After taking 4 of 6 from the Rome Emperors last week to work back into a tie atop the South Atlantic League South Division standings with Bowling Green, Hub City started off part two of this 12-game homestand against the last place Winston-Salem Dash (15-30), the high-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Leandro Lopez (2-3, 2.30 ERA) opposed lefty Lucas Gordon (1-5, 3.22) as the Spartanburgers looked to start the series, which has the possibility of being exactly what the sputtering offense needed, with a win.
That ideal offensive situation didn’t take hold in game one. The Spartanburgers started 0 for their first 4 with runners in scoring position, having left 3 runners on base. Fortune finally changed in the bottom of the 4th when Gleider Figuereo singled with 1 out. Casey Cook followed it by grounding to third, reaching as Figgy was forced at 2nd 5-4. Cook later swiped 2nd to set up a 2 out RBI single from Yeison Morrobel, who would be left on as Julian Brock lofted the first pitch he saw from reliever Phil Fox to right to end the inning with the Burgers up 1-0.
Leandro Lopez would end up tossing 5 and two-thirds shutout innings, striking out 8 with just 1 walk and 2 hits. He gave way to Victor Simeon who got his first batter to fly out to left to retire the side. Casey Cook singled with 2 out in the bottom of the 6th, but would end up the 6th man left on after Yeison Morrobel grounded out to 2nd. Then came the rains…
After an hour and 20 or so minute weather delay, Seth Clark came out and worked a clean inning that led to the offense coming through with one run of insurance in the ensuing half inning. Julian Brock led off with a single and stole 2nd, advancing to third on an errant throw from the pitcher on the play. With 1 away, Keith Jones broke his 0-3 skid on the night with a high chopper over the shortstop’s head for an RBI single. Arturo Disla followed it with a clean knock to left, but after an injury forced a pitching change, Dylan Dreiling struck out looking and Anthony Gutierrez popped up to the 3rd baseman in foul ground to end the inning with Hub City up 2-0.
That was the last of the offensive production for Hub City in this game as they left Gleider Figuereo on after a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 8th. Before that, Clark worked one more clean frame, treading around a 1 out walk with back to back strikeouts that were part of a 3 K inning for him. He would finish with 4 sat down on strikes and no hits, setting the stage for Willian Bormie to try and close it out.
He did not. After a leadoff walk to Left Fielder Samuel Zavala, McConnell and shortstop Jarel Perez singled back to back. Perez’s knock scored the first run of the game for the Dash as Zavala came home. Right fielder Braden Montgomery and center fielder Matt Hogan drew consecutive walks, the latter forcing home the tying run. Catcher Jackson Appel put Winston-Salem ahead for good on a 2-run single to right that chased Bormie from the game. Eric Loomis came on and got the next 2 to send the game to the bottom of the ninth with the Burgers trailing 4-2. The bats could not produce a late rally in this one, going down in order to drop the opener for the 2nd straight series and make for back to back losses for Hub City.
They will look to improve fortunes on Wednesday as Aidan Curry (1-1, 7.06 ERA) faces off against Christian Oppor (0-1, 9.82). First pitch for game 2 is set for 6:35.
