Breaux’s Two Homers, Late-Inning Heroics Lead RiverDogs Past Intimidators

Second-round pick tallies first multi-homer game in road trip opener

By: Riverdogs Media

Charleston catcher Josh Breaux swatted two home runs while driving in a career-best four, including a go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning as the RiverDogs bounced back from blowing a 6-0 lead to charge past Kannapolis 7-6 on Tuesday night at Intimidators Stadium.

Breaux put on a display of power in his first two plate appearances of the night, tagging Kannapolis (10-13) starter Davis Martin for a pair of early home runs, a two-run shot over the right-centerfield wall with two outs in the first and again in the fourth, this time to dead-center and leading off the inning. It was the Tomball, Texas native’s first multi-home run effort of his professional career and the first for a RiverDogs (12-13) hitter all season.

The RiverDogs would look to Breaux for more production in the ninth after Charleston’s bullpen coughed up a 6-0 lead they held after the first four innings of the night. Tied at six apiece, second baseman Kyle Gray worked a walk with one out before Wilkerman Garcia popped a fly ball down the right field line that two Kannapolis defenders lost in the lights, resulting in a bloop single. Breaux stepped up two pitches later and drilled a single into left-center to score Gray and give Charleston the lead back for good.

Kannapolis tallied three runs to come all the way back in the eighth without recording a hit. Rodney Hutchison, Jr. struggled with command, walking the bases loaded with one out before hitting three of the next four batters, each pushing across runs that pulled the game even at 6-all. Virginia Tech product Aaron McGarity (1-2) came on to mop up the mess, striking out Luis Curbelo to leave the bases full in the eighth and later working a 1-2-3 ninth.

With two more home runs on Tuesday, Breaux’s last seven hits have all driven in runs and he has collected 11 of his team-leading 18 RBI in his last five games. He is hitting a blistering .409 (9-for-22) with three homers over that span. The McClennan Community College product leads the Dogs with four home runs on the season.

Right-hander Roansy Contreras was in line for the win to begin the night after giving up three runs (two earned) over 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts for Charleston. Martin has given up at least a homer in five straight starts and leads the league with nine total allowed, including three to Breaux in the last week.

Upcoming

The RiverDogs continue the series in Kannapolis, turning around quickly for a 10:35 a.m. start on Wednesday morning. Right-hander Jio Orozco (1-2, 2.21) gets the ball for Charleston; since returning to the rotation, he has turned in back-to-back quality starts with six innings apiece his last two times out. The Arizona-born right-hander will be opposed by White Sox No. 20 prospect Konnor Pilkington (1-0, 2.01). The former Mississippi State hurler will make his first appearance against Charleston this season. Fans can tune into the Wednesday matinee online streaming on the TuneIn Radio app exclusively before the Dogs return to the radio airwaves for Thursday’s series finale at 7 p.m on WTMA 1250 AM.

Fans can “Make Fun” with the RiverDogs all season long down at The Joe. Single-game tickets, including options to the Riley Park Club, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule and list of game times for the 2019 season is available at riverdogs.com.

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