Tourists Even Series With 3-2 Win Over Burgers

After having the script flipped on them last night in a sloppy game where the Burgers walked 6 and hit three batters – free passes that all led to runs – and the offense mustered just 1 run on 2 hits to the tune of a 7-1 loss, Hub City looked to rebound on Friday night. DJ McCarty (1-4, 5.40 ERA) got the nod for the Burgers opposite Asheville right hander Alonzo Tredwell (same record and ERA).

The game got off to a rocky start for McCarty, who is normally used out of the bullpen as a long reliever. He labored through the top of the first, throwing 27 pitches. Third Baseman Alejandro Nunez singled on an 0-2 pitch to lead off. Designated Hitter Walker Janek followed with a 2-2 base knock of his own. McCarty struck out the next 2, but on the 2nd one, Malcolm Moore dropped strike three for a passed ball, allowing the lead runner to take third. Fortunately DJ escaped the jam with a fly ball to left.

The 2nd inning looked to be deja vu when first baseman Luis Encarnacion worked a walk on 5 pitches. But, the tide of the night turned on 5 pitches later when 2nd baseman Jack Blomgren sent a low liner to Rafe Perich at third, who gathered himself and threw to first to double off Encarnacion. The next batter grounded out to third to retire the side, which ultimately settled McCarty in. He sat the next nine hitters in order – 4 of them on strikes.

In the interim, the bats got some production in the 2nd inning with 2 outs. Perich drew a walk, John Taylor followed it with a single, and Quincy Scott II drew a free pass to put Burgers on the grill for Wady Mendez, who got the scoring started with a bases loaded walk. Anthony Gutierrez picked up an RBI the painful way to make it 2-0 heading to the third after Casey Cook narrowly missed a grand slam on a moonshot against the stiff wind blowing right to left.

That lead held until Dj McCarty once again ran into some trouble in the top of the 6th. Right fielder Yamal Encarnacion started the rally with a single and Nunez made it back to back. That ended the night for DJ, as Chad Comer opted to bring in Adonis Villavicencio. He sandwiched a walk of Catcher Will Bush that loaded the bases between 2 strikeouts. Unfortunately for DJ, left fielder Tyler Whitaker cleared the bases with a double over Quincy Scott II’s head in left making his final line 5 innings, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk, 4 hits, and 2 earned runs. Villavicencio bounced back and got Encarnacion to fly out to left to retire the side, but Hub City would find itself needing one of their trademark latter-innings comeback down 3-2.

In the end, it was not meant to be as the Spartanburgers squandered their best scoring opportunity with the game in the balance in the late innings once again. In the 7th inning, a leadoff walk to Wady Mendez coupled with a sac bunt and wild pitch had him in third as the tying run. With 2 out, Dylan Dreiling drew a walk, but Malcolm Moore grounded out to short to end the inning, with no further chances presented as the game went on, resulting in back to back losses to tie the series at 2 a piece.

Hub City will take yet another crack at trying to secure at least a split on Saturday night as Koltoin Curtis (2-2, 4.93) challenges right hander Andrew Taylor (1-2, 3.73). First pitch os set for 6:35 PM.