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SAL Greenville Drive

Drive Blasted by 'Hoppers, 14-4

August 9, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


A night after the Greenville Drive (18-20, 54-50) plated 14 runs against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (18-19, 54-47) the 'Hoppers returned the favor with 14 runs of their own thanks to six home runs and shutdown pitching, ultimately thumping the Drive 14-4.

Greenville's night would be ugly from the start. The 'Hoppers again struck first for an early lead on Wednesday as they battered Drive starter Jordan DiValerio, making his fourth spot start of the year, for four home runs in the second inning including a a solo shot, a two run shot, then back-to-back homers that began with a three-run shot and ended with a solo shot. The home run blitz marked the third time this season that a Drive pitcher individually allowed four home runs in a game.

Robert Kwiatkowski came in for DiValerio in the second, finishing off the final out before working the third and fourth. He'd allow one run in the fourth on a Jack Brannigan sacrifice fly to make it 8-0.

As for the positives, for the second straight night, another Boston Red Sox prospect made his debut in Greenville, as Cutter Coffey replaced the outgoing Brainer Boanci in the infield. Coffey, who started 2023 in Single-A Salem, was drafted in the second round (41st overall) in 2022, joining a Red Sox class that included first rounder Mikey Romero and fellow 2023 Drive players: Roman Anthony, Dalton Rogers, Chase Meidroth, Alex Hoppe, Isaac Coffey, Nathan Landry, and Jaret Godman.

The Drive were hitless through three innings as 'Hoppers starter Po-Yu Chen cruised through the line-up allowing just one walk to Roman Anthony. Coffey would break the hitless streak in the fourth while picking up his first High-A hit before Allan Castro would double to put runners on second and third with no outs. But three straight strikeouts ended Greenville's best opportunity to claw back into the game.

Noah Song, who the Red Sox drafted in the fourth round in 2019, also made his Greenville debut in the fifth inning, culminating an interesting baseball story. Song played collegiately for, and graduated from, the United States Naval Academy in 2019 and missed the 2020-2022 professional seasons as he fulfilled his military obligations as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Song would be selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft in 2022 but ultimately returned to the Red Sox after clearing waivers after being designated for assignment by the Phillies back in late July.

Song tossed two scoreless and hitless frames for the Drive allowing just one walk while striking out three. Greenville would eventually get a run in in the sixth on a Ronald Rosario single that scored Coffey and Castro, to make it 8-2.

But any hopes of a late comeback were dashed in the eighth as Maceo Campbell gave up two two-run homers and a RBI-double to make it 13-2 in favor of the 'Hoppers. The Drive would get two of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning as Tyler Miller and Eddinson Paulino each contributed an RBI to make it 13-4.

Greensboro added one more run in the ninth off reliever Reidis Sena on an RBI-double before they sent the Drive down in order in the bottom of the ninth, securing the 14-4 victory.

The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action Thursday, August 10 at 7:05 p.m. for game three of the six-game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pittsburgh Pirates). The series is currently split, 1-1.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 9, 2023


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