Burgers Drop Series to Blue Claws

Following a 4-2 homestand and a series win in which the Hub City Spartanburgers found a way to win the last 2 games against Asheville, they embarked on a flight up to Lakewood, New Jersey for the start of their longest road trip since the opening week of the season. That trip was for 9 games with stops in Aberdeen and Wilmington, and ended in a 5-4 start to the inaugural campaign. This time, it would be for 12 games – the first six coming against the red-hot Phillies-affiliated Jersey Shore Blueclaws, who entered the week on a 3-game win streak.

The week started with the biggest slew of roster moves made by the Rangers involving the Spartanburgers so far this season. On Monday, late reliever Willian Bormie and Catcher Julian Brock were promoted to Double A Frisco. In correspondence, 2 right handed pitchers were brought up from Low A Hickory – Brooks Fowler and Kai Wynard. Hickory Catcher Ben Hartl was also promoted along with infielder Luis Marquez. Later on this week, Marquez was sent back down while shortstop Theo Hardy was brought off the 7-day injured list while outfielder Quincy Scott II was placed on the list. Antonis Macias was brought up from Hickory to fill that void.

The series started off with some promise on Tuesday night as two pitches into the game, Hub City found themselves in the lead on back to back doubles from Anthony Gutierrez and Dylan Dreiling. With 1 out, Gleider Figuereo extended the lead to 2-0 with a 2-bagger of his own to the benefit of starter Dylan MacLean, who was effective to say the least.

Dylan tossed 5 innings of shutout ball, striking out 6 with no walks and allowing just 2 hits. But, the story began to change quickly after that. The offense basically vanished after the opening frame, going down in order in 3 of the last 8 innings. They squandered a huge opportunity to add on in the top of the 4th when Arturo Disla was beaned and with 2 out Cal Stark singled. Disla took third on a wild pitch, but moments later was picked off to retire the side. The Spartanburgers did take advantage of a golden chance to do some damage in the top of the 8th when Figuereo started things off with a 2 out knock. Disla followed it with a base hit and Yeison Morrobel drew a walk to heat the grill for John Taylor, who delivered a 2 run single that put Hub City back in front 4-2 at the time.

The story of the game – and the series was the bullpen. Victor Simeon relieved MacLean to start the 6th, failing to get out of the inning with 2 runs allowed in two-thirds of a frame. He beaned the leadoff man and proceeded to throw back to back wild pitches to plate 1. A walk, a stolen base, and a sacrifice fly put a man on third, and following another base on balls, yet another sac fly tied the game at 2. Josh Sanders got out of the inning with a ground ball to third and would go on to pitch another full inning and two-thirds, striking out three but allowing 2 more runs on 2 hits.

After Hub city reclaimed the lead in the 8th and Sanders gave up his 2nd run, Anthony Susac came on and gave up the lead. He surrendered a 2 run triple to Avery Owusu-Asiedu, giving the Blueclaws the lead 5-4 before getting a strikeout to end the inning. But, the bats could do nothing in the top of the 9th as Jersey Shore got the win.

The bullpen woes continued after a quick turnaround for game 2. Aidan Curry got the start, and tossed 4 innings of 1-run ball with 4 retired on strikes, 3 walks, and 4 hits. Ben Hartl made quite the impact at the plate in his Hub City debut, going 1 for 2 with 2 walks, 2 runs scored, and an RBI – coming on a base hit in the top of the 2nd that gave the Burgers another early lead. For a while, that one run held as Kai Wynyard kept things going for the pitching with a clean first inning of his debut. His second frame was not as pressure-free, as he gave up a leadoff double, a single, and a walk all in succession to load the bases. He escaped the inning with just 1 run given up that came on a double play. But, that run tied the game.

The Spartanburgers reclaimed the lead briefly with an RBI groundout from Dylan Dreiling in the ensuing half inning, but Mailon Felix proceeded to give up a pair of doubles –  run-scoring ground rule and another that cleared the bases in his lone inning of work, which landed him with the loss. Jesus Gamez gave up 1 more run on 2 hits in the 8th inning as Hub City fell 7-3.

In the third contest of the set, runs were at a premium. Dalton Pence worked 5 and two-thirds innings, getting through 4 with no issue. He surrendered a 2 out single that would be followed with a steal and a double from Kodey Shojinaga, giving Jersey Shore the 1-0 lead. That looked like it may be the final score for a while as Pence struck out 5 and walked none, giving way to Adrian Rodriguez, who pitched a scoreless inning and a third with three K’s. no walks, and no hits. Adonis Villavicencio kept it going with a goose egg frame of his own with a K, no free passes, and no hits.

That all set the stage for a 2 out rally in the top of the ninth that started with a walk to Rafe Perich. He was replaced by pinch runner Theo Hardy, who would advance on a wild pitch. After Casey Cook worked a walk, Yeison Morrobel came through with a game-tying clutch RBI single. But that was all as Taylor grounded out to 3rd. In the home half of the frame, Owusu-Asiedo walked off Anthony Susac on a 2 out knock with the bases juiced.

Friday night, trying to stave off dropping the series for at least another day, DJ McCarty got the nod and, despite some inconsistency (7 strikeouts, 6 hits) gave up just 2 runs in 4.2 innings of work. Unfortunately, that was enough to stick him with a loss. The offense failed to come up with a clutch hit, going 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. That 1 hit only managed to move a runner to third, and the lone run came in on a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the 7th, which at the time cut the deficit to just 2-1. All of that was compounded by leaving 10 on base over the course of the game. Basically, the Burgers had plenty of chances but could not capitalize.

Thomas Ireland saved the bullpen by going the remaining 3.1 innings, sitting 3 more on strikes and walking none, but surrendering 2 more runs on 4 hits in what would be a 4-1 defeat.

In Saturday’s game 5, Hub City threatened right away when Casey Cook led off the game with a first-pitch double. He ended up getting thrown out trying to stretch a triple. But the Burgers still got some production in the frame. Gutierrez followed by drawing a walk and Figuereo kept the line moving with an infield single. With 2 away, Dylan Dreiling drew the first of back to back walks – the 2nd forcing home Figuereo for an RBI to Cal Stark. Newcomer Antonis Macias grounded into a force play where Figgy was erased at 2nd to retire the side.

Hub City threatened once more in the 2nd inning after Cook was beaned and Gutierrez singled – both with 2 out. That threat failed to amount to anything after a ground out left them on. In the interim, Brooks Fowler made his first High A start and cruised through the first 2 frames with a strikeout and a walk. He gave up his first hit with 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd – a single that was followed by a 2 run homer from Devin Saltaban, giving the Blueclaws a 2-1 lead.

Hub City would strike back in the top of the 4th with a 2 out rally that began when Wady Mendez drew a walk. He advanced to 2nd on a delayed steal and on the same play got 90 more feet on an errant throw to third from the JS first baseman. Casey Cook was plunked for the 2nd straight AB, setting the stage for a Gutierrez RBI double to tie the game at 2 as Hub City left 2 on when Figuereo grounded to 2nd.

In the 6th, the Burgers reclaimed the advantage thanks to some one out production. Theo Hardy singled and Mendez walked, which led to a Cook RBI single to go up 3-2. The Spartanburgers could have done even more damage after a passed ball moved both runners up 90 feet, but after Gutierrez struck out, Figuereo popped up to the 1st baseman in foul ground to retire the side.

Back to the pitching side of things, Fowler ended up going 5 innings with just 2 earned on 4 hits to accompany 3 strikeouts and 1 walk. He gave way to Kai Wynyard, who tossed a quick three up three down frame in the 6th. He came back out for the 7th, but a leadoff walk followed by a single to put men on the corners ended his outing. Chad Comer replaced him with Adonis Villavicencio, who struck out his first hitter before giving up a line drive three run homer to Diego Gonzalez. After walking the next man, Villavicencio was yanked for Adrian Rodriguez, who struck out one en route to finally getting out of the inning, but Hub City would have to rally back from a 5-3 hole.

That got off to a good start in the ensuing half inning as Macias and Hardy drew consecutive walks. Wady Mendez got a run back grounding to short for a fielders choice, but they could not make the force at 2nd thanks to a throwing error, allowing Macias to come home. With one down, Gutierrez’s third hit of the night tied the game at 5 when Hardy came in. Guti swiped 2nd, but the Burgers would end up leaving 2 more in scoring position as both Figuereo and Disla were sat down on strikes to retire the side.

The game ended up going to extra innings. With Theo Hardy as the ghost runner, Mendez and Cook drew walks to put Burgers on the grill for Gutierrez, who also walked to score Hardy. After an 0-5 start to the night, Gleider Figuereo singled through the right side to plate Mendez. After Arturo Disla reached on a fielders choice where Cook was forced at the plate, Dylan Dreiling extended the lead with a fielders choice where Disla was forced at 2nd to plate Gutierrez, making for an 8-5 lead heading to the bottom of the 10th.

Jesus Gamez ended up notching his 2nd save in the last 7 days, leaving 2 on after a 1 out wild pitch advanced the ghost runner and a walk. He struck out former Presbyterian College Blue Hose Joel Dragoo and got a ground ball to 2nd to ice the win for the Burgers, snapping a 4-game losing streak and Jersey Shore’s 7-game win streak.

The finale proved to be disastrous for Hub City after Sunday starter Jose Gonzalez’s promotion to Frisco. Kolton Curtis got the start and went just 2 and a third innings. He gave up 7 runs (6 earned) on 5 hits with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts.

On the positive side, with extended work, the bullpen gave up just 2 runs. Josh Sanders tossed 3 innings of 1 run ball with 5 hits, 3 strikeouts, and no walks. Mailon Felix gave up another in an inning and two-thirds with a hit, walk, and 2 Ks.

Anthony Susac tossed the lone scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout.

The lone Hub City run in the 9-1 loss came on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 8th from Gleider Figuereo. In total, the Spartanburgers went 1-6 with runners in scoring position and left 8 on base.

Now tied with the Greenville Drive for 2nd place and a game back from first place Bowling Green, the Burgers will have a day off tomorrow before a short trip to take on the Brooklyn Cyclones for a 6-game set starting Tuesday night at 6:40 PM.