After splitting the series in Greenville last week, the Burgers (10-20 on the 2nd half entering this week) returned home for their penultimate series in Fifth Third Park of the season, facing the Rome Emperors. Ismael Agreda (2-4, 5.32 ERA) took to the bump opposite right hander Aiven Cabral (2-2, 2.93).
Not much went right for Agreda in the early going. After getting a quick out,center fielder Eric Hartman singled on the infield, later stealing second and third in a span of two pitches. He would score when shortstop Alex Lodise, making his high A debut, grounded to short. Luke Hanson’s throw to the plate went to the backstop, scoring Hartman on the error. Right fielder Owen Carey then absolutely smashed a two run shot beyond the visitor bullpen in right, stretching the lead to 3-0 before Hub City recorded an at bat.
After the Spartanburgers went down in order, Rome cashed in a leadoff hit by pitch to designated hitter Dallas Macias. After a stolen base, he advanced on a deep fly ball to right, and after second baseman John Gil drew a walk, Hartman singled to push the Emperors’ lead to 4-0.
Hub City picked up their first hit in the ensuing half when Hanson led off with a base hit. After Antonis Macias popped up to short, Quincy Scott II grounded into a force play, reaching as Hanson was wiped away at second. Marcos Torres ended the inning by grounding into a fielder’s choice to erase Scott.
Agreda turned in a scoreless frame in the top of the third, stranding a leadoff walk to Carey by bookending a fly ball to right with a pair of strikeouts. Shortly thereafter, Casey Cook cracked the scoreboard — almost literally with a two out solo shot off the face of the board in right, making it 4-1 heading to the fourth inning.
Agreda exited after three complete with four runs (three earned) on three hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Anthony Susac came on to start the fourth, working the first clean inning of the game on a pair of grounders and a strikeout.
In the ensuing half, Gleider Figuereo drew a leadoff walk, but was immediately erased on a first pitch 4-3 double play off the bat of Hanson. Macias then grounded unassisted to first to end the inning just as lightning struck to prompt a weather delay.
After just a hair over two hours, the game resumed with Luimy Munoz making his Spartanburgers debut — on his birthday at that, on the mound. His first frame went well, working around a two out walk to Carey by ringing up left fielder Dixon Williams.
After Hub City left a runner on in the bottom half, Munoz notched just the second clean inning of the night, later giving way to Case Matter to start the seventh. He made it back to back 1-2-3 innings, allowing the Burgers a shot to chip away in the home half.
Hanson started the promising rally with a leadoff knock and went first to third on a double down the right field line from Macias. Scott then grounded to short, plating Hanson to cut Rome’s lead in half. But, from there the promise of a big inning waned as Torres went down swinging and Arturo De Freitas grounded to second, sandwiching a walk to Mejia.
Unfortunately, Rome got it back and one more off Matter in the top of the eighth. Carey smashed his second long ball of the game with one out — a feat repeated by first baseman Mason Guerra with two away. Designated hitter Dallas Macias was rung up to retire the side, but Rome’s lead was up to 6-2.
The Burgers punched back in the bottom half thanks to a one out double from Maxton Martin. He was balked to third ahead of an RBI single through the right side from Gleider Figuereo. Macias later extended the inning with a two out walk, but was left on when Scott grounded to short.
Rome answered with a run off Kai Wynyard that came with a little help from an error. Colby Jones drew a leadoff walk, later erased on a fielder’s choice from former South Carolina Gamecock catcher Colin Burgess. Hanson flipped to Cook to force Jones, but Cook threw the ball into the dugout for an error, advancing Burgess to second. Gil and Hartman then singled back to back, the latter making it 7-3 heading to the bottom of the ninth.
The Burgers were unable to do much in their final frame, getting just a two out single from De Freitas, who later took second on defensive indifference. But, Cook whiffed to leave him there, sealing the 7-3 victory for the Emperors.
Game two is set for 6:35 Wednesday night as AJ Russell (1-2, 4.05 ERA) faces an arm yet to be determined.
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