every run matters,” Conticello said. “I could come down to one play so you never know. Baseball’s hard and sometimes you fall short and the best thing about this team is we’re very resilient and and we’re all coming out swinging out bats.”
While the Sod Poodles have benefited from some new additions as the season has progressed, Conticello has been with the team from day one, and got called up in the final weeks last season. He’s seen how special the season has become even when things aren’t going perfect.
“We did what we needed to do today and that’s what this team did,” Conticello said. “We’re a lot closer now and we lean on each other. There’s not one leader, every single person steps up. You realize just how special these guys are and each and every player has a chance to be great and it builds confidence in us.”
The Sod Poodles added abother run in the fifth when second baseman Cristofer Torin, the youngest player on the roster who was called up from Hillsboro before the series, doubled with one out. Then with two outs, J.J. D’Orazio doubled to center to drive in Torin and make it 3-0.
Jose Fernandez drove in a run with a double in the sixth to conclude the scoring.
At one point, Cabrera and reliever Yordin Chalas combined to retire 11 straight Midland hitters. Landon Sims came in and pitched a perfect ninth inning to clinch the victory.
It was the first shutout at home for the Sod Poodles staff in over a year. Coincidentally, that also came against Midland, and the final was also 4-0.