The Linden Lions will venture away from home to face off against the Sierra Timberwolves at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Linden will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
If Linden beats Sierra with ten runs on Wednesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Lions didn't even let Calaveras on the board on Tuesday, marking the Lions' second-straight 10-0 shutout. Considering the Lions have won nine matchups by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Linden got a great performance from Justin Sales as he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Sales has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Linden let Brody Black and Cody Cox run wild. Black scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3, while Cox scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits Black has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jonah Craven, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Sierra gave up the first runs last Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They came out on top against Weston Ranch by a score of 4-1.
Anthony Chapman Jr. and Cole Martin dominated on the mound. Chapman Jr. tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit, while Martin tossed four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Martin has become a key player for Sierra: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most two hits, but 4-10 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Josh Graves was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. That stolen base was his first of the season. Ricardo Anaya was another key player, getting no hits from his an at bat.
Linden pushed their record up to 13-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Sierra, their win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-11.
Linden suffered a grim 10-2 defeat to Sierra in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
