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SAL1 Delmarva Shorebirds

'Birds Squeezed out of Sweep

June 29, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release


GREENSBORO, NC - The offensive well ran dry for the Delmarva Shorebirds on Friday night as the Greensboro Grasshoppers pulled out a 1-0 win at First National Bank Field, denying the visitors a three-game sweep.

Daniel Castano (1-0) dominated in his Grasshoppers (5-3, 39-38) debut, scattering four hits over six scoreless innings while walking none and striking out eight. Matthias Dietz (6-2) was dealt his first loss since April for the Shorebirds (5-4, 40-36), giving up one run on three hits in 4.2 innings. Vincenzo Aiello earned his fifth save for Greensboro with two scoreless frames.

The game's flashpoint came in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Nolan Brown hit a skyscraping popup toward third base. Communication between Delmarva third baseman Branden Becker and shortstop Mason McCoy broke down, and the ball landed squarely between both fielders, allowing Brown to reach second with a fluke double. Brown later stole third base, and Harrison DiNicola walked to bring up ninth-hitting catcher Michael Hernandez.

On Dietz's first pitch, Hernandez squared to bunt and pushed it up the first base line. Brown broke for the plate on contact and scored easily as the ball settled halfway up the line. The safety squeeze broke the long deadlock and gave the Grasshoppers a 1-0 lead.

That's all Greensboro would need, as the Shorebirds managed just five hits on the night. Delmarva left men on first and second in the first inning, and McCoy's double in the sixth went for naught.

Zach Jarrett, Trevor Craport, Jean Carrillo, and Max Hogan had the other four Shorebird hits, all singles.

Jhonny Santos was the only Grasshopper to reach base twice all night, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Aside from Brown's pop fly double and Hernandez's squeeze bunt, Greensboro managed just two more hits.

Cameron Ming kept the Shorebirds within striking distance with 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, getting out of jams in the fifth and sixth. He allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out five.

Travis Neubeck earned his first hold with a perfect seventh, and Aiello took care of the rest.

Delmarva had scored 39 runs in its previous three games combined before being blanked in Greensboro. The Shorebirds have now been shut out three times in their first nine games of the second half.

The Shorebirds now head north for a four-game series against the Lakewood BlueClaws beginning on Saturday night. Delmarva turns to DL Hall (0-5, 3.43) to face Lakewood's Damon Jones (6-2, 1.86). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer on the call.

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 29, 2018


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