Soddies by Morning: Jose's Day, Fernandez Goes Deep and Drives in Three

Jose Fernandez - Emma McReynolds Photography

Shortstop Jose Fernandez had a day in game three of the Amarillo Sod Poodles final series of the first half on Wednesday. Fernandez did all of the scoring for Amarillo as he crushed a solo shot, his fourth of the year, to give Amarillo a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Fernandez would come up again after the Soddies loaded the bases the next inning by way of a Kristian Robinson single, a Tommy Troy double, and a Conticello single. For the second straight inning Fernandez would drive in a run, this time a pair with a 2-RBI single.

Sod Poodles starter Jose Cabrera would put together one of his best outings of the year in Springdale on Thursday. Cabrera went 5.1 innings pitched while striking out three and walking two. The starter was at 86 pitches through five shutout innings before going back out for the sixth and after getting the first out, allowed the next two Naturals to reach. One of those runners would score, but that would be the only one of the day for Cabrera who surrendered 10 baserunners in total, but continued to work around them and get out of innings.

Kristian Robinson would leave the game in the second inning after he dove for a ball and landed awkwardly on his wrist. Robinson would finish out the inning, and single in his next at bat, but would be replaced by Kevin Graham in the third inning as Conticello slid over to center.

Robinson wouldn't be the only Sod Poodle a little shaken up. Conticello one hopped a ball to Cerda that looked like it was going to be in time, but Cerda fumbled with the ball that found it's way up the line a little , causing him to colide with the runner. Cerda would only be down for a minute despite the trainers being called immediately. It was the type of play that you just don't see anymore. The Sod Poodles catcher shook it off and stayed in the game after a dramatic first run for Northwest Arkansas.

On one of the more bizzare errors you'll see, Kevin Graham saw the ball go under his glove and ricochet a cartoonish amount off of his foot before he could finally retrieve the ball and get it back in. Javier Vaz scored the second and final Naturals run of the evening on an unearned run.

After Zane Russell relieved Cabrera and held the lead, Eli Saul took the ball for Javier Colina's ball club, making his season debut at Double-A, this will not be his first time pitching at the level either. Saul had a couple of appearances for Amarillo in 2023. Saul mad a good first impression for those who hadn't seen him before, pitching a perfect eighth inning, striking out one, throwing just nine pitches and six of them being strikes. The final baton pass of the night was to Landon Sims who would close the door and pickup his third save of the season.

Something that has gone unsung so far is the hold the Naturals bullpen has had on this series so far. Northwest Arkansas relievers are responsible for 0 of the 13 Amarillo runs so far with 14.1 innings against Sod Poodles batters. On Thursday the Naturals would only expend on bullpen arm as lefty Ryan Ramsey tied up the Sod Poodle bats after they managed to chase Henry Williams after the fifth inning. Ramsey would shut the Soddies down, not allowing a baserunner in four innings pitched.

Unfortunately for Ramsey for the second straight night the Sod Poodles early offense was enough to get the job done as the Soddies take the lead in the series heading into the weekend, with Cesar Gomez taking the hill on Friday night.