The ACL Rangers season came to an end on Saturday night (July 27th) as they fell to the ACL Diamondbacks in the ACL Semifinals by a final of 6-7.
The one-game elimination saw the ACL Rangers come back to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of the 7th inning.
RHP Collin Wiles, on a rehab assignment from the Express, started the game for the ACL Rangers. The Diamondbacks quickly jumped to an early lead, scoring two runs in the 1st inning and another in the 2nd.
They totaled three runs on four hits during Wiles’ two innings of work. Wiles strike out two and hit a batter.
The pitching struggles continued with Larson Kindreich, who pitched just 1/3 of an inning, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk, including two home runs.
Despite the rocky start, left-hander Thomas Ireland had a stellar performance, pitching 5.1 scoreless innings. He allowed only three hits, struck out five, and even picked off a runner at first base, giving the ACL Rangers a fighting chance.
Angel Anazco was tagged with the loss after pitching the final inning, surrendering the winning run. Anazco walked three and struck out three in his effort.
On the offensive side, the ACL Rangers had several standout performances. Yeremi Cabrera went 3-5 with a run scored.
Pablo Guerrero, son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, was impressive, going 3-4 with a walk.
Antonis Macias was perfect at the plate, going 3-3 with two walks and three runs scored.
Hector Osorio contributed a 3-4 night with an RBI and a run scored.
The game, lasting 3 hours and 18 minutes, saw the ACL Rangers’ regular season come to a close with a 36-24 record.
Other notes
Yeremi Cabrera led the team throughout the season, finishing with a .301 batting average, nine home runs, 39 RBI, 40 walks, and 52 runs. Pablo Guerrero also shone in his first professional season, hitting .301 with seven home runs and 38 RBI.
The ACL Rangers may have seen their season end in disappointment, but the future looks bright with the talent they fielded.
We will likely see some of these players move on to Down East, and possibly Hickory. Stay tuned for updates.
