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Encarnacion's Jolt Powers 'Birds Late

Orioles' No. 15 prospect smokes 109 mph, 434 ft three-run blast in eighth
August 17, 2018

SALISBURY, MD - Jean Carlos Encarnacion woke up the Delmarva Shorebirds with one ferocious swing, belting a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to power the Shorebirds to a 4-2 win over the Charleston RiverDogs on Friday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.With the Shorebirds (25-27, 60-59)

SALISBURY, MD - Jean Carlos Encarnacion woke up the Delmarva Shorebirds with one ferocious swing, belting a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to power the Shorebirds to a 4-2 win over the Charleston RiverDogs on Friday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.
With the Shorebirds (25-27, 60-59) down 2-0, Branden Becker and Zach Jarrett both reached on one-out errors. The RiverDogs (23-29, 56-64) turned to Dalton Higgins out of the bullpen to face Encarnacion. On a 3-1 pitch, Encarnacion crushed a line drive down the left field line for an ear-splitting home run. The three-run shot was clocked at 109 miles per hour off the bat and landed 434 feet from home plate; it was Encarnacion's second as a Shorebird and 12th overall this season, and it whiplashed Delmarva into a 3-2 lead.

Not done just yet, Trevor Craport and Ryan Ripken followed the Encarnacion screamer with singles to put men on the corners. Cadyn Grenier then lifted a flyball deep to left that Carlos Vidal dropped, allowing Craport to score to make it 4-2.
Tim Naughton with a pair of ninth-inning baserunners as Leonardo Molina worked a leadoff walk and Jerry Seitz reached on an error at short. Mitchell Hansen came in to pinch-run for the slow-footed Seitz, and both runners moved up on a sac bunt from Frederick Cuevas. Naughton stood his ground, though, striking out Welfrin Mateo and getting Vidal to bounce out to first to lock down the win.
Nick Vespi (5-5) picked up the win in relief, allowing two hits over three scoreless innings. Higgins (5-5) blew the save and took the loss, giving up a pair of runs in his two-thirds of an inning. Naughton's save was his fifth of the season.
Charleston took control early once again. Vidal doubled with one out in the top of the first, then two batters later Dermis Garcia belted a double of his own to put the RiverDogs up 1-0.
In the top of the second, Wilkerman Garcia took a pitch off the elbow to lead off. After a flyout and strikeout, Cuevas hit a chopper to short, and Grenier's throw pulled Ryan Ripken off first base, extending the inning. Garcia then stole third base, even after Delmarva starter DL Hall saw him breaking for the bag, sliding in ahead of the throw from the mound. On the next pitch, Mateo dropped a single into shallow center, plating Garcia and making it 2-0.
Hall settled down and turned in another fine start for the Shorebirds in a no-decision. The Orioles' No. 3 prospect allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits over five innings, walking none and striking out five.
Delmarva had chances to score in the first and fifth innings, putting two men on with fewer than two outs each time before coming away emptyhanded.
Encarnacion, himself the No. 15 prospect in the Orioles system, finished 2-for-4 with the supersonic home run and three RBIs. Grenier went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI.
Five of the RiverDogs' six hits on the night went for extra bases: four doubles and a Cuevas triple.
Charleston starter Alex Mauricio had nothing to show for his second stellar Perdue Stadium start in two weeks; he scattered five hits across six scoreless innings, walking one and striking out one.
The win snaps Delmarva's four-game winning streak and clinches a season series win over Charleston, 7-6. It was just the Shorebirds' second win all season when trailing after the seventh inning.
The Shorebirds now welcome in the Rome Braves for a four-game set beginning on Saturday night. In a rematch of their August 7 showdown in Georgia, Delmarva's Jhon Peluffo (4-6, 5.56) battles Rome's Freddy Tarnok (4-4, 4.50). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 4:00 for batting practice. Saturday night is the long-awaited Delmarva Scrapple Night; the Shorebirds will play as the Scrapple and auction off their uniforms after the game, and scrapple products will be available on the concourses all night. Postgame features a Q105 Fireworks show presented by Allen Harim on Allen Harim Night. Pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:50 with Will DeBoer and Drew Williams on the call.