On most nights, Gage Ziehl may have done enough to take a decision win from Buffalo (Blue Jays AAA) even while letting a ball out of Polar Park. He threw five innings of three-run ball and struck out five. But, the offense wasn’t really anywhere to be found. Kristian Campbell had a double, Nate Eaton and Romy Gonzalez each had RBIs, and Braiden Ward had two singles, but the team had just six hits and just one with runners in scoring position. They didn’t score after the third inning, and it’s pretty tough to win games when you can’t score in the last six innings.
Devin Futrell also did some very competitive pitching in his five innings, striking out eight, and the Sea Dogs made enough offense against Binghamton (Mets AA) so that no one had to worry about him not getting the decision, especially when the bullpen held their own. The 6’5” lefty is rocketing through the system and while he started his stretch with his third rough outing last week, this start was much better. Futrell’s key to success is his changeup which has a ton of downward movement as it breaks; his fastball lacks velocity but his changeup is a real gem. He had 12 strikeouts before being promoted from Greenville a couple weeks ago, and it’s an assuring sign that after the promotion, Futrell is still generating swings and misses, especially on strike three.
The Sea Dogs treated the home crowd at Hadlock to three homers, three doubles from the new big three (Jack Winnay, Miguel Bleis, and and Brooks Brannon…. don’t worry, I’m absolutely being facetious here) and Tyler McDonough had a great outfield assist. The Sea Dogs scored four runs in two separate innings by the fourth and ran away with a Friday night W.
Greenville also produced offense in spades Friday night in Spartanburg (Astros High-A) as Isaiah Jackson had his third home run in four games. Jackson had one fewer total base than Hub City’s lineup in its entirety; he also had the Drive’s only extra-base hit as Greenville subjected Hub City to a death by singles and they all fell in at the right point, namely the fifth inning, where all eight runs were scored.
Andrews Opata has forty-four stolen bases in his first professional season out of the University of North Georgia. He showed that speed by hitting an RBI triple in the fifth that essentially put this game on ice in the fifth inning, and he’d score on an ensuing fielders choice; by the end of that inning, the RidgeYaks found themselves up 7-1 on Delmarva (Orioles A). Salem was actually outhit 10-8 on the night but Delmarva stranded twelve in a clear separating factor in the six-run variance.
