Burgers Get Saturday Win Over Drive

After their huge series-evening 7-1 win on Friday night, Ismael Agreda (0-2, 6.19 ERA) took to the hill against Greenville lefty Devin Futrell (4-0, 0.51) looking to secure no worse than a split in the 6-game set in Saturday’s game 5.

After squandering a leadoff single from Antonis Macias in the top of the opening frame, Agreda immediately encountered trouble as his first pitch was driven down the right field line all the way to the corner for a leadoff triple from Justin Gonzales. Henry Godbout followed with an RBI double and later took third on a grounder to short. But Agreda limited the damage to just one run as he struck out the next two.

Hub City got that run back in the ensuing half inning after Quincy Scott II led off with a single and later stole 2nd. With 2 away, Chandler Pollard worked a full count walk, setting up a Luke Hanson game-tying RBI single. The Burgers left men on the corners when Macias grounded to 2nd, but it was 1-1 heading to the home half of the inning.

The game remained in a deadlock until the bottom of the 5th when Agreda issued a 4 pitch walk to Gonzales with 1 out. Godbout followed with a double off the top of the Green Monster and Gerardo Rodriguez gave the Drive the lead with a base hit. That ended the night for Agreda after 5 and a third with 2 earned on 6 hits to go with a walk and 5 strikeouts.

Anthony Susac came on and walked Jack Winnay to load the bases, but he got out of the jam with back to back strikeouts to hold the Drive to just a run. After throwing a scoreless 6th, Susac was rewarded as the Burger bats mounted a rally.

Gleider Figuereo narrowly missed a homer to dead center, instead doubling off the top of the fence with 1 out. Yeison Morrobel followed with a single to right to put men on the corners and Chandler Pollard was grazed by a pitch to load the bases. Luke Hanson hit a sinking line drive to left but it was caught on a slide by Yophery Rodriguez, and what was ruled a sac fly was enough to plate Figuereo. There was an error on the throw-in that was charged to the shortstop allowing both runners to move up, but they would be left on as Rodriguez made another nice snag on a line drive to send the game to the 7th inning stretch tied at 1.

Kai Wynyard worked a scoreless frame in spite of walking 2, and in the ensuing half inning, things unraveled on Greenville reliever Danny Kirwin. Rafe Perich drew a one out walk and later stole 2nd. With 2 down, Scott II singled to give the Burgers the lead. Figuereo kept the line moving, grounding to 2nd, but reaching on a throwing error charged to the second baseman. Gleider went first to third in the chaos that followed, while Quincy scored. Yeison Morrobel later finished the rally with an RBI knock that booted Kirwin from the game. Matt McShane came in and walked Chandler Pollard, but Luke Hanson grounded into a fielder’s choice on which Pollard was forced at 2nd to retire the side with Hub City leading 5-2.

Wynyard and Joey Danielson combined to keep the Drive off the scoreboard and leave two more runners on in the bottom of the 8th and the Spartanburgers were able to cash in a leadoff double off the monster from Macias for a big insurance run. They used a little small ball to manufacture it, advancing Macias on a Ben Hartl groundout to short. Rafe Perich then drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left, upping the advantage to 6-2 heading to the bottom of the 9th.

Joey Danielson shut the Drive down one more time despite a 2 out walk to Isaiah Jackson as the Burgers made it three in a row, salvaging no worse than a split in the series.

Hub City can also still win it with a victory in the finale tomorrow afternoon as DJ McCarty (0-1, 11.74 ERA) faces off against righty Marcus Phillips (0-1, 4.22). First pitch is set for 3:05 PM.