Hagerstown Suns Game Notes

May 12, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hagerstown Suns News Release

The Suns continue their series with the Delmarva Shorebirds at Perdue Stadium today at 2:05 p.m. RHP Tomas Alastre (2-2, 5.70 ERA) gets the nod for Hagerstown. Delmarva counters with southpaw Nic Vespi (1-1, 5.49 ERA).

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SUNS OFFENSE SPUTTERS AGAINST SHOREBIRDS: The Suns offense could not manage to score a run against the Delmarva Shorebirds in a 3-0 loss at Perdue Stadium Saturday evening. While the Suns (16-19) got an excellent start from righty Francys Peguero (L, 1-2), the offense could not support the strong pitching against Delmarva. Peguero finished the game working five frames, allowing just three hits and one run to score while setting down eight batters via the strikeout for a second time this season. The Shorebirds (26-6) got on the board quickly, in the bottom of the first inning. Robbie Thorburn drove a single to right to lead off the inning. He was erased from a strong throw from catcher Israel Pineda , who caught him stealing going to second. Despite getting the out on the basepaths, Peguero walked Doran Turchin and hit a batter with a pitch, which allowed a Daniel Fajardo base knock up the middle to plate Turchin and put Delmarva in front. That was enough for the Shorebirds pitching staff. Drew Rom (W, 2-0) went five scoreless innings before handing the ball to Matt De La Rosa who fanned four in the sixth and seventh. Next, Tyler Joyner (S, 2) closed things out in the eighth and ninth to complete the shutout.

ARMS DEALING: After allowing 10 or more runs in back-to-back outings against the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the pitching staff rebounded on the seven-game road trip. In those seven games, the starters logged four quality starts and twice had worked five or more innings, allowing just one run, but didn't go the six required for a quality start. Joan Adon and Tim Cate continued that torrid stretch in the Suns homestand, spinning twelve combined innings while allowing two runs and each earning a quality start. Friday, the Suns earned their first shutout of the season, blanking Lakewood 3-0. The staff as a whole has a 2.29 ERA with 83 strikeouts across 98.1 innings in their last 11 games.

QUALITY INSPECTION: After Adon worked his first-career quality start Thursday, the Suns are just 4-7 in 11 games where starters toss a quality start. The Suns finished the four game series against Augusta last week with two of those wins.

QUALITY CATE: The University of Connecticut-product has now issued five consecutive quality starts dating back to April 16. In that time frame, the Suns are 3-2, but he has worked 30 innings, allowing just five runs (1.50 ERA) while fanning 34 batters. The southpaw also leads the Suns in ERA (1.60), WHIP (0.89), wins (3), strikeouts (46) and innings pitched (39.1). The 2018 second round pick pitched in four games for Hagerstown last year and fininshed with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings to pair with a 5.57 ERA.

TWO FOR THE SHOW: With Lara's homer in the bottom of the ninth with two outs Wednesday, Lara now has hit five of his team-high six homers this season with two outs. In addition to that, three of his six homers this season have been two-run blasts. Half of the Dominican-native's homers have come in the seventh inning or later this year. In the four games that Lara played against the Tourists prior to this series at McCormick Field, he knocked a pair of homers and drove in four runs.

SUN SPOTS: After finishing yesterday's game 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, the Suns worst single-game mark of 2019, the offense has a .246 mark with runners in scoring position.

South Atlantic League Stories from May 12, 2019

• Canaan Smith's Cycle Leads RiverDogs over Crawdads - Charleston RiverDogs
• All Nine 'Dads Collect a Hit in Loss to RiverDogs - Hickory Crawdads
• Mother's Day Masterpiece: Jackets Score Four in the 9th to Beat Lexington - Augusta GreenJackets
• Rome Crushes Columbia 11-0 in Lopsided Mothers Day Win - Rome Emperors
• Greenville Falls to Asheville, 4-2, on Mother's Day - Greenville Drive
• Fireflies Drop Mother's Day Matinee to Rome - Columbia Fireflies
• Feltner Limits the Drive in Bounce-Back Win - Asheville Tourists
• Legends Drop Heartbreaker in Game Two - Lexington Legends
• Moyers Hurls Quality Start in 2-1 Loss to Kannapolis - Charleston Dirty Birds
• Fireflies Game Notes: May 12 vs. Rome Braves (Game 35) - Columbia Fireflies
• Ramirez Makes MLB Debut with Marlins in New York - Charleston Dirty Birds
• Hartman, Woods join Single-A Rome - Rome Emperors
• 'Birds, Suns Washed out on Sunday - Delmarva Shorebirds
• Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
• Game Notes (May 12) - Charleston Dirty Birds

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