After a much-needed four days off for the All-Star Break, the season — as well as what has been a brutal stretch of schedule for the Spartanburgers resumed on Friday night with the first of a three-game set against the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
The ‘Hoppers entered the weekend as the league leader in team batting average (.277), home runs (164), Runs batted in (571), runs scored (625), hits (827), and on base plus slugging (.868). Those numbers got a boost early against Gusanos de Mezcal del Burg starter Izack Tiger (0-3, 14.14 ERA).
Shortstop Sammy Stafura led off with a single, later scoring on an Edward Florentino double with a fielding error charged to new center fielder Marcos Torres. Third baseman Yordany De Los Santos followed with the first tank of the game — a two-run shot to center. With one out, designated hitter Easton Carmichael sent a solo shot over the bullpen in right. Aside from those four hits, Tiger struck out the side.
The Gusanos answered in the home half with a pair of bombs of their own. Casey Cook, leading off and making his first start after being brought off the 60-day injured list earlier in the day, took the first pitch he saw 416 feet out of the ballpark beyond the right field corner. One batter later, Hector Osorio lined a solo shot into the bullpen in right, cutting the lead to 4-2 going to the second inning.
The home run derby continued in the ensuing half when right fielder Brian Sanchez went yard to lead off. With one out, center fielder Edward Florentino cranked another, upping the ante to 6-2.
Antonis Macias got one back with the seventh home run of the game — a one out solo bomb that once again cut the deficit in twixt heading to the third. From that point, the pitching settled in.
Enrique Segura worked two scoreless with a pair of hits, one walk, and a strikeout. Ismael Agreda struck out two in his lone scoreless inning of work. On the other end, Greensboro starter Bryan Mena got in a rhythm, turning in clean frames in two of his last three. Mena would end up turning in five complete with three earned runs on just as many hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
Joe Adametz was called on to start the sixth and had to work around some traffic. The Grasshoppers would end up scoring a run in the frame, cashing in a leadoff single from first baseman Jared Jones after a wild pitch and a fly ball to deep right moved him to third. Sanchez then drew a walk, later to be forced on a run-scoring fielder’s choice on which second baseman Dylan Palmer reached. However, Palmer was caught stealing to retire the side with the Greensboro led stretched to 7-3.
Adametz’s second inning of work unraveled a bit with two out. After a Stafura leadoff double came home on an errant throw from Cook, catcher Axiel Plaz, Carmichael, and Jones singled consecutively. Jones’ knock plated Plaz, and there was an error on the throw-in from left, advancing both runners into scoring position. But, they would be left there when left fielder Johnny Severino grounded out to third, making it 9-3 in favor of the Hoppers.
The Gusanos struck back in the bottom of the seventh following back to back walks to Figuereo and Torres. With one out, Cal Stark hammered one high over Chaser’s Corner for a three-run shot, cutting the Greensboro lead to 9-6.
That would be all the offense the rest of the way for the Gusanos de Mezcal del Burg while the Grasshoppers added another off Case Matter in the top of the ninth for a 10-6 victory.
The weekend rolls on with a 4:35 first pitch on Saturday evening as Caden Scarborough (0-2, 3.42 ERA) takes on right hander Seth Hernandez (3-1, 3.73).
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