Baseball Preview: Contreras Cobras vs. Mendez Jaguars
The Contreras Cobras will head out on the road to square off against the Mendez Jaguars at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Contreras is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Last Wednesday, it was a hard-fought match, but Contreras had to settle for a 5-4 loss against Hollywood. Contreras has struggled against Hollywood recently, as their game on Wednesday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Cristian Carrasco put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Carrasco was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBI.
Carrasco wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Mathew Guevara, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Mendez came up short against Roybal on Wednesday and fell 7-2. Mendez has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Like Contreras, Mendez also got a great game from a two-way player: Jonathan Alfaro. He struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Alfaro has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. Alfaro was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base, a double, and an RBI.
In other pitching news, Jonathan Martinez was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits (he also only allowed one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
Contreras' record now sits at 6-8. As for Mendez, their record now sits at 3-12.
Mendez's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Contreras has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .461. It's a different story for Mendez, though, as they've only averaged .319. Will they be able to contain Contreras' hitters?
Contreras skirted past Mendez 13-12 in their previous meeting back in March. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Alfaro, who struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Contreras still be able to contain Alfaro? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
