BALLPARK BUZZ | October 20, 2020

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC RETURNS TO WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
El Paso Locomotive FC makes its triumphant return to the USL Championship Western Conference Final for the second time in its two-year history. Over the last two weeks, the Locos Blue have played through back-to-back games that ended in a tie-breaking penalty shootout after extra time in regulation. The feat of reaching the Conference final in the first two years has only been accomplished twice before in the USL.

“They’re winners. At the end of the day, they’re winners. We are winners,” said Head Coach Mark Lowry in Saturday’s post-game press conference. “We’ve built a winning culture here in two years. It’s the second Western Conference Final and yes, this season is different and it’s hard to judge it, but we are in the Western Conference Final again. Twice in two years. If you had offered any of us that – the staff, the players, the front office – we would have snapped your hand off. The guys have done it, it’s on the players. They were superb these last couple of games. They’ve shown the heart and the grit that’s needed and I’m so proud and happy for them.”

FC JUAREZ PICKUP LEANDRO CARRIJO PROVIDES EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE WITH SCORING PUNCH
In a season that has left Locomotive numbers stretched thin, Head Coach Mark Lowry has had to dig deep and the players on the roster have had to come up big to help push the El Paso side to its 2020 successes. Among that list of players is FC Juarez star-striker Leandro Carrijo. Carrijo breaks down his Locomotive contribution while Lowry breaks down the quality that the Juarez leading goal-scorer brings over the border. (Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times, 10/15/2020)

LOCOMOTIVE FC ADVANCE TO WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL WITH DRAMATIC PENALTY-KICK WIN OVER NEW MEXICO
Locomotive FC battled with Derby del Camino Real rival New Mexico United in a Western Conference Semifinal thriller that saw Locomotive FC boast a 60-minute lead before United made a heart-dropping equalizer in second-half stoppage time. The two battled through extra time, resulting in a penalty shootout that Locomotive decidedly won to advance to the Conference Final. KVIA’s Nate Ryan breaks down the win the feel in the stadium after the thrilling victory. (Nate Ryan, KVIA, 10/18/2020)

WORLD SERIES 2020: RANDY AROZARENA SHINES BRIGHTEST IN TAMPA BAY RAYS' NO-STAR APPROACH TO OWNING OCTOBER
The issue for the Rays' offense was that their most productive hitters during the regular season were not being productive during the playoffs -- Brandon Lowe, Joey Wendle, Willy Adames and Michael Brosseau among them. So others stepped up, including usually light-hitting catcher Mike Zunino and semi-regular outfielder Manny Margot. (Bradford Doolittle, ESPN, 10/18/2020)

FORMER CHIHUAHUA DINELSON LAMET EXPECTED TO BE READY FOR PADRES SPRING TRAINING
Former El Paso Chihuahuas ace Dinelson Lamet is expected to be healthy after missing the 2020 MLB playoffs with arm soreness. Lamet led the Padres in strikeouts this season with 93. He pitched for El Paso for parts of three seasons. (MLB.com, 10/18/2020)

REVISITING RENFROE, MARGOT TRADES TO RAYS
Margot and Renfroe were shipped to Tampa Bay in two separate deals last offseason, though they still have their share of fans in San Diego -- including Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "They're really good people," Preller said. "They're guys that you root for. To see them go out and contribute to a winning club ... it's been fun to watch." (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com, 10/19/20)

THE FLAMING LIPS HOST TRIAL RUN OF BUBBLE SHOW AT OKC'S CRITERION
To be successful in the entertainment industry, you must master the art of reinvention. We live in a world where social media picks up on social threads that create trends in seconds. It is almost impossible to predict what will be a hit and what will be a miss. What is trending and cool today, will soon be considered lame and out of date tomorrow. But the call for innovation is vital to stay relevant and in some cases to stay employed. The concert industry is doing just that with Bubble shows. Will their idea take off or will it blow up?

THE CATCH' IS NOW A SHIRT, THANKS TO ST. PETE ENTREPRENEUR'S LATEST EFFORT
Also, a die-hard Tampa Bay sports fan, Shapiro witnessed artistry in motion Monday night when the Rays’ Manny Margot made a picture-perfect catch in Game 2 against the Astros. “I’m calling it ‘The Catch’ because that’s what it is. That’s what everyone’s talking about,” he said. (Josh Cascio, Fox13 Tampa Bay, 10/14/2020)

BALLPARK CONTACT INFORMATION

ANGELA OLIVAS	TIM HAGERTY	SARAH NOLLNER	DERICK FOX	GINA ROE-DAVIS
El Paso Chihuahuas	El Paso Chihuahuas	El Paso Locomotive FC	El Paso Locomotive FC	Leg Up Entertainment
Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications	Sr. Manager, Broadcast & Media Relations	Director, Marketing & Communications	Manager, Communications	Director, Special Events
Email: aolivas@	Email: thagerty@	Email: snollner@	Email: dfox@	Email: groe-davis@