First-Place Mudcats Fall 8-4 in Finale to Delmarva
August 13, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Carolina Mudcats News Release
Jesus Chirinos of the Carolina Mudcats
(Carolina Mudcats, Credit: Neal Hock)
ZEBULON, N.C. - Jesus Chirinos had a game-tying double and Luis Castillo had a go-ahead single in the third, but Delmarva's Matthew Etzel hit a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth and drove in the six overall as the Shorebirds defeated the first-place Carolina Mudcats 8-4 on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
The Shorebirds (17-24, 45-61) originally led 2-0 in the third before the Mudcats (27-15, 60-45) rallied back with three two-out runs to take a 3-2 lead. Chirinos drove in the first of those runs with his game-tying two-run double. Castillo then followed moments later with a go-ahead single off the right field wall. Both hits came off reliever Cesar Alvarez after he took over with two on for starter Alfred Vega.
Carolina led 3-2 after the third, but Etzel erased that lead with his grand slam in the fifth off Carolina's starter Will Childers to give the Shorebirds the 6-3 advantage. The home run was Etzel's second of the series and accounted for four of his career-high six RBI in the game. He also had a RBI groundout in the first and a RBI double in the third.
Childers (L, 2-3) gave up both early runs and the grand slam while taking the loss for Carolina. In all, Childers worked through the fifth with six runs, six hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
Reliever Jeferson Figueroa followed Childers with a scoreless sixth, but Aidan Maldonado allowed two more Delmarva runs in the seventh on a Noelberth Romero single and a wild pitch. Delmarva had a 8-4 lead after their two-run seventh and would go on to be held scoreless the rest of the way by Carolina's Jeison Pena. Pena pitched two scoreless to finish the game.
Reliever Luis De Leon earned the win for the Shorebirds while allowing just one run over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. De Leon (W, 3-0) struck out three and gave up one unearned run on two hits in the victory. Angel Vargas and Breyner Sanchez followed De Leon and combined to pitch the final three innings with Vargas going two hitless with three strikeouts and Sanchez working around two hits in the ninth.
Despite the loss, Carolina ended up taking four of six in the series while earning their fourth straight series victory. The first-place Mudcats next play the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Tuesday, August 15 at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis.
HOME RUNS:
Delmarva: Etzel (2, 5th inning off Childers, 3 on, 0 out).
STOLEN BASES:
Delmarva: Bradfield Jr. 4 (8, 2nd base off Childers/Diaz, 2nd base off Figueroa/Diaz, 3rd base off Figueroa/Diaz, 3rd base off Pena, Je/Diaz); Etzel (6, 3rd base off Childers/Diaz); Romero (9, 2nd base off Maldonado, A/Diaz); Acevedo (27, 2nd base off Pena, Je/Diaz).
Carolina: O'Rae (1, 2nd base off Vega/Hernández).
TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Etzel, DH (Delmarva): 2-for-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI
De Los Santos, A, 3B (Delmarva): 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 2B
Vasquez, SS (Delmarva): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB
Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Castillo, RF (Carolina): 1-for-5, 1 RBI
Diaz, C (Carolina): 2-for-4
TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
De León (W, 3-0) (Delmarva): 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Vargas (Delmarva): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Sánchez (Delmarva): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Figueroa (Carolina): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
Pena, Je (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
SCORING:
Shorebirds 1st (Shorebirds 1, Mudcats 0) -- Enrique Bradfield Jr. hit by pitch. Enrique Bradfield Jr. steals 2nd base. Tavian Josenberger grounds out, Dylan O'Rae to Jesus Chirinos, Enrique Bradfield Jr. to 3rd. Matthew Etzel grounds out to Jesus Chirinos, Enrique Bradfield Jr. scores. Stiven Acevedo grounds out, Will Childers to Jesus Chirinos. (1 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)
Shorebirds 3rd (Shorebirds 2, Mudcats 0) -- Adam Crampton strikes out swinging. Enrique Bradfield Jr. flies out to Jace Avina. Tavian Josenberger walks. Matthew Etzel doubles to center field, Tavian Josenberger scores. Matthew Etzel steals 3rd base. Stiven Acevedo strikes out swinging. (1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 3, Shorebirds 2) -- Jhonnys Cabrera strikes out swinging. Dylan O'Rae singles to right-center field. Dylan O'Rae steals 2nd base. Luis Lara pops out to Enrique Bradfield Jr. Luke Adams hit by pitch. Pitcher Change: Cesar Alvarez replaces Alfred Vega. Jesus Chirinos doubles to left-center field, Dylan O'Rae scores; Luke Adams scores. Luis Castillo singles to right field, Jesus Chirinos scores. Jace Avina walks, Luis Castillo to 2nd. Gregory Barrios grounds into a force out, Jalen Vasquez to Adam Crampton, Jace Avina out at 2nd. (3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)
Shorebirds 5th (Shorebirds 6, Mudcats 3) -- Adam Crampton bunt singles to shallow left field. Enrique Bradfield Jr. walks, Adam Crampton to 2nd. Throwing error by Blayberg Diaz on the pickoff attempt. Tavian Josenberger walks. Matthew Etzel hits a grand slam to right field on a 1-1 pitch, Adam Crampton scores; Enrique Bradfield Jr. scores; Tavian Josenberger scores. Stiven Acevedo flies out to Luis Castillo in foul territory. Anderson De Los Santos lines out to Luis Lara. Jalen Vasquez singles to right field. Noelberth Romero flies out to Luis Lara. (4 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 6th (Shorebirds 6, Mudcats 4) -- Jace Avina walks. Gregory Barrios flies out to Tavian Josenberger. Blayberg Diaz singles through the hole at shortstop, Jace Avina to 2nd. Wild pitch by Luis De Leon, Jace Avina to 3rd; Blayberg Diaz to 2nd. Jhonnys Cabrera strikes out swinging. Dylan O'Rae reaches on fielding error by Noelberth Romero, Jace Avina scores; Blayberg Diaz to 3rd. Luis Lara lines out to Tavian Josenberger. (1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)
Shorebirds 7th (Shorebirds 8, Mudcats 4) -- Pitcher Change: Aidan Maldonado replaces Jeferson Figueroa. Stiven Acevedo grounds out, Gregory Barrios to Jesus Chirinos. Anderson De Los Santos doubles to left-center field. Wild pitch by Aidan Maldonado, Anderson De Los Santos to 3rd. Jalen Vasquez walks. Noelberth Romero singles through the hole at second base, Anderson De Los Santos scores; Jalen Vasquez to 3rd. Brayan Hernandez strikes out swinging. Noelberth Romero steals 2nd base, Jalen Vasquez scores;wild pitch by Aidan Maldonado. Adam Crampton walks. Enrique Bradfield Jr. walks, Noelberth Romero to 3rd; Adam Crampton to 2nd. Tavian Josenberger grounds out to Jesus Chirinos. (2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)
Single-game tickets, season ticket packages, mini plans, group options, as well as luxury suite packages and DRB Homes Sky Lounge reservations in the US Foods Club Level are also still available now by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com, by calling (919) 269-2287, and by visiting the Five County Stadium front office in Zebulon.
Images from this story
 Jesus Chirinos of the Carolina Mudcats (Neal Hock) |
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