Kennedy is 8-2 against Denver West since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Commanders will square off against the Cowboys at 4:15 p.m. Kennedy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
On Saturday, Kennedy earned a 6-3 victory over Bruce Randolph. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Commanders.
Eric Valenzuela made a splash while hitting and pitching. He struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). He is becoming a predictor of Kennedy's success: when he posts at least ten strikeouts the team is undefeated (and 4-8 when he doesn't). Valenzuela was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Marcelo Nevarez
| 04/26/25 @ Bruce Randolph | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Jefferson | 1 |
| 03/20/25 @ Westminster | 1 |
| 03/15/25 vs Wheat Ridge | 1 |
| 03/14/25 @ Thornton | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Marcelo Nevarez, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Xavier Benavidez was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Kennedy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are 6-2 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Denver West was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their 36th straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against Manual, falling 19-7.
Arturo Espino was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Ronny Correa also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Denver West's defeat dropped their record down to 0-16. As for Kennedy, their record now sits at 7-8.
Denver West's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Kennedy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Denver West, though, as they've been averaging only 4.1 strikeouts. Will Kennedy keep running through batters, or will the Cowboys buck the trend?
Kennedy was able to grind out a solid win over Denver West when the teams last played on April 11th, winning 7-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Commanders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
