El Paso Blown Out 17-4

EL PASO — After a big comeback win on Thursday, El Paso couldn’t repeat the same on Friday as they went down 17-4 at Southwest University Park to even the series at two games each.

Knuckleballer Matt Waldron got the start and breezed through the first two innings, retiring all six batters in order. He ran into trouble in the third, when the Reno Aces batted around against him, scoring five times before chasing him in favor of Jason Blanchard.

Matt Waldron as a member of the El Paso Bootmakers. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)

The Padres are asking Waldron to increase the usage of his knuckleball. Friday, he threw it 47% of the time. While it was only in the zone 12 of the 32 times he threw it, he got Reno batters to chase it consistently all night as well.

“That is his superpower,” said Chihuahuas manager Pete Zamora. “We want him to throw it more often than not. There will be some outings where he throws it less, but we want him to be a predominant knuckleball pitcher.”

All of the runs that El Paso put on the board came by way of the long ball. Mason McCoy hit a solo shot in the first inning as part of a two-hit day. It was McCoy’s second home run in as many days, and the infielder now sports a .936 OPS, which is 225 points better than his mark last season.

Mason McCoy rounds the bases after a solo home run in the first inning. (Photo: Jorge Salgado)

“I think he’s just a little more comfortable and confident now that he’s in his second year in the organization,” Zamora said about McCoy’s offensive surge.  “He has a great hitting coach in Raul Padron, and he just puts in a lot of consistent daily work.”

The rest of El Paso’s offense came courtesy of a pair of Clay Dungan home runs. The versatile left-handed hitter, who was in center field for El Paso in this one, raised his OPS to .801 as he extended his hitting streak to five games.

Reno avoided any possibility of another comeback when, up 9-2 in the ninth inning, the put up eight runs to turn the game into a laugher.

Alek Jacob opened the ninth, but the first five batters reached base. It was the second time in seven outings since his demotion from the Padres that Jacob has failed to record an out. 

With the game out of hand, seldom-used backup catcher Jack Mathey came on to save the club from going to a fifth reliever. The 21-year-old, signed as an undrafted free agent last summer, had appeared in only three games this year. He had pitched once in his career, in 2023 in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.

Former big leaguer Trey Mancini greeted him with a mammoth three-run home run over the center field wall on a 42 mph curve. Mathey ultimately gave up two more hits and three walks before finally escaping the inning.

“There are certain situations where I trust the individual, and they know that they are out there to do,” said Zamora. “Their job is to keep the game going, and unfortunately, it didn’t work out for us, but Jack was a great teammate in doing it for us, and he said, ‘Give me the ball and I can finish this thing out for us.’

“I have nothing but great things to say about Jack for stepping up.”

Chihuahua’s Notes:  Reliever Bradgley Rodriguez in the outfield playing catch before the game. The key prospect left a game on June 8 with arm discomfort, but appears to have avoided a serious injury. He could be back in action as soon as next week if his throwing progression goes well. … Luis Campusano went hitless tonight after a big evening on Thursday, but started at first base for the third time this season as the organization attempts to increase his positional versatility. … As part of the team’s many promotions, the “El Paso Bootmakers” will celebrate the town’s history as one of the premier locations for the bootmaking industry on Saturday night.