Gonzalez's Gem Ends Series on High Note
June 1, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hub City Spartanburgers News Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Spartanburgers' starting pitching had been stellar through the first five games of the series against Winston-Salem. Sunday was no different, as right-hander Jose Gonzalez (W, 1-4) tossed the best start of his High-A tenure to lead Hub City to a 3-1 win.
Gonzalez was dominant: his six scoreless innings and nine strikeouts are both season bests. The Venezuelan allowed extra-base hits in the first and second frames but stranded both runners in scoring position. After a triple in the second, Gonzalez retired 10 batters in a row. His nine strikeouts are the second-most by a Hub City pitcher this season.
The 'Burger bats gave Gonzalez early run support. In the second, Yeison Morrobel clocked his second home run of the year and second in the series to score the game's first run. In the third, Hub City loaded the bases with three singles, then Arturo Disla doubled the lead with a slow grounder to short. Disla was retired at first, but Quincy Scott hustled home to score and double the lead.
Up 2-0, Gonzalez ran into trouble in the fifth. Back-to-back one-out singles with one out gave Winston-Salem its best threat yet, but Gonzalez forced a groundout and a strikeout to escape trouble. After a one-two-three top of the sixth, Disla clubbed his sixth home run of the season, a 420-foot rocket onto the berm in left-center field.
Hub City turned to the bullpen in the seventh, calling on Adonis Villavicencio, who answered with two scoreless frames. The right-hander got some help from his defense in the eighth, as Cal Stark, Disla and Gleider Figuereo combined to retire a runner at third on an initial throwdown to first.
The Spartanburgers turned to Eric Loomis (S, 2) to pitch the ninth. After a strikeout to start the inning, Loomis surrendered two hits and a walk to load the bases. A pair of groundouts ended the game and limited Winston-Salem to just a single run. The Dash left the tying run in scoring position in the ninth for the second time this week.
With 15 games remaining in the first half of the season, the Spartanburgers are a half-game behind Bowling Green, who remains in first place in the South Division of the South Atlantic League after a loss to Greensboro. Hub City hits the road Tuesday for a six-game set with Greensboro at First National Bank Park. First pitch of the opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 1, 2025
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