The AppleSox face Port Angeles In Another Game 3 Rubber Match

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The Wenatchee AppleSox are set to play tonight's rubber match against Port Angeles at 6:35 out at Civic Field. Wenatchee got a few impressive pitching performances in yesterday's win for the first time since June 24th at Cowlitz. Logan Mercado went five innings with eight strikeouts and just one run allowed. His eight punchouts are the most for an AppleSox pitcher in a single game this summer. It was the first time the starter got eight whiffs since Jake Saum on August 7th, 2019 against Ridgefield.

Offensively, Wenatchee managed to score above their 4.9 runs per game average for the third straight WCL contest. The big blow came when catcher John Newman Jr. hit a two-run blast in the top of the eighth to provide a cushion that the AppleSox kept comfortably. It was the third straight game that Wenatchee had three guys get at least two hits. Yesterday it was Newman, Dakota Duffalo, and Michael O'Hara that joined the club. All guys have 11 two-hit games combined this summer. And yet, only Duffalo has been with Wenatchee the entire summer.

The offensive numbers for Wenatchee continue to improve. The AppleSox are ranked 6th in the WCL with a .231 average. On paper that might not catch your eye, but keep this in mind. Over their last WCL three games, Wenatchee has hit .304 and averaged nearly seven runs per game. The AppleSox still pace the entire league with 125 walks as well as placing third with an on-base percentage of .366. Finally, after they stole seven bases yesterday, Wenatchee is third in the WCL with 47 stolen bases.

Port Angeles is fourth with a .358 OBP. Despite being fourth with 13 homers, the Lefties are just eighth among league teams with a .321 slugging percentage. Center fielder Garett Lake remains tied with the Pippins' Noah Williamson for the HR lead of five. On Wenatchee's side, Duffalo and Adam Grob are ranked sixth and eighth in batting average, respectively.

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Tonight’s starting pitcher has come up big for the AppleSox before. Hunter Salinas leads the team in strikeouts and innings pitched. In his last rubber match on June 24th at Cowlitz, Salinas had the best pitching performance of the Sox summer season. Salinas tossed a team-high six innings, gave up no runs, walked one, struck out four and allowed only one hit. That performance earned the Austin, TX native WCL pitcher of the week honors.

Opposing Salinas is Port Angeles Lefties’ righthander Tatsuya Uemoto. The sophomore out of Kanagawa, Japan hasn’t started in his previous seven appearances for PA. Uemoto last pitched on Tuesday against Wenatchee. Uemoto tied his season-high by lasting two and two-thirds with one earned run allowed off three hits while he walked one and struck out another.

Listen live to the action on Sunny FM at kcsyfm.com on your desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

  • Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

  • East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

  • Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

  • Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

  • Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

  • Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

  • Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.