Burgers Take Series on Road vs Blue Rocks

After winning two of the final three games of the series last week against Greenville to split the 6-game set and pull their record to 3-5, the Hub City Spartanburgers went on the road for the first time in the 2026 season, heading northeast to Wilmington, Delaware to take on the Blue Rocks – high A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

The Spartanburgers faced some tough pitching over the last week, which has led to some undisciplined at bats and absolutely abysmal offensive numbers while the starting pitching has been fantastic in spite of lack of longevity. The questions coming out of the Greenville series were about the bullpen and what kind of identity they would have at the plate. Over the course of the first two games of the series in Wilmington, we got the first sentence of the answer to those questions.

In the opener on Tuesday night, starter Aidan Curry kept the string of solid outings going, going 5 innings with 1 earned run — which came on a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd. Curry also gave up  3 hits with 6 strikeouts and just one walk. The offense took a much better approach at the plate to back him up for his first win of the season. He was staked to a lead before ever toeing the rubber when Malcolm Moore capitalized on a leadoff single from Paxton Kling and a 2 out walk to Gleider Figuereo with a 3-run homer.

The offense would open up a 6-1 advantage in the top of the 5th with a three spot that started with a 1 out base hit from Chandler Pollard. He later stole 2nd on what would end up being a wild pitch that allowed him to take third as well. Luke Hanson took advantage of it, later driving Pollard in with an RBI knock to left. A balk moved Hanson into scoring position, setting up a run-scoring single past the diving first baseman for Paxton Kling, who later swiped 2nd. With 2 out and Kling 90 feet away, Arturo Disla capped the rally with an RBI double.

The bullpen, while it did not totally shut Wilmington down, still had its big contributors to the win. Jesus Gamez, in his first appearance this season since being assigned to Hub City from low-A Hickory, hung a zero despite a leadoff walk followed by a double from former South Carolina Gamecock right fielder Ethan Petry by getting an 8-42 relay to the plate to gun down the lead runner. Gamez ended the 6th inning by striking out the next two to leave Petry in scoring position.

Kai Wynyard, also making his first appearance with the Burgers of the season, got bitten after a leadoff walk, giving up a 2 run homer to the next batter to cut Hub City’s lead in half in the bottom of the 7th. The Rocks threatened again after a 2 out two-bagger, but Wynyard induced a fly out to right to escape the jam.

He came back out for the 8th and surrendered a leadoff single to Petry before striking out the next man and giving way to Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa. Wilmington loaded the bases and would add another run on a hit by pitch. But a grounder to short got Hoopii-Tuionetoa out of it, He would go on to record a 5 out save, retiring the side in order in the 9th to seal the 6-4 victory for the Spartanburgers.

Game number two of the set saw a short start for Enrique Segura, who like Curry the night before, was given an early lead when Maxton Martin singled with 1 out and stole 2nd, later to come home on a base hit from Malcolm Moore. Wilmington tied it on the first pitch they saw from Segura on a solo shot to right, starting a see-saw affair.

Quincy Scott re-knotted the game with a home run of his own in the top of the 2nd, but the Blue Rocks repaid the favor in the home half of the 3rd with a 2 out two-run blast that came with 2 strikes, which ended Segura’s night after two and two thirds with 3 earned on 4 hits, accompanying 2 walks and three strikeouts. He gave way to Joey Danielson, who until tonight had been used in the late relief/closer role.

Danielson and the bullpen were effective, but once again did not lock the Blue Rocks down. Joey did hang a goose egg through an inning and a third, striking out two with no hits or walks allowed. Brock Porter, who came in with the game tied at 4 thanks to a Chandler Pollard 2 out solo home run in the top of the 4th and a three up three down frame from Danielson in the bottom half, struggled with his command at times.

After back to back hit batsmen and a wild pitch with 1 out in the bottom of the 5th, Petry delivered a 2 run knock to give Wilmington a 4-3 lead. But, he was bailed out when the offense answered yet again in the ensuing half inning with a leadoff double from Malcolm Moore and a 1 out extra base hit from Yeison Morrobel, who had to come in for the injured Quincy Scott. Morrobel was caught stealing third for the 2nd out, but Rafe Perich kept the inning alive with an infield single deep in the hole to the diving shortstop. After a wild pitch, Pollard notched his 2nd RBI of the night with a single off the glove of the left fielder, making for a 5-4 Hub City lead.

That offensive burst plus an insurance run in the 7th — an Arturo Disla 1 out single through the right side that followed a triple off the fence in right from Maxton Martin, was enough to earn Porter the win in relief. He went on to toss three complete, giving up 2 earned on three hits with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. Luke Savage earned a 6 out save, retiring three on strikes and walking just 1 in 2 shutout frames to lock down the 6-5 victory for the Burgers — their third straight W.

Thursday, the Burgers looked to lock up at least a split of the series with their 4th consecutive victory. That looked like it would come with ease as Wilmington starter Riley Maddox struggled mightily in the first inning, particularly with 2 out. Paxton Kling was hit by the first pitch of the game and came around to score on the very next pitch when Maxton Martin lined a triple to left. Martin scored on a grounder to first from Malcolm Moore and Gleider Figuereo followed with a solo home run.

Hub City went on to load the bases thanks to back to back singles from Antonis Macias and Yeison Morrobel as well as a walk to Chandler Pollard. A balk and a a Ben Hartl RBI knock capped a 6-0 Burger run in the top of the 1st to give J’Briell Easley a good cushion before he ever toed the rubber.

Easley worked 2 innings, same as he did in his spot start against Greenville, striking out three with no walks and no runs on 1 hit. Joe Adametz piggybacked off him, tossing 3 and two-thirds, but he was tagged for 6 runs — 5 earned, on 9 hits with 6 K’s and no walks.

After the Spartanburgers took advantage of four walks in the top of the 5th to hang a 4 spot and extend their lead to 10-3, Anthony Susac came on to pitch with 2 out in the home half of the frame. He would end up earning the win in relief, retiring 2 on strikes across 2 and a third scoreless with no walks or hits given up.

The Blue Rocks made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth with one out, loading the bases off Jesus Gamez on consecutive walks and a Petry single. After bouncing back with a strikeout, Gamez was taken down for Cole Stasio, who notched his first save, giving up a run (attributed to Gamez) on an infield hit to 1st from TJ White. But, in the chaos of Stasio coming over to cover the bag on the slowly-developing play, the Blue Rocks tried to sneak a 2nd run across, and on a heads-up play, Stasio threw home to get the final out at the plate, locking up the 11-7 win for the Burgers.

Going for their first series win of the season and 5th straight, Hub City looked to be in a good spot in the 4th contest of the set. Dalton Pence carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning, complemented by being given a 3-0 lead thanks to a Gleider Figuereo RBI double in the first inning as well as a passed ball that plated Maxton Martin and a solo homer from Yeison Morrobel in the 4th.

The game took a dramatic shift in momentum after Pence’s no-no was broken on a 1 out single in the bottom of the 6th. That would end up being the first of three straight hits — the third of which got the Blue Rocks on the board. That prompted Carlos Maldonado to make a call to the bullpen, bringing on Kai Wynyard, who later gave up the tying run with 2 out on a homer from TJ White, sending the crowd in Frawley Stadium into a tizzy. The team seemed to ride that momentum, putting together a nightmare 7th inning where the wheels fell completely off the bus for Wynyard.

It all started with a 1 out walk. That was followed by a single and a stolen base. The next batter reached on a dropped third strike to load the bases. After an RBI knock and an errant pickoff throw, a wild pitch for ball four to the next man up plated another run. Following a brief injury delay, Maldonado called on Anthony Hoopii-Tuinetoa, who gave up a run-scoring base hit and a walk before striking out two to finally stop the hemorrhaging at a 4 spot and 7 unanswered for Wilmington.

Hub City got one back in the 8th on a 2 out single from Yeison Morrobel that scored Malcolm Moore. In the 9th, the Burgers brought the tying run to the plate with 2 out after a leadoff walk to Cal Stark and a 2 out free pass to Paxton Kling. But, Maxton Martin flied to left to end the game, with Hub City’s 4-game win streak snapped by a 7-4 setback.

Saturday, the Spartanburgers once again had a chance to clinch the series. It started on the right foot once more when Arturo Disla cashed in a leadoff single from Paxton Kling with a 2 out infield knock to short. The Blue Rocks got that run back and then some in the third when they hung a 4 spot on Hub City starter Ismael Agreda.

Yeison Morrobel homered in the top of the 4th, but it was all Wilmington from there. Ethan Petry picked up 3 RBIs on homers in the 5th and 8th while Elijah Nunez and Randall Diaz added solo blasts in the 5th. The Rocks added another on a single from Nunez in the 8th as they went on to the 10-2 win, forcing a win-to-split scenario for Sunday’s finale while Hub City would get one more crack at clinching.

With Dj McCarty on the mound, there was hope the Burgers could get it done — especially with some early run support. In the end it would take some run support. A ton of it.

McCarty was unable to give much longevity, struggling through three and two thirds, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, notching a walk and 3 strikeouts along the way.

The offense countered with single runs — both coming on sacrifice flies, in the 2nd and third frames to tie the game. But, Wilmington answered with an Ethan Petry RBI single that followed a leadoff knock and steal from former Rangers prospect Devin Fitz-Gerald and a bases loaded hit by pitch with 2 out.

The Blue Rocks added another on a sac fly in the 4th and held the 5-2 advantage until an RBI single from Chandler Pollard and a Morrobel 2 run blast re-knotted the score at 5 in the 7th. Hub City went on to take the lead in the 8th after Arturo Disla and Rafe Perich drew walks with 1 down. Back to back wild pitches with 2 out, one of which was ball 4 to Cal Stark scored Disla to make it 6-5 in favor of the Burgers.

The Blue Rocks re-tied the game in the bottom of the 8th after Luke Savage recorded two quick outs, but gave up a pair of hits with a stolen base sandwiched between. He got a foul pop up to third to get out of the inning, but the contest devolved into a back and forth from that point on.

It would take more than 9 innings to decide things as Hub City went on to claim the lead three more times  — in each instance getting to 2 outs before the Blue Rocks came up clutch to force an additional frame. At last in the 12th, after Chandler Pollard doubled home Rafe Perich with 2 out, the bullpen was able to keep the Blue Rocks off the board in the ensuing half inning.

Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa ended up working a three up three down frame to leave the tying run on third to secure the save and the 10-9 series-clinching victory for the Spartanburgers, giving the win to Jesus Gamez, who tossed an inning and two thirds in relief with 2 runs — 1 earned on a hit, walk, and 2 strikeouts.

With the win, Hub City moves to .500 on the season (7-7) and maintains their place at 3rd in the standings 2.5 games out of first place, which now belongs to the Burgers’ next opponent — the Winston-Salem Dash.

The 6-game set between the Burgers and Dash begins early on Tuesday morning with an 11:05 first pitch.