Mid-Missouri bench coach Thomas “Wakes” Waelchli had never seen Auggie Rodriguez pitch before Saturday night. But he knew what to expect from the Mavericks’ starter just by looking at him.
He figured the diminutive Rodriguez, listed at 5-foot-9, wasn’t going to throw the ball by many hitters in his minor-league debut.
“At that size, you’ve got to make all your pitches,” Waelchli said. “He can sneak it past them.”
Waelchli’s words proved true. Rodriguez baffled the Rockford RiverHawks for six innings Saturday night. He allowed three hits and struck out four, and had been in line for the win until the ninth inning.
That was when Quentin Jones imploded, turning what had been a 4-2 advantage into a disappointing 5-4 loss.
The Mavericks’ will get another chance to win their first game of the season tonight at 6:05 as they continue their series with the RiverHawks.
The 899 fans at Taylor Stadium cheered Rodriguez’s every move, including two pick-off plays in the first two innings.
He kept Rockford off balance all night with his assortment of pitches that included an impressive circle change.
“I just felt like I had good off-speed pitches,” Rodriguez said. “I had more movement on my fastball, but I had a great curveball and change-up.”
The only thing that frustrated Mavericks’ fans about Rodriguez’s outing was his inability to strike out Rockford’s No. 3 hitter Brian Baron.
Though Baron went 0-4, he put the ball in play each time at-bat. Fans could have bought a 12-ounce beer for $1 if he struck out, as per an in-game promotion.
Rodriguez said he was aware of the gimmick.
“I felt bad I couldn’t get a beer for all the crowd,” he said.
Before the game, Waelchli had simple expectations for Rodriguez, who had been in spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates in March.
“Keep us in the game,” he said. “That’s all you can ask.”
Rodriguez did what was asked of him. A two-run single by right fielder Eli Albertson in the third and a run-scoring hit by Greg Buscher in the fourth was more than enough support.
But the Mavericks’ weakness from its first two games, susceptibility to the big inning, turned up again Saturday.
Rockford, the defending Frontier League champions, scored two runs in the eighth inning and added three more in the ninth off Jones.
Mid-Missouri first baseman Thomari Story-Harden grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to end the game.
Rodriguez did not seem upset that his performance was squandered. He was more concerned that his teammates didn’t come out flat tonight.
“You win games, you lose games,” he said. “But you can’t lose your heart.”