Contreras is 2-8 against Mendez since May of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Cobras will host the Jaguars at 4:45 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Contreras took a loss when they played away from home last Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Hollywood 4-3.
Axcan Martinez and Mathew Guevara made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Martinez struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Guevara pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Contreras is 2-1 when Guevara allows three or fewer earned runs, but 2-5 otherwise. At bat, Martinez scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances, while Guevara got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases. Guevara is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged two or more in each of the last five games he's played.
Jonathan Moreno
| 03/26/25 @ Hollywood | 4 |
| 03/28/25 vs Hollywood | 3 |
| 03/19/25 vs Robert F. Kennedy Community | 3 |
In other batting news, Manuel Alvarado and Jonathan Moreno did most of the damage at the plate: Alvarado scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4, while Moreno scored a run and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. Moreno is becoming a predictor of Contreras' success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-1 (and 2-5 when he doesn't).
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Mendez and Roybal meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Jaguars came out on top in a nail-biter against the Titans, sneaking past 5-3. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Jaguars as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Like Contreras, Mendez also got a great game from a two-way player: Fernando Torres. He struck out 12 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Those 12 strikeouts gave Torres a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lennox Macias, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Francisco Valdez, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Contreras' victory bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Mendez, their win bumped their record up to 4-8.
Contreras suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to Mendez in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Cobras avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
