'Birds Comeback Falls Short on Wild Night
August 1, 2017 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
KANNAPOLIS, NC - The Delmarva Shorebirds' comeback bid fell short as the Kannapolis Intimidators scored six runs in the first inning and held on for a 9-8 win on Monday night at Intimidators Stadium.
Danny Dopico (3-3) got the win in relief for the Intimidators (16-21, 55-50), allowing two runs on three hits in two innings. Lucas Humpal (6-9) was shelled for the loss for the Shorebirds (20-16, 49-55), giving up six runs (four earned) on six hits in just two-thirds of an inning, his shortest start of the year. Tyler Johnson earned his first save, stranding the tying run at second in the ninth.
Alex Call reached on an error at short to lead off the bottom of the first, and Blake Rutherford followed with a single. White Sox top pick Jake Burger then drilled a three-run homer to left field to give Kannapolis an instant 3-0 lead. Micker Adolfo followed with a double, and Gavin Sheets drove him in with a single. Mitch Roman got his own base hit to move Sheets up to third, and Roman stole second. After a strikeout, Zach Remillard slashed a two-run single to center to make it 6-0. Humpal exited three batters later after another single, a strikeout, and a walk, facing 11 batters and getting just two outs.
Delmarva quickly regrouped and started clawing back in the top of the second. Alejandro Juvier walked and Ryan McKenna followed with a double to put men on second and third. Gerrion Grim lifted a sac fly to deep left to score Juvier, and McKenna came in on a groundball off Milton Ramos's bat that resulted in an error, making it 6-2.
The Intimidators got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second as Adolfo got hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
In the fourth, Ramos belted a one-out ground-rule double to right center. Cole Billingsley bunted his way aboard two batters later, and Jake Ring drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Preston Palmeiro squared up for a line drive single to center, scoring Ramos and Billingsley to make it 7-4.
The 'Birds managed two more in the top of the fifth. Juvier, McKenna, and Grim led off with three straight singles to produce a run, and Ramos brought home another with an RBI groundout, making it a one-run game at 7-6.
Kannapolis reinforced their dwindling lead in the sixth. Call and Rutherford hit back-to-back leadoff singles. Burger hit into an around-the-horn double play, and Adolfo drew a walk to put men on the corners. Sheets followed by clubbing a double to the wall in right, scoring two to get the lead back up to 9-6.
Juvier led off the seventh and crushed a pitch to the warning track in right center. The ball took a precipitous bounce away from Call and Adolfo in center and right. By the time they took control, Juvier was rounding third and headed home. The throw from the cutoff man came to the plate at about the same as Juvier, but catcher Evan Skoug couldn't handle the short hop, and Juvier slid in with the first inside-the-park home run of the season for the Shorebirds. Ramos picked up another RBI groundout later in the inning, and Delmarva was back within one again at 9-8.
The Shorebirds got the tying runs to second base in the eighth and ninth innings, but Collin Woody struck out to end the eighth and Grim and Ramos fanned back-to-back to finish off the ninth, giving the home side a wild win.
Juvier's inside-the-parker was his fourth home run of the season; he finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored. McKenna went 4-for-5 with a double and three runs, while Palmeiro finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Sheets paced the Intimidator attack, going 3-for-4 with a double, run, and three RBIs. Remillard had two hits and two driven in, while Adolfo crossed home three times and Call scored twice.
Cody Dube came in as the long man with two outs in the first and pitched a standup 4.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits while walking none and striking out two. Tyler Erwin gave up two runs over three relief innings to follow.
Yosmer Solorzano didn't factor into the decision for Kannapolis, giving up four runs on six hits over just four innings in the start. J.B. Olson and Kevin Escorcia both had holds as the bridge from Dopico to Johnson.
Delmarva has now been involved in six straight one-run games, going 2-4 over that span and losing three straight. The 'Birds are 16-17 in one-run games this season, including 5-11 on the road.
The Shorebirds will try and bounce back on Tuesday night as Zach Muckenhirn (4-7, 4.63) gets the start against the Intimidators' Yelmison Peralta (1-2, 4.76). First pitch is 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports AM 960 and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 p.m. with Will DeBoer on the call.
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South Atlantic League Stories from August 1, 2017
- Blackham Named Relief Pitcher of the Month - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Comes Back, But Charleston Walks off - Columbia Fireflies
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- Crawdads Boil Suns with 12-Run Inning - Hagerstown Suns
- 'Birds Comeback Falls Short on Wild Night - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Drive Taken Down by Tourists on Monday - Greenville Drive
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