Rome Top Pitcher Stifles Burgers

It was a pitching matchup for the ages for avid followers of Minor League Baseball. For Rome, it was the Braves top prospect, left hander Cam Caminiti (2-4, 4.11 ERA), who is also ranked sixth among lefties and 41st in the MiLB top 100 list. Right hander Caden Scarborough (0-3, 3.60) — the Rangers’ #2 overall prospect, eighth-ranked righty, #63 in the top 100, would take the bump for Hub City.

The duel lived up to the billing in the early going. Caminiti mixed his pitches well, his fastball topping out at 96 MPH and his offspeed as low as 77. More often than not, he would start backwards, tossing first pitch changeups when batters were looking for the fastball.

The ability to go from 96 to 80 (or lower) and back generated a lot of swings and misses. He cruised early on, striking out each of the first four batters he faced. Three times in six innings, he struck out the side and spanning the bottom of the third to two out in the home fourth, Caminiti whiffed five straight. The Spartanburgers did not get a single base runner against him until Luke Hanson doubled to left in the bottom of the fourth.

On the other side, Scarborough, though not as efficient, matched Caminiti zero for zero on the scoreboard. But, he was not without some traffic. In the second, Owen Carey led off with a double, but was later picked off for the second out to help Scarborough face the minimum.

Colby Jones drew a one out walk in the third, later stealing both second and third before former Gamecock Colin Burgess struck out to help Scarborough wiggle out of the jam. Alex Lodise was hit by a pitch with one away in the top of the fourth, but was caught stealing for the third out.

Caden was yanked in the fifth following a leadoff base hit from Dixon Williams and a walk to Mason Guerra. Luimy Munoz came on to relieve, and unfortunately for Scarborough, he would find himself in line for the loss after things unraveled.

Munoz walked Jones to load the bases, and followed it with another free pass, forcing in Williams. John Gil then closed the book on Scarborough with an RBI single. Eric Hartman kept the line moving, grounding into a fielder’s choice, forcing Gil, but on the throw to first trying to turn two, the ball got away from Antonis Macias for an error, scoring another. In the end, it was a four-spot — plenty enough run support for Caminiti.

In the duel, Scarborough was outdone, going four complete with two earned runs on just as many hits and walks with five strikeouts. Caminiti went on to surrender just one earned run in six and two-thirds with three hits, a walk, and a whopping 14 strikeouts.

That run came in the bottom of the seventh when Hub City cashed in a leadoff double from Maxton Martin followed by a single from Hanson on which Martin had to hold up at third. After a Gleider Figuereo K, Quincy Scott II lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center to plate Martin. Hanson later stole second to give the Burgers a shot at further cutting the deficit, but after former USC Upstate Spartan Mathieu Curtis came on to relieve and issued a walk to Antonis Macias, Esteban Mejia popped up to third in foul ground to end the inning.

Rome added another run off Jesús Gamez in the ensuing half thanks to back to back one out walks to Hartman and Lodise. The Emperors put some unexpected pressure on when Hartman stole third on the return throw to Gamez after a pitch to Owen Carey. Gamez hurried a throw to third on the play that went up the line for an error, scoring Hartman unearned and advancing Lodise. But, further damage was averted with a strikeout and fly ball to center.

The Burgers got that run back in the home half with two out thanks to a knock from Paxton Kling — fresh off the injured list today. He later swiped second and scored on a base hit from Martin, making it a three-run affair going to the ninth.

After Cole Roland recorded a scoreless top half, Antonis Macias drew a two out walk and took second on defensive indifference. However, pinch hitter Casey Cook flew to the deepest part of the yard to leave him there, sealing the 5-2 victory for the Emperors as well as clinching the series.

Tomorrow at 4:35 PM, Izack Tiger (0-4, 13.50 ERA) will face right hander Cade Kuehler (9-4, 5.42) as the Burgers look to snap a now 5-game losing streak.