Hub City dropped the opener last night in a game in which the only thing hotter than the temperatures were the bats. The two sides combined for eight home runs in a 10-6 slugfest. On an afternoon that was no cooler, Caden Scarborough (0-2, 3.2 ERA), fresh off his appearance in the All Star Futures Game this past Sunday, went up against right hander Seth Hernandez (3-1, 3.73).
Greensboro picked up where they left off last night, generating some immediate offense with a leadoff homer from Sammy Stafura. After bouncing back consecutive strikeouts, Easton Carmichael doubled, scoring on a single from Jared Jones. Johnny Severino then flew to center to retire the side with the Grasshoppers leading 2-0.
Unlike last night, Hub City did not have an immediate answer. Hector Osorio singled with two away followed by a walk to Gleider Figuereo. But, Luke Hanson was rung up to leave them on.
After a clean second from Scarborough, Once again, the Burgers left a runner in scoring position. Antonis Macias led off with a base knock, but was later forced out when Marcos Torres deadened a bunt about six feet in front of the plate for a fielder’s choice, reaching on the play. After a swipe of second with two away, Arturo De Freitas grounded out to short to leave him on.
Greensboro took advantage of that by stretching their lead in the ensuing half. Stafura started the frame with a knock off AJ Russell and later stole second. With one out, Yordany De Los Santos singled to plate him before being gunned out trying to steal for the second out. Easton Carmichael later whiffed to retire the side, sending the game to the bottom of the third with Greensboro up 3-0.
In the fifth, the Hoppers tagged Brock Porter for three more. The inning started with a ball hit towards third. Figuereo was in position to field it, but it bounced by him for an error, allowing third baseman Carlos Caro to reach. He later scored on a one out two-run shot off the face of the video board from Edward Florentino. De Los Santos followed that with a double and a swipe, scoring on a fly ball to the right field corner in foul ground from Carmichael. Jones once again whiffed to retire the side, but the lead stretched to 6-0.
Hub City’s woes with runners in scoring position continued in the home half when De Freitas singled for his first hit since joining the Rangers’ organization from the Independent Leagues before the break. A batter later, Maxton Martin drew a walk and a wild pitch would advance both runners. But, Osorio flew out to right to leave them there.
Luke Savage kept the Hoppers off the board in the top of the sixth despite back to back two out singles. Hub City’s offense rewarded that in the bottom half when they cut the lead in half.
Figuereo kicked it off with a double followed by an RBI knock from Luke Hanson. With two down, Carter Garate hit a seeing eye run-scoring single through the right side and later came home himself on a double high off the wall in left that ricocheted all the way into center from De Freitas. Casey Cook grounded to short to end the rally, but it was a 6-3 game heading to the seventh.
Savage was able to hang another zero in a three up three down frame, but an infield single from Figuereo went for naught in the home half. The Grasshoppers would proceed to blow it open on Kai Wynyard in the eighth.
Johnny Severino went yard with one out for his 23rd home run of the season. That was succeeded by a triple to right from Josh Tate and a walk to designated hitter Camden Janik. Stafura launched a three run shot with two out to add the exclamation point to the rally, making it 10-3 in favor of Greensboro.
De Freitas stayed hot, adding to his list of firsts with a two out two-RBI shot to the berm that cashed in a leadoff walk to Macias — marking his first home run and third straight hit. That cut the deficit to five going to the ninth inning.
After a scoreless frame from Owen Proksch, Martin was beaned by the first pitch of the bottom half. Figuereo notched his third straight hit in loud fashion with one away, driving a two-run shot into the visitor bullpen. Hanson kept the hopes alive with a single. But, Macias lined to short and Torres whiffed to end the game, sealing both the series and 10-7 win for Greensboro.
The weekend wraps up tomorrow afternoon at 4:35 as Kamdyn Perry (0-2, 10.03 ERA) faces right hander Hung-Leng Chang (4-3, 8.30).
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