Burgers Notch First Playoff Victory

Spartanburg- The culmination of a year of firsts for the Hub City Spartanburgers came to a head Tuesday night in Spartanburg as the Bowling Green Hot Rods came into Fifth Third Park for Game 1 of the South Atlantic League Divisional Series and left with loss as Hub City won by a final score of 3-1.

To perfectly outline the journey it’s been to get to this point, the first employee hired by the Spartanburgers, General Manager Tyson Jeffers, threw out the first pitch for the first playoff baseball game in the city of Spartanburg since 1992 when the Spartanburg Phillies still played in Hub City before leaving in 1995.

Left hander Dylan MacLean got the nod for Game 1, sporting a 4-1 record with a 3.34 ERA. He opened the game with a scoreless first inning, striking out one Hot Rod batter in the process.

Antonis Macias led off the first with a slow roller to the middle infield that ultimately came out as a single and a throwing error to give the Spartanburgers a runner at second. Dylan Dreiling moved Macias over to third with a fielder’s choice but the Burgers were ultimately unable to bring him home as Hot Rods starter Marcus Johnson was able to get out of the jam.

MacLean started the second off doing what he did all season long, attacking the strike zone as he sat down the first two batters before giving up a loud flyout off the bat of Blake Robertson to end the inning.

Hub City’s offense got back to work in the bottom of the second as Third Baseman Casey Cook wore a pitch and got a free pass to first base. Second Baseman John Taylor followed up one batter later with a single to center field but that was as far as the Spartanburgers got as Luke Hanson grounded into a fielder’s choice.

The Hot Rods got their first hit of the contest when Hunter Haas lined one out into right field. Despite strong contact made off of MacLean, that would be the only hit given up in the top of the third as Bowling Green was unable to capitalize.

The Spartanburgers would muster nothing in the bottom of the third to keep the score 0-0.

Bowling Green Centerfielder Aidan Smith led off the top of the fourth with a double to left field. Mac Horvath moved him over to third with a deep flyout to left. MacLean fought back though, striking out Designated Hitter Nathan Flewelling. The Hot Rods though would score the first run of the ball game with some two out hitting from Leftfielder Angel Mateo as he doubled into the left centerfield gap. MacLean would walk Robertson as his inning pitch count climbed to over 30 pitches in the inning but he would dig down deep to produce a flyout to end the inning and keep the lead at 1-0.

The score would stay the same until Hub City’s power hitting Third Baseman Gleider Figuerero would lead off with a triple in the bottom of the fifth. Taylor would pick him up and tie the game with an RBI single. Taylor would then round second and make the trip to third on an error at first one batter later. It would then be the top of the order that would give Hub City its first lead of the game when Macias flew out to center and scored Taylor.

Now holding a 2-1 lead, it would be the right arm of Aidan Curry to answer the call as MacLean departed after 4 innings of work. Despite a bases loaded jam in the top of the 6th, Curry would force a weak grounder back to the left side of the mound and end the inning himself.

The Hot Rods and the Spartanburgers would trade scoreless innings in the 6th and 7th and at the top of the 8th, Hub City would turn the game over to their ace reliever Victor Simeon. Simeon entered the night with an ERA of 1 across his last 13 innings and wasted no time mowing down the first two batters he faced. Simeon then struggled with command, giving up a dubious two out walk to Flewelling and then another to Mateo. Then when the count ran full again, Simeon would reach back and find a strike that sent the crowd into a fury and ended the inning.

Hub City would add on some insurance in the bottom of the 8th as Right Fielder Maxton Martin would line one between first and second and drive in Macias to make it a 3-1 lead.

In the 9th, Spartanburgers Manager Chad Comer would turn the ball over to Adrian Rodriguez to try and put a lid on Game 1 and Rodriguez would do just that. He struck out the side, earning the save as Hub City got its first playoff win as an organization. Aidan Curry got the decision with 3 innings of relief work as he struck out 5 and only gave up 1 hit.

Now the series will head to Kentucky for Game 2 Thursday night as the projected pitching matchup will see the Rangers number 8 prospect Caden Scarborough go for Hub City and Garrett Gainey go for the Hot Rods. You can hear that game right here on Fox Sports Spartanburg starting at 7:20 pm. Ian Unsworth will have the call as the Spartanburgers try to win their first playoff series in this best of three Divisional Series.