Drive Ease by 'Birds, Even Series
May 31, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Delmarva Shorebirds News Release
GREENVILLE, SC - Despite giving up just three hits, the Delmarva Shorebirds couldn't solve the Greenville Drive at the plate, falling 3-2 on Friday night at Fluor Field at the West End.
Alex Scherff (1-4) put a miserable month behind him to win for the Drive (24-30), allowing an unearned run on four hits in six innings while walking two and striking out three. Nick Vespi (3-3) took the loss for the Shorebirds (41-12), giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits in 5.1 innings. Logan Browning nailed down his fourth save, retiring all four batters he faced.
Greenville opened the scoring thanks to a Shorebird mistake in the bottom of the third. With Jonathan Ortega at first after a walk and one out, Dylan Hardy hit a hard grounder to the left side. Shortstop Adam Hall fielded and attempted a jump throw to second, but his throw sailed high and all the way to the side wall near first base. Ortega scored all the way from first to put the Drive up 1-0.
Delmarva answered in their next turn at bat. Will Robertson led off reaching on an error at short, then Jean Carlos Encarnacion executed a hit-and-run, singling Robertson to third. Seamus Curran came up next and hit a tough popup deep into foul ground at second. Second baseman Kervin Suarez got turned around as he busted over to make the catch, allowing Robertson to score on what became a sac fly for Curran to make it 1-1 in the fourth.
The Drive took control for good in the sixth. Hardy led off with a walk, then two batters later Devlin Granberg socked a liner to left that Robertson got turned around on, resulting in a double to put men on second and third. Jordan Wren then lashed a single into right to score Hardy and put Greenville in front again. After an intentional walk and a pitching change, Brandon Howlett belted a deep flyball to center for a sacrifice, scoring Granberg to make it 3-1 Drive.
The Shorebirds' best chance to rally came in the top of the eighth. Alexis Torres worked a leadoff walk against Yoan Aybar and took second on a wild pitch. After a flyout and groundout to move Torres up to third, Doran Turchin muscled a single through the left side, plating Torres to cut the Delmarva hole to 3-2. Robertson followed with a single to put the tying and go-ahead runs on base, but Browning came on from the bullpen and got Encarnacion to fly out to shallow center.
Turchin finished 2-for-3 with a double and RBI to lead the Shorebirds, while Robertson went 1-for-4 with a run scored.
Granberg and Howlett each doubled, accounting for two of the Drive's three hits on the night.
Delmarva closes out May with a 23-8 record. The rare road loss marks the first time the Shorebirds have lost a singular road game since April 20. Delmarva's previous two losses on the road came on the back ends of doubleheaders. The loss was also the Shorebirds' first this season in front of a crowd of 5,000-plus (6-1).
The Shorebirds turn the page to June and look to get back on the horse against the Drive on Saturday. In a marquee pitching matchup, Delmarva's Ofelky Peralta (4-0, 1.51) battles Greenville's Thaddeus Ward (4-2, 2.20), the reigning SAL Pitcher of the Week. 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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