– by Dontae J. Harris
A Lot of Sports Talk contributing writer & photographer
WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY — The Vermont Lake Monsters put a tough loss behind them from 24 hours ago to rout the Hudson Valley Renegades 9-1 in the middle game of the three-game wraparound series. The game was close until the top of the 9th, when Lake Monsters left fielder Payton Squier put the icing on the cake with a bases-clearing triple to put the Lake Monsters ahead 6-1. Vermont would add on three more runs after Squier’s triple. Those six runs were scored on Renegades relief pitcher Eduard Rosillio.
Renegades manager Craig Albernaz said their performance was not good and that they did not come out with any energy. The highlight for the Renegades was the solo homer by catcher Zac Law.
“I thought the home run by Zac Law would energize us but it didn’t”, said Albernaz. Law’s home run gave the Renegades a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning.
That run ended up being the only real mistake for Lake Monsters starting pitcher Ivan Andueza, who pitched six innings while striking out three and allowing only three hits. Lake Monsters pitcher Brian Howard came in the 7th inning and closed the game for the save. Howard struck out four and gave up one hit in three shout out innings.
Brendan McKay, the No. 4 pick in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, got the start for the Renegades this afternoon. He walked two and struck out three in three scoreless innings. Albernaz confirmed after the game that McKay is on a pitch count.
“He threw a lot of innings in college and we don’t want to overwhelm him and burn him out coming into his first taste of professional baseball,” said Albernaz.
Renegades pitcher Jhonleider Salinas came in to relieve McKay in the fourth, and the Lake Monsters jumped all over him and the Renegades after McKay’s departure. Salinas pitched five innings and gave up three runs, with two of those coming in the top of the fourth- including a run that balked in. The third run came in the top of the fifth inning, as Lake Monsters second baseman Ryan Gridley reached on a single, stole second and third base on Salinas, then scored on a Logan Farrar double.
The Renegades and Lake Monsters will play the rubber match at 7:05 pm.
