Burgers Fall in Game One to Blue Claws

After a long two weeks on the road in which Hub City was mathematically eliminated from the postseason, they returned home to finish 2026 with a six-game set against the Phillies’ High A affiliate Jersey Shore Blueclaws.

In Tuesday’s opener, the Burgers honored the history of the Spartanburg Phillies, playing as the Pastimes for the final time. Ismael Agreda (3-7, 5.60 ERA) was paired up against left hander Juan Amarante (2-1, 3.27), and both pitchers had to work out of a jam in the first inning.

In the top half, Agreda scattered a pair of singles, leaving them both in scoring position. The home half featured a pair of walks — one to Kling and another with two out to Quincy Scott II. But, Antonis Macias flew to center to keep it scoreless.

After a clean second from Agreda, Arturo De Freitas started the scoring off with a two out 409 foot solo shot to the berm, but that was it as Chandler Pollard struck out to end the inning. In the top of the third, Agreda Houdini’d out of another jam that was created when catcher Angel Mata led off with a single followed by a walk to left fielder Tjayy Walton. After back to back strikeouts, shortstop Juan Villavicencio walked to load the bases. But, he was forced out to retire the side when second baseman Robert Phelps grounded to second, holding the 1-0 lead.

The Pastimes went down in order in the ensuing half, and the BlueClaws later tied it when Devin Saltiban led off with a four hundred plus foot shot to the berm in left. From there, a comedy of errors broke out.

A routine ground ball to short was booted by Morrison to allow designated hitter Wuilfredo Antunez to reach. First baseman Scott Mudler then grounded into a fielders’ choice, but no out was recorded as Casey Cook threw the ball into shallow left for an error, plating the go ahead run. Mudler later came home with two out on a single from Walton, who got hung up between first and second after a strong throw in from right. Walton got back to the bag safely while Mudler came home on the play to give Jersey Shore a 3-1 lead heading to the bottom of the fourth.

Spartanburg answered in the bottom of the fifth following a leadoff walk to Morrison. De Freitas, who ended the top half with his second base runner erased on a steal attempt, made it 2-2 at the plate with another mammoth homer — this one a game-tying shot off the batter’s eye.

The Pastimes had a golden opportunity to add on when Pollard followed the bomb with a base hit. He stole second and third on back to back pitches, but after Paxton Kling whiffed for the first out, Maxton Martin grounded to first, reaching on the play as Pollard was gunned out at the plate. Martin also later advanced to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch back to back, but Cook whiffed to end the inning in a 3-3 tie.

Jersey Shore struck reliever Frank Martinez for a run in the top of the seventh, which began with a walk to Mata. He went to third on a one out double from third baseman Brady Day, who took third when center fielder Griffin Burkholder grounded into a fielder’s choice, reaching as Mata was gunned out 5-2 at the plate for the second out. Villavicencio then singled to plate the go ahead run before Phelps whiffed to send the game to the stretch with the Blue Claws leading 4-3.

That lead held until the bottom of the ninth when Macias sent a 3-1 offering high and deep over the visiting bullpen in right for a game tying solo shot. But, once again, the Pastimes failed to capitalize on the chance to walk off. Morrison singled with one away, later stealing second and taking third on the play when the errant throw hit him in the back and bounced into shallow left. But, consecutive whiffs from De Freitas and Pollard pushed the game into extra innings.

It did not take long for Jersey Shore to jump back in front for good as Villavicencio singled on the first pitch he saw from Case Matter to plate the ghost runner Burkholder. After a single from Phelps, Saltiban grounded into a 4-3 double play to plate Villavicencio, making for a 6-4 lead.

In the home half, automatic runner Pollard advanced to third on a ground ball to second from Kling. But he was left there as Martin and Cook struck out swinging to end the game.

The series resumes Wednesday at 6:35 as Aj Russell (1-4, 4.80) faces right hander Giuseppe Velasquez (2-1, 5.36).