Seven O'Clock Traffic on the Bases Delays Rome's Playoff Push
SAL Rome Emperors

Seven O'Clock Traffic on the Bases Delays Rome's Playoff Push

Published on August 27, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Rome Emperors News Release


Rome Emperors playing as Los Pinguinos
Rome Emperors playing as Los Pinguinos
(Rome Emperors)

ROME, Ga - With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Emperors entered Tuesday's series opener just 3.5 games back of Hub City but conceded six early runs to Winston-Salem, falling 7-0 and dropping to 4.5 games back.

Starter Cedric De Grandpre struggled with command across his three innings of work on Tuesday, walking one in the first, three in the second, and hitting another in the third. With the bases loaded and one run already home in the second frame, Samuel Zavala's groundball to Colby Jones was almost an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, but an errant throw from shortstop Alex Lodise allowed two more to cross.

A Winston-Salem hit batsman sandwiched between doubles from Alec Makarewicz and Caleb Bonemer spelled more trouble for De Grandpre in the third. Drake Logan and Jacob Burke sacrificed their at-bats with flyballs to center and right field respectively to bring home two more runs for the Dash, pushing their lead to six.

Coming off his best month since returning from the full season IL in which he posted a 1.83 ERA across 19.2 innings, De Grandpre owns a 7.36 ERA and 1.91 WHIP over four August starts.

Makarewicz's two doubles, Bonemer's five total bases, and Burke's 3-for-3 night with two RBI anchored this Pat Leyland lineup which added on one for good measure in the fifth off Jacob Kroeger.

Four singles were all the Emperors raised offensively. The top of the order (Jones, Lodise, Miller, and Drake) went a combined 1-for-15 with eight strikeouts against Winston-Salem pitching. Rome threatened with the bases loaded and nobody out in the sixth, but the Dash went to Morris Austin who safeguarded their fourth shutout of 2025.

The Emperors (23-29, 52-65) and the Dash (25-29, 50-69) have game two scheduled for Wednesday at 7:00PM ET. Those probable starters are RHP Luke Sinnard (2-2, 4.50) and RHP Gage Ziehl (0-2, 6.91).

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Rome Emperors playing as Los Pinguinos
Rome Emperors playing as Los Pinguinos
   



South Atlantic League Stories from August 27, 2025


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