Preview: Rogers to make pro debut

Today's Preview: The Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) play for their longest winning streak of the season as they host the Intimidators (A, White Sox) in Game 2 of this 4-game series. Greensboro is coming off three straight wins at First National Bank Field, including a doubleheader sweep of Lakewood on Sunday, the squad's third 3-game winning streak of the season. Today, 2017 first round selection Trevor Rogers makes his professional debut as he duels Blake Battenfield.
Hoppers Hurlers: Trevor Rogers, 20, makes his professional debut against Kannapolis after being selected by the Marlins in the first round (13th overall) in the June 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Carlsbad (N.M.) High School. The 6'6" left-hander signed for $3.4M following a High-School All-American First Team season in 2017. He is Miami's No. 5 Prospect according to MLB.com. In his final season at Carlsbad High, he went 11-0 with a 0.33 ERA, 134 strikeouts and 13 walks while throwing three no-hitters.
About Last Night:Jhonny Santos blasted two home runs to power the Grasshoppers past the Intimidators, 5-3, on Monday. The game started late, following an hour, 26-minute rain delay. In the second, Santos launched a 1-out home run to left-center field. The Intimidators leapfrogged the Grasshoppers in the top of the third on a Craig Dedelow 2-run home run (3). Greensboro (19-21) reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Santos' second home run (3) of the game. Cameron Baranek led off the inning with a base hit, which center fielder Tyler Frost misplayed, allowing Baranek to reach second base. Lazaro Alonso knocked a base hit to left field to tie the game, 2-2, and Santos followed with a 2-run blast for a 4-2 lead. In the fifth, Kannapolis got a run back when Laz Rivera homered (5) to the top of the berm in left field, but Greensboro manufactured a run of its own in the home half of the frame. Thomas Jones reached base on an Intimidators error and went first-to-third on an Jose Devers base hit. Baranek followed with a sacrifice fly for a 5-3 lead. Nestor Bautista (1-0) earned the win, working 3 and 2/3 innings and striking out four. The right-hander worked around a run on two hits in relief of starter Ryan Lillie, who worked the first 3.0 frames. Intimidators starter Lincoln Henzman (3-3) took the loss, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out three and walking none. Michael Mertz spun the final 2 and 1/3 innings for the save (2).
Sluggin' Santos: Jhonny Santos became the second Hopper to hit two home runs in a game this season when he launched a pair of bombs against Kannapolis on Monday. It was the first multi-home run game of his career. Santos joined Thomas Jones, who had two home runs on May 3 against Hagerstown, as the only Hoppers with multi-HR games in 2018. Since 2011, Greensboro has seen 26 players hit two home runs in a game, however no Hoppers player has hit three home runs in a game in franchise history, since 2005.
BlueClaws Blanked Back-to-Back: The Grasshoppers tossed back-to-back shutouts Sunday to run the pitching staff's scoreless innings streak to 17.0 innings, including the final three innings of Saturday's game against Lakewood. These are the first back-to-back shutouts by Greensboro since 2014 when the Hoppers also shutout the BlueClaws in both games of a doubleheader on August 12. That day, Greensboro won Game 1, 7-0, followed by a 1-0 win in Game 2. Since the franchise became the Grasshoppers in 2005, they have thrown consecutive shutouts seven times, including thrice in the both games of a doubleheader.