Humphreys Deals in 4-0 Shutout
KINGSPORT, Tenn.-The Kingsport Mets won its eighth series of the season behind a joint shutout from Jordan Humphreys and Blake Taylor on the mound as the K-Mets took down the Danville Braves 4-0 in the rubber-match Monday night at Hunter Wright Stadium.
Kingsport's (24-41) shutout win notched the squad's second series win in-a-row dating back to August 24-26 matchups against the Princeton Rays at the friendly confines. The Mets are 4-2 thus far into the nine-game series-ending home stand.
With the loss, Danville (30-33) has officially been eliminated from playoff picture in the Appalachian League East as the team has dropped seven out of its last 10 contests. The 4-0 loss in Game 3 followed a 5-4 decision in the series' second contest where the Braves lost after failing to produce on a bases-loaded, no out situation in the top of the ninth inning.
The offense was enough on a night where Jordan Humphreys (3-5) completely dominated on the mound. The right-hander surrendered only four hits in a seven inning scoreless effort-all while tallying seven strikeouts en route to his third win of the season. Humphreys has now combined to pitch 20 innings of 13-hit baseball, surrendering only three earned runs and two walks, while striking out 26 batters en route to a 2-0 record to conclude the 2016 season in his last three starts.
Following four scoreless innings on the mound, Kingsport finally broke through for its right-hander on the hill with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Ricardo Cespedes led off the frame with a base-hit single to left field. Three pitches later, Cespedes was on the move and the hit and run proved successful as Reed Gamache's RBI double broke the scoreless contest and gave Kingsport its first lead of the game.
Jeremy Wolf followed suit with a single of his own, pushing Gamache to third base, as the K-Mets then had runners at the corners with no outs. Jose Miguel Medina came to the plate and delivered the second blow of the inning which was a run-scoring single to right field-bringing the score to 2-0 in favor of the home team at the conclusion of four innings.
The bottom of the fourth inning began with four-consecutive hits, including the RBI knocks from Gamache and Medina. A 5-4-3 around the horn double play off the bat of Walter Rasquin and a strike out from Dionis Rodriguez ended the two-run inning for the K-Mets.
Kingsport again tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh and eight innings.
Rodriguez doubled in Rasquin in the seventh frame for the third run of the contest while Wolf drove in Cespedes for the fourth and final run of the game in the eighth.
Gamache, Medina, Wolf and Rodriguez each drove in a run apiece but it was Cespedes impressing once more with his second four-hit day of the season. The four knocks included three singles and a triple for the Kingsport center fielder.
The Danville Braves recorded only five hits on the night as all five came from different players.
Humphreys was given the win following the stellar start, his third of the season, as Taylor tossed the final two innings of scoreless baseball for the shutout.
Joey Wentz (1-4), the Atlanta Braves' 40th overall selection in the CBA round of the 2016 June Armature Draft, took home the loss after pitching five innings of two-run baseball.
The Kingsport Mets will conclude the 2016 regular season with a three-game home stand against the Bristol Pirates. Tuesday and Wednesday's contest will begin at 7:00 p.m. while Thursday's season-finale will begin at 6:00 p.m. Admission to Thursday's game will be free of charge as fans are encouraged to pack the house for the final game of the season.