RIVERDOGS RUNDOWN Starting Lineup
The Down East Wood Ducks, as a part of the Minor League reconstruction over the winter, were moved into the Low-A East alongside the RiverDogs. This week will be the first ever matchup between the teams following Down East’s transition from the High-A Carolina League. Baseball was absent in Kinston from 2011-17 before the Texas Rangers purchased a California League team and moved them east.
As they face their new opponent, the RiverDogs will have their work cut out for themselves against the Wood Ducks pitching staff. Down East enters the Holy City with a 9-3 record, leading the Low-A East Central Division. One of the biggest challenges the RiverDogs will face in their upcoming series is Down East’s red-hot pitching. Through 12 games, the Wood Ducks have posted a 2.57 ERA, the second lowest mark in the circuit. They have also totaled the third-most strikeouts. On the other side, the Wood Ducks offense has struggled, entering play with 50 runs scored through 12 games. They have hit just three home runs, the fewest in the league.
The RiverDogs have been paced by their red-hot offense over the last few games. The team has scored first in 11 of the first 12 games this season and has scored a run in the first inning of five straight. The RiverDogs begin the series with a .244 batting average and the second-most home runs in the league (16). Alexander Ovalles hit three home runs and set a new single-game team record with ten RBI on Saturday in Columbia. The RiverDogs pitching staff has 143 strikeouts this season (4th in the league) while walking just 40 opposing hitters (2nd fewest).
Tuesday, May 18, 7:05 p.m.: Dog Day: Don’t leave them at home! Bring your four-legged friends to the ballpark for each and every Tuesday contest thanks to Island Coastal Lager, who encourage you to #TakeItEasy. Tuesday games are presented by 96.9 the Wolf.
Wednesday, May 19, 7:05 p.m.: Boiled Peanuts/ Wicked Wednesday: The RiverDogs will take the field for the first time in 2021 as their alternate identity, the Boiled Peanuts! The team will tip their sweetgrass caps to South Carolina’s official state snack by wearing dark green uniforms with a peanut pattern on the sleeves. The cap features a peanut-patterned brim and the logo depicts a peanut relaxing in a boiling pot of water. As is the case for every Wednesday at the ballpark, we will celebrate craft beer and throw in some wicked good fun thanks to Wicked Weed.
Thursday, May 20, 7:05 p.m.: Thirsty Thursday: It’s a Thursday night staple at The Joe with a twist in 2021. No, we are not doing away with $1 beers. Instead, we have made them available throughout The Joe on each Budweiser Thirsty Thursday this season! That’s right, you can grab a $1 beer (or two) no matter where you are in the ballpark. Thursday games are presented by 95SX.
Friday, May 21, 7:05 p.m.: Fireworks/Red Shirt Friday: The RiverDogs will close the work weeks with another fireworks spectacular presented by REV Federal Credit Union. This week’s show will be set to your favorite country tunes. It’s also a Boeing Red Shirt Friday where we invite you to wear red in support of those who serve our country. The team will take part on the field, wearing special red jerseys. Friday games are presented by 103.5 WEZL.
Saturday, May 22, 6:05 p.m.: Perros Santos Weekend/Helicopter Ball Drop: The RiverDogs will spend the weekend suiting up as Los Perros Santos de Charleston as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative. Along with MUSC Health and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, we’ll celebrate the local Latin American culture with special uniforms, music and Spanish public address announcements. Our opponents, the Down East Wood Ducks, will join in on the fun, playing as Avocados Luchadores de Down East. Following the game, a helicopter will drop thousands of numbered bouncy balls onto the field. If a ball lands on the target at home plate, the fan with the corresponding number will walk away with $1,000. If no ball lands on the target, the nearest ball will be worth $500. Saturdays are presented by ABCNews4 and MyTV Charleston.
Sunday, May 23, 5:05 p.m.: Perros Santos Weekend/ Plant Propagation Party/Family Sunday: The RiverDogs will finish off the weekend as Los Perros Santos de Charleston as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative. Along with MUSC Health and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, we’ll celebrate the local Latin American culture with special uniforms, music and Spanish public address announcements. Also, make sure to build your own plant! This idea stems from our deep-rooted desire to let our fans leave a game with something living and breathing. We thought about dogs, cats, frogs and other creatures, but couldn’t make it work. The solution: we’ll give you a pot, soil and a houseplant clipping and you do the rest. A green-thumb is not a requirement, just water it and watch the growth begin. The kids will love watching the fruits of their labor. The entire game experience will be directed toward children and fun for the entire family on an MUSC Health Family Sunday. Sundays are presented by Charleston Radio Group.
Fan Favorites
If you’ve been paying any attention to professional baseball over the last few weeks, you will have noticed how different the game looks compared to the years before. The rules might look the same, the players might look the same, the stadium might look the same, but the stage and the atmosphere are different. And that is because of the fans. Or rather, the lack thereof.
Fans have always been responsible for building the athletic industry. It is the fans who rally behind their teams, and the fans who create the electric environment that we have all come to know and love. And since we’ve had to put full scale baseball games on pause, the lack of fans and fan engagement can be felt deeply.
But, beginning this week, the RiverDogs fan experience will slowly begin to ramp up toward a normal RiverDogs experience. Probably the most notable change will be the allowance of game attendees onto the field. Whether it be the National Anthem performer, the ceremonial first-pitches, or the lucky few selected from the crowd for in-game promotions, select individuals will now be allowed to step onto the field to participate in RiverDogs activities. This new shift in MLB/MiLB regulations will indubitably enhance the overall fan experience around the Joe.
When asked about the impact that these new fan experiences will have on the overall game atmosphere, RiverDogs Director of Marketing and Promotions Ryan Perry stated, “I think it’s going to be a lot better. During opening week, we had a lot of restrictions put upon us by MLB with access and what we were allowed to do with fans. When we had no field access, instead of bringing the fans to the field, we brought the fans to us and you can only do so much operating like that. Now we have some access to the field and are planning to have a few games out there. However, there are still some restrictions in place. We have to remain 12 feet from players at all times, and there are still places we can and can’t go. For example, we will have to do all our promotions in the outfield. But it is a step in the right direction, something that the fans have been waiting to see, and it’s starting to get back to normal which is what Minor League Baseball is all about”.
And although the wait will continue for a fully normal experience at the ballpark, no one can argue that this step is not insignificant. In addition to the loosening of restrictions with regard to in-game activities, the Charleston RiverDogs are also on their way to increasing stadium capacity. Although it will be a gradual climb back to a full stadium, the RiverDogs will slowly ramp up the number of tickets available so that when the time is right, everyone can enjoy the game like they did prior to 2020. The RiverDogs have also, in coordination with the City of Charleston and Minor League Baseball, lifted their mask mandate for fans. The team does encourage those who are not yet vaccinated to continue wearing a mask.
As anyone who has attended a sporting event knows, more fans equal a better overall experience. When people from different backgrounds and stages of life all come together to root for a team, it is a special and unique experience. Cheering for the team and enjoying a night filled with fun for the entire family is something that makes RiverDogs games so special. After going so long without hosting games and without seeing all of you, we are grateful to have you back with us at the ballpark. So, thank you, fans. We cannot wait to see what the season has in store for us and for you. See
Charleston RiverDogs 2021 Roster
2021 DOWN EAST WOOD DUCKS ROSTER
2021 DOWN EAST
18
39 MRAZ, Spencer R/R 6-9 250 5/5/98 23 Middleburg Heights, OH AZL/Spokane A
21 ROBY, Tekoah (TK) R/R 6-1
35
27 SPARKS, Wyatt R/R 6-2 195 9/27/99 21 Springfield, MO Spokane
Leury R/R 6-0 175 12/24/99 21 Bronx, NY AZL/Spokan A (SS)
14 THOMPSON, Tyree R/R 6-3 175
# CATCHERS (3) B/T HT WT (lbs.) BORN AGE RESIDES
23 FLORENTINO, Randy L/R 6-0 200 7/5/00
FREEDOM STANDS THANKS TO ALL WHO SERVE.
We owe our freedom to those who serve. Boeing is honored to support the men, women, and families who sacrifice so our nation can stand tall.
Don’t let an injury hurt your game.
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MUSChealth.org /sports 843-876-0111
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With convenient locations in Mt. Pleasant, Downtown, James Island, West Ashley, Nexton and North Charleston, you’ll be back in the game quickly with MUSC Health Sports Medicine.
MUSChealth.org/sports 843-876-0111
A Night to Remember
Entering their game at Columbia’s Segra Park on Saturday night, the RiverDogs had dropped three of the first four games against the Fireflies and were hoping to turn things around in the series. Little did anyone know how quickly and emphatically that turnaround would come. When the dust settled on the contest, the RiverDogs had emerged with a 19-6 victory and some of the numbers compiled were staggering. For one individual, it was the kind of night that will never be forgotten.
From a team perspective, the offensive explosion achieved numbers that hadn’t been reached in quite some time by a team wearing RiverDogs uniforms. The 19 runs were the most scored by the Holy City’s squad since May 29, 2012 in a game played at Asheville’s notoriously hitter-friendly McCormick Field. The 19 hits that were collected in the game were the most since the 2017 season. The lineup also worked a season-high ten walks and totaled seven extra-base hits.
Now that the team accomplishments have been detailed, we’ll come back to the individual performance that caught the baseball community’s attention. Alexander Ovalles, who was acquired by Tampa Bay in a trade with Texas this winter, finished the contest 5-6 with 3 home runs and 10 runs batted in. No player in RiverDogs history had ever finished a game with that many RBI. Before going into more detail on the special night for Ovalles we’ll provide some background. The 20-year old from the Dominican Republic got off to 1-24 start to the plate heading into Saturday’s match-up with the Fireflies. It took plenty of bad luck to get to that point. He had barreled baseballs on several occasions that were hit directly at a fielder. Other times, he had been robbed of a hit by a stellar defensive play. That luck was about to change in a big way.
Ovalles first came to the plate in the second inning with a runner on first base. He proceeded to launch his first home run of the season. An inkling that something special was ins tore came in the third, when he stepped into the box with two on and blasted another home run. In his next plate appearance, Ovalles grounded back to the mound and was retired for the only time in the game.
In the seventh inning, he singled to improve to 3-4 at the plate. Ovalles’s spot in the order came up again with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and he responded by driving in a pair with a another single. That left him with seven runs batted in and it looked like that might be his final at bat of the game when the first two hitters in the ninth inning were retired and his spot in the lineup remained four batters away. However, the next three hitters all reached base, setting the stage for Ovalles to make history.
In a battle with Columbia left-hander Luis De Avila, Ovalles quickly fell behind 0-2 in the count. The southpaw made the mistake of hanging a breaking ball and the RiverDogs left fielder jumped all over it, hammering a three-run home run, his third of the game, over the right field wall. With that swing, Ovalles became the first RiverDog to hit three home runs in the same game since Chris Gittens during the 2016 season. More impressively, he had set the new standard for run production in a game with ten RBI, a number that will likely not be matched for a long time, if ever again. For reference, the MLB record for RBI in a single-game is 12, set by two former Cardinals. Jim Bottomly drove in a dozen runs in 1924 and then Mark Whiten followed suit during the 1993 campaign.
When you throw all of these numbers together, it becomes readily apparent that Saturday, May 15 will be a night that is reserved in RiverDogs history forever. Alexander Ovalles has set a new standard for all future RiverDogs to aim for. Good Luck.
RIVERDOGS BY THE NUMB3RS
Number of Runs Batted In on May 15th by Alexander Ovalles, who broke the RiverDogs’ team record.
19
Number of runs scored on Saturday, May 15th. The most runs scored in a game since 2012
