Valdez's strong outing helps Scrappers win, 4-0

Five pitchers combined on a one-hitter for Mahoning Valley.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Monday morning Mahoning Valley Scrappers manager Rouglas Odor found out that his scheduled starting pitcher, Nick Pesco, had been promoted to the Akron Areos.
Odor then picked reliever Luis Valdez to take his place against the Aberdeen Ironbirds and all the big right-hander did was pitch five no-hit innings, leading the Scrappers to a 4-0 victory before 2,164 fans at Eastwood Field.
Valdez had appeared in six Scrappers games this season, all in relief, and was 3-0. Monday he got his first win as a starter.
"I've always been a starter before I came here," Valdez said through Odor, acting as his interpreter. "They put me in the bullpen here, but I've always been a starter."
Valdez threw five innings, didn't allow a hit or a run, struck out four and didn't walk a batter. The only hitters to reach base against him came in the third inning on a pair of errors by third baseman Jared Goedert, but he got out of the inning when the Scrappers turned a double play.
Good pitching
Four relievers followed Valdez to the mound and all had success. Pitching an inning apiece were Derrick Loop, Dan Eisentrager, Matt Meyer and Neil Wagner; combined they allowed just one hit, with two walks and five strikeouts.
"I've said all along that we had a great pitching staff," Odor said. "With a day off [today] we wanted to get some of these guys some work that's why we went an inning apiece."
Odor said that he had no second thoughts about using Valdez as his starter.
"He's been a starter before and tonight he pitched very well, moving the ball all around and throwing a lot of strikes," Odor said.
Valdez said that he felt comfortable and had good control of his pitches.
"My change-up was my key pitch tonight," he said. "I relied on my confidence and just tried to throw strikes."
Mahoning Valley improved to 12-8 with the win, while the Ironbirds dropped to 14-6.
Even a half-hour rain delay in the third inning didn't affect Valdez. He came back out and retired the final six batters he faced.
The Scrappers took the lead in the second inning. With one out, Josh Rodriguez got an infield single and Kelly Edmundson walked. Stephen Douglas grounded into a forceout with Rodriguez taking third. Rodriguez scored on a single to left by Cirilo Cumberbatch.
In the fifth the Scrappers scored three more runs as they sent nine batters to the plate.
Edmundson was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Douglas singled to left. Cumberbatch walked to load the bases and Evandy DeLeon hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Edmundson.
Adam Davis had an RBI single to right scoring Douglas and the final run scored when Dustin Realini grounded into a fielder's choice.
The final two Ironbirds relievers, Fernando DeNabal and Luis Lebron, shut down the Scrappers over the final four innings. The Scrappers only had baserunners on in the seventh.
The Scrappers finished with six hits and nobody had more than one hit. Edmundson was on base three times and scored once.
Aberdeen's only hit was an eighth inning double by Todd Davison into left field off Matt Meyer.
The Scrappers, following the day off today, will open a three game series in Lowell, Mass., against the Spinners Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
mollica@vindy.com
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ABERDEENSCRAPPERS
abrhbiabrhbi
Andrews cf4000Davis 2b5011
Marconi 3b4000Realini 1b4001
Winterling rf3000Goedert 3b3010
Vinyard 1b4000McBride dh4010
Shafer lf3000Rodriguez ss4110
Snyder c3000Edmundson c1100
Pierce c0000Douglas cf4110
Pacheco dh3000Cmbrbtch rf3111
Davison 2b3010De Leon lf3001
Stephen ss2000
Totals29010Totals31464
Aberdeen000000000--0
Scrappers01030000x--4
E--Marconi (3), Goedert 2 (3), De Leon (2). DP--Scrappers 1. LOB--Aberdeen 3, Scrappers 9. 2B--Davison (5). CS--Stephen. SF--De Leon.
IPHRERBBSO
Aberdeen
Nery L, 2-1321121
Lozado133310
De Nabal310005
Lebron100003
Scrappers
Valdez W, 4-0500004
Loop100011
Eisentrager100010
Meyer110002
Wagner100002
WP--Nery, De Nabal. HBP--by Lozado (Edmundson), by De Nabal (Edmundson). Umpires--Home, Matt Arcovio; First, Adam Hamari. T--2:44. A--2,164.
HOW THEY SCORED
Scrappers 2nd -- McBride grounded out (4-3). Rodriguez singled to second. Edmundson walked, Rodriguez to 2nd. Douglas grounded into force out (3-6), Rodriguez to 3rd, Edmundson out at 2nd. Cumberbatch singled to left, Rodriguez scored, Douglas to 2nd. De Leon flied out to (F-7). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors.
Scrappers 4th -- Pitching change: Lozado replaced Nery. Edmundson hit by pitch. Douglas singled to left, Edmundson to 2nd. Cumberbatch walked, Edmundson to 3rd, Douglas to 2nd. De Leon flied out (F-9), Edmundson scored. Davis singled to left, Douglas scored, Cumberbatch to 3rd. Realini reaches on force attempt and error (E-5), Cumberbatch scored, Davis to 2nd. Goedert singled to left, Davis to 3rd, Realini to 2nd. McBride popped out (F-4). Rodriguez grounded into force out (6-4), Goedert out at 2nd. 3 runs, 3 hits, 1 error.