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SAL1 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Shorebirds Stop Hoppers Streak with 5-1 Win

May 25, 2016 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


The Hoppers may find out something about themselves Wednesday.

The club had its eight-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night when the Delmarva Shorebirds coasted to a 5-1 victory. The teams play the rubber match to decide the series Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at NewBridge Bank Park. The quick turnaround could be an asset, not leaving the Hoppers much time to dwell on this one.

"I hope we respond well and don't have a hangover (from this game)," said manager Kevin Randel.

The eight-game streak winds up as the third longest in the Hoppers' history, now in its 12th year. The 2014 team under David Berg won 10 straight to close out the first half, clinching a playoff berth in the final game.

The 2011 team under Andy Haines had two nine-game winning streaks, one in each half, and ultimately won the South Atlantic League championship. Randel was the hitting coach then and remembers it well.

"Guys were playing so loose," he said. "Even if we kicked it around, the pitching or the offense would pick us up. It was fun to watch."

The 2007 team, managed by Edwin Rodriguez, also won nine straight.

These players didn't know about any of those streaks, but even if they had it wouldn't have mattered. Left-hander Brian Gonzalez stifled the Hoppers on two hits through six innings, striking out 10. Reliever Ryan Meisinger closed things out with a three-inning save, allowing two hits and striking out five more to run the Hoppers' total to 15 punch-outs for the night.

There was very little traffic for third-base coach Jose Ceballos, who saw only six baserunners all game. Stone Garrett's triple scored Aaron Blanton in the third inning. Angel Reyes had a double and a single and Josh Naylor singled and that was the extent of the offense.

Gonzalez beat the Hoppers for the second time this year - he also lost a 1-0 game to them - and used his curve ball effectively, working ahead in the count and dropping it in for strike three. Sixty of his 93 pitches were strikes.

"He's got our number," Randel said of Gonzalez, "both this year and last year."

Meanwhile, Hoppers starter Brett Lilek was out of sync from the start. He gave up four hits and three walks and hit a batter and didn't make it out of the third inning. Jose Quijada and Ben Meyer pitched six innings of relief, allowing just one run.

A side effect of Lilek's short start was that the Hoppers had to use closer C.J. Robinson in a game they didn't want to.

"We had to use one more arm than we wanted," said pitching coach Brendan Sagara. "Quijada and Meyer both went as far as they could. Quijada was tremendous for his first time under the lights."

Newcomer Chris Paddack, a 20-year-old right-hander, will make his first start Wednesday for the Hoppers. He was drafted in the eighth round out of high school last year and pitched in the Gulf Coast League, going 4-3 with a 2.18 ERA.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 25, 2016


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