Déjà vu seems to be the only way to adequately describe the way this series has started between the Spartanburgers (2-4 on the half) and the Dash. Hub City won the opener by way of a ninth inning implosion where Winston-Salem struggled to throw strikes. The next two games, that narrative flipped.
Walks have been the story of the first half of the series, and they have bitten harder than a copperhead. Needless to say, that is a trend the Burgers’ pitching was looking to put a stop to. Another trend that they looked to break was starters not making it past the first or second inning.
Caden Scarborough (0-2, 1.76 ERA) was the one called on to try and stop the bleeding. But the first inning showed little promise of changing the trend. Scarborough hit Kyle Lodise on the second pitch of the night. After getting Ryan Burrowes to line to first on which Lodise was nearly doubled up, Kaleb Freeman walked. George Wolkow, who has burned the Burgers a lot this week, did it again, following with a two-run double.
Winston-Salem went on to load the bases on a free pass to James Taussig and a hit by pitch to Arxy Hernandez. But, Scarborough settled in from there, striking out Ely Brown and getting Bryce Eblin to ground into a force play. Eblin reached, but Hernandez was beat to the bag for a 6 unassisted putout to retire the side, limiting the damage to just two runs.
Hub City responded nicely in the home half of the first, starting a rally with a leadoff walk to Yeison Morrobel. Luke Hanson followed it with a single, and after a sac fly from Hector Osorio advanced both runners into scoring position, Gleider Figuereo picked up where he left off last night (where he drove in 7 runs) with a two-run single. Maxton Martin kept the train rolling with a two-bagger and a wild pitch later scored Figuereo to put the Burgers in front.
Martin also advanced on the ball to the backstop, but he was left on after Antonis Macias was rung up and Ben Hartl — who reached on a hit by pitch, was caught stealing to end the inning with Hub City leading 3-2.
Both starters settled in from there. Scarborough threw consecutive 1-2-3 frames before running into trouble again in the fourth. Juan Carela (the Dash right hander) worked around a one out single from Carter Garate in the second, getting out of it with a 3-6-1 double play. His final two innings were both clean, and he got the benefit of having the lead through that stretch.
In the top of the fourth, Scarborough gave up a one out single to Brown that Eblin followed with a two-run homer, giving the Dash a 4-3 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth. Scarborough did break the trend of lack of longevity, being pulled after four complete, having surrendered four earned on three hits to go with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.
Joe Adametz came on to start the fifth, and tossed a three up three down frame with a pair of K’s. But he was tagged for a lead off shot to dead center by Taussig in the sixth before striking out two of the next three to hold the Dash to a 5-3 edge heading to the home half.
Hub City then squandered their first opportunity since the 2nd inning when Osorio was beaned with one out. Figuereo followed it with a ground ball that hit Hector in the foot for a single, but erased Osorio for the second out. Maxton Martin later grounded to first to end the inning. But, after another 1-2-3 frame for Adametz, the Burgers at last struck back in the bottom of the seventh.
Antonis Macias led off with a walk followed by Ben Hartl getting beaned. Esteban Mejia then hit a sharp bouncer that got past the first baseman for an error, scoring Macias while also allowing Hartl and Mejia to advance. With one out, Morrobel lifted a sac fly to left to score Hartl and move Mejia up ninety feet. But, he was left there as Hanson struck out, sending the game to the eighth knotted at five.
Adametz had to break a sweat in that inning after issuing a leadoff single to Kaleb Freeman and walking Wolkow. He then struck out Taussig followed by a sac fly from Hernandez. Brown drew a walk to load the bases, but an unassisted grounder to first from Eblin retired the side to preserve the tie.
Izack Tiger struck out two more before surrendering an infield single to Burrowes. But, a ground ball to second left him on to send the game to the bottom of the ninth in a deadlock.
Ben Hartl was plunked for the third time with one away, pinch ran for by Chandler Pollard. After a walk to Mejia and a wild pitch, Hub City had the winning run just 90 feet away. But, it would come no closer as Garate and Morrobel whiffed back to back to send the game to extra innings.
Cole Roland had to work out of a bases loaded jam with two out in the top of the 10th after scattering a pair of walks to Taussig and Brown. Roland struck out Eblin to leave them full. Hub City went down in order in the home half, but Roland dealt well under pressure in the 11th after a leadoff bunt single from Alex Ungar put the go ahead run on third. Ungar was thrown out on a back pick to first before Roland struck out Lodise and Burrowes back to back to retire the side.
Hub City finally got a much-needed clutch moment and a win in the bottom of the frame when Antonis Macias drove a 1-2 pitch through the left side to score ghost runner Gleider Figuereo for the walkoff 6-5 victory, evening the series at two games apiece.
The set continues tomorrow at 4:35 PM with no matchups announced yet.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login