After securing their first series win since taking 4 from the Greenville Drive back in the 2nd home stand of the season back in April as well as their 4th straight victory, Jose Gonzalez (1-6, 3.14 ERA) took the ball opposite Winston-Salem right hander Manuel Veloz (0-2, 8.40) to try and make for a season-high 5 game win streak.
Jose did not have his sharpest of stuff early on, despite working a clean top of the first with a strikeout. In the 2nd, he gave up three straight singles to third baseman Arxy Hernandez, first baseman Alec Makarewicz, and right fielder Cole McConnell – the latter plating the game’s first run. Gonzalez settled in from there and retired the next three in order on a pair of fly balls to center and his 2nd K of the day.
That 1-0 deficit held through 4 innings as Hub City mustered just two baserunners in that span – both on walks. Casey Cook drew a base on balls in the bottom of the first and stole 2nd only to be left there as Gleider Figuereo struck out swinging and Dylan Dreiling was sat down on a hard sinking liner that was snowconed on a slide in center. Rafe Perich worked a free pass in the next inning with 1 out, but was called out when Julian Brock struck out swinging and interfered with the catcher’s ability to make a throw to 2nd on a steal attempt.
Gonzalez had to work out of a jam in the top of the third after 2nd baseman Sam Antonacci laced the first pitch into left for a single. After 2 quickie outs, Hernandez was beaned on the forearm, later to advance with Antonacci on a pickoff attempt that Gonzalez threw into center field. But, the crisis was averted when Makarewicz flew out to right to retire the side. From that point, it became an exchange of three up three down frames until Yeison Morrobel unloaded on the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth and sent it into the visitor bullpen to tie it at 1 heading to the 6th.
Gonzalez notched another scoreless frame in the top of the 6th despite a 2 out single from Makarewicz to qualify for yet another quality start. That was rewarded in the home half when Anthony Gutierrez drew a 1 out free pass followed by a Casey Cook single. That set in motion a chain of three straight walks to Figuereo, Dreiling, and Morrobel. Two of those came with burgers on the grill to force in 2 runs without a swing of the bat. In the end, Hub City left the bases loaded, but took a 3-1 lead to the 7th inning.
Gonzalez came back out for one more, plunking Juan of the same last name – the Dash catcher. But, he struck out Left Fielder Terrell Tatum and got Antonacci to ground to shortstop Luis Marquez, who promptly stepped on the 2nd base bag to force Tatum and send the game to the stretch with Hub City still on top 3-1.
The Burgers added on in the bottom of the frame when Casey Cook pushed his average over the Mendoza Line for the first time this season with an RBI triple to the right field corner with 2 away, plating Marquez, who reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning.
Eric Loomis took over for Gonzo to start the 8th and worked 2 scoreless frames to earn a save, striking out the side in the 8th and adding a 4th in the ninth as the Spartanburgers picked up the 4-1 victory, wrapping up the series with their first instance of winning more than 4 in a 6 game set as well and extending to their new longest win streak of the season.
Jose Gonzalez earned the win with a quality start – his 4th of his last 6 outings. He departed with a final line of 7 innings of 1-run ball with 7 strikeouts, no walks, and 5 hits.
With the win, Hub City upped their 2nd half record to 9-6 and their overall record to .500 at 40-40, putting them into a situation where pending what happens between Rome and Bowling Green, they could be either tied for 1st place or 1 game back in the SAL South 2nd half standings.
After a day off Monday, the Burgers will hit the road to Rome, Ga to take on the Emperors, with the 6-game series set to begin Tuesday night at 7:00PM with Leandro Lopez expected to start.
