SAL1 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Lakewood's three homers topple Hoppers

Published on July 17, 2006 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Lakewood BlueClaws played long ball to beat the Greensboro Grasshoppers 4-2 Monday night at First Horizon Park.

Lakewood, which had lost the first two games of the series, got solo home runs from Greg Golson and Jeremy Slayden and a two-run shot by Avelino Asprilla to account for all its runs.

The Hoppers slipped to 4½ games behind the first-place BlueClaws in the Northern Division of the South Atlantic League.

Brett Sinkbeil, the Florida Marlins' first-round pick in the June draft, made his Hoppers debut but didn't figure in the decision. He pitched six innings, giving up eight hits and two runs, with three strikeouts and no walks.

"I thought it was pretty good for a first outing," said pitching coach Steve Foster. "He threw strikes and didn't walk anyone. He showed a plus fastball, plus breaking ball and a usable changeup that will get better."

Sinkbeil was welcomed to the South Atlantic League on his second pitch of the game, which Golson lifted over the left-field fence for his seventh home run. Foster called that a "Greensboro moment" that would have been an out in most other SAL parks.

Slayden's shot, his sixth of the season, was a no-doubter that tied the game 2-2 in the fifth inning.

Asprilla's homer, his sixth, was also a blast that landed almost at the top of the lawn in left field. That came off Bradley Stone in the seventh inning and proved to be the game-winner.

The Hoppers were facing BlueClaws left-hander Matt Maloney (11-5), one of the top pitchers in the league. Maloney went seven innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out six. He gave up two runs, one earned, and lowered his league-leading ERA to 1.57.

"We just got beat by a good pitcher," said Hoppers manager Brandon Hyde. "He kept us off-balance with a really good breaking ball and changeup."

Andrew Barb pitched the last two innings for his 14th save.

The Hoppers scored a run on Maloney's throwing error in the first inning and added one in the third on a single by Andy Jenkins, who now has 55 RBIs.

The teams conclude their four-game series today at 12:30 p.m. at First Horizon.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 17, 2006


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