Preview: Castano looks to spoil Tourists trip

Today's Preview: The Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) host the Tourists (A, Rockies) in Game 2 of this 4-game series on Sunday afternoon at First National Bank Field. Greensboro sends Daniel Castano to the mound against Asheville's Will Gaddis in a battle of starts who are each enjoying a better second half to their season. Castano has been strong in three Second Half starts with the Hoppers, going 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA since joining the team from High-A Jupiter, while Gaddis is 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA in three starts for the Tourists since the South Atlantic League All-Star Break. The Hoppers fell to 3.0 games back in the SAL Northern Division, tied for fifth, while the Tourists remain 1.0 game out of first in the Southern Division, tied for second in the standings.
Hoppers Hurler: Daniel Castano, 23, makes his fourth start for the Grasshoppers after opening this year as a starter with Class A-Advanced Jupiter. He is coming off a loss with Greensboro despite allowing just two runs over 7.0 innings while striking out a season-high-tying eight on July 9 at Lexington. He has fanned at least seven batters in his three starts with the Hoppers and has 23 Ks and zero walks in 20.0 IP with Greensboro. The left-hander began 2018 with a 5-6 record and 5.65 ERA (36 ER/57.1 IP), 37 strikeouts compared to 22 walks, and a .315 average against in 11 games (11 starts) in the Florida State League before a pair of rehab appearances with the GCL Marlins. His combined stats this season are 5-7 with a 5.43 ERA (40 ER/66.1 IP) in 13 games (12 starts). The Marlins acquired Castano on Dec. 14, 2017, as part of the trade that sent former Grasshopper and Major League outfielder Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals. St. Louis selected Castano in the 19th round of the June 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Baylor. He spent last season in the New York-Penn League, going 9-3 with a 2.57 ERA (26 ER/91.0 IP) and 81 strikeouts in 14 games (14 starts) with the State College Spikes.
About Last Night:Chad Spanberger belted his 22nd home run of the season, a 3-run blast in the eighth inning to give Asheville the lead in their 8-7 win over Greensboro on Saturday night. The Grasshoppers built an early lead on the back of Isael Soto's 2-run home run as part of a 3-run frame in the first, however the Tourists stayed within striking distance before Spanberger's go-ahead blast. With that 3-run homer, Asheville claimed its first lead since July 7. Spanberger finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored, one of three Tourists with a 3-hit night with Ryan Vilade and Bret Boswell, who both were also 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Soto led the Grasshoppers with three RBI, going 1-for-3 while Jose Devers and Garvis Lara each had a multi-hit game for Greensboro. This game was decided by the bullpens, as Asheville reliever Hayden Roberts (1-0) earned the win, tossing 2.0 innings and allowing an unearned run on one hit before Tommy Doyle and Robert Tyler each tossed a scoreless frame to close the game with Tyler earning the save (7). Jeremy Ovalle (0-1) suffered the loss with a blown save also charged to his ledger, allowing a run on one hits - the Spanberger blast - in 1.2 relief innings after taking the mound in the middle of the eighth in place of Gabriel Castellanos.
Jonesing for Hits: Hoppers outfielder Thomas Jones is on his longest hitting streak of the year with hits in his last seven games, July 6-14. In that span, he is batting .370 (10-27) with two doubles, a triple, three RBI, and four runs scored. He has upped his average from .238 entering the streak to .253 (59-233) on the season. Previously, Jones had hit safely in six straight games with the Grasshoppers from June 16-26.
Walk Off Winners: Greensboro scored its first walk-off win on Friday since May 4 when they topped the Greenville Drive, 9-8, when Zach Sullivan's game-winning hit capped a 6-run come-from-behind win. The Hoppers trailed the Intimidators 3-0 on Friday before rallying to tie the game in the eighth and scoring two runs in the bottom of the 10th for the win. The Hoppers are now 13-5 in games decided in the final at-bats, including 4-2 in walk-off games.
Extra! Extra!: Greensboro improved to 5-1 in extra-inning games in 2018 with their first extra-inning game at home all season on Friday. Greensboro last won in extra-innings on July 8 at Lexington with an 11-10 victory in 11 innings, the team's longest game of the season thanks in part to the new pace of play rules throughout Minor League Baseball that begin extra innings with a runner on second base.