Burgers Return Home; Lose to Tourists

After a two week absence from the familiar confines of Fifth Third Park in which they went 4-8 with a series loss to Greensboro and a split with Winston-Salem, the Hub City Spartanburgers (28-28) returned for a six-game set with the Asheville Tourists (15-41) on Tuesday night.

Enrique Segura (0-1, 7.62 ERA) would take to the hill opposite Asheville right hander Luis Rodriguez (1-3, 6.13) as the Burgers looked for their fourth straight win.

Things did not get off to an ideal start for Segura as Tourist center fielder Justin Thomas Jr took the third pitch of the game to the steps at the bottom row of Chaser’s Corner in left for a leadoff homer. Segura rebounded by striking out two of the next three, retiring the side in order to send the game to the home half with Asheville up 1-0.

Hub City answered nicely, cashing in a one out base hit from Malcolm Moore. With two away, Gleider Figuereo singled, advancing to second on the throw-in from center by sliding in just ahead of the tag on an 8-6-3-4 relay. That set up a two-run knock from Paxton Kling, who would later go first-to-third on an errant pickoff throw, but be left there as Hector Osorio lined to second to end the inning with the Burgers leading 2-1.

However, that edge was short-lived. Segura issued a leadoff walk to second baseman Kyle Walker that third baseman Alejandro Nunez followed by unloading to right over the visitor bullpen to make it 3-2 in favor of the Tourists. Once again, Enrique Segura bounced back by retiring the next three in order to keep it a one-run game.

Hub City squandered a golden opportunity to at least even things up after a leadoff triple from Maxton Martin in the ensuing half inning when the next three all went down in order on a strikeout, grounder to third, and a comebacker. They had another scoring opportunity with two on and one out the bottom of the third after a Luke Hanson infield single followed by a Figuereo hit by pitch. That fell by the wayside when Kling grounded into an inning-ending 5-3 double play.

Asheville made those missed opportunities hurt in the top of the fourth. With one away, Walker worked another base on balls, later to swipe second ahead of another free pass to Nunez. First baseman Jack Moss then singled in a run followed by a two-run double from catcher John Garcia. Shortstop Zach Daudet walked on four pitches and after a strikeout of Thomas Jr, Designated Hitter Caden Powell doubled in another. Daudet tried to score on the play after the ball split the gap and went all the way to the wall in left center, but was gunned out at the plate 7-6-2 to send the game to the bottom of the frame with the Tourists up 7-2.

Asheville continued to add on off Josh Sanders, who came on to start the fifth after Segura departed having struck out six and walked four to go with seven earned on five hits. The Tourists scored a pair in the fifth and hung a four-spot in the sixth to take a 13-2 lead.

Following Sanders’ six-run (four earned) frame in which he surrendered four hits and walked two more, Cole Roland was able to keep the Tourists off the board over the next two innings. Roland tallied a walk and a strikeout before giving way to Luke Savage, who along with Jesús Gamez tossed a scoreless inning despite both walking two batters and a hit on Gamez’s line.

However, the Spartanburgers offense was held off the board until the ninth inning when Quincy Scott was walked and came home on a double to the right field corner from Antonis Macias, making for a 13-3 final.

Hub City will take another crack at it on Wednesday morning with an 11:05 AM first pitch as J’Briell Easley (0-0, 4.01 ERA) faces an Asheville arm yet to be named.