Curet Dominates as RiverDogs Blank GreenJackets 8-0
Yoniel Curet allowed just one hit over a season-high 5.2 scoreless innings to lead the Charleston RiverDogs to an 8-0 victory of the Augusta GreenJackets on Saturday at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The shutout win was the team’s third and the eight-run margin of victory was the largest of
Yoniel Curet allowed just one hit over a season-high 5.2 scoreless innings to lead the Charleston RiverDogs to an 8-0 victory of the Augusta GreenJackets on Saturday at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The shutout win was the team’s third and the eight-run margin of victory was the largest of the season for the RiverDogs. The game was played in front of 5,151 fans.
Curet was outstanding for a second straight outing. The right-hander surpassed his previous high for innings pitched, set last week, by recording the first two outs of the sixth inning. He allowed just one hit, a single in the second inning by E.J. Exposito. Curet collected six strikeouts and walked a pair, earning his third win of the season.
The two relievers who followed were equally as impressive. Michael Sansone recorded the final out of the sixth and the first out of the seventh in a short outing. Jake Christianson closed the game with 2.2 innings, in which he allowed just one hit.
The RiverDogs (20-30) scored the only run necessary in the second inning, when Carlos Colmenarez homered for the second straight night. A sacrifice fly from Dominic Keegan and RBI double from Cooper Kinney in the third extended the margin to 3-0.
Ryan Spikes launched his third home run of the season off the batter’s eye in the fifth inning to add to the advantage. All three of the third baseman’s home runs this year have come against the GreenJackets (26-24).
The final four runs crossed the plate in the RiverDogs final two at-bats. Keegan added a second sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to make it 5-0. In the eighth, they loaded the bases with no outs against Darling Florentino and Jhon Diaz drove in a pair with a double to right. Christopher Barete added one final tally with an RBI single to reach the 8-0 final.
Charleston closed the evening with nine hits, two each provided by Kinney, Colmenarez, Diaz and Barete. Augusta mustered only two hits, both of them singles.
Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs wore custom-created Marvel jerseys on the field as part of Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond Night at The Joe on Saturday. The game-used and autographed jerseys are available for fans to bid on via MiLB Auctions. In addition, one lucky winner during a post-game tennis ball toss, left the ballpark with a Marvel shield.
The final game of the series will take place on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. It will be a battle of southpaws as LHP Alex Ayala Jr. (0-3, 2.95) takes the mound for the RiverDogs and LHP Adam Shoemaker (0-2, 4.32) counters for Augusta. Parking is free and kids will be welcomed onto the field to run the bases as part of MUSC Health Family Sunday. In addition, the team will celebrate Charleston’s Latin American community by playing as Los Perros Santos de Charleston.