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SAL1 Delmarva Shorebirds

Curran Blast Lifts 'Birds from Behind

May 2, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release


SALISBURY, MD - Seamus Curran's go-ahead home run capped a three-run sixth to lead the Delmarva Shorebirds past the Greenville Drive 4-3 on Wednesday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

With the Shorebirds (18-8) down 3-1, Will Robertson and Kirvin Moesquit led off the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles. Mason McCoy came up next and dropped a soft liner into right center, scoring Robertson and moving the tying run in Moesquit up to third base. The Drive (5-21) went to the bullpen from there, replacing Enmanuel De Jesus with Marcos Lantigua.

Lantigua traded a tie for two outs, getting Zach Jarrett to ground into a double play that scored Moesquit and made it 3-3. Curran came up next and lifted the first pitch to left field. Deceptive off the bat, what looked like a lazy fly ball carried all the way over the wall for a solo home run, Curran's fifth of the season, to put the home side up 4-3.

The Curran homer put Cameron Bishop in line for the win after six quality innings. Nick Vespi came in from the bullpen and handled the seventh in order. In the eighth, a comebacker off Marino Campana's bat turned into a man on second when Vespi spiked the throw to first. Isaias Lucena bunted Campana up to third base with just one out. Vespi came up roses, though, freezing Kervin Suarez on a curve for the second out and striking out Frankie Rios on another breaking ball to eliminate the danger.

In the ninth, Zach Muckenhirn walked leadoff man Ricardo Cubillan, then a sac bunt and groundout got him to third with two outs. Muckenhirn then brought letter-high heat to Victor Acosta, who whiffed on the 0-2 fastball to give the Shorebirds the come-from-behind win.

Bishop (3-1) earned the win with his fifth straight Quality Start to begin the season. The southpaw allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits in six innings, walking two and striking out eight. Lantigua (0-3) took the double whammy of a blown save and a loss, letting the inherited tying run score and giving up the go-ahead run in three innings of work.

Vespi's two scoreless gave him his first hold of the year and extended his scoreless streak to 8.1 innings. Muckenhirn's reliable ninth became his second save of the year.

The teams traded a run each in the second inning. Greenville got back-to-back two-out singles from Suarez and Rios, then Cubillan hit a sharp grounder to the left side. McCoy made the play and hurried the throw to first, which skipped in front of the bag and over to the side wall. Cubillan was safe on an infield hit, and Suarez came around to score on the error to make it 1-0 Drive.

While the Drive manufactured their run in the second, the Shorebirds relied on the wrecking ball as Trevor Craport went yard to deep left center for a solo home run. The shot was Craport's third of the season, all coming in the last two games, and brought it back to 1-1.

The Drive went back in front on another two-out rally in the fourth. Suarez legged out an infield hit, then stole second despite being picked off when the throw to second banged off his batting helmet and into left. Rios then skipped a grounder up the middle for a base hit to bring Suarez around. Greenville eventually loaded the bases, but Bishop limited the damage by getting Jagger Rusconi to fly out harmlessly to left.

Acosta led off the Greenville fifth with a triple and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1.

De Jesus cruised through the first five innings with the only Delmarva hit coming on Craport's homer. After failing to get an out in the sixth, he finished with a no-decision, eventually allowing three runs on four hits in five-plus.

Curran's homer extends his RBI streak to a team-best five games; he has three home runs in that span. In addition to his solo blast, Craport made seven putouts at third base, including all three in the top of the seventh. McCoy finished 2-for-4 with an RBI at the plate.

Suarez held the torch for a Greenville side that got five hits out of its bottom third in the order, going 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base.

Delmarva is now 10 games over .500 for the first time this season, clearing the hurdle in their third try.

The Shorebirds go for another sweep with a Thursday morning finale against the Drive. Matthias Dietz (2-1, 4.58) goes for the win in his second straight morning start against Greenville's Alex Scherff (0-3, 9.35) First pitch is set for 10:35 a.m. with gates opening at 9:30. Thursday is the final Field of Dreams Game of the season presented by Chesapeake Health Care, as well as a Maryland Pride Thursday. Pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 10:20 with Will DeBoer on the call.961056b43d4d9--

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 2, 2018


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