SAN ANTONIO- Jack Morrow's third home run of the season and Warren Stehn's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to put the Wranglers in first place and Greg Toliver's 3-run home run to help the Capitals erase a 7-0 deficit were the highlights of Wednesday's Texas Winter League action.

 

WRANGLERS 8 - PERICOS 7

 

With shortened rosters, sometimes pitchers are asked to do things they normally wouldn't.

 

Such was the case with Pericos (5-4-1) left-hander Rene Solis Wednesday at Field One of the Missions Academy. For 3 1/3 innings he was brilliant, retiring every batter he faced.

 

His counterpart, James Brown, was wild, walking nine batters in four innings as the Wranglers (6-3-2) spotted Solis a 5-0 lead.

 

But with another game to play later that afternoon Pericos manager Chris Paterson knew he had to maximize his pitching staff. So why not go with your ace for the entire game, as a manager would regularly do into the 1980s?

 

In the case of Solis' case, because he was not used to such endurance requirements. So after retiring the first 10 hitters, he walked Steve Taft and Jordon Drake, the first time all season he had allowed back-to-back walks, before surrendering a 3-run homer to Jack Morrow in the bottom of the fourth to let the Wranglers back into the game.

 

In the fifth, Solis surrendered a double to Matthew Clark and a single to Joshua Arriaga before Steve Taft's ground ball to second base was booted by Jason Merjano for an error that scored Clark. With runners at first and second Arriaga and Taft tried to pull off a double steal, but catcher Thomas Shull was able to throw out Arriaga for the inning's first out, though Taft moved to second.

 

One out later, Taft attempted to steal third, but this time Shull's throw went into left field for the error that tied the game, 5-5.

 

The Pericos regained the lead in the top of the sixth off reliever Reid Hoffler (1-0) when R.J. Perucki doubled home Jason Merjano with one out. Following Will Chapman's second hit of the day that drove Perucki to third, Andrew Mulato reached on an error by third baseman Jake Taylor that drove in Perucki for a 7-5 lead.

 

And when Solis (2-1) held the Wranglers scoreless in the sixth while striking out two batters to give him eight strikeouts on the day, it appeared Solis had found his second wind.

 

But in the bottom of the seventh Arriaga and Taft led off with singles. Designated hitter Jordan Drake then hie a long triple to left centerfield that tied the score. After a conference and an attempt to get Morrow to chase a couple of pitches out of the strike zone proved to be ineffective, the .500 hitting slugger of the Wranglers was walked intentionally before Stehn's liner to right ended the game.

 

Solis threw 6 + innings in his complete game loss. He allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs while walking three batters, one intentionally.

 

Hoffler earned the victory and struck out four batters in two innings while not walking anyone.

 

Andrew Mulato had a 2-run single in the top of the third to begin the game's scoring, and the Wranglers tallied three more in the fourth on four walks, two wild pitches, a pass ball and and infield single.

 

CAPITALS 9 - PERICOS 9

 

In the second game for both teams, the Capitals overcame a 7-0 deficit to tie the Pericos at Field Two in at the Missions Academy to net a five inning 9-9 tie.

 

After Pericos (5-4-2) newcomer John Wellbourne almost manufactured the first run of the game all by himself in the top of the first inning by drawing a walk, stealing second and third, and coming home on a groundout, the visitors came alive in the second inning with six runs. David Peterson's double down the third base line drove in the first two scores of the frame, while Jason Merjano's ability to beat out a double play grounder scored Peterson later in the inning to give the Pericos a 4-0 lead off Kevin Osaki.

 

At this point Capitals first baseman Brian Haggett misplayed a pop up in foul territory off the bat of R.J. Perucki that led to the Pericos' shortstop's 2-run single. After catcher Shaun Petitt was called for interference with Thomas Shull at bat on what otherwise would have been a flyout to right field, Will Chapman doubled in Perucki for the game's seventh run.

 

The Caps (5-5-1) began their comeback in the bottom of the second off Rene Rubio. He walked four men, including Will Wurth with the bases loaded, an dallowed two hits, most notably Connor Battaglia's single that drove in Justin Girton with two outs following the double play Masanari Kato hit into with the bases loaded.

 

After the Pericos to an 8-3 lead on Undre Smith's two out single to drive in Andrew Mulato in the top of the third, Greg Toliver's 2-run homer highlighted a 5-run Capitals' third. Rubio removed himself with an arm injury following his fifth walk allowed for Sho Nagashima, who then allowed Wurth's bases loaded single, Kato's ground ball third baseman Smith booted, and Battaglia's sacrifice fly to tie the game.

 

Though the Pericos took a 9-8 advantage off reliever Ken Iida in the fourth on Will Chapman's sacrifice fly, the Caps' secured the tie int he bottom of the fourth off reliever Sho Nagashima when Brandon Thomas doubled home Merjano.

 

The fifth and final inning was scoreless, though the Capitals did strand two runners on after Koya Iwasaki, making his first pitching appearance of the season, got Jefferson Beckles to fly to center and Haggett to pop to shortstop to end the game.

 

NOTE- Pettit left the game due to injury following his catcher's interference in the second inning.

 

CAPITALS 6 - APACHES 2

 

In the first game for both teams, Tomohiro Yamashita (2-0) outdueled Hidekatsu Mitani (1-2) as the Capitals (5-5) jumped to an early 4-0 lead after an inning and a half and never looked back.

 

Both pitchers threw five inning complete games, with Yamashita allowing five hits and one walk while fanning four, while Mitani gave up six hits and a walk and struck out five.

 

Will Wurth had two hits and drove in two runs for the Apaches, while Toliver began his hot hitting of the day with two hits, including his first double of the season.

 

Kinnosuke Kamiya had two hits and drove in both runs for the Apaches (3-7), who have lost four straight.

 

TEJANOS 10 - ALAMOS 8

 

The Tejanos rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh for a 10-8 victory.

 

Justin Klipp, who starred in the Texas Winter League in 2013 and has pitched the past two seasons in the American Association, started the game for the Tejanos (4-6) and gave up five runs, four earned, and seven hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out nine on just two days rest.

 

Cam Margaris started the game for the Alamos, allowing six hits and four runs, though only one earned, while walking and striking out four.

 

Ryan DiMascio and Dillon Sauers continued their hot hitting for the Tejanos. DiMascio had four hits and Sauers had three while both driving in a run.

 

Charles Shapiro had three hits for the Alamos (5-3-3) while driving in two runs and scoring the same.

 

Hiroki Taniguchi (2-1) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory. The right-hander struck out three batters.

 

Alamos catcher Ben Boykin injured his hamstring in the game. Pitcher Matt Orefice still has bicep tendonitis, while Rob Perrin and Conrad Woolsey also both have injuries on the Alamos.