After a rainout Saturday night, the Greeneville Astros (7-4) picked up two wins against the Kingsport Mets (3-7) on Sunday. Stellar pitching and timely hitting now puts the Astros in line for the sweep on Monday night.Picking up from last night, the Mets started the game with runners on first
After a rainout Saturday night, the Greeneville Astros (7-4) picked up two wins against the Kingsport Mets (3-7) on Sunday. Stellar pitching and timely hitting now puts the Astros in line for the sweep on Monday night.
Picking up from last night, the Mets started the game with runners on first and third with no outs in the top of the second inning. Leovanny Rodriguez (2-0) replaced original starter Felipe Tejada taking the mound and forcing Grabiel Jimenez to ground into a double play, scoring the run from third. The Mets would add another run in the top of the third, following a single and a walk designated hitter Jeremy Vasquez singled on a grounder to left field giving the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Rodriguez settled in and found his groove, not allowing a run for the rest of the game. The pitcher tallied seven innings only allowing four hits, one run and one walk. Austin Kerns, a 2017 non-drafted free agent, came on in relief to close out the ninth.
The Astros had their first of two big innings in the fifth as left fielder Frankeny Fernandez led off with a single to center. After a fly out, Gilberto Celestino singled up the middle, deflecting off Kingsport's shortstop allowing Fernandez to move up to third. Catcher Oscar Campos then scorched an RBI single to center, scoring Fernandez and again putting runners on the corners. A passed ball brought home Celestino and advanced Campos to third where he would then score on a sacrifice fly by Reiny Beltre.
Greeneville brought home another three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Celestino recorded his second hit of the night when he smashed his first homerun of the year over the left centerfield wall. With two outs via a strike out and a pop out, Greeneville rallied. Beltre singled on a liner to center and Chas McCormick reached on a fielder's choice. Shortstop Cody Bohanek then doubled to left scoring both runners. That would lead to the final score of 6-2 giving Greeneville the win in the first of two games.
The Astros kept swinging hot bats to start the second game recording back-to-back singles in the first inning. A deep fly out by Brody Westmoreland advanced Bohanek to third, where he would eventually score on a wild pitch giving the Astros a 1-0 lead.
Greeneville sent former Tusculum College pitcher Tim Hardy to the mound, who dazzled in three innings of work. Hardy only gave up two hits and struck out one, lowering his ERA to 1.59 in his second appearance on the year. Greeneville added on to their lead in Hardy's last inning of work loading the bases with no outs after Wilson Amador doubled, Celestino walked and Bohanek was hit by a pitch. Only able to scratch one run across the board, Westmoreland hit a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Amador from third.
Answering right back, the Mets got their first run of the game in the top of the fourth. Jheyson Caraballo replaced Hardy and quickly found himself in a jam. The Mets had runners on the corners due to a throwing error and single to start off the inning. Catcher Juan Uriarte hit an RBI single to left field making it 2-1 in favor of the Astros. Caraballo got out of the situation beautifully recording a force out at third, a fly out to left and another force out at second.
Looking for insurance in the bottom of the sixth, the Astros got just what they wanted. Sixteenth round draft pick Adrian Tovalin singled to left field and scored on a double that was sliced into the left field corner by Roman Garcia. The two run lead proved to be enough as Caraballo shut down the Mets in the 7th giving the Astros the 3-1 win as well as the twin bill sweep.
Greeneville continues their six-game home stand with the series finale against the Kingsport Mets Monday night. Greeneville will look to complete their second sweep of the season. Right-handers Bryan Abreu (0-1) and Jose Geraldo (1-1) will face off with first pitch scheduled for 7:00pm.
The Astros are the Appalachian League affiliate of the Houston Astros. For more information, visit www.greenevilleastros.com or call (423) 638-0411.
