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Greensboro Grasshoppers

Naylor, Poteet Set Tone for Hoppers' 6-1 Win

April 24, 2016 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


It was a night of firsts for Josh Naylor and Cody Poteet.

Naylor, the Miami Marlins' No. 1 draft pick last summer, hit his first homer of the season and added two doubles, driving in three runs to spark the offense in the Hoppers' 6-1 win over Lakewood Saturday night at NewBridge Bank Park. Greensboro improved to 7-10 with its second straight win.

Poteet, drafted in the fourth round last year, pitched five shutout innings and earned his first professional win.

Naylor, drafted as a power hitter who uses the whole field, had played in 15 of the club's first 16 games with four doubles and a triple but no homers. That changed in the third inning when he jumped on a 3-and-2 pitch from Lakewood's Harold Arauz and drove it over the right-field fence for a two-run homer.

"Every day I thought a little about it," Naylor said of not having a homer. "But I tried to stay patient and I knew it would come. It was a slider that he (Arauz) hung. I knew it was coming because I had faced him before."

Arauz had stymied the Hoppers in Lakewood, pitching seven shutout innings. This time the Hoppers caught up to him, tagging him for four runs in four innings. Rony Cabrera delivered a two-run double in the fourth inning to extend the Hoppers' lead to 4-0.

It was a nice bounce-back by Cabrera, who on Thursday made three errors at shortstop and hit into two double plays.

"He's a tough kid," said manager Kevin Randel. "We gave him (Friday) off and got him back in there. He was solid tonight, maybe more in his comfort zone at second base."

After the BlueClaws cut a run off the lead, the Hoppers added two more in the seventh inning off Alejandro Arteaga. Taylor Munden's single scored Anfernee Seymour, who had singled and stolen second base. Naylor's double to deep left-center drove in Munden.

"I got a fastball there and I thought that one might be out," Naylor said. "I had seen him (Arteaga) before, too, so I was used to what he was throwing.

"We've started hitting as a team now. Our situational hitting is better and it's contagious. We're getting some wins."

Randel said Naylor is seeing the ball well and is under control at the plate.

"I think he's getting used to playing every day," Randel said. "There's more to this than just a 7 o'clock game. He's getting on the right schedule."

Seymour had two hits, stole two bases and scored twice, providing the kind of distraction on the bases that Randel wants.

"As he goes, we go, and we've seen that the last couple of nights," Randel said.

Poteet set the tone on the mound, battling through his five innings. He never retired the side in order, giving up five hits and hitting a batter, but he didn't walk anyone and struck out eight.

The Hoppers made a fine defensive play behind him in the third inning. After Greensboro native Josh Tobias was hit by a pitch, Wilson Garcia doubled into the right field corner. Tobias tried to score on the play, but Isael Soto got the the ball and relayed it to Cabrera, whose throw to catcher Roy Morales beat the head-first slide of Tobias.

"It was a great team win and it felt good to pick up my first professional win," he said. "It seemed if I got the first two batters, there was always a baserunner and I pitched out of the stretch.

"I throw four pitches - fastball, curve, slider and changeup - and I used them all tonight. That's the advantage of having that many pitches. The run support was good, but I always try to pitch like it's 0-0."

Poteet suffered a non-baseball injury to his pitching elbow last summer and only turned in 13 innings at Batavia. He rehabbed the rest of the summer.

"This is his introduction (to pro ball)," said pitching coach Brendan Sagara. "He's got a lot of weapons and is learning how to use all his pitches. He showed a glimpse of what he can be."

NOTES: Tobias was held in check, going 0-for-3, although he reached base twice ... Following Friday's 15-hit outburst, the Hoppers added 11 more hits Saturday and nudged their team average to .205, the first time all season over the Mendoza Line ... Greensboro stroked five doubles in the game - two by Naylor and one each from Cabrera, Angel Reyes and Soto ... Outfielder Stone Garrett, the Marlins' Minor League Player of the Year in 2015, joined the team and went 1-for-4. He didn't break camp with the Hoppers because he was still rehabbing from off-season wrist surgery ... The series concludes Sunday at 4 p.m. with Gabriel Castellanos starting for the Hoppers.

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