ALAMOS 1, WRANGLERS 1

SAN ANTONIO- The Texas Winter League season started their season after a day and a half of rain delays with a 1-1 pitcher’s duel between the Alamos and Wranglers Tuesday afternoon at the Missions’ Baseball Academy Field No. 3.

The Alamos’ Andrew Carmadella hit a home run to deep left center field with two out in the top of the sixth inning on the first pitch after reliever Reid Hoffler fanned Rob Perrin and Ben Boykin to get starter Gilbert Berrera off the hook for a loss.

Berrera had struck out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the first inning, but then walked Warren Stehn after getting ahead of the right fielder in the count 0-2. Jack Morrow followed with a soft single to center on 1-2 off speed pitch, and Matthew Clark then drove in Stehn with a single through the right side of the infield off an 0-2 pitch to give the Wranglers a 1-0 lead after an inning.

What followed were strong pitching performances across the board, especially from Berrera. The left-hander struck out eight batters in four innings and allowed only one other base runner after the Wranglers’ first-inning rally- Stehn in the third inning on a dropped third strike.

Wranglers’ starter Brandon Cowan threw three shutout innings and scattered two hits and three walks while fanning a batter, while the Alamos’ bullpen enjoyed a scoreless fifth inning from Bobby Orozco and two from Cam Magaris.

The Alamos had two chances ended by runners being put out on the basepaths. In the fifth inning, with Mike Stier at third base following his leadoff double of Hoffler and a wild pitch and Mike Shara on first after a walk, Shara took off for second base with no outs. Catcher Jordan Drake’s throw to second was cut off by the 6-6 Hoffler, who then throw home to retire Stier attempting to score.

“There was simply a steal, but if the ball goes through to second he [Stier] can run,” said Alamos manager Mike Pinto, who wanted to stay out of a double play with hefty Conrad Woolsely at bat.  “With a real tall pitcher he was able to cut the throw off and Mike [Stier] was sort of hung out to dry.”

In the seventh off submarine reliever Chihaya Sukuari, Shada drew a one out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch but was thrown out by Drake attempting to go to third on the play. Woolsely followed with a walk and Shintaro Yokota had a bloop hit to left before Charles Shapiro grounded to shortstop to end the Alamos’ at bats on the day.

Since Texas Winter League regular season games do not go to extra innings to preserve pitching staffs, the game ended in a tie.

NOTES- Though Pinto liked what he saw from Berrera and Carmadella, he was hesitant to commit to any superlatives.

“I’m not ready to make any judgements on guys now. What I like about this camp is you get to see a complete picture of the players, if they are coachable, and do they develop?”

Tomorrow’s schedule has Pericos de Puebla, managed by Sioux Falls manager Chris Paterson playing at Nelson Wolff Stadium at 10 a.m. against the Apaches, who are managed by Normal’s Brooks Carey and will serve as the home team. Casey McMickle is scheduled to start for Paterson.

The Tejanos of Joplin manager Carlos Lezcano will then play the 1 p.m. game against Gary manager’s Greg Tagert’s homestanding Capitals.