The Rio Grande Ravens will head out on the road to challenge the Los Lunas Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Rio Grande is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
While Rio Grande's win against Albuquerque wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Ravens skirted past the Bulldogs 7-6. The victory was some much needed relief for the Ravens as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Rio Grande's win was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Luis Salinas, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most hits Salinas has posted since back in March. Nicholas Cochran also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Meanwhile, while Los Lunas put up plenty of runs on Friday, the same can't be said for West Mesa. The Tigers blew past the Mustangs 12-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tigers.
Kaiden Reese made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, JJ Utash was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Jasiah Byers was another key player, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
Los Lunas' victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-7. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Rio Grande, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Rio Grande hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .338. However, it's not like Los Lunas struggles in that department as they've averaged .314. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rio Grande couldn't quite finish off Los Lunas in their previous meeting back in March and fell 4-2. Can the Ravens avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
