Nix leads El Paso past Round Rock
Jacob Nix hurled six scoreless innings, leading the El Paso Chihuahuas over the Round Rock Express in a 5-3 series-opening win Saturday.
Rowan Wick struck Cliff Pennington out with runners on second and third to end the game for his third save of the season. Nix (1-0) allowed five hits while striking out three to hand the Express its third loss in a row.
El Paso got on the board first in the fourth inning when Diego Goris drew a bases-loaded walk and Auston Bousfield hit a sacrifice fly.
After El Paso added three runs, the Express rallied with three in the seventh, including an RBI single by Hunter Cole, who was 2 for4.
Michael Roth (6-7) went five innings, allowing four runs and seven hits in the Pacific Coast League game. He also struck out three and walked three.
Scott Heineman and Juan Centeno each had two hits for the Express.
Raffy Lopez went 2 for4 with two runs scored for El Paso. He also had the only extra-base hit in the game, a double in the fifth inning.
Luis Urias and Francisco Mejia each had two hits for the Chihuahuas. Urias scored a run while Mejia drove in one.
The PGA Championship, which starts Thursday, has all the trappings of a big celebration this year.
Thanks to a Sunday afternoon on the other side of the Atlantic, it feels even bigger.
This is the 100th edition of the only major championship restricted to professionals, and it’s a farewell to the muggy heat of summer. The PGA Championship is leaving its August date after some 40 years and moving to May. Jordan Spieth was always sure to get plenty of attention as he gets a second crack at trying to complete the career Grand Slam, a feat achieved by only five other players, never at the PGA Championship.
And now Tiger Woods is in focus like never before.
Just the sight of his name atop the leaderboard in the final round of the British Open, even if it was there alone for only about 30 minutes, was enough to turn cynics into cheerleaders. Woods has gone 10 years, five surgeries and one divorce since his last major win. He started the year with uncertainty about his health and his swing. He reaches the final major without a victory, but with a game that suggests another trophy — even the biggest variety — might not be far off.
He finished one shot behind at the Valspar Championship in March. He finished three shots behind at Carnoustie.
“I think that I went from just hoping to be able to play the tour,” Woods said. “Now that I feel that I can the play the tour, I certainly can win again. I’ve had an opportunity to win a couple times this year. I had a great chance at Valspar early in the year, and even a week ago (at the British Open) I had a great shot at it. Yeah, my game has gotten better and good enough where I feel like I can win again.”
The PGA Championship returns to Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, and a victory for Woods would be his fifth Wanamaker Trophy, tying the record held by Jack Nicklaus and Walter Hagen, and his 15th major championship.
Bellerive is a course Woods doesn’t know very well, and he’s not alone. It last hosted the PGA Championship in 1992 when Nick Price won the first of his three majors. Bellerive also was the site of the BMW Championship in 2008, which Woods missed while recovering from knee surgery. Only 13 players from that event are in the field for the PGA.
Justin Thomas is the defending champion and one of the few players who has seen Bellerive, back in June as part of his media promotion tour. Based on its spot on the schedule, the PGA Championship rarely allows time for players to get a preview.
The British Open ended July 22, and players like world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka went straight to Canada, and then Ohio for a World Golf Championship. Woods was in Switzerland on a holiday.
“I contemplated going over to Bellerive for a day and checking it out,” Rory McIlroy said. “But I told myself I’ve never done it before for a PGA and I’ve won it a couple times and I played well. So why would I change what I’ve always done.”
Spieth was in Spain after the British Open for his bachelor’s party and said he would see Bellerive when he arrived on Monday. He has heard a little about it and said he expected “a normal PGA.” Just what is normal? “It’s like a long, narrow, you’ve still got to shoot 10 to 14 under type of thing,” Spieth said. “The PGA reminds me of a few tour stops, like Congressional, and maybe a little bit like Akron. It’s not as tricky, just really cool golf courses you’re only going to see once every 10 years. A long, difficult PGA Tour course with longer rough.”
Spieth still hasn’t won a tournament since Royal Birkdale last summer.
He lost a share of the 54-hole lead at Carnoustie two weeks ago, although he felt his game — especially the short game — finally rounding into form.
Spieth turned 25 last week. He is getting married this year. He is in no rush.
“I’m more big picture,” he said. “This (PGA) course changes every year. At some point, I’m going to be in form on a course that is good for me and the stars will line up and I’ll have to executive coming (down) the stretch. And it could be this year.”
Otherwise, it will be in May. That will be the new month for the PGA Championship, which allows it to move to courses in the South, while shutting out venues like Whistling Straits in Wisconsin and Hazeltine in Minnesota.
It no longer will be the fourth major on the schedule. The PGA of America hopes that its championship will get enough new energy that it won’t be considered the least of the four majors. Not everyone feels that way, least of all Thomas.
“I’m perfectly content with grabbing my fourth of the four majors, if you will, every year,” Thomas said.
Spieth might want it even more, considering what’s at stake.
So, too, would Woods.