Today's Preview: The Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) look to bounce back against the Tourists (A, Rockies) in this 4-game series as they play Game 3 following a pair of defeats to open the set. Greensboro pitching is coming off a rough game in which it fell victim to its own hitter-friendly
Today's Preview: The Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) look to bounce back against the Tourists (A, Rockies) in this 4-game series as they play Game 3 following a pair of defeats to open the set. Greensboro pitching is coming off a rough game in which it fell victim to its own hitter-friendly ballpark as Asheville hit six home runs en route to a 13-6 win on Sunday. In the loss, the Grasshoppers were out-hit 15-11 to fall to 1-7 against the Tourists in 2018.
Hoppers Hurler: Edward Cabrera, 20, makes his 17th start of the season and his second against the Tourists. He is coming off a win on July 11 to open this home stand, striking out seven batters over 5.0 innings while allowing two runs on six hits to beat Kannapolis. In two starts in July, he is 1-0 with a 3.38 (4 ER/10.2 IP) and 15 strikeouts after finishing June 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA (8 ER/25.2 IP) and 26 strikeouts in what has been his best month of the season so far. Cabrera struggled in one start against Asheville on April 28 at McCormick Field, lasting just 1.1 innings and allowing four runs on four hits including three home runs in a no decision - an eventual 10-8 loss. He has been better at home than on the road, going 2-3 with a 2.37 ERA (10 ER/38.0 IP) in seven games (starts) at First National Bank Field compared to 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA (22 ER/44.0 IP) in nine away starts. Last season with Short-A Batavia, he went 1-3 with a 5.30 ERA (21 ER/35.2 IP) and 32 strikeouts in 13 games (six starts).
About Last Night:Bret Boswell and Casey Golden each belted a pair of home runs as part of the Tourists' 6-homer game as the Grasshoppers fell 13-6 on Sunday at First National Bank Field. Greensboro allowed runs in seven of the nine frames played as Asheville improved to 7-1 against the Hoppers in 2018. Boswell finished with a game-high four hits, going 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs, two RBI, and four runs scored. Golden, a Siler City native playing in front of family and friends, homered in the third and eighth innings while going 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Derrik Watson (1-1) earned a relief win despite allowing three runs in the fifth. Asheville relievers Austin Moore and Braxton Lorenzini combined to work the final 4.0 innings, giving up one run on five total hits. Greensboro starter Daniel Castano (2-2) took the loss despite striking out eight batters with no walks for the third time in four starts. He allowed seven runs (four earned) on nine hits -- including four home runs -- over 5.0 innings. Castano has now fanned 31 batters in 25.0 innings without allowing a walk since joining the Grasshoppers. Tristan Pompey led the Grasshoppers offense, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Marcos Rivera chipped in with a 2-run home run as part of a 2-for-4 afternoon.
Jonesing for Hits: Outfielder Thomas Jones went 1-for-5 on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to eight games, his longest streak of the year from July 6-15. He is batting .344 (11-32) with three doubles, a triple, three RBI, and five runs scored. He has upped his average from .238 entering the streak to .252 (60-238) on the season. Previously, Jones had hit safely in six straight games with the Grasshoppers from June 16-26. Prior to this season, he twice had put together 5-game hitting streaks, once in 2016 and again in 2017.
Bombs Away: Asheville hit six home runs on Sunday, the most by a Greensboro opponent in a single game in 2018 and two shy of the South Atlantic League record. Bret Boswell and Casey Golden each hit two home runs - the fourth and fifth Hoppers opponents with multi-home run games this season - while Sean Bouchard and Todd Czinege also added big flies of their own. The Hoppers had previously allowed four home runs in a game twice this season, on April 28 at Asheville and June 27 vs. Delmarva. The league record of eight home runs has been reached two times, by the Columbus Red Stixx on June 16, 2005, and most recently by the Asheville Tourists on August 27, 2011.
Multiple Homers against the Hoppers: Bret Boswell and Casey Golden each homered twice against Greensboro on Sunday, joining Anderson Franco (5/2 vs. HAG), Chad Spanberger (5/9 at ASH), and Trevor Craport (6/27 vs. DEL) as the only players with multi-homer games against the Hoppers in 2018.
