SAL1 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Preview: Another One-Run Win

Published on July 23, 2018 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


Greensboro Grasshoppers

13-14 Second Half, 47-49 - Miami Marlins

at Lakewood BlueClaws

18-11 Second Half, 59-39 - Philadelphia Phillies

Monday - 7:05 p.m.

FirstEnergy Park - Lakewood, N.J.

Games #97-98 of 138

LH Trevor Rogers (1-4, 6.42) vs. RH Gustavo Armas (0-1, 2.57)

Today's Preview: The Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) open up a 4-game series against the playoff-bound and Northern Division leading BlueClaws (A, Phillies) on Monday at FirstEnergy Park. The series marks Greensboro's third and final trip to the Garden State in 2018 and second-to-last series against Lakewood this season. The season-series is tied 8-8, including a 3-3 mark in six games at FirstEnergy Park. The Hoppers are coming off a series split at the Shorebirds while the BlueClaws split their series at Hagerstown over the last four days. Despite that split, Lakewood is 8-3 in its last 11 games since July 12.

Hoppers Hurlers: Trevor Rogers, 20, makes his 11th career start and second against Lakewood. He is coming off his first career win on July 17 vs. Asheville, working 6.0 innings and giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out a career-high eight and walking one. He has continued to improve each month, lowering his ERA from 12.00 in May to 7.98 in June to now 3.60 in four starts in July. The Marlins selected Rogers in the first round (13th overall) in the June 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Carlsbad (N.M.) High School. The 6'6" left-hander signed with Miami following a High-School All-American First Team season in 2017. He entered the season as Miami's No. 5 Prospect according to MLB.com. In his final season at Carlsbad High, he went 11-0 with a 0.33 ERA, 134 strikeouts and 13 walks while throwing three no-hitters.

About Last Night: The Grasshoppers split a doubleheader against the Delmarva Shorebirds by falling 4-3 in Game 1 before scoring a shutout 1-0 in Game 2. In the first game, Greensboro gave up three runs in the bottom of the seventh as Delmarva scored a walk-off win. The Hoppers had built a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning when Michael Hernandez smashed a 3-run home run (3). Starting pitcher Edward Cabrera took no decision, allowing a run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 5.0 innings pitched. Shorebirds reliever Timothy Naughton (2-2) earned the win with 2.0 scoreless innings pitched. Hoppers reliever Gabriel Castellanos (1-1) suffered the loss, giving up the game-winning hit to Zach Jarrett followed a 2-run error committed by Jose Devers.

In Game 2, both starting pitchers - Daniel Castano for Greensboro and Luis Perez of Delmarva - each spun efforts that should have been good enough for a complete game shutout in a 7-inning game, however this contest extended into extra innings. Michael Mertz (1-3) earned the win by tossing 2.0 scoreless innings, striking out four, while Ryan Wilson (0-2) took the loss. The game featured a total of 18 strikeouts and no walks as both teams struck out nine and walked none. In the top of the ninth, Gunner Schubert drove in Garvis Lara, who started the top of the ninth on second base.

Blanking the Birds: The Grasshoppers tossed their eighth shutout of the season on Sunday with a 1-0 win in 9 innings in Game 2 against the Shorebirds. It was Greensboro's second shutout of the series and marks their third 1-0 shutout over Delmarva, including a 1-0 win at home on June 29 as well as on Thursday in the series opener..

One Run Wonders: After playing two more 1-run games on Sunday, Greensboro is now 20-15 in 1-run games this season for the best winning percentage (.571) in 1-run games in the South Atlantic League. Greensboro's 20 victories in 1-run games is tied for the most narrow wins in the SAL with Kannapolis (20-16).

Walked Off: Prior to the Delmarva series, Greensboro had avoided suffering a walk-off loss since April before dropping back-to-back walk-off games on Friday and in Game 1 on Sunday in the series at Delnarva. The Grasshoppers are now 4-4 in walk-off games in 2018, with their previous loss coming April 17 in a 10-inning defeat at Lakewood, 5-4. Here is a look at walk-off games the Grasshoppers have played this season (wins in bold).

Date Opp Result Notes

4/14 @HAG L, 4-5 Juan Soto hits walk-off single to cap 2-run 9th

4/17 @LWD L, 4-5 (10) Colby Fitch hits 2-out walk-off single in 10th

4/19 CSC W, 3-2 Eric Gutierrez hits game-winner with 2 outs

5/2 HAG W, 10-8 Michael Hernandez GW-HR caps GBO's 4-HR day

5/4 GVL W, 9-8 Zach Sullivan's GW completes 6-run comeback

7/13 KAN W, 5-4 (10) Will Allen's GW infield chopper scores Jones

7/20 @DEL L, 2-3 Zach Jarrett RBI-single scores Mason McCoy

7/22-2 @DEL L, 3-4 Shorebirds score 3 in Bot 7 as Jarrett drives in GW again

Double Trouble: Greensboro is now 9-5 (.643) in doubleheader games in 2018, the third-best winning percentage in the league this season. Only 9-3 Rome (.750) and 7-3 Kannapolis (.700) have better winning percentages in doubleheader games in 2018.

Check out the Greensboro Grasshoppers Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 23, 2018


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