Cook is Grand, Burgers Beat Tourists

Some rather footballish/Pacific Northwest weather set the stage for another night of baseball in Fifth Third Park as the Spartanburgers (19-15, 49-48) looked to snap a 2-game losing skid behind Kolton Curtis (2-2, 4.93). He was matched up against Asheville right hander Andrew Taylor (1-2, 3.73) looking to build on a dominant effort in Greenville a week ago in which he carried a perfect game into the 5th inning, leaving the game with a shutout intact en route to a no-decision.

Curtis retired his first 4 batters with swinging strikeouts before walking right fielder Tyler Whitaker, who was left on after back to back fly balls to Cal Stark, who was playing in right field. Hub City gave him the lead in the bottom of the 3rd by cashing in a leadoff double coupled with an errant throw in from the center fielder from Wady Mendez on a 1 out single from Anthony Gutierrez.

After that, Kolton notched one more clean inning before running into trouble in the top of the 4th. With one down, first baseman Will Bush doubled later to score on a 2 out RBI single in which there was a bang-bang play at the plate and Julian Brock missed the tag, dissolving the Burger lead. Curtis walked the next man, but got out of the mess leaving 2 on with a strikeout of 2nd baseman Drew Vogel. In the ensuing half inning, the Spartanburgers squandered a 2 out single and stolen base from Brock and Kolton came back out to start the fifth, which would be a fateful inning.

The first 2 hitters of the frame were issued free passes, but Alejandro Nunez lined into a 3 unassisted double play to give hope that Curtis could escape the jam. That hope was snatched away on a run-scoring knock from catcher Walker Janek. That prompted a call to the bullpen and Willian Bormie was brought on to relieve – who promptly gave up a knock to 1st baseman Will Bush to extend the lead to 3-1 heading to the 6th and close the book on Curtis at 4.2 innings, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks, 4 hits, and three earned runs.

Bormie came back out for the 6th and worked a clean inning, but could not repeat the feat in the 7th as he walked 9-hole hitter Yamal Encarnacion, who later swiped 2nd. With 2 outs, Janek delivered a knock to push the lead to 4-1.

Fortunately for Hub City, the bats finally broke through in the clutch after being confounded and frustrated the last 2 nights. Rafe Perich started the 7th inning rally with a single followed by a knock from Brock. John Taylor moved them both into scoring position with a ground ball back to the mound. Stark kept the train moving on a fielder’s choice that was dropped by the shortstop for an error, allowing all hands to be safe and scoring Perich. Wady Mendez later walked to put Burgers on the grill for Casey Cook, who smashed a towering fly ball into the wind that took forever to finally clear the fence into the Burger bullpen, giving them a 6-4 lead. HC had a chance to add on when Dylan Dreiling tripled with 2 out, but Figuereo grounded out to short to end the inning.

Adrian Rodriguez preserved the lead by bookending the top of the 8th with a pair of strikeouts to leave Blomgeren and Vogel on – both of which he walked with 2 out. Following a scoreless home half, Anthony Susac came on to try and notch a save. Naturally, that would not come without some drama.

Nunez singled with 1 out and took 2nd on an errant throw to 2nd from Susac on a comebacker for a fielder’s choice that allowed Janek to reach. Bush made him pay for that error as he doubled, cutting the Burgers’ lead to just 1 run with 1 out. But, Susac struck out left fielder Lucas Spence and got Whitaker to ground out to third to end the game, securing at least a series split and giving Hub City a chance to win it in the finale on Sunday.

The homestand will close out with a 2:05 first pitch between Jose Gonzalez (3-7, 3.08) and righty Derek True (2-5, 5.51).