Drive Power Past Grasshoppers, 7-5
August 19, 2015 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release
Greensboro, NC - Power and speed is a dangerous offensive combination, and the Greenville Drive used a little of both from their lineup in a series-clinching, 7-5 victory in 10 innings over the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Wednesday.
The Drive (24-28, 62-60) smacked three homers on the afternoon, two of which came from Andrew Benintendi, the first two homers for the center fielder since joining the Drive on Monday. They also swiped four bases, with leadoff man Yoan Moncada stealing two of them to extend his team-leading total to 39.
In the 10th inning, Moncada began the frame with a double to center off Jose Diaz (0-1) and scored the eventual winning run when Rafael Devers singled to left. Although Devers was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double, the Drive still got another run in the frame when Benintendi stroked a solo homer to right-center, his second of the game.
Kuehl McEachern improved his record to 7-3 with two and two-third scoreless relief innings.
The Drive led the game 3-0 after four batters in the first inning. With one out, Michael Chavis lined his 15th homer of the season to left-center off Grasshoppers (15-37, 44-77) starter Jorgan Cavanerio to tie him for the team lead. Following a double by Devers, Benintendi smacked his first homer with the Drive over the wall in right-center.
Greensboro received back-to-back solo homers off Ben Taylor in the fourth from John Norwood and Justin Twine to cut the Drive's lead to 3-2.
In the fifth, a Moncada single plated Bryan Hudson to get a run back, but the Grasshoppers tied it up in the bottom half on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Arturo Rodriguez.
Both teams scored a run in the eighth to keep the game knotted up. A fielder's choice by Devers gave the Drive a short-term lead that was erased in the bottom half on Rodriguez's solo homer to left-center.
Devers went 3-5 for Greenville in the game, while Benintendi drove in three runs on his two homers. Moncada added two hits and two steals, and Hudson chipped in with two hits as well. Twine led Greensboro with three hits and Rodriguez had a pair of hits.
The Drive's road trip continues on Thursday night at 7:05 PM as they begin a four-game series with the Delmarva Shorebirds, affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, in what will be the only meeting of the season between the two teams. RH Jeffry Fernandez (3-8, 5.89) will start the opener for the Drive.
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