GREENSBORO, NC - The Delmarva Shorebirds spared their fans the drama on Thursday night, mashing four home runs on the way to a 6-1 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers, their 10th win in a row, at First National Bank Field.The Shorebirds (12-1) improve on Minor League Baseball's best record and
GREENSBORO, NC - The Delmarva Shorebirds spared their fans the drama on Thursday night, mashing four home runs on the way to a 6-1 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers, their 10th win in a row, at First National Bank Field.
The Shorebirds (12-1) improve on Minor League Baseball's best record and are now on their longest winning streak since taking 11 in a row from April 21 through May 2, 2011. That team featured future MLB All-Stars Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop, plus nine other future big-leaguers and current Shorebird manager Kyle Moore as bullpen catcher.
Reigning SAL Pitcher of the Week Grayson Rodriguez (3-0) continued his dominant month for his third straight win, allowing one run on four hits in 5.2 innings, walking one and striking out eight on a season-high 81 pitches. The only run he allowed was a two-out solo home run to Rodolfo Castro in the fourth inning, bringing his season-beginning scoreless streak to an end at 14.2 innings. Rodriguez, the Orioles' No. 5 prospect, finished the night with a 0.54 ERA.
Brad Case (1-1) took the loss for the Grasshoppers (7-8), allowing three runs on eight hits in five innings.
Robert Neustrom set the tone for the Shorebirds' night on the fourth pitch of the game. Neustrom belted a towering solo home run to right field, landing it in the middle of Eugene Street between two passing cars, and giving Delmarva a near-instant 1-0 lead in the first.
Will Robertson singled with one out in the second, and given the green light on a 3-0 count, Doran Turchin unleashed a deep blast to left center, halfway up the picnic grass for his second home run of the season. The 3-0 blast put the Shorebirds up 3-0.
Castro slashed a line drive opposite field homer to left in the bottom of the fourth to get the Grasshoppers on the board and within 3-1. Greensboro's next best chance came in the fifth. Lolo Sanchez reached on a one-out error at short and stole second base. Connor Kaiser worked an eight-pitch walk, and both runners advanced on a groundout to first. With the tying runs on base, Rodriguez froze Mason Martin on a 3-2 slider, striking him out to get out of the jam.
After a string of close wins and walkoffs throughout the winning streak, Delmarva put away any doubts in the top of the sixth. Against reliever Braeden Ogle, Seamus Curran pounded a two-out solo homer down the right field line. Nick Horvath then singled and stole second base. Cadyn Grenier came up next and muscled one just over the wall in left for his first home run of the season, a two-run round-tripper that pushed the Shorebird lead to 6-1.
Zach Matson relieved Rodriguez once the latter hit his pitch limit in the sixth, tossing two scoreless innings in his season debut. Nick Gruener retired the final four outs in a row, fanning Kaiser in the ninth to get the winning streak into double digits.
Grenier finished 2-for-5 with his second career home run. The first came in Greensboro as well, a ninth-inning game-tying solo shot on August 26, 2018, in a game the Shorebirds won 6-4.
Adam Hall picked up three hits and a walk for Delmarva and stole his team-high sixth base of the year. Curran and Horvath each picked up multi-hit games for a Shorebird offense that slugged out 13 hits. The five-run win was the Shorebirds' largest margin of victory this season, surpassing a trio of three-run victories.
Castro reached base all four times he came to bat for the Grasshoppers, going 3-for-3 with a walk and the solo homer.
Delmarva is now one win shy of matching the best start in franchise history. The original 1996 Shorebirds began the season on a 13-1 clip on the way to going 83-59 and appearing in the SAL Championship Series.
The Shorebirds will try to match their 1996 and 2011 counterparts on Friday night against the Grasshoppers. Gray Fenter (1-0, 1.00) will start for Delmarva, with Drew Rom (0-0, 5.87) to follow, against a Greensboro starter to be determined. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:45 with Will DeBoer on the call.
