'Birds One-Hit Suns, Win Fourth Straight

SALISBURY, MD - The tandem of Ofelky Peralta and Matt De La Rosa combined to pitch a one-hit shutout as the Delmarva Shorebirds silenced the Hagerstown Suns 4-0 on Saturday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.
Peralta (4-0) dominated for the Shorebirds (37-10) over six scoreless one-hit innings, walking four and striking out eight for the win. Peralta registered his third Quality Start of the year and second straight. In 22 career innings against the Suns, Peralta has allowed just one unearned run.
Joan Adon (3-2) was hung with the loss for the Suns (22-26), allowing three runs on just one hit with four walks in four innings. De La Rosa earned his second save save, tossing the final three frames in no-hit fashion.
Hagerstown got its only hit in the second inning, a one-out infield single that Kyle Marinconz lashed back to the mound off Peralta's glove. Marinconz stole his way to second and third, and a two-out walk to Trey Vickers put men on the corners. Peralta settled in, though, getting Jose Sanchez to line out softly to second to end the threat.
With one out in the home fourth, Doran Turchin walked and Nick Horvath got hit by a pitch. Cadyn Grenier then walked to load the bases, and another walk to Seamus Curran forced home the first Delmarva run. Ben Breazeale followed by smacking a two-run single to center, pushing the Shorebirds ahead 3-0.
Curran added the final tally for Delmarva when he blasted a solo homer to right, his eighth of the year, in the bottom of the sixth.
Breazeale knocked home two runs for the second straight game to lead the Shorebirds' offense, finishing 1-for-3. Curran also had two RBIs, going 1-for-2 with a homer. Despite going 0-for-3, Grenier did draw a walk and scored to extend his on-base streak to 20 games.
Peralta and De La Rosa retired 17 of the final 19 Hagerstown hitters, including 15 in a row from the fourth through ninth innings, limiting the Suns to just two more walks in the ninth. Daniel Fajardo has now caught six of the Shorebirds' seven shutouts this season, lowering his catcher's ERA to 1.86.
With second-place Greensboro's 10-7 loss at Hickory, the Shorebirds gain a game in the SAL Northern Division standings, pushing the lead to 4.5 games with 22 to go.
The Shorebirds will turn around and play a doubleheader against the Suns on Sunday afternoon. Delmarva hands the ball to Hector Guance (2-1, 4.11) for the opening game while Hagerstown turns to Jake Irvin (3-3, 5.27). The Shorebirds have not announced a starter for Game 2; the Suns will go with Angel Guillen (0-2, 2.96). First pitch of the twin bill is set for 1:05 p.m. with gates opening at 12 noon. Sunday afternoon is Perdue Strike Out Hunger Sunday, as well as a Kid's Club Game presented by Maryland EXCELS, plus postgame Kids Run the Bases presented by Chili's. Pregame coverage on Fox Sports 960 AM and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 12:50 with Will DeBoer and Sam Jellinek on the call.