The Hudson Valley Renegades begin the most important homestead of the year on Monday night against the Tri-City Valley Cats. At 37-27, the Renegades sit just three games behind the Staten Island Yankees in the McNamara division of the New York-Penn League. With just 12 games left in the season, this seven-game homestead will go a long way in deciding where the Renegades land.
Just a little less than a month ago, the Renegades would have been perfectly happy with a Wild Card spot. They were three games out of the Wild Card spot and the division seemed far out of reach. Now, the narrative has changed. A historic 14-game winning streak turned a feat that seemed out of reach into the ultimate goal.
During the streak, the Renegades outscored their opponents 75-31. They were getting solid starts from their pitching day in and day out, complemented by timely hits and a lights-out bullpen. Since the All-Star break, the Hudson Valley Renegades went from a mediocre team that lost 11 games in a row back in June and July into a playoff threat.
While the streak is over and the Renegades have lost two straight, they’re still playing great baseball. Two tough losses against the Connecticut Tigers didn’t cost them though as the Yankees lost two straight as well. They’ve won eight straight at home and are 17-14 on the season at the Dutch.
Hudson Valley will start a four-game set against the Tri-City Valley Cats on Monday night at Dutchess Stadium. They’ll then begin a three-game set against the Vermont Lake Monsters, head out for three games against the Lowell Spinners, and return home to finish the season with two games against the Aberdeen IronBirds.
If the season were to end today, the Hudson Valley Renegades would finish 1.5 games up in the Wild Card race. While obtaining a Wild Card spot would have been an unbelievable feat earlier in the season, now it seems like a downgrade. Each game from here on out becomes more important than the last as the Renegades will try and catch the Yankees and win their first division title since 2014.