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SAL1 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Preview: Hoppers, Legends Square Off

July 7, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

at LEXINGTON LEGENDS

GBO: 8-7 Second Half, 42-42 - Miami Marlins

LEX: 6-9 Second Half, 43-40 - Kansas City Royals

Saturday - 6:35 p.m.

Whitaker Bank Ballpark - Lexington, Ky.

Game #85 of 138

LH Scott Sebald (0-2, 11.57) vs. TBD

Today's Preview: The Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) open a 3-game series against the Legends (A, Royals) in their only series between the two teams in 2018. Greensboro leads the all-time series against Lexington, 64-49, including a 16-11 mark since the Legends became a Royals affiliate ahead of the 2013 season. The Hoppers send left-hander Scott Sebald to the mound for his third start of the season as he looks for his first win since the 2016 season.

Hoppers Hurlers: Scott Sebald, 24, makes third appearance with the Grasshoppers and fourth of the season when faces the Legends on Saturday. This will be his second career appearance against a Royals affiliate with the only other game coming in his professional debut on June 21, 2016, with the Arizona League Rangers against the AZL Royals, tossing 1.1 scoreless relief innings with three strikeouts. He is coming off a loss against his former organization on July 2, giving up three runs on seven hits over 4.0 innings against Hickory. The left-hander played his 2016 season in the Rangers organization before spending a year in Independent ball. Sebald took the loss in his Hoppers debut on June 27 against Delmarva, allowing six runs on seven hits over 3.0 innings. He made one relief appearance with the GCL Marlins - working 4.1 innings and allowing a run on two hits with five strikeouts and no walks on June 21 against the GCL Astros - since signing with the Marlins on June 1 as a free agent. Sebald began his professional career in 2016 when he signed with the Texas Rangers and split the season between the AZL Rangers and Short-Season Spokane, going 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA (9 ER/31.0 IP) and 34 strikeouts in 14 games (three starts). He spent 2017 playing with the independent Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League as well as two appearances with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League. Between the two teams, he went 9-3 with a 3.18 ERA (42 ER/119.0 IP) and 97 strikeouts in 24 games (17 starts).

About Last Night: The Grasshoppers appeared ready to rally in both the eighth and ninth innings, but the BlueClaws held on to win, 5-4, on Friday. Greensboro missed out on a chance to sweep Lakewood after winning the first two games of this 3-game set. The BlueClaws broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the eighth. Sean Guenther opened the inning by striking out back-to-back batters before the Hoppers turned to Ryan McKay. Lakewood loaded the bases with two outs, and McKay plunked Dalton Guthrie to cash the go-ahead run. The Hoppers threated in the bottom of the eighth but came up empty-handed. Will Allen and Micah Brown singled to chase BlueClaws reliever Luis Carrasco from the game with two on and two outs in the frame. Zach Warren took the mound and fired a wild pitch to move Allen and Brown into scoring position, and Ricardo Cespedes drew a walk to load the bases. Warren recovered, however, striking out Michael Hernandez to end the inning and strand three Hoppers on base for the second time on the night. Lakewood added an insurance run in the ninth on Nick Maton's RBI-double to score Matt Vierling for a 5-3 lead. In Greensboro's final at-bats, Garvis Lara led off the home half of the ninth with a double and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Thomas Jones drew a walk to put the tying run on base with no outs, however Jose Devers grounded into a run-scoring double play. Warren induced a Jhonny Santos ground out to end the game. Carrasco (3-0) earned the win with 2.0 scoreless relief innings, and Warren notched the save (5). McKay (0-1) suffered the loss.

Rogers Rising, his ERA falling: Starting pitcher Trevor Rogers took no decision in one of the more complete starts of his young career on Friday. He matched his longest career start, working 5.0 innings and limiting Lakewood to three runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out four and walking one. Rogers, the Marlins 2017 first round selection, has now worked 5.0 innings in each of his last two starts. His ERA has lowered each month since his professional debut in May, posting a 12.00 ERA (8 ER/6.0 IP) in two starts in May, a 7.98 ERA (13 ER/14.2 IP) in four starts in June, and a 4.50 ERA (5 ER/10.0 IP) in two starts so far in July.

Hock On Top: Greensboro reliever Colton Hock (9-3, 2.77 ERA) took sole possession of the SAL lead in wins with his ninth on Thursday over the BlueClaws. He is now tied for the fifth-most wins in all full-season Minor League Baseball behind Memphis's Dakota Hudson (12-2), Birmingham's Dylan Cease (10-2), Durham's Zach Lee (10-2), and Buffalo's Sean Reid-Foley (10-2). Of the 19 pitchers in full-season Minor League Baseball with nine or more wins in 2018, Hock is one of only two relievers, with Colorado Springs' Nick Ramirez (9-1).

Lucky 13: Greensboro pitchers again matched the team's season-high with 13 strikeouts in a 5-4 win on Thursday over Lakewood. This marked the fifth time Grasshoppers arms fanned 13 batters in a game. The other baker's dozen dealings came April 9 vs. Augusta, May 10 at Asheville, June 5 at Delmarva, and June 29 vs. Delmarva.

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