After Hub City clinched the season series with a 4-2 win on Saturday night, the Burgers looked to add on by clinching the current series Sunday afternoon as they honored the history of Negro League Baseball in Spartanburg.
Enrique Segura (1-4, 7.28 ERA) took to the bump opposite right hander Matt Duffy (0-1, 12.34) looking to help make it happen.
It was the Greenville Spinners that drew first blood in the top of the second with a little help. Carlos Gutierrez drew a leadoff walk and later stole second. He came around to score with one out when Yophery Rodriguez lined to left. Chandler Pollard misplayed it, taking a bad route and making a late jump. The ball kicked off his glove for a two-base error. But, Rodriguez would be left there as Segura got Antonio Anderson to pop up and struck out Nazzan Zanetello to hold them to one run.
The Spinners added another in the third after Justin Gonzales was hit by a pitch to start the frame. He went first to third on a ricocheted wild pitch and after a one out walk to Gerardo Rodriguez, Owen Hull doubled off the fence in the right field corner to double the lead. Segura came back with a strikeout of Carlos Gutierrez and a fly ball to center from Maximus Martin, but Greenville led 2-0 through two and a third.
In the interim, the Sluggers mustered just two base runners in the first three innings — a Quincy Scott II single with one out in the bottom of the second, and a two out walk to Chandler Pollard in the third. Scott unwisely tagged up on a fly ball to left from Carter Garate, easily being doubled up at second to end the inning. Pollard was just left aboard when Paxton Kling lined to left.
Segura departed after three complete, having surrendered two runs (one earned) on one hit with three walks and six strikeouts. He gave way to Luke Savage, who had things turn on him in an instant.
Yophery Rodriguez led off the fourth with a solo shot on the first pitch. Antonio Anderson followed with a single and with one away, Justin Gonzales started a string of five consecutive base hits — three of which were hit through the same spot in the four hole. When it was all said and done, Savage gave up a four-spot on seven hits, giving the Spinners a 6-0 lead going to the bottom of the frame.
The Black Spinners made a pitching change for Alex Bouchard following a leadoff hustle double for Casey Cook. Antonis Macias worked a full count before launching a two-run shot off the face of the video board on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Marcos Torres followed with a two-bagger and later advanced on a base knock from Scott II, who was caught stealing for the first out. Garate then grounded to second to score Torres, cutting the deficit in half heading to the fifth.
J’Briell Easley would go on to record the first clean inning of the game for Spartanburg, which was rewarded with a one out solo shot to the berm from Kling. Casey Cook then worked a walk and later swiped second to avoid a strike out/throw out double play. But, Torres grounded to second to leave him there with Greenville’s lead shaved to 6-4.
Easley was taken down for Owen Proksch, who was greeted rudely by Gonzales with a leadoff bomb into the visitor bullpen. With one away, Gerardo Rodriguez singled, later advancing on a ground ball from Owen Hull. Carlos Gutierrez left him there with a fly ball to center, sending the game to the home sixth with the Sluggers trailing 7-4.
Wily Villar made his second high A appearance to start the seventh. It did not go nearly as well as his first. Maximus Martin led off the frame with a double and scored on a one out single from Anderson. With two out, Gonzales slugged his second straight homer — this one a two run shot to the berm for his 17th four-bagger of the season as well as 57th and 58th RBIs at the high A level. Jake Schaffner was later rung up, giving him a golden sombrero and taking it to the stretch with the Spinners up 10-4.
The Sluggers picked up another run in the bottom of the eighth, which started with a double from Macias, who later was given third on a balk. After Torres was hit by a pitch, a passed ball plated Macias. Torres would be left in scoring position thanks to back to back ground ball outs, making for a 10-5 game heading to the ninth.
Luimy Munoz induced a double play on his first pitch to get out of the top of the eighth and got a full inning in by getting another twin killing to end the Greenville ninth. But, right hander Brandon Neely went on to retire the Sluggers in order in the home half to salvage a split in the series.
In the 2026 I-85 rivalry, three of the four sets were split with Hub City claiming the lone head to head series win with four in a row at Fluor Field back in May to make the difference.
With the rivalry in the rear view, Hub City will pack up and head to Rome for what will be a 7-game series thanks to a double header on Wednesday to make up for the rainout two Sundays ago in Spartanburg. The tilt gets underway Tuesday night at 6:45 PM. Pitching matchups are yet to be determined.
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