After a huge victory in the series opener that came in the most thrilling fashion on Friday night, the Spartanburgers (14-8, 45-42 overall) looked to pick up their first instance of getting a series win of the season against a team that is locked into the playoffs and over well above 20 games over .500 overall. Kolton Curtis (1-1, 1.64 ERA) got the nod for a spot start in Chad Comer’s effort to get every pitcher some reps coming off the All Star Break against Brooklyn right hander Will Watson (0-2, 2.64).
With these 2 pitching staffs among the top 5 in the South Atlantic League in strikeouts, runs/home runs/hits given up, team ERA, and opponent batting average against, this game had the potential to be a heavy pitchers duel — and that is what we got outside of a couple of mistakes on both sides.
Curtis got two quick outs in the top of the first before giving up a double to center fielder A.J. Ewing, but worked out of it with his 2nd strikeout of the night. Watson also had some early trouble when Dylan Dreiling ensured it would not be 6 innings before the Burgers got a hit in this game with a leadoff single. But, that trouble did not last long. Gleider Figuereo grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Malcolm Moore would give the Burgers a 2nd chance at making something happen thanks to a little help, reaching on a fielding error on the 3rd baseman. But, Arturo Disla flew out to center to end the inning.
Curtis did not have as much sharpness in the top of the 2nd, giving up a 1 out single to Catcher Ronald Hernandez singled with 1 down and went first to third when he was picked off, but the throw went high and wide of first. Kolton bounced back with a strikeout of 1st baseman Corey Collins, but with 2 away, left fielder Diego Mosquera singled to score the game’s first run. After walking the next batter, a fly ball to left got him out of the frame, but that 1-0 score looked like it might loom large. But, with this team’s propensity for late-game heroics, that did not end up being the case.
D.J. McCarty assumed the bump to start the third in relief of Curtis – who notched just the 1 unearned run on 3 hits with a walk and 3 K’s. D.J. held the Cyclones in check over the next 5 innings, retiring 6 in strikes, walking 1, and surrendering just 1 hit.
In the interim, Watson went just shy of the distance needed to be the pitcher of record, departing after 4 and two-thirds shutout innings with 4 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 hits. Brooklyn’s propensity for effective pitching became the story as, even with Watson in the game, the Burgers managed to get base runners on. But, they grounded into 3 double plays along the way. It wasn’t until the bottom of the eighth when Hub City finally broke the goose egg thanks to John Taylor’s 2nd professional home run – a towering line shot into the Hub City bullpen in the right field corner to lead off. Hub City had a chance to claim the lead when Quincy Scott followed it with a single, but he was later party to the 4th double play of the night. After that, Gleider Figuereo drew a 2 out walk, but was left on as Malcolm Moore grounded out to short to end the inning.
That was all the offense the rest of the way as Josh Trentadue struck out the side in the top of the 9th and the Burgers went down in order in the home half to send the game to extras. Eric Loomis kept the shutout frame train chugging along by leaving the ghost runner on third after a comebacker and back to back clutch strikeouts, setting the stage for John Taylor to continue writing the feel-good story start to his professional career.
After breaking the shutout in the 8th with the game-tying home run, John grounded a 2-1 pitch up the middle past the diving shortstop for a walkoff RBI single, scoring ghost runner Anthony Gutierrez, securing a 2-1 win, and giving the Burgers what is undeniably their biggest series win of their inaugural season.
Now Hub City has a chance to go for the sweep tomorrow at 2:05 PM as Jose Gonzalez (3-6, 2.73) looks for another quality start against a pitcher yet to be named for the Cyclones.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login